Bonum Certa Men Certa

New Year, Some Readers Want a New Policy

We never had a site policy

OCCASIONALLY WE RECEIVE suggestions saying that we should moderate the Web site, but we never deleted comments. In very exceptional cases, where people come only to curse and to vandalise, we append a message in red, but only three individuals (they sometimes change their names) were ever treated this way due to extreme abuse which is well documented.

Some readers feel as though we don't go far enough and with over 200 comments yesterday, most of which from heckles, comes another polite, if slightly strong, suggestion that we want to share in order to receive opinions. The message goes like this:




"Have you considered radically moderating the comments by the trolls at your site? It is always good to have differing opinions and people correcting our views and facts [...], but these guys at your site are starting to behave quite distastefully, and it is no more just some dissenting readers, it is increasingly looking like a well planed and even coordinated attack (again it might be my paranoid instinct, but even if this is not the case, these commenters are getting quite nasty and don't add anything useful to the conversation in most cases).

“I also hate their strategy of trying to overwhelm you by buddying at attacking two or three at a time.”
--Anonymous reader
"I think they are draining a lot of energy from you and always try to distract and misdirect the conversations with ad-hominem attacks and comments not quite on topic in order to undermine the message of your posts.

"You should start applying a strict policy of not permitting ad-hominem attacks, strawman arguments, etc. [...] you must be absolutely and ultimately in control and have the last word about what and what not shows on it, most of their comments are now aimed at disrupting the conversation when they cannot counter the arguments (most of the time).

"I also hate their strategy of trying to overwhelm you by buddying at attacking two or three at a time. I also hate people trying to have always the last word, and it is the case of these trolls, they always try to add the last comment to any of your posts and be on top of everybody else, which shows a total lack of respect for [the] site and its visitors.

"I think it is high time you get rid and silently drop comments of those Microsoft-loving stalkers, and never ever reply their provocations neither let them surface on your site.

"Surely they will hate that you selectively and silently drop and/or edit their molesting comments without giving them any explanation whatsoever (let them read your "enhanced comment policy" at the site if they want, but never ever engage in a discussion about the legitimacy of your moderation, or whether if it is fair or not for them [...] you don't owe any justification to them, and they don't deserve any explanation whatsoever since they perfectly know what they are doing -- IMHO they seem like PR-agency paid stalkers every day that passes, so better silence and ignore them, they could be professionals and will try to drive you crazy).

"If they enjoy commenting BS, let them go to port25."




Personally, I am very much against deleting comments, but a policy might make it clear in advance that certain behaviour will not be tolerated (or disclosures be required). For over a year we saw even readers of the site coming under personal attacks for 'daring' to express a point of view in the comments. This is not acceptable in their own point of you, so it forces them into silence or drives them away.

We're not sure what to do. This is not the first such suggestion, but Shane and I feel strongly on this issue of free speech. How should we proceed then?

Comments

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