First off my apologies that we even have to have this discussion. Earlier in the week, I posted a An Idea for a discussion, and it was a very simple small Embryo of an idea. It was not meant to be imflammatory or incendiary in nature, it was an idea of something that might be good for bloggers. But something happened in the Comment section that is still on my mind and my heart. During the night the person, this one person that I do not know and have never met before, or even seen on any other blogs , came and left insults and rude comments, personal attacks. Called me Eva Braun and a liar, and on and on. Sneaking in when people were asleep. It was like having Mud thrown at my house in the Middle of the Night. It was hurtful. I can't help but wonder is it because I am a woman, that this person felt empowered to do this? I don't really have a reason, since I don't know this person and have never met them, and as far as I know I did nothing to provoke them. But I do know it is pain that I don't need, and yes, I deleted the Comments that were attacking me.
The Unification idea below, I have no idea what will happen...I do know that it is a discussion worth having, and maybe I guess I am not the one that should have brought it up, but I don't regret putting it on the table. I certainly never expected to be attacked for suggesting such a thing...and maybe I was not the one that should have put it on the table. So if others want to continue the discussion elsewhere I understand....
I have run this blog for over 2 years, Watergate Summer was my first Blog, and yes I run it like a coffee shop, and I ask that people be nice to each other, talk quietly amoungst yourselves when I am not here or if I am at work. Treat each other with care and respect...pour coffee and discuss, but not argue in a way that people get hurt. No Personal attacks are allowed , because that means that people get hurt. And yes, I am very sad when I have to show someone the Door and ask that they please not hurt me or those that come here to read and talk......
This is not about censorship it is about Personal Attacks and Pain and being allowed a Respite from all the Hatemongering that we see and hear everyday....and for a long time I have tried hard to create a space that nurtures, that is why I post stories, thoughtpieces,quotes, and art and music to every title. I try to take care of those that are trying to get through this Hellish Time in history. It is a simple goal really....and maybe selfish of me. My blog for over 2 years has been about trying to have a place where people could find Hope, even for 5 minutes.
So my apologies that a post about something good became a place of pain and strife.
Namaste.
*[click the title: Bono &MJ Blige "ONE"]
18 comments:
Enigma-
You can't let people like that bother you. They are craving attention, like a child who has to kick an adult in the shin for no reason. The best way to deal with them is to ignore them and like you did, erase their comments. That's not censorship, because in order to censor an idea, there has to be a truly formed idea to censor. What you did was equivalent to washing the graffiti off the wall of a beautiful building.
Don't take it personally, there are a lot of strange and yes, evil, people on the blogs.
Mary E: I just would never want people to think I was acting in imperical way- or censoring anyone or anthing....and I agree in a way it did feel like it was painting over grafetti.....thank you for what you said...
Enigma, you should NOT be apologizing! I saw some of that particular exchange. It wasn't you who got ugly & hateful.
I love coming here everyday. I get hope, not strife, and that is a rare commodity in this world today. I get ideas & encouragement. I get passion to carry on with the good fight.
Eva Braun, Hitler's childbride doormat enabler? That is sooo not applicable & intentionally hurtful. Who needs that shit on their own blog?
This is your place/coffeeshop/meetinghouse/discussion forum. How about modifying the restaurant sign "no shoes, no shirt, no service" to "no ideas, no respect, no access"? ~~ D.K.
Enigma, I hope your eye and heart feel better today. (in no particular order of course!). I too post on my blog that certain comments are simply not acceptable, and won't be posted. The difference between what you did (remove hurtful posts) and censorship is like the difference between removing someone from your life because of bigotry and removing a person from your life because that person is toxic to you, personally.
No need to apologize, I've been reading your blog for only a short time and its easy to see that you are most welcoming - even to Anarchist Pagan Weirdos like me!
Enjoy the Autumn air, if you have any where you are LOL (Or if its hot like it is here)!
Blessed be.
Enigma
You are a good heart and I am sorry you had to get that crap! I just cma here to tell you I will be e'ing you later and now for sure. We will talk! I just finished my own story and heard from someone I heard from before, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Enigma
It is an open system and attracts all kinds. You can't let yourself own the garbage that hits the comments button.
I've been fortunate of late and the hit and run merchants have been leaving me alone.
I just can't work out how they derive any pleasure out of doing it.
Enigma:
There are "PAID TROLLS" whose sole job is to disrupt a list of progressive blogs that their employers give them.
I found this out when Lydia Cornell wrote an article that went into many newspapers "Bush's Last Will and Testicle" and from this Ann Coulter posted Lydia's home address and former home number on her website.
Lydia received and still does dozens of death threats, attacks on her blog and for nearly 2 years she had paid trolls camped out on her blog attacking Lydia and her followers.
We have traced these trolls by various means and discovered who is paying them.
Think Progress and others have discovered the same thing.
Once the trolls comments were immediately deleted, and the trolls locked off Lydia's blog for days at a time, the blog attacks have decreased significantly.
On occasion they are quickly taken care of, locked off the blog and reduced to a shell.
Paid trolls are supposed to disrupt a blog so much that the regulars will leave, and any new visitors will be afraid to comment for fear of being attacked.
It isn't your fault, it is the agenda of the neocon elite to stifle anyone who is gaining a following.
I can proudly say Lydia now has more viewers and more individual commenters than ever before.
My suggestion is to take the trolls voice away, and they will be paid to go elsewhere.
