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Blogging and moderation

There has been a recent trend amongst Welsh bloggers to move towards moderating comments. Some of my favourite blogs, including Ordovicius, Glyn Davies and Valleys Mam, moderate the comments on their blogs.

Even Iain Dale has reverted to this approach because of a "number of anonymous people who have returned to troll and smear".

Unfortunately, in the last few weeks, I have followed this trend. However, on reflection, you can get too precious and events like this can put blogging into perspective.

Blogging should be about having an open discussion and debate (as happens on Miss Wagstaff) and if some isolated idiots want to post anonymous comments, then so be it, although I will remove any that are offensive, abusive or legally defamatory.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Ordovicius is a very bad example indeed. Not only does he moderate, he also refuses reasoned comments that take issue with what he says. A very un-blogging like attitude.

Fortunately, others are rather less insecure.
Anonymous said…
I chop and change between moderating comments and not moderating and have done since the beginning (and will continue to do so).

As for the previous anonymous comment, obviously your comment wasn't quite as "reasoned" as you like to believe.

Fortunately other commenters are rather less immature ;)
Anonymous said…
Perhaps it's time we all started plugging OpenID.

Matt
Anonymous said…
its a shame that its come to this but what moderating seems to be doing is improving the quality of debate and discussion on subjects, people are less likely to write abuse if they know it wont be published by the blog author, rather than if the comments were just left open to everyone .

Its clear that those who are doing the trolling of welsh blogs are more organised its now part of people's jobs to read the blogs and discredit opinions from certain quarters, its a sign of just how paranoid our political class is, a lack of scruting from opposition parties and a weak media over many years means welsh politicians take critisism very badly indeed. Not good for a healthy democracy.
Glyn Davies said…
I didn't moderate for about two years, but when one or two started to comment in ways that were intended to cause hurt to others, I had to moderate. My policy is to approve everything except that which is gratuitously offensive or intended to hurt the innocent. And if I do reject a comment, I usually comment myself to say that I have - and why.
I think that Glyn's approach is a sensible one. There is a place for anon blogging, but organised slagging and offensive messages need to be weeded out as they take away from the real debates we are trying to have here.
Anonymous said…
As for the previous anonymous comment, obviously your comment wasn't quite as "reasoned" as you like to believe.

Actually, I make a wholly factual statement about the role of the Assembly in the British constitution. No criticism was directed at anyone. You blocked it because it was at odds with your rather strange claim that "AMs are elected to govern, MPs are not".

Glyn's moderation policy strikes me as the more sensible one.
Anonymous said…
You blocked it because it was at odds with your rather strange claim that "AMs are elected to govern, MPs are not".


Actually you had already expressed your take on the constitution. Repeating it ad nauseum counts as an unnecesary exercise in contradiction, which is also trolling, hence the comment was not published. Oh, and to say there was no criticism directed at anyone contained in the comment is being extremely economic with the truth. But here is neither the time nor the place. ;)
Anonymous said…
Repeating it ad nauseum counts as an unnecesary exercise in contradiction

But that is because you have trouble grasping what a debate is. The basic idea is for the discussion to go back and forth, not simply for you to say what you think one, repeat it when challenged, become irate and claim what you say is self-evident, and then accuse people of repeating themselves when they probe the integrity of what you are saying.

to say there was no criticism directed at anyone contained in the comment is being extremely economic with the truth.

That is straightforwardly a lie.
Anonymous said…
But that is because you have trouble grasping what a debate is.

(Yawn)

The basic idea is for the discussion to go back and forth, not simply for you to say what you think one, repeat it when challenged, become irate and claim what you say is self-evident,

I quite agree. Try it next time, eh.

That is straightforwardly a lie.

You wish.
Anonymous said…
I quite agree. Try it next time, eh.

I'm glad to see you've resolved to amend your errant ways.
Anonymous said…
I'm glad to see you've resolved to amend your errant ways

Do you talk to yourself in a mirror when leaving comments? You do, don't you?
Anonymous said…
Do you talk to yourself in a mirror when leaving comments?

No, but I do manage two other things simultaneously when leaving comments; think and type.

It would appear that you can only manage one of those things at a time.
Anonymous said…
It would appear that you can only manage one of those things at a time.

Bless.
Anonymous said…
Bless

Stock Ordo "answer" number 1. Kinda proves my point about typing without thinking, really.
Anonymous said…
Stock Ordo "answer" number 1. Kinda proves my point about typing without thinking, really.

Bless ;)

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