Another blogger that can’t take it
I have just lost all the respect in the world for Susie aka Suburban Guerrilla.
I used to read her several times a day and most likely will still visit her though now occasionally for the great articles she manages to find. But, when a blogger ANY blogger moderates comments or flat out says she will delete them she loses any respect I had. It just stinks of a 10 year saying I don’t like this anymore and takes his/her ball home so no one can play with it. Weak, sad, childish…
The best thing about the blogosphere is the ability to be able to express your opinions freely. Once you start trampling on that unwritten rule of freedom of speech you have crossed a line. This time the moderation comes, sadly, from what I used to consider a great blog that became a bitter Hillary supporter.
It was/is her support that made me try to keep it real with Obama and why I have not put up constant ASS kissing posts for him. All the money is flowing towards him and that includes Corporate money. All the big people are supporting him and you know as well as I do that when the media starts kissing someones ass, it doesn’t really mean it is a good thing. In the end he is a Politician and So was/is Hillary. I don’t want this blog to be viewed as a bunch of Obamaniacs that can’t be fair and unable to break ranks for fear of being called a traitor or worse. I pledge to keep it real and when/if he gets elected he will get the same scrutiny all politicians should get…
I have had trouble with not getting caught up in the Obama Wave of happiness. I really do believe change can happen and will happen. In the end though he who has the most money wins and sadly that isn’t what it should be about it. When the person with the most money wins that means the people with the most money will win too. We have seen how that works out for the people that “need” the money….
Good bye Susie, Freedom of Speech should never be curtailed and if you don’t want to hear from your “fans” you shouldn’t read the comments.
huh, I met her at the EschaCon ’08 in Philly. She was the one who talked some of the evening entertainment (Rude Pundit) out of his planned Hillary Bashing. He bashed Coulter instead.
I hope that not very many thoughtful women confuse the feminist movement with some kind of bizarre loyalty to a gender at the expense of everything else.
Question: Other than spam, I’ve only deleted one comment on my blog. (Given the number of comments that’s a big number). It was openly racist, anti-semitic and advocated violence against same. Would you have let that one stand?
My blog isn’t a public accommodation. It’s my cyber living room. If someone’s rude, I get to kick them out.
This is your blog, do what you want. That’s the way it works. I don’t “owe” anyone the opportunity to trash Clinton, or any other woman. And if that’s all it took to lose your respect, it wasn’t worth having in the first place.
Leaving aside the question of moderating comments, those are great points about keeping it real.
Not only does it make for a better blog, but it makes for better mental health.
When I came to DC in 95, I was a true believer in the Republican revolution. The first thing my boss at Knight-Ridder did was assign me to cover a Republican congressman from PA named Bud Shuster who had just taken over as chairman of the House Transportation Committee.
Everything about the guy from day one was sleeze. There wasn’t a dime’s worth of difference between Bud and the Dem he replaced. Different sources of corruption and different recipients for his sleazy dollops of pointless pork, but that’s it.
Best just to get beyond believing in any party’s politicians and get with the harder work of holding them accountable.
feel free to comment anytime over here susie and not be moderated…
The minute you turned off your comments or threatened to moderate commenters is when you turned off your ability to be a reliable source. That is when I lost respect for you. As a journalist, you should be well aware that your integrity is all you have when you write.
moderating comments is a slippery slope….
duffy,
yes (but not the spam)
Limiting comments limits debate. Blogs = debate. Without debate they’re just infomercials.
We are all products of choice. We can choose to leave a vibrant comment. We can choose to delete one on our blog. We can choose to allow it. We can choose to allow it and then comment upon it. We can choose to delete it publicly with a lengthy explanation as to why. We can simply delete it surreptitiously, its there and then its gone….
Each choice we take, says something about what we are….
I believe all of the above choices are valid, just as certainly calling out someone who “edits” is as valid as anonymously nodding ones head in compliance…..
Each selection plays into the tapestry of life in such a way, that it becomes a truly amazing piece of art, worth gazing at……
And, if I happened to know a few monks, I’d count Kavips among them.
/spiritual observer
Respectful spirited debate is why I come here. Even if I’m on the opposite side of more than a few issues, the value of the post is in your ability to defend it.
I could say ‘I’m voting for Lee in November,’ but that means skwadoosh unless I tell you why, and am willing to defend it. Moderating comments is suppressing dissent. It goes against what every blogger should stand for.
Agreed, Rick. I also think debate sharpens our arguments. Wanna make something of it?! 🙂
I haven’t every deleted a comment–though if anyone spammed me I probably would.
Other than a specific post that would cross the line of legality, I can’t imagine deleting anything, but on that rare occasion I think I’d owe my readers an explanation ala kavips comment.
But in general I am completely in dv’s corner on this one.
I was happy to see my Gal save his ass this morning in front of APIC he needs the Jewish vote in Florida and New York and her speech this morning really helped move that vote toward him. Had she quit last evening there would have been no reason for her to address this group today.
The fighting is over, TT. You want to go after someone? Focus on McCain.
I am not fighting P just stating the facts her speech at APIAC this morning moved a lot of Jewish votes his way.
The problem with folks on this Blog is that they are so hung up on her that even when she helps your guy you are reluctant to give her credit It’s that position if it keeps up may cause her supporters to pull a TED KENNEDY
Yes, TT, you are fighting. Otherwise you’d stop threatening the Kennedy Convention option.
She gets credit for what she did, but you’ll have to forgive my hesitation. Tuesday night McCauliffe introduced her as the ‘next president of the United States’. Forgive me for thinking the primary wasn’t over.
And you say we’re hung up and unable to give her credit? Pot meet kettle. I can’t remember one positive thing you’ve ever posted on Obama. In fact, your comments about my candidate have been far more nasty than mine have been about Hillary.
So, here’s the question… will you support the Dem nominee? Because here’s the truth: If Dems lose this year it won’t be because of the Republicans. We’ll screw ourselves.
And here’s another truth: Any Hillary supporter who would vote for McCain was NEVER a Hillary supporter. They do their candidate and her ISSUES a great disservice.
^ what she said…