Thursday
Dec152011
Extreme moderation
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 9:28 I have introduced, temporarily I hope, comment moderation.
It hasn't gone down too well with one unwelcome guest who writes:
Oh by the way Simon crippling your blog by comment moderation means I will wait until your blog slowly dies and you remove it. Too much hard work for you - suits me. Merry Xmas.
I think this blog will survive. Oh, and Happy Christmas to you too!
PS. The Internet really brings out the best in people, doesn't it?
Reader Comments (6)
Comment moderation can disrupt a quickly moving thread where commenters want to answer within minutes of each other.
Why not just delete offending comments?
You are far more generous than me Simon. I have moderation on for the same reason but I don't wish the compliments of the season to my troll whose "merry Xmas" sounded rather perverse after a threat that the harassment would continue.
John, we'll see how it goes. Actually, it's not a question of deleting "offending comments". Most of the comments I am alluding to are not particularly offensive, they're just very very boring and that, in my eyes, is a far greater crime.
I have always welcomed critical and even "offensive" comments (if they're relevant to the thread) but there are lots of smoking-related blogs out there so if someone wants to pursue (persistently and repeatedly) an agenda that is incompatible with this blog and the majority of its readers I suggest they do it elsewhere.
PS. If I could edit every comment I probably would. That, to me, is the joy of print journalism. And if that makes me a control freak I plead guilty!
Moderation is a pain. As JH says, it can really slow things down. Just delete the ones you think inappropriate.
Publish and be damned!
As 'site administrator' of the Bolton Smokers Club blog, I have been wondering how I will respond if and when our site is attacked by this scum.
I have in mind to publish their comments and emit a 'reply' saying, "Commenters. Please ignore totally the above troll/nuttier/whatever. I have only published its comment because I do not wish to exercise censorship" And just keep repeating it. He/she will get fed up before I do. The DD person is a past master of the art of selecting and copying little sentences from the comments of people and arguing about them. People like DD have no arguments of their own other than the template.
Well, well. Simon! The DD has indeed turned up on the BSC! Which means, of course, that he cannot keep away from your blog.
Here is my 'reply':
"To Commenters. The above person is a nutter. Ignore completely."
I have copied this comment to your post about DD.