Hypocricy
The reason I got into blogging was in the interest of open and honest discussion. The first blogger that I developed a relationship with is Roger Fraley who writes at XDA. As the name indicates, Roger is a former district attorney. He is smart, strongly opinionated, and conservative. We disagree on almost everything, but I have had a great time sparring with him. More importantly, he defends his positions in a consistent and meaningful way. I have a lot of respect for Roger, even though we mostly disagree. If it weren't for Roger, I probably never would have gotten into blogging myself, so I consider him my blogfather.
After I started blogging myself, I started looking around for others that were like minded in that they favored open debate and were willing to defend their positions. People like Reality-based Educator and Cartledge are notable in their willingness and ability to defend their positions to whomever might oppose them. They have my respect for that reason more so than the fact that we are quite like-minded.
I've tried to keep my blogroll limited to those who were willing to engage me and others. I have respect for the people on my blogroll, and that is why they are there. As far as I know, the people on my blogroll do not delete comments other than spam and comments loaded with F-bombs. I certainly would never delete a comment so long as it meets the requirements of being from a person and not being profane. So in the interests of being consistent, I'm going to have to remove someone from my blogroll. I don't imagine anyone actually cares, least of all the person being removed, but I felt I had to explain myself, and I thought it might be interesting to explore the issue of blogging and commenting in the process.
Anyone who deletes comments because they don't like what is being said, or because they cannot defend their positions is a hypocrit and engages in childish behaviour that is not consistent with what I think blogging is all about.
So without further adieu, goodbye Elizabeth. You are a phony and a hypocrit. But I still won't delete your comments so long as they aren't loaded with F-bombs. After all, I believe in open and honest discussion.
After I started blogging myself, I started looking around for others that were like minded in that they favored open debate and were willing to defend their positions. People like Reality-based Educator and Cartledge are notable in their willingness and ability to defend their positions to whomever might oppose them. They have my respect for that reason more so than the fact that we are quite like-minded.
I've tried to keep my blogroll limited to those who were willing to engage me and others. I have respect for the people on my blogroll, and that is why they are there. As far as I know, the people on my blogroll do not delete comments other than spam and comments loaded with F-bombs. I certainly would never delete a comment so long as it meets the requirements of being from a person and not being profane. So in the interests of being consistent, I'm going to have to remove someone from my blogroll. I don't imagine anyone actually cares, least of all the person being removed, but I felt I had to explain myself, and I thought it might be interesting to explore the issue of blogging and commenting in the process.
Anyone who deletes comments because they don't like what is being said, or because they cannot defend their positions is a hypocrit and engages in childish behaviour that is not consistent with what I think blogging is all about.
So without further adieu, goodbye Elizabeth. You are a phony and a hypocrit. But I still won't delete your comments so long as they aren't loaded with F-bombs. After all, I believe in open and honest discussion.
posted by Praguetwin at
11:03 AM
8 Comments:
I do have a spam filter, but I've never deleted a comment or blocked anyone. I'd like to have people watch their language when leaving a comment, but if they can't, and if they'd like to make a fool of theirself by using foul language that is entirely up to them.
God Bless America, God Save The Republic.
By
David Schantz, at 8:24 PM
Thanks PT. But I have deleted the odd gratuitous piece of nonsense.
Some people simply don't want debate or discussion.
On the other hand it has been a long time since the need arose.
By
Cartledge, at 3:41 AM
I'm hoping you don't put Comment Moderation in the same category as deleting unwanted comments. I don't think I've ever not published a comment just because I disagreed with it.
In the summer of '05 I started getting plagued by this pathetic cyber-stalker. He'd sometimes post the same obscene slanderous comment 30 or 40 times in one post. It was usually late at night, so I'd discover it the next morning when I went to check for comments. I didn't know about Comment Moderation at the time (I don't think Blogger was offering it, but I'm not sure). All I could think of was closing off my comment section entirely. I had a detailed description in the left sidebar of why the comments were turned off, and links to all of the coward's blogs. I also warned people not to comment at any of his blogs; his second-favorite pastime was editing the comments at his own blog, so that commenters ended up saying ridiculous things and slandering themselves.
So Comment Moderation just feels like a safety net; I've found out first hand that there are some twisted wackos out there. But I'm sure you'd agree that I get some pretty spirited discussions over at my site (as you do over here).
By
Anonymous, at 4:39 AM
The only comments I've deleted are the "tracker" comments that sploggers use to determine when they've got a receptive blog. Usually two word nonsense and a link.
As for comment moderation, don't like it personally. I think it dampens the discussion somewhat.
Did I miss a memo...which "Elizabeth"?
By
Anonymous, at 9:08 AM
David,
My thoughts exactly. I prefer not to have foul language, but the occational slip is okay. I even drop one here and there if I'm in the mood.
C,
I know you have, and maybe I'm being a purist. If the need arose, I might do the same..... which leads me to.....
Tom,
I was thinking about you a lot when I wrote this. I know you have had that problem and I think you have been totally honest about the situation. Again, if something like that happened to me, I would have to change my policy. Writing the same thing over and over again is something I haven't considered, and it it happened, I would delete those too and block the person sending them. That is just unaccpetable.
I have a feeling now that I've made my policy clear, I might be challlenged on it.
By
Praguetwin, at 9:40 AM
Kvatch,
I agree, although I think people like Tom have a good reason to have one.
I'm not certain, but I think I introduced Elizabeth to my community. I met her arguing with a milblogger, checked out her sight, even linked her a couple of times. Then I started seeing her around at David's and at RBE, but like I said, I don't know if she found them through me or not so I could be wrong.
Her site is called "more from Elizabeth" but I refuse to link it. The last comment I made was a quote from her post, then I interjected "juxtaposed with" and then another quote from her post. I finished with "Hmmmmmm".
If someone can't defend that kind of criticism, they shouldn't be blogging. Just my opinion.
(by the way, her post was defending the police in NY who pumped 50 bullets into an unarmed petty criminal arguin essentially that he would have died young anyway).
By
Praguetwin, at 9:46 AM
I have never deleted a comment as well. I don't deal with people that do such things
By
Graeme, at 4:47 PM
Thanks for the kind words. I kinda kicked out one guy for what appears to be the same reason with you and 'Elizabeth' I agree, if it's not free and open debate, what good is it? Invective without rational analysis grinds you down after a while. Hey, how come you're getting more readers than I am? We'll leave the possibility of differential ability aside and go for thoughts on lefty versus righty. The popular lefty sites get nearly 5 times the trafic the popular righty sites do. Is that because more lefties are on the web or because there are fewer really good (like yours) sites to visit? Are OK to good sites (like mine) a dime a dozen on the right? Wish I knew. Keep up the good work, grasshopper.
By
Roger Fraley, at 7:52 PM
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