From now on anyone wishing to post on this blog must register first. I am doing this for two reasons. First, I am just sick of the constant cheap shots taken at my friend Cheryl Hentz. It's one thing to disagree with a person on issues, but most of the comments aimed at Cheryl are just mindless personal attacks. Some of you really do need to get a life.
Second, many people I respect have told me that the anonymous mindlessness not only discourages participation, but also makes it difficult to read the blog. My hope was that the mindless folks would just disappear, but alas it was not to be.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Tony, thank you for your kind words; and your decision. One by one the venues of choice for the cowards and children are drying up. Your decision may slow activity, as it has on most of our sites, but those who have a desire for meaningful discussion will not mind. Thank you again for displaying courage because others have none.
One of the things I respect most about you, Tony, is your ability to keep personal attacks, insults, and name-calling out of discussions and disagreements. I often wish I could do it as well as you. It's a shame that juvenile anonymous posters had to bring their childish antics to your table.
I'd rather feel welcome at a small gathering of civilized adults (even when our opinons differ) than spend time with a large group of small-minded people who seem paralyzed by their own misery.
Kay Springstroh
Tony,
I was on my site this morning and it was called to my attention that this happened. Needless to say I am disappointed in this action you took. After all that you have fought for regarding freedom of speech and First Amendment rights, you are taking away anonymous postings. There are other ways to handle this. You can delete any comments that you find inappropriate or offending without forcing the people to sign their names.
I have already been threatened on my site for 'condoning' this behavior. Well, so be it. I will not be taking away the anonymous right to post. I will continue to monitor and remove any comments that are offensive or too personal, but I won't force registration.
These forums are for discussion and many times that brings out the children. I say let them have their fun but watch them so that it doesn't get carried away. You have to take the bad with the good but some good can come out of these. Even Cheryl and I had a civil discussion on one of the threads on Saturday.
I would like to ask you to reconsider this move, it would be better to watch and delete comments than to take away the ability to make them.
Thanks for the time,
K. Monte
Kent,
I actually have been deleting libelous comments on this blog regularly since its inception. Usually I get to them before they have been posted very long so few people have noticed the deletions.
People can still post anonymously--the registration process does not ask for an actual name (note for example that "onceanonymous" has posted in another thread). But trolls are less likely to submit purely libelous comments when they know those comments will be moderated (though I am sure some of these beings get a sick thrill out of a moderator having to look at their garbage).
I think this problem could be solved if the low lifes out there merely set up their own blogs with titles like "I HATE _____________" (fill in the blank) and then spew venom to their heart's desire.
I'm interested in expanding the readership of the blog. When it became clear to me that the trolls are discouraging people from visiting, the decision to enable the moderation function really was not difficult at all. I would encourage you to do the same.
Thanks. --Tony
well, it aint gonna stop me :)
just too busy lately is all...
Tony, I’ve read with interest some of the negative reaction to your new comment posting policy, and am happy to hear that you do not plan to revert back to the old policy. I understand some people may be disappointed in your decision, as they no doubt were when other sites changed their posting policies. But these changes only came about because a few people – perhaps even some of those now complaining the loudest – showed they could not handle the responsibility that came with the privilege of posting anonymously in a self-policing way.
We hear how their right to free speech has been taken away. That is absolutely ludicrous. Everyone still has that right. It’s just that now people have to exercise it responsibly or face possible consequences. Even if they started their own “I hate ________” blog, they still would have to be careful about what they say. They cannot just say anything they want about people without the potential of running into major legal problems, primarily when those comments are libelous and damaging to someone.
Do these people feel newspapers or magazines have also stripped them of their First Amendment rights by requiring that letters to the editor are signed as well? Or what about the blogs that have always required registration (and there are plenty)? Certainly not. The only reason they’re screaming at the top of their lungs is because some of the most popular vehicles for transporting their messages of hate, anger and immaturity have gone into the shop for a tune-up and those vehicles will have to be driven a little more carefully in the future.
Mr. Monte suggests you could delete the comments you deemed inappropriate. Perhaps he lacks appreciation for the number of inappropriate comments we sometimes received in a given day on our sites or the amount of time it takes to remove them, especially if we have to go searching for them. Also, when some of us did delete inappropriate comments or ones which were outright lies and libelous in nature, we were often chastised by the anonymouses for doing that too. Clearly there is no winning with some people unless they have their own way, and that includes their having the ability to go after others in completely unwarranted, scurrilous and highly personal attacks that have nothing to do with the issues being discussed.
Mr. Monte has made a decision about anonymous postings on his site and that’s fine. It is too bad that the individuals praising his decision don’t think other site operators should be able to exercise that same discretion and decision-making power over their own sites.
As for Mr. Monte, he has said he will monitor comments on his site and not allow them to get out of hand. Let's hope he keeps that promise. We’ve already seen what happened with one site operator who didn’t. In arguing why anonymous comments should be allowed Mr. Monte has said that sometimes children come to these forums and that they should be permitted to have their fun but be watched so things don't get carried away. What's fun for some is not fun for others, and clearly, the kind of “fun” a few exhibited was not considered fun by most.
Clearly, while children can be in some places with supervision, it seems that there are other places, like traffic – and blogs – where they just shouldn't play. Again, thank you for your decision. While the dialogue may diminish, that which remains will be more respectful toward others and of a higher quality – and that’s never a bad thing.
Post a Comment