Friday, September 4, 2009

All things in moderation ... including this blog


I just wanted to give you fine folks who read the blog a heads-up that from now on, this blog will be moderated. In other words, I'll be reviewing the comments before they're posted. Have no fear. You're still more than welcome to disagree with me, vehemently, but we've had too many instances of people resorting to foul language when getting their views across. If you keep it clean and don't personally attack others verbally, your comments will still appear, as quickly as I can get to them. Have a great holiday weekend.

27 Comments:

Blogger Dawn Keller said...

I had to do the same thing.

September 4, 2009 at 3:52 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

INHO this is a good thing.
Ron W

September 4, 2009 at 4:04 PM  
Blogger PRIguy said...

Works for me. There are a lot of people on this blog who go right for the personal attack. Next, you should eliminate the option to post anonymously.

September 4, 2009 at 4:10 PM  
Blogger Ellipses said...

Okey dokey! Is this why the URL changed, too?

September 4, 2009 at 4:55 PM  
Blogger MJ said...

I'm assuming it's the other way around. The comment policy probably changed because this is now an official O-R site.

September 4, 2009 at 5:43 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Speaking of moderation of posts, what has happened to posting on the O-R site? Posts are submitted, and they may never appear. Or, they may appear a day or two later. It is a great mystery about what happens over there.

The change really started when the Opinion Poll was removed. If the staffing is not available, we understand. Perhaps then, the opportunities for posting against stories, editorials, and letters should be removed. The idea is good, but the execution recently has been horrible.

Are my observations about the timing right for others? Or, are my observations unique?

September 4, 2009 at 8:40 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I hate that it has happened Brant, but I understand it. Though I rarely agree with you or your sidekick Ellispes, I liked the fact that you knew that what you wrote would appear.
I hope that you do a better job than the OR does on articles because the last poster was right, you have no idea what, when or if a comment will appear. It leads itself to questions of fairness when a series of negatives or positives appear after an article before the first of the other side. In particular when then the story is largely viewed one way in a poll for example, but the comments are in the other direction.
I understand the move because even when I have agreed with the sentiment of some of the posters recently I was driven away by their vulgarity.
This is not the way to handle discourse.
We will never agree but you deserve to be treated with respect as all humans and civility is the key to any public discussion.

Seeker of the Truth

September 4, 2009 at 11:01 PM  
Blogger Brant said...

I assure you that all comments, provided they are not personal attacks or foul in nature, will be posted in the order they are received, as quickly as I can get to them.

September 4, 2009 at 11:21 PM  
Blogger MJ said...

Hopefully the new policy will bring a civil discussion to important issues, regardless of your political views.

September 4, 2009 at 11:46 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

All things in moderation. Having run more than one forum, I agree wholeheartedly with moderation. Unmoderated boards allow users to spam with get-rich-quick schemes and ads for ED potions, to say nothing of allowing rants from those who have a particular agenda and plenty of time to hammer it home multiple times an hour. I'm all for free speech, but I believe a forum should foster dialog, not simply postings from those who think theirs is the lone valid opinion and have no intention of hearing the opinions of others.

And of course you have those who think that profanity is the best choice of words for all occasions and reflects "real life." I had one bonehead defend his constant profanity by saying that Jesus hung out with fishermen, and that fishermen were some of the foulest talking people in the world. To which I replied, try putting profanity in the Sermon on the Mount ("blessed are the &^%^%$ peacemakers, because they will inherit the *&^%^$% earth") and see if the point is made more clearly.

Those who don't like moderation will call the moderator a Nazi or Commie, but who really cares? The way I look at it is, the paper provides the ballpark and makes the rules. If you don't like it, build your own ballpark and have no rules.

September 5, 2009 at 10:04 AM  
Blogger Brant said...

Note to The Anonymous One: Feel free to comment if you have something to add to the discussion. If it's personal attacks you'd like to pursue, feel free to e-mail me.

September 6, 2009 at 6:57 AM  
Anonymous the anonymous one said...

Once you restrict one persons freedom of speech, and nobody stands up, soon everyones freedom of speech will be taken.

Thomas Paine: "If we do not hang together, we shall surely hang separately"

You owe it to the people that come to this blog and waste their time the truth Brant. Lay it out for them. GE is the OR's biggest sponsor, and they told you it was time to take down unwanted free speech that makes our DICTATOR OBAMA LOOK BAD. GE was one of the largest corp. to support Obama. GE has billions to loose when Obama fails. GE is in bed with the Crap and Trade bill, they also own NBC, who gives the Dictator free air time anytime he wants it.

