Do you want the ability to control comments in your blogs?

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Do you want the ability to control comments in your blogs?
by Anonymouse
27-Sep-2010
 

I was planning to write a blog today and suggest once again that Mr. Javid allow us the ability to control and delete the comments in our blogs and noticed that Shazdeh beat me to it!  But that’s ok I’ll write mine as a poll question and ask that you please vote Yes or No to this poll question:

Do you want the ability to control comments in your blogs?

Please use the comments section below and cast your Yes or No vote in the subject line.  You can add your rationale in the body of the comment if you wish (or write your own blog) but please vote and I’ll tally the votes later this week and provide it here.  Mr. Javid has provided a shabdol-azimi tarof that he’ll consider it for future but having a poll and some votes would help him decide one way or another.

This suggestion would not apply to Articles, just Blogs and News items since we have the ability to edit and/or delete our Blogs but not Articles and this is clearly stated in the procedures when you sign up and I think it is ok.

It is true that i.com is Mr. Javid’s house and he can do whatever he wants.  However, we “rent” the blog section (also known as the belog section :-) from him and we “pay” him with our contributions.  So I think it is only fair that we decide who should be our “guest” in our “rented apartment”. 

Should Mr. Javid tell us; let this guy stay in your place for a while and the guest may have more guests of his own so prepare for that as well and send me a flag if something goes wrong?

Obviously something will go wrong and I think we can all agree that things certainly do go wrong and the problem is that Mr. Javid does not see the wrong as some of us do.  It depends what your definition of the word “is” IS! He says that personal attacks will not be tolerated but if the “guest” gift wraps the attack, it’ll be tolerated.  Here are some examples, some made by a self-proclaimed guilty party:

- You write a piece about being Iranian-American and want to discuss the loyalties between the two countries, when the first comment you receive lashes at you for being an “exile”.

- You are an Iran Iraq war veteran and want to write a piece to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the start of the war and discuss your memories and Islamic Republic’s behavior during the war with fellow Iranians when an internet trolls asks you for the detail of your service and if you don’t respond he’ll throw a tantrum and calls you a fraud and more.

- You want to write a piece about Bahai’s participation in the constitutional revolution when a self-proclaimed Bahai basher lashes at you for having such thoughts.

Now if we’re given the ability to control the comments in our blogs, like other sites do, some of the above bloggers in those examples may choose to keep those comments.  Not everyone is the same and one size does not fit all.  However, we will know that the blogger had an option and made a choice to allow the “gift wrapped” personal attack or an irrelevant or off topic comment to stay.

The attackers have a choice to say whatever they want in response to a particular blog in their own space and their own writing in a separate blog if there is dying desire to do so.  No one is stopping them. Mr. Javid will have overall control of the comments or close a blog for further comments as he does already.

I should also mention that I wouldn’t want the comment control option if the IP address of the bloggers is identified as a result.  Other sites (Blogspot, Wordpress or Huffington post to name a few) allow the commentators IP addresses to be shown but in the past i.com’s admin has stated that the IP address can remain hidden and not disclosed.

The argument that Mr. Javid provides is to be the “bigger person” and “ignore” them.  But why should we?  Why should we be “treated” with an “anti-Iran” comment by an internet troll?  What did the bloggers in the examples I provided do wrong?  All they did was to contribute to this website in good faith.  The guilty parties are the ones being rewarded by getting a free pass to do this again and in more blogs.

I sincerely appreciate Mr. Javid’s work and responsibilities and I think he’d admit that since going to an all registered forum i.com has become much better and his own workload (on anonymous comments staying in his approval queue) has been reduced by at least 80%.  So let’s take this other step and make it better and easier.  i.com can do better.  At least tell us why not?  If it is democracy or practicing it, well there are laws under democracy and the most important part of the democracy is the rule of law and not applying it selectively.

This blog got longer that I wanted to so I leave you with the poll question once again with a Yes or No vote option and we can discuss more if you like.  Please vote!

Do you want the ability to control comments in your blogs?

-----------------------------

Update: Oct 3, 2010

Let's keep the voting open so others can still vote.  I'll keep the voting open until we are free at last!  Free at last! Thank god almighty we're free at last, to delete comments in our blogs!