There are sites that advetise for trolls for hire.
Don't be discouraged, you have joined a large group that have a growing following, that cannot be stopped.
The neocons are desperate to stifle our voice before the next election.
Well if we did attract a "paid troll" then our idea must scare the bad guys, and I cannot think of a better reason to go forward with it.
I have twice tried to post this comment- and twice it has disspeared..so hopefully this time it will stay put....
Gryphen: thank you, I agree that we must go forward...that a good idea can not be disrupted by such things...
Larry:thank you for explaining all that- I had no idea....I am so sorry that Lydia has gone through all that...that is wrong- she has a wonderful blog and I have sent many folks over there to share in it...I also think that you and the other fellow do a great job moderating...and keeping a flow going...
I had dealth with some evil people before when I worked as a whistleblower- death threats etc, but I guess I never thought I would be hassled so bad for blogging....I do find it odd that he has been able to leave comments for days now every few hours...but I guess if he was paid that would mean that he has more "motive"....thank you for explaining, I will keep trying to delete him...and stay on top of it, so it does not effect the flow of discsussion....thank you again..
Cartledge: thank you...I guess we do have to always be aware that anything can walk in the door...and we just need to be able to sweep it out in a timely manner...
Patriot: thank you for your kind words and understanding.....it is another bump in the road, we will get through it....
ANOK: thank you for understanding..and for advice...we will get through this...and yes, my eye will heal...you are not a weirdo and you are always welcome...namaste....
DK: thank you for once again for putting things in perspective and also thinking up a new logo...that is dead on....and thank you for coming here all these years....you and gryphen have been coming here for a long time....I guess we will just chalk it up to just one more troll to throw out the door...
enigma my rose...
I have been lucky I guess that I had only two commenter's who may have been trolls.
I responded back to both of them as if they were. One came back and left another comment and I left what I felt was a reasonable response stating why I responded like I did.
He has not come back since.
I too try to treat everyone with respect and listen to their views as well.
Like you I try to respond to each and every comment left and be respectful to those who stop by. However, there comes times when one must stand up and not let someone intimidate them or belittle them.
That's all you did, nothing more, nothing less.
I have been fortunate that I have not been loaded with Trolls and I will call them what they are.
The other thing is that because I speak my mind pretty much they should worry about visiting my site.
I think there are those who feel I am a extreme blogger and am more than likely being monitored by the Nazi Regime running our country.
They would do well to think twice before coming over and starting crap since their IP's will be added to the NSA's Terrorist Watch list of those most likely to be considered a threat to Der Fuhrer Adolph Bush and his Fascist Government.
Take care and keep up the good work you do.
God Bless.
What d.k. said ! Love the motto!
Oh, E4e...
so sorry you went thru this ugliness. (and so grateful I missed it) Thinking of you with love and gratitude, sister-friend.
Namaste
Don't let it get to you. Commenting can be a bit like road rage and the internet is full of strange people. Some use commenting as an outlet for boredom or personal frustrations. These commenters probably doen't even realize that they might be hurting a real person's feelings.
JB: oh, a Troll (named TIME) decided to start harrassming over the past few days ( on another post- the UNIFIED BLOGGER Post) he left many many messeges over 48 hours, I deleted ALL of them, and will keep deleting them....He is either a poorly paid troll or nutcase, either way, he was cruel and hurtful. Personal attacks where he knew exactly what he was doing, even though he is a complete stranger to me and this blog.But thank you for giving it some thought.
Thorne: thank you and lovely to see you as usual...
Got Democracy: thanks..and I too think the DK "motto" is pretty good....hmm..I will have to start needlepointing it...
ANONP: thank you for all that you said...you as usual spoke the truth...I am so grateful that you have not been trolled upon...I see that they usually come and go in waves, usually near the elections....I guess they are early this year....
Enigma I cannot recall what was said yesterday when I left a comment.
I must say that I am so sorry to hear that you received such comments on your site. You are a person with a very big heart and anyone to do such a thing is in need of help.
Those types of people are angry and sad because they cannot feel the love and concern you have for others , even when life is not being or going as smooth for you as you make wish. They hate that and it just angers these type of poor souls.
I would just say keep being Enigma and dismiss such silliness from whomever.
thanks Lets Talk....we will carry on, this blog is a part of so many and means alot ...I value everyone that comes here...it is a Forum that we need, and also I try to offer this as a respite from all the crazyiness...so I just was concerned that it had been disrupted....I strive to make this an oasis....thanks for being here.
That's why I use comment moderation. It may be a copout, but I don't use it to censor or stifle debate. It's just to keep the occasional lunatic out. 2 years I had the same experience you were describing. I went to check my comments section one morning, and somebody had left the same obscene slanderous comment forty times at one post. That same person had been bugging me for several weeks, but that was the last straw.
I had my comments turned off for awhile until I found out that Blogger offers comment moderation.
Hun, never apologize for anything you do on YOUR blog. This is YOUR home, and just as in Real Life, if someone comes into your home and starts being a jerk, you have every right to remove him/her/it from your home.
I'm fairly lenient with what I let folks get away with on my blog's comments, but even I have a disclaimer that I may delete anything for any reason, or no reason at all other than I'm uncaffeinated.
As I've said before to a troll who likes to stop by my spot from time to time "It's Good to be the Admin - I can't figure out why you keep typing things that you know I'll delete..."
Don't let the jerks get you down.
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