Brant you just might learn to love your servitude, but I am an oath taker, vowed to protect the Constitution of America, against foreign and domestic. Once you tread on my rights, you have become a domestic enemy of the Constitution of America. Bad thing is, I think you know it. You said at one time that you was a Soldier, anyone that takes that oath and dosen't live up to it, is far from a Soldier.

Love your servitude, but DO NOT TREAD ON ME!

September 6, 2009 at 12:23 PM  
Blogger Brant said...

You see, The Anonymous One, when you make a comment that doesn't personally attack someone or include unacceptable language, it ends up on the blog. And I wouldn't in a million years have not posted this one, because it's a potential prize-winner in a humor-writing competition.

September 6, 2009 at 12:45 PM  
Blogger Brant said...

Oh, also, the word soldier is not capitalized, even though you might think it makes your more of a country-lovin' Amerkun to do so.

September 6, 2009 at 12:47 PM  
Blogger Ellipses said...

GE is the biggest sponsor?

I thought that was a randomly placed ad-sense ad...

I had a bunch of prius ads up for a while... until this health care things... and they started getting replaced by "Republican Health Care Plan" ads... Certainly, I'm not in the pocket of republican health care?

September 6, 2009 at 12:48 PM  
Blogger MJ said...

I doubt "The Dictator" reads this blog.

And were you defending the Constitution of the United States of American when you didn't question Bush/Cheney as they trampled the fourth amendment that restricts illegal search and seizure. Shame on you, Anonymous One, for not standing up to defend this country when given the opportunity. If so, I want proof that you stood against Bush/Cheney when they authorized domestic wiretapping on American citizens. Where were you?

September 6, 2009 at 5:49 PM  
Anonymous Chuck said...

Brant - You just smeared that guy. Should you be allowed to post that? I'm done with your site. Also, when the paper boy shows up to collect, I will stop buying the paper you work for. You so got baited, and you took it hook line and sinker! I wanted to show everyone you was the only one allowed to personally attack someone. You did a fine job!

-chuck

September 6, 2009 at 8:50 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Brant, didn't you just attack that guy in someway? You blew your theory on personal attacks, when you and Ellipses attack people all the time.

September 6, 2009 at 9:14 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think you attacked that guy.

September 6, 2009 at 9:14 PM  
Anonymous Sarah said...

I haven't seen a personal attack on this page in like 3 post! LOL.

September 6, 2009 at 9:21 PM  
Anonymous Lisa said...

hypocrite?

September 6, 2009 at 10:48 PM  
Blogger Brant said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

September 7, 2009 at 8:17 AM  
Blogger Brant said...

There was no personal attack on my part. I didn't call the guy names or make veiled threats against him (as he does toward me in a comment you didn't see). I'm just pointing out that his comment was hilarious because it had so little connection to reality. Suggesting that the O-R is in the pocket of General Electic and that GE told us to moderate the blog to control negative comments toward Obama? That's just crazy, conspiracy theory stuff.

September 7, 2009 at 8:32 AM  
Anonymous the anonymous one said...

I doubt "The Dictator" reads this blog.

MJ, I have called BUSH a burn out many times! I didn't support Bush, as I don't support our Dictator Obama! I support the guy from Pittsburgh. Ron Paull **== I don't support anyone that treads on our rights.

Maybe you can ask Brant, and he might tell you the truth... but I have given Bush the burn out a hard time also.

September 7, 2009 at 12:41 PM  
Anonymous the anonymous one said...

There was no personal attack on my part. I didn't call the guy names or make veiled threats against him (as he does toward me in a comment you didn't see).

Brant tell them the truth! I just asked you to come out and have ditch digging contest with me or maybe build a million dollar home?

September 7, 2009 at 2:23 PM  
Blogger Brant said...

The Anonymous One has, indeed, taken Bush to task. And we agree about Ron Paul. The Libertarian Party is like the GOP without the religious hobbles.

September 7, 2009 at 2:33 PM  
Blogger Brant said...

Anonymous One, I'm afraid that my best ditch-digging days are long behind me. I'm also afraid that any home I would build would like like it was designed by Salvador Dali. Maybe a seed-spitting contest, or corn shucking. In other words, something I can do sitting down. ;-)

September 7, 2009 at 2:36 PM  

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