------------------------------

Update: Oct 5, 2010

This blog was blocked by Mr. Javid apparently because some users couldn't sit still!  You see if I had the option to control comments in my own blog I'd have deleted the comments that caused this blocking by the Editor.  To all who voted NO and worried about censorship, take a look at the end result of this one example.  Censorship for ALL not just a few users.  I once deleted a numerous commented blog of mine which made some unhappy.  Having my blog blocked here is there a difference?

Anyway I'm eliminating two other users' votes because they couldn't sit still either or as Mr. Javid would call it who couldn't "ignore" it :-)  To those who'll say the voting was a sham and no one should be eliminated, etc., I'd say take it easy!   Final tally is 7 YES and 23 NO.

Oh well at least I got to say the last word! 

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more from Anonymouse
Veiled Prophet of Khorasan

Nazy Kaviani

by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on

I agree with your suggestion. Specially regarding deleting blogs. Rating is used on youtube; Amazon; BBC and so on. I see no problem with it. Because is it not restricting speech. Rather allows people to say if they like something.

As for its value I question that. I know organized campaigns specially by Israeli to flood BBC with ratings. This has turned the rating system into a joke. Of course there are ways like requiring you have been registered for at least say a week or a month before you get to rate. That will keep the noise out. However ratings to me are a lot better than cencorship. So thanks for a good suggestion.


Nazy Kaviani

Rate comments and blogs instead of deleting them

by Nazy Kaviani on

I am against people being able to delete comments. In fact I am also very much against people being able to delete blogs which have already received comments. People's comments do not belong to the blogger to delete. It takes time and energy to engage in a debate. It is a shame when hours of work which have gone into writing comments are wasted when a blogger decides to delete a blog. An open debate on the internet is not anybody's personal property to delete, in my humble opinion.

I think our problem is not limited to offensive comments. We also have a a problem with complimentary comments which add nothing to the discussion and are aimed to falsely increase the comment count on a blog to convey "goodness" and "quality." I believe Iranian.com should institute a rating mechanism for all contributions to the site, including comments. People can rate profound comments positively and vicious and stupid comments negatively. Comments which receive too many negative votes will not be readily displayed, but still available for viewing.

I think ever since we have been able to comment on the site's content, as a community, we have come a long way in our language and conduct, even though there are still a few of us who consistently show slower growth in this area. Instead of silencing them or even engaging in similar language and conduct, how about if we cast our votes about their comments?

My two cents.


Escape

Don't be offended

by Escape on

But No,Nada.

Conversation is not one way.

It's Conversing of two.

 


Q

LoverOfLiberty,

by Q on

No way!

This website costs money to run. Leaving a comment costs it money. Even if it was somehow free, they are not obigated to accept anyone. You may have a point if you had paid some kind of payment and had a contract that said you can not be censored. But that never happens. Online goods and services have contracts that covers that scenario.

This is not "protected" speech because it is not endangered speech.

IC is not a "public forum", the true sense of which means "owned by the public", like a national park or public highway or the White House.

Maybe IC can be thought of as a private forum open to the public. So what? If you attend a private forum open to public in real life, whoever rented the hall can kick you out for any reason, even call the Police to do it for him. It's true in real life and it's true online.

Think about what you are saying. That FOX News online, or New York Times website, or YouTube(much more public than IC) cannot delete any comments. Not only that, they have to pay the costs for you to make unlimited free comments!

There is absolutely no legal merit to this. If what you say was even remotely true, there would have been 100s of lawsuits by now.

They absolutely can and do delete anything they don't like.


LoverOfLiberty

Q,

by LoverOfLiberty on

Q: "Freedom of expression refers to government not passing any laws to restrict speech. It does not mean, private entities are obligated to publish anything anyone demands."

At least in the US, I think a legal argument could be made that a website with blogs that are open to comments from the general public might be considered as a type of public forum.  I am not aware of any cases by which this line of argument has been tested.  But, if such websites are legally considered to be a public forum, then comments therein could possibly be a protected form of speech. 

Perhaps we are in uncharted legal waters here.  But, if it is a protected form of speech, then this discussion is about free speech and a vote "YES" would, in effect, condone censorship.  


Khar

I vote for Jasmine Rice over Basmati ;-)

by Khar on

.


Q

Yawn VPK, you didn't get it and probably aren't going to

by Q on

You obviously think you know what I want.

LOL. Yea, I guess we have that in common.

