Comments on: To allow comments or not to allow comments

By: Artfldgr

Artfldgr — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 14:30:31 +0000

Neo’s Algonquin table…

By: holmes

holmes — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:58:57 +0000

Actually, wasn’t Mead hiring an intern? Couldn’t the intern just do comments? It must be more that the comments aggravated him or that he felt he was being connected to the comments in some way.

Which made me think of a business opportunity if it were worthwhile to start a business in this country- outsourcing blog comments control. Just people who, perhaps with aid of an algorithm of some kind, read flagged comments and delete the troublesome ones for a blog. There are thousands of blogs who could use this service and who would find it useful to pay for it. Also every single Yahoo news comment section would find this helpful.

By: neo-neocon

neo-neocon — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 16:34:44 +0000

Charles and ziontruth: my experience is that most trolls worthy of the name do not go away on their own at all. If they’re good at what they do, they attract a lot of attention and feed off it. They must be banned.

The trick is figuring out who’s a troll and who isn’t, and acting quickly and decisively. When I ban someone, you’ll almost never hear about it. It’s one of those behind-the-scenes activities.

By: Rose

Rose — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 16:24:37 +0000

Dittos.

I come for the superb blogging and the diversity of the proprietor (the arts & culture: mm, tasty); I keep coming back because of the high class comments section.

Take a bow, y’all.

That’s what it’s all about. And you help light the way for those who are finding their way out of the kool-aid induced trance. It’s inspirational. Love ya.

By: neo-neocon

neo-neocon — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 16:13:16 +0000

[blushes]

Thank you all for the tributes. One of my biggest hopes when starting the blog was that it have a good comments section, with a lot of interesting back and forth, like a salon (although that name was taken). That was one of my biggest motivations for blogging, and it’s been a source of great satisfaction over the years that, IMHO, it has come to be.

By: ziontruth

ziontruth — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:47:46 +0000

Charles,

“Eventually ‘trolls’ go away when they realize no one is listening.”

From my experience this is not so. Trolls keep at their diatribes and hit-and-run posts even when ignored. The only ex-troll is a banned troll.

Just my opinion, I’m not making any practical suggestion with this. In fact, I think a comments forum under my administration would be a lot less pleasant to post on than Neo’s, because I don’t have even a quarter of the tolerance she has toward opposing views.

By: Curtis

Curtis — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:37:54 +0000

Neo is the kind of person taken for granted. I know I do but every now and then a thought presents that something special might be going on here.

Neo kind of people are always good people and you don’t know how good because they won’t tell you.

By: Doom

Doom — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 12:54:03 +0000

You even allow me to (dis?)grace your blog. I am quite sure others have queried your wisdom on this matter. I am quite sure, even before he stopped allowing comments, I would have been banned from his site. Heck, you don’t even “modify” my comments as some “conservative” sites do. I’ve got to hand it to you, you don’t let your feelings interfere with an open thread. You do own your emotions. That, lady, is the difference.

Cheers.

By: Reader

Reader — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 12:38:13 +0000

166,490 +33+1 comments.
Whenever I can, I remember this blog when shopping at Amazon. But that small voice inside tells me that in the several years that I have been reading, I haven’t followed up with the other side.
Thanks Neo for taking the time, effort and expense in sharing your thoughts and ideas over the years. I find it to be like walking in flower garden, so many flowers each unique and special. Each flower simply being. In this case your blog is a thought garden and my thoughts are broadened after visiting. So thanks to you and the comments for broadening my view of life. 🙂

By: Mrs Whatsit

Mrs Whatsit — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 11:36:41 +0000

As a Dreaded Lawyuh, I know a family court judge who says that his job is to preside over the end of civilization. Spend a day in his court and you’ll see exactly what he means. The comment sections on most blogs are just like that courtroom: full of lost souls capable of nothing but name-calling, irrational hatred and hopelessness. Thank goodness for this place, for Neo and for the commenters here, who give me hope that civilization might last a little bit longer after all.