Again: rules of the blog
Boy, I go away for a while and the comments get taken over by squabbling. I don’t mind a small amount of it, but no more than that. So, to repeat a post I wrote some years ago on the same subject—
I don’t have time to constantly police this blog for personal fighting. But I find it takes away from the point of the blog when that sort of thing comes to dominate too much in the comments section.
I don’t mind a little of it; I realize it’s inevitable, and I understand that a blog comments section isn’t an especially genteel place, nor should it be. But I do mind when it goes on for a while. I don’t have time to determine who’s right and who’s wrong in any given altercation, nor do I believe it should be my job, although sometimes I try to do it.
Defending oneself is fine, but if the defense includes an unprovoked attack, that’s not okay and will be deleted if I see it. If it goes on and on, I will consider banning the offender.
We really should be focusing our energies on the truly important issues facing us. That doesn’t mean everything has to be serious—certainly not!—but I’m adopting a less tolerant attitude for this sort of repetitive personal sniping.
Thank you, Neo. This is one of the main reasons I have long enjoyed your blog. If the comments ever devolve into a sneer and insult fest, I would still read your posts, but I wouldn’t bother with the comments.
> Boy, I go away for a while and the comments get taken over by squabbling.
When the cat’s away, the mice will play. 😉
We really should be focusing our energies on the truly important issues facing us.
jello is coming back?
Artfldgr:
Good suggestion.
I’ll take it under advisement.
That’s a joke, by the way. However, to get serous for a moment, frivolous posts and/or non-political posts on topics that are hardly earth-shattering will always have a place on this blog. My focus, however, has always been on the deeper issues.
Those who engage in unprovoked attacks, unwittingly reveal much about themselves.
Who’s jello?
Neo, thanks for politely stomping your hostess foot. The back and forth yesterday was unseemly. Inflated egos are boring, people are never as smart as they think they are.
I used to comment from time to time at Legal Insurrection. However, there are some commenters there who feud so often and call each other ugly names so often that I read posts there and seldom comment. I hope that won’t happen here.
It’s easy for me to provoke someone. I just have to mention their name a few times.
The aura always gets them.
Thank you Neo! One of the main reasons I read your blog is that you and (most) of your commenters maintain a high standard of courteous, reasoned debate. All too rare on the Internet which so often seems to consist of rival packs of apes disputing territory by screaming, snarling, throwing dung and displaying their backsides.
You butt out of this Neo, you buttinsky!
This explains why I really like your posts and the comments. The States has to chill out with the name calling and anger. Thank you Neo for providing a little calm. 🙂
well, back at you then.. 😉
Indonesian Gelatin Carvings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7yiUmAVmjM
How to make Gelatin Art flowers – Gelatin art tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXUuzNjqCzg
Awww Mom!
But she/he/xhe/xey started it!
Oooh…looks like someone took xheir “edit ball” & went to play elsewhere.
“Boy, I go away for a while and the comments get taken over by squabbling.”
…or maybe?
“I’m out of it for a little while and everbody gets delusions of grandeur.”
Evolution does tell us that we came from apes and monkeys. Due to cultural contamination, this has presented humanity an interesting “pov” on things.
Thx for timely reminder, Neo.
Hope for some behavior improvement, both frequency and brevity.
Evolution, of course, does not tell us we come from apes. It tells us we ARE apes. So far as we are aware, we are the only gods in the local cluster.
Thank you, Neo. I was surprised by the extended nature of yesterday’s feud. I see now it had to do with you being off the bridge for a while. I understand now.
Artful — thanks for the gelatin carvings. What won’t they think of next!
Did you ban old comments? I’ve been going through your archives and back in March I was able to comment on a 2004 post about the draft, but today I can’t comment on another 2004 post about the election. Your comments about Democrats voting for Bush reminded me of the 2016 election when they voted for Trump.
I have been recovering from a nasty bout with intestinal flu. So I know nothing about yesterday’s comments and have no desire to check them out. But what I will say is personal attacks on this wonderful blog are something that attacks the concept of civil discourse here. Don’t we enough of that spewed out by the banshees of the left? Disagreement between differing points of view is natural, even when it comes arguments about opposing sets of ‘facts’.
I second the idea of a jello post. But I know I’m being lazy and could find jello videos on YouTube. Meanwhile, I’m staying close to the porcelain throne.