This of course fits the Islamist mentality of "my way or highway". As they are quick to be offended and incapable of dealing with reality. With control of speech comes lack of credibility.

It is Islamists like you who are scared. Of reality; of having their pack of lies exposed. So they use any means possible to stifle speech.

It is blind ignorants like you who are so messed up in the head, that cannot seperate their political hatred with any discussion on other issues. They see their enemy wherever they look and that's why their pants is constantly wet. That's no way to live!

With your argument then IC should represent JJ's point of view only. So you advocate having more Fox news types.

Of course, you're wrong (see what I said about being blinded by hate.) The fact that policies are set and controlled by the site own is a reality you can't BS your way out of. Here, let me blow your mind:

Even if Javid does what you suggest, it's only at his discretion, not yours.

One point of view and the rest spin. Pathetic.

No. He can allow other points of view at his discretion which is what he is doing already. So it's not "one point of view", even though it is controlled by one person. Thanks for calling him Pathetic, by the way, I'm sure he appreciates that!

This is why print media ie becoming obsolete and replaced by the net.

No, wrong again. Print media are going obsolete because they are slow and expensive. Many online sites are even more one-sided and partisan than major newspapers that are going out of business. Others have a different model, cultivating some debate but always within the manager's parameters.

Contemplate these for a while.

So they use any means possible to stifle speech. As I said go have your private blog. I am so glad that our resident Islamist intellectual shows his true colors.

Looks like you still don't get it. It's not about free speech. Please show me how anybody's free speech will get "stifled" by the policy that Anonymouse proposes (which is in fact implemented in many websites)?

You can't do it, and don't seem to even be interested in this substantive point. It's because this is no longer about reality for you. You're blinded by hate, fighting your own demons and pretending you are hurting the big bad IRI!

Now that's pathetic.


MM

VPK - I was going to answer LOLiQ, but you said it well. Thanks.

by MM on

.


Sargord Pirouz

Speaking for myself, I vote

by Sargord Pirouz on

Speaking for myself, I vote NO.

I mean, I've never even flagged someone in all the time I've been here. The truth is, I don't take any of this banter seriously.

The comment section comprises the social aspect of the site. Admin moderation is sufficient for me. I do wish the IC rules and regulations for commenting were displayed more prominently, and applied in a consistent manner.

If the delete function was installed, I see a lot more blog posts popping up, as reactionary comments to those deleted by a blog author. That means many blog posts would turn into an alternative form of comment posting. That would be messy, to say the least.

My advice? Be big boys and girls. And don't get all worked up in your discussions. This is only a social site, nothing more and nothing less.


marhoum Kharmagas

Sorry Q, I am with VPK on this!

by marhoum Kharmagas on

Absolutely Not. (as VPK put it)

 

Q, if you had much wisdom you wouldn't be walking around with picture of someone else on your forehead!  Same goes with No Fear from the other side, BTW!


پندارنیک

Control freaks

by پندارنیک on

Islamists, Stalinists, Pahlavists...No Pendareh neeks!


Veiled Prophet of Khorasan

Q

by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on

 

You obviously think you know what I want. You also seem to think you know what other people want or think. Good for you. You therefore are not interested in any other opinion. Be my guest. Have your blog. I will neither read it nor post on it. You will be the only voice. Tanha be ghazi bero; razi bargard. That is the Islamist mentality that you represent. 

With your argument then IC should represent JJ's point of view only. So you advocate having more Fox news types. One point of view and the rest spin. Pathetic. This is why print media ie becoming obsolete and replaced by the net.

"Most Iranians" misunderstand the issue. Just the great Q understands. I will ignore the insult. Should we drop and worship now? Scared of you? Surely you jest Mr. Q. It is Islamists like you who are scared. Of reality; of having their pack of lies exposed. So they use any means possible to stifle speech. As I said go have your private blog. I am so glad that our resident Islamist intellectual shows his true colors.

VPK


Q

Here's a discussion for you VPK: You don't understand!

by Q on

You are conflating different issues and falsely saying leaving comments on IC is freedom of speech, it's not!

You have both the freedom and the opportunity to say anythying you want, even if IC did not exist at all.

I don't want "yes" only. That is what Shah; Khomeini; AN and all dictators want. Just one voice: their.

