Tuesday Feb 13th
MORAL PROBLEM
I've been wondering what to do about comments to this Blog. From the moral point of view, one should simply delete anonymous messages . (I don't mean people who do not wish to have their names or addresses published - that's fair enough - I mean ones that are anonymous when they write in, ie too cowardly to put their names to the letters they send me roundly insulting me, my motives, my moral worth, etc etc. What are more colloquially called poison-pen writers).
My first instinct is to publish anything and everything that is rude about me, partly because the insults are often funny, and partly because I often actually agree with them. A pompous anonymous preacher writes in today accusing me of "a complete lack of self-knowledge and a vain desire for publicity". Jolly good. I'm sure he feels a lot better about himself now. I'm publishing his message but only because I have done so before, and the new policy only starts today, so I want to be fair to him. (Also, he's made a mistake and I want to correct it: the quote about honey and vinegar - a very good one - is from St Bernard and not St Francis de Sales).
I've also had a couple of anonymous comments referring to Jewish teachings in rather horrid terms.
Policy: in future, when you write in to say how wrong/nasty/vain/etc I am, please put your name to the letter or it won't get published. (I won't publish your name - I just want you to be brave enough to write it. Send it separately if need be, as for technical reasons this makes it easier to publish your comment without it).
Also, a note to those who, anonymous or not, are being gratuitously nasty about Jewish things: I will retain current policy, namely that I won't publish these at all.
14 comments:
Something could make your life easier for this, blogspot does allow you to restrict comments to only be from registered blogspot users. Since it only takes about 5 minutes to create a blogger identity, this isn't really too restrictive on commentators who actually want to comment rather than just vent poison.
His Grace exhorts you to do as he does - publish everything except comments that are off-topic, gratuitously offensive, libelous, or otherwise irritating.
We live in a land where freedom of speech is being restricted year on year, if not by law, by 'political correctness'. It is a liberty for which our forebears gave their lives. We should cherish it, and encourage it.
I do think restrictions on gratuitous posts are appropriate. Some people take a perverse pleasure in dragging comment threads down rat holes; there's no reason to indulge them.
Where is this strange message you refer to?
I think you can regard the blog as your own private fiefdom, and publish or not as you see fit. You're brave and humble to publish rude comments, but you don't *have* to.
I agree with Elizabeth. Your blog is a virtual extension of your home. You no more need to entertain rude guests here than you would in your actual one.
I'm very surprised that your entertaining and informative blog has generated hate mail. I don't think any blogger is under an obligation to publish and thus spread personal attacks.
Views contrary to your own on a subject you have raised, or perceptive observations of weaknesses in an argument you might be making, are another matter and should be published, I think, as long as they are written in the tone you have set: friendly.
It is interesting that you say you are going to post the offending comment you complain about, yet have not done so. Perhaps the reason is that it contains a grain of truth you are relucatnt for your readers to see.
She has published this comment - see the post below this one.
Keep it up Auntie J - there's lots of people out here rooting for you!
xxx
Anybody who publishes a blog, article, book, or a letter in the paper, writes a play which is performed, or paints a picture that is exhibited puts their work in the public domain and must expect disagreement as well as agreement, criticism as well as praise. You, Joanna, are happy to criticise and dismiss others at will, they (including some who share your views) are entitled to respond negatively, especially if they believe this puts these views into disrepute. It's called debate. Once you press the key and make your comments public they are no longer your private preserve but open to comment from all who read them. Accept the praise of your admirers as well as the comments of your critics. It's what bishops and priests have to endure all the time with far less independence to reply. If you can't stand the fire stay out of the kitchen.
Dear Veritas, Anonymous and other negative bloggers ...
Auntie Joanna is a CATHOLIC blogger and thus is perfectly entitled to put her very positive, orthodox, truely Magisterial and in-line with the Catechism comments and posts on her blog for all to read.
If you don't like this stuff why read her blog??? Go away and read something else or go play with the traffic!
Thankfully Auntie J does not bother publishing too many of your crummy views because the rest of us are simply uninterested in what you have to say. We could watch the BBC or read The Guardian if we wanted a dose of anti-Catholic rhetoric.
Well done Joanna - keep it going and God Bless.
Dear Veritas, Come on down off your pedestal, the thin air up there is going to your head. Its not up to you to tell somebody how to run their own blog. If you're so sure how to do it, feel free to start your own. In the meantime, you illustrate well what Rich L said.
I've been surfing these Catholic blogs for a short time and they make me laugh. With few exceptions like Joee Blogs and his friend Matt (and they're crazy) they are written by the 50+ for the 50+ who want to die in full possession of their prejudices. Keep going, wrinklies, you provide a lot of entertainment even though you write for esch other. The acid comment or two adds piquancy to a bland dish.
I introduced comment moderation when I started to receive some insulting comments. I can take criticism and intellectual argument, but not personal insults. However, I have removed comment moderation as I prefer the open-comment system. So far, so good.
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