John Murney's Blog: The Alternative Comments Page
Okay, it's time to fire up this blog again and start shooting my mouth off about various and sundry things.
This time it will be about a blog where I have recently become a frequent commenter.
John Murney's Blog is a pretty decent blog. He deals primarily with issues pertaining to politics in Saskatchewan and Canada, an occasionally with international issues. He is genuinely trying to provide a forum for informed and respectful debate and every once in a while he shuts down the comments when they get "overheated". This annoys me.
One of the things I really, really like about blogs is the free and often very tumultuous fracas that occurs in the comments section. One of my favourite in this regard has always been Iraq the Model. Another is Iraqi Bloggers Central. Once is a very, very long while someone may be banned from commenting, but normally any and every point of view is allowed. The debate absolutely churns and boils and no one is immune from "personal attacks".
While he may have an honorable aim, John doesn't like the personal attacks in his blog comments, but instead of issuing warnings to the offenders and banning them temporarily, he punishes everyone by shutting the comments down. Sooooo, in the interests of satisfying my own need for rough and tumble debate, I will open my blog as a place where John Murney's fans can have at 'er what ever way they want.
Remember, I do moderate the comments, so there will be a delay. But, almost every comment will be allowed to stand. I draw the line at personal threats (that means threats of violence), at spammers, real gutter language (of which I am the only judge) and at anyone who whines about censorship when nothing of the sort has happened. Authors of such comments will be warned first, and if they continue to offend, they will be banned.
So, John Murney's Blog Alternative Comments Page is officially open.
This time it will be about a blog where I have recently become a frequent commenter.
John Murney's Blog is a pretty decent blog. He deals primarily with issues pertaining to politics in Saskatchewan and Canada, an occasionally with international issues. He is genuinely trying to provide a forum for informed and respectful debate and every once in a while he shuts down the comments when they get "overheated". This annoys me.
One of the things I really, really like about blogs is the free and often very tumultuous fracas that occurs in the comments section. One of my favourite in this regard has always been Iraq the Model. Another is Iraqi Bloggers Central. Once is a very, very long while someone may be banned from commenting, but normally any and every point of view is allowed. The debate absolutely churns and boils and no one is immune from "personal attacks".
While he may have an honorable aim, John doesn't like the personal attacks in his blog comments, but instead of issuing warnings to the offenders and banning them temporarily, he punishes everyone by shutting the comments down. Sooooo, in the interests of satisfying my own need for rough and tumble debate, I will open my blog as a place where John Murney's fans can have at 'er what ever way they want.
Remember, I do moderate the comments, so there will be a delay. But, almost every comment will be allowed to stand. I draw the line at personal threats (that means threats of violence), at spammers, real gutter language (of which I am the only judge) and at anyone who whines about censorship when nothing of the sort has happened. Authors of such comments will be warned first, and if they continue to offend, they will be banned.
So, John Murney's Blog Alternative Comments Page is officially open.
posted by Louise at 7:23 pm
4 Comments:
I've been buggin' John to open his comments wide again, but with the crazy poop goin' on I don't blame him for being cautious. My comments section is still wide open though, except for a certain someone who has been spamming threats.
Welcome, saskboy. Personally, I think trying to maintain a certain decorum on a blog comment utility is to completely misunderstand the nature of the medium. It's damned near impossible and it destroys one of the most fascinating attributes of the comments section, that being it's entertainment value.
Hi Louise,
I have reopened my comments section. While I don't wish to limit debate on my blog, I had to close the comments section for a little while to remove potentially libellous comments made by a certain nutcase. I don't anticipate needing to close my comments section again. In the meantime, I will be pleased to add your blog to my blogroll!
For the record, I don't mind heated exchanges and comments...what concerns me is when attacks get personal. Once attacks stray away from issues being debated and onto other people, my old journalistic instincts kick in, and the fear of libel sets in quickly. I can't afford to go to court, but I can afford to remind my readers and debators that they can make forceful arguments that aren't slanderous or legally dangerous. The recent episode on my blog should illustrate that!
Hi John. I missed the "recent episode" you refer to. I don't know who said what to whom. My main point is why punish everyone?
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