The newspapers that these people closed, be it communist, socialist, Islamic or REformist were all basically yes only, one-sided newspapers. Closing the paper is wrong and against freedom of speech but none of them were "balanced" and allowed the opposition to have "equal" say in the content, as you claim IC bloggers should do. You are demanding something absurdly beyond freedom of speech.

You can have your say anywhere on the Internet or even in your own blog on the very same site, but no, you want to damage someone else's content. You don't want freedom of speech, you want freedom of vigilantism.

The freedom of speech as most people understand it today (and many Iranians don't understand it), developed during the Constitutional debate period of American history. In that time just as now, newspapers basically reflected the view of their owners: both pro British and pro Independence newspapers. Just like Iranian publications before and after the revolution, just like reformist publications during Ahamdinejad era, etc, freedom of speech was violated because people couldn't have their own publications that criticized the government not that they had a right to say what they want in someone else's publication. That is absurd!

You, as most Iranians I have met, completely misunderstand this issue, look at it selfishly and consider it a "weapon" against IRI in your own fantasies.

The reality is that nothing you want to say would be restricted at all by this policy. That's just fact, even you can't argue against.

So why are you so scared of it? Could it be that you simply want to slander others with impunity? What's funny is that you can still do that on your own blog, but I think it would make your intentions obvious to all, so you pretend like this is harming your "free speech" rights.


Veiled Prophet of Khorasan

Q

by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on

 

Do you want a discussion or a monologue? I want a discussion. In one place with a back and forth. I don't want "yes" only. That is what Shah; Khomeini; AN and all dictators want. Just one voice: their. I want to hear the other side. If I wanted to just hear myself I would go to put a mirror in front of me and talk to myself. Hearing the other side teaches us something. That is the whole point of a discussion. It is only the scared and immature who fear the other side. Because they are afraid of being proven wrong. I welcome knowing if I am making a mistake.

As for people not being able to handle you; I agree. In the same way people cannot handle Sarah Palin; Tea Party and other extremists. I have a hard time with you. Some intellectual; afraid of the other side and a free argument.


Anonymouse

This is NOT about freedom of speech! Who'll stop ur free speech?

by Anonymouse on

Don't be afraid and don't live by fear. 

Everything is sacred


Veiled Prophet of Khorasan

Guidelines

by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on

 

I think as the owner JJ has a right to delete comments or kick people out. However this must be used wisely. If not the credbility goes out the window. 

I would say:

  • Individual bloggers should not have the option.
  • Admin should but must be careful. For example some comments that are spam say pitching a produc should go. But comments even rude and obnopxious related to the issue should remain.
  • The worst example of moderation I have seen is on BBC "Have Your Say". That is BBC has its favorite commenters. The says whatever they want. Others are treated like dirt. Typical British arrogance. I don't want to see than on Iranian.

Q

MM, LOL!

by Q on

knock yourself out! Who is stopping you?

It is completely unsurprising to me that you would find it impossible to refute the facts change subject and concentrate on pointless trivialities.

What I say is what I believe. I have never been in the habbit of restricting what I say to only popular things and I don't see why I should start now.

Q, take a good look at yourself in the mirror before writing these remarks

Wow! such cheezball arrogance. OK, genius, Let's take a good look at "myself."

I'm saying you should give control to the blog owner. How does this help me?

I don't write many blogs myself and not all of those are featured by Javid (compared to professional propagandists like FredCo). I comment a lot more on other people's blogs and articles. Many of them can't handle what I comment on and resort to personal attacks. Objectively asessing this (if that is possible for you), I have the the most to lose by this policy.

But I do think it will lead to better discussions. People can still write their own blog to "respond" to a comment, but they would be less likely to do so.


Veiled Prophet of Khorasan

Absolutely Not

by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on

 

This is freedom of speech. Of course people who do not understand freedom of speech oppose it. Freedom of speech means right to have your say. If you control the comments on your blog then you basically get a rubber stamp. 

This of course fits the Islamist mentality of "my way or highway". As they are quick to be offended and incapable of dealing with reality. With control of speech comes lack of credibility.

That is why I don't visit the BBC "HYS". It is a total joke.  Huffington Post isin the middle. Many comments are regularly removed but it is not as oppressive as BBC. This site IC is great. I hate to turn it into HYS.


