Saturday, February 17, 2007

New garbage policy

Blogging comes in all sizes and shapes. In Virginia a lively blogosphere exists which represents political opinion from A-to-Z, left-to-right, etc. A visit to Waldo’s Virginia Political Blogroll will offer the reader a smorgasbord of opinion, from liberal to conservative to surreal.

Some of the bloggers are clever. Some are good writers. And, some are up to no good...

Unfortunately, there are a few bloggers in Virginia who see blogging as an opportunity to harass, bully or at least annoy other bloggers with whom they disagree. Often their motive beyond being a thorough nuisance is to promote their persona by picking fights with bloggers they know have readers they could never reach on their own. Among their tactics such pests like to use the comments sections of those targeted blogs to wear out their welcome, then scream “foul” when they are asked to cut it out.

Whether they comment anonymously, or using their established pseudonyms, such bad actors add nothing to the debate. Nor do they wish to do so.

At SLANTblog I am happy to take comments from readers who agree or disagree with what I present here. I enjoy discussing political issues. I always have. But just as I would not discuss politics, or sports, or movies -- in person -- with a rude drunk whose motive is obviously to piss me off, or gross me out, I don’t feel obligated to engage the same sort of person on the Internet.

Now my patience has run out for allowing such rude pests to take up my time, or my space, at SLANTblog. That’s right -- my space.

So, to my readers I say this -- please feel free to comment to this post or any others. For now, I plan to continue to allow comments to go through unfiltered. But if those comments are deemed to be pure garbage, not only will I no longer feel called upon to respond to clutters of childish provocations, from now on I will empty such garbage out as soon as I see fit.

Regular readers, including those few who have provoked this post, know exactly who they are. From here on the bad actors mentioned above are free to spank their monkeys on their own blogs, maybe on some other blogs, but not here.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well put!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this.

I see that the person in question wanted so badly to be able to jump on the "I was BANNED from so-and-so's blog!" bandwagon that he just came right out and suggested it to you. Very amusing pattern.

Spank That Donkey said...

You know Terry:

I have taken some time to think about this, this, well I'll be polite.... this challenge maybe you have laid out.

You label STD and other semi-named bloggers as a Sulkosphere... You accuse us of being sabatuers towards I guess vapolitical blogs... You go after Allen and Goode, with a knife...

yet, I challenge you with direct, unabusive debate, and you try to twist it into some kind of my 'bullying'of you, and of course 'your space' your blog.

Whereas, my blog is quite open for you to come over and debate me... you know, lay out your case as to why my notions are some kind of intellectual rot...

Same as I challenge your posts on your blog....

I haven't totally made up my mind how to react to you... you seemed a worthy opponent, and now all I see is a grown Man 'stomping his feet', declaring 'he's had enough of this abuse'?

You fein like I am some how insulting you by coming over to your blog to challenge your notions, rhetoric and how do I say? You take Liberties with the intent and actions of my elected officials....

and you want to cry foul, and liken me to just some 'drunk in a bar', totally unreasonable, beyond rational.....

I think you are just 'shrinking' from the debate....

I'll take you any time, open thread, pod cast, what ever, let's let the people decide..... I'll be your 'huckleberry' debate me fair and square Terry....

If you want to kill STD, call me out into the town square and shoot me dead with your logic.....

F.T. Rea said...

spankthatdonkey,

No challenge was presented to you. Moreover, my experience over the years with obstreperous characters, who become fixated with interacting with me -- concerning what I write about -- tells me to push away from you.

So, if you really want to be polite, stop pretending not to hear what I’m saying: This is not a game. I will never engage you in the comments section of your blog.

So, inflate your hits count by way of someone else. I’m not interested in helping you promote yourself. Your comments are no longer welcome here. Please don’t come back.