(Catholics Only) Is it gossip if the person(s) being referred to is anonymous?

[JesusLovesOurLady]

Several months ago, I was asking a question on CAF, and a certain person whom I had (huge) issues with in the past came up and started arguing with me. I had been referring to my liberal/neo-modernist RCIA class in my discussion (in which, I had been using the term “modernist” loosely to describe them as) and he came up and started arguing with me, and among other things, accused me of engaging in gossip. (Actually, he accused me of calumny because I’m a Traditional Catholic and therefore, my concerns about my soul being at risk by the teachings of these people must totally unfounded.) I was pretty sure that I wasn’t engaging in gossip because, among other things, neither this guy, nor any of the other people present on that thread have any idea who the members of my RCIA class are, in fact I don’t even think my CAF profile mentions that I’m from Canada! (It did in the past, before the site was renovated.)

But I’m starting to wonder how far anonymity goes in rendering something not gossip? Like for example, if I were to tell you that this person I’m referring to, said this in the past, or did that in the past, with little or no relevance to this OP, would that still be considered not gossip because none of you here know who I’m talking about?

How much does anonymity factor into whether or not something is gossip?

 

[ripple the car]

I would say no. Sometimes at work, in order to discuss problems, I've had to make very general statements like "some of the management in this store..." and then try to express the problem objectively and charitably. It's not gossip.

 

[Meowzltov]

No. If it's anonymous, it's not gossip. The guy on CAF was just looking for reasons to shut you up.