 Mark Whitaker, an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of South Carolina and research collaborator of former senior TamilNet editor Taraki Sivaram, argues that TamilNet merely shares the Sri Lankan Tamil nationalist ideology of the LTTE and is not an arm of the organization.For instance, he says TamilNet had once fired a sub-editor who had become an activist for the LTTE.He also says TamilNet has faced complaints and "extreme displeasure" from both the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE.