I have just rejected two comments that had just forwarded MSM stories on the Royalty Review. They provided no commentary, analysis or opinions of the person posting the comment. I see no value in those non-comments.
I am interested in what individual Albertans as citizens have to say especially in the comments to my posts. Links to news stories are great in comments. To merely expect the entire story to be accepted in total as a “comment” without more form the person sending it - is not going to happen.
I would like to have some reader feedback on anonymous comments too. Some Bloggers moderate comments and disallow anonymous comments. I moderate comments mostly for relevance (like my point above) and legal issues of libel. I have allowed anonymous comments.
I do wonder however why there are so many anonymous comments especially in a free and democratic society like Canada. What are citizens afraid of? Why are they hiding who they are when they speak out on stuff that is obviously important to them? So here is my question. Should I insist that comments on the Blog NOT BE ANONYMOUS?
Bloggers who can be identified as individuals and those who post comments using real names are so much more credible and provide more contexts to their remarks. At least I think so.
Let me know what you think. Should I continue to accept Anonymous Comments?
I am interested in what individual Albertans as citizens have to say especially in the comments to my posts. Links to news stories are great in comments. To merely expect the entire story to be accepted in total as a “comment” without more form the person sending it - is not going to happen.
I would like to have some reader feedback on anonymous comments too. Some Bloggers moderate comments and disallow anonymous comments. I moderate comments mostly for relevance (like my point above) and legal issues of libel. I have allowed anonymous comments.
I do wonder however why there are so many anonymous comments especially in a free and democratic society like Canada. What are citizens afraid of? Why are they hiding who they are when they speak out on stuff that is obviously important to them? So here is my question. Should I insist that comments on the Blog NOT BE ANONYMOUS?
Bloggers who can be identified as individuals and those who post comments using real names are so much more credible and provide more contexts to their remarks. At least I think so.
Let me know what you think. Should I continue to accept Anonymous Comments?
Hey Ken,
ReplyDeleteThe issue of identity is too big in your mind from my perspective.
Comments that are deliberately placed in the public rehlm for a purpose...My name might be comfortably associated with... but a quick responsive "conversation" where I express my response to others comments...like this for example...(to be distinct from a "position")
well, I feel better keeping it at arms length for a few reasons:
1.Having lived in Alberta for quite a while, but not being from here... gives me a huge experience of being "OTHER" and I have seen too many people "punished" for having or being thought to have opinions that are not consistent with current thinking or whatever. Many times the people that have been "punished" have no way of knowing what has happened to them, they just feel passed over and left out and they certainly have no recourse... I think it is a very different experience for those of you in the blessed "inner circle" of "I have always lived here and I know everyone that counts crowd" or whatever it is. So, when you and the rest of the crowd have opened up public discourse to the point where it feels SAFE I might change my ways..
2. Composing in written form is not that easy for me... so while I do not mind people tracking my "persona" (that is knowing to attribute my comments to ME in a consistent manner, I really have issues with them knowing ME and where to find ME.)
3. Well, how can I say this... I am old enough to have opinions but not experienced enough to know how to show up as an electric persona other than Anonymous.... this is the weakest reason and the easiest to fix... but there you have it.
All that said Ken, if you start limiting comments I for one will find your site less interesting.
For my taste I agree with the screening you do now and I really enjoy the comments off the cuff of some of the other ANONYMOUS commenters... if you restrict it to "signed" submissions I think your blog will still have some interesting content, but the responses will be largely from the other "totally into it" writters, who are sometimes interesting... but mostly not... at least to ME.
Sorry if this offends your mission of increasing democracy...
greengirl
Great comment Greengirl - thx for the insight. You do not offend my mission of increasing deomcracy - you help me to better understand.
ReplyDeleteI even think a "nom de plume" like greengirl helps so we can track the thinking or at least identify and distinguish one Anon from another.
As the point you make about the "inner circle" in your comment, my response is I told my wife when she married me I was destined to be independently wealthy. I can assure you (and her) that I am half way there.
Ken,
ReplyDeleteI would second some of greengirl's comments - gee, first time for everything, I guess ;-)
In all seriousness, I do think that some people feel a legitimate need to be anonymous, and have their own personal reasons for so doing.
It is your blog, and you can screen the comments. Based on what I have seen so far, you are pretty open-minded about what appears. I think some of the "crank" postings are seen by regular readers as just that.
There are some other political-oriented blogs that I no longer even view, since if I read something objectionable, I cannot comment without registering (e.g. CalgaryGrit). And it may just be my observation, but I find that many of the bloggers that rail against the tyranny of the government of the day (federal, provincial, municipal, whatever), feel quite comfortable severely restricting comments made to their site. Some even go so far as to not allow comments whatsoever, but those are generally on the few real whackjobs, who just want a soapbox from which to rail.
I am down to only two or three "regular-read" politically-oriented blogs, and you are one of them. Please don't change in this respect.
Print newspapers like the Edmonton Journal do not accept anonymous comments and neither should you.
ReplyDeleteIf the comment is worth posting it should be worth putting your name (in some format)behind it.
I have an "on-screen" alias that I use for internet safety/security reasons only but I "come out" behind this thin veil of anonymity when the comments warrant.
djgirl (aka...well you know who I am)
Personally, I like to use a pseudonym because I have seen too many people who engage in partisan politics get pigeon-holed as "partisan" and thus "unemployable". This is particular true for people working in non-profits, and particularly true in Alberta. Justified or not, non-profits worry their funds will be in jeopardy if they employ anyone who's tainted with partisan connections or opinions.
ReplyDeleteI think it's important to blog and important to express our opinions, but I'm not willing to let my opportunities to contribute to the workforce suffer for that, if I can possibly avoid it.
That said, once you use the same pseudonym for 5 years (as I have) you get to have a certain amount of investment in it. In someways, I'm just as invested in "Kuri" when I'm online as I am in my real name.
To be honest, I don't understand the anonymous comments, either, especially those that just point to an article without commentary. I see those on daveberta's blog every so often, too. I would assume that you, daveberta or any other political blogger would be scanning the media and just as capable of seeing these articles as anyone else. Perhaps it's a request of some sort? I don't know.
I'm with Kuri.
ReplyDeleteI understand why some would choose to be anonymous. I try to be.
However, I do have a blog persona (which generally shares my real life views) under which I post and comment.
I don't accept "anonymous" comments.
If commenters/trolls aren't smart enough to establish a blogger account under any absurd name they may choose and for which they may block the profile, I can't be bothered to read their comments or give them access to other of my tens of readers.
I don't know why anybody would accept lazy anonymous comments. Make the trolls work a bit. It's the least we can do.