MM

As usual, Q puts most people down & expects no response!

by MM on

As usual, Q takes a broad brush and sarcastically paints a lot of people in the same color:

"It is completely unsurprising to me that the concept of "free speech" is being misunderstood. Most Iranians abroad do not understand it at all. Unfortunately this ignorance is amplified in echochambers like this when the ideas get treated so carelessly and opportunistically."

And expects us to remain as quiet as church mice!

Q, take a good look at yourself in the mirror before writing these remarks, but we will respond to your outrageous comments, one way or another.


Q

I vote Yes

by Q on

in case you don't want to read through the previous comment!

I vote Yes, because this has nothing to do with freedom of speech. Just like when this site went from anonymous to registered comments, this is a step that in my opinion could lead to more civilized discussions.

You asked a good question. People can always control themselves and not use any "ability" to delete comments if they feel strongly about it, so why oppose the choice? The reason is simple, even though people won't admit it: they want to make any comment they want on other people's blogs without being removed. It's a selfish reason.


Q

"Free Speech" totally misunderstood as usual

by Q on

Anonymouse,

It is completely unsurprising to me that the concept of "free speech" is being misunderstood. Most Iranians abroad do not understand it at all. Unfortunately this ignorance is amplified in echochambers like this when the ideas get treated so carelessly and opportunistically.

Comments on IC have nothing to do with the "free speech" concept. Freedom of expression refers to government not passing any laws to restrict speech. It does not mean, private entities are obligated to publish anything anyone demands. The only thing about IC relevant to "freedom of speech" is that in the you also have the right to start a website like IC and dedicate it to whatever topic you wish.

This becomes clear if people just think about it for 5 seconds, but that, as you know, is a lot to ask of some people around here.

Javid didn't used to have any comments on his site that was not any kind of "violation" of free speech. Javid could decide to make his site strictly about "pro IRI" or "pro Pahlavi", and delete any opinion to the contrary. Javid could decide to strictly allow comments only about Kashke-badenjan, it still has nothing to do with free speech.

Noam Chomsky wouldn't be stupid enough to say this either. When he made the statement quoted in comments below, he was talking about a holocaust denier who had used his own funds and found his own publisher to publish his own book and it was being banned only as a matter of national law.

Saying that making comments on IC is a "free speech" issue, is like criticizing the New York Times for not publishing antisemetic articles on "free speech" grounds.

I have seen many elegant explanations about this and have written my own here on IC a few times, still people don't get it!!! This, unfortunately, includes even the IC site owners and editors and Javid himself.

A while ago, Javid featured a cartoon of NIAC in Islamic clerical clothing on the front page, which was meant as a joke by the artist. I asked him why this is acceptable, even as a joke, he said "freedom of speech." So then I asked him if he would feature or even allow publication of a cartoon that depicted President Obama as a Monkey (as many doing the same to Iranian officials have been done). He totally skirted around the issue saying "that wouldn't be funny anyway."

In my humble experience most Iranians vocal about this issue see "freedom of speech" in purely selfish terms as a license to slander and attack with impunity. If they are in a secure position or if they are anonymous and hence couldn't possibly be a victim of slander, then they are all gung-ho about not having "any" restrictions. The minute they themselves feel any scrutiny, they change opinions with the wind.

The truth is that far from "freedom" many kinds of speech are routinely censored here on IC and probably most publications in the world. These are amongst the "least desirable" speech meaning almost everyone would be against them. Examples: pornography, spam, child abuse, animal cruelty, etc., etc...

Nobody in their right mind would say these must be "allowed" on IC for "free speech" grounds. Nobody would even say "we have to tolerate it, but we can at least respond to them using our own free speech." Yet remarkably many people on this site are making exactly that argument right now!!!

These things are censored as a matter of Javid's taste and also our own collective taste that constitutes a "norm" for this community. "Allowing" or "not allowing" these things to be published is not a free speech issue, the fact that Javid, as the owner, has that choice is the real free speech.

The fact that anybody can make their own publication is the remedy that legal freedom of expression provides. Even that, however, is subject to agreements between private entities such as your publisher or your website ISP, which is why YouTube and Google can remove any comment they don't like and nobody could say they are "restricting" freedom of speech. They have no obligation.

Freedom of speech only comes in when the individual and the company and everyone involved is in agreement and want to publish something but the government doesn't allow it, which it can according to limits that already exist for freedom of speech.

That being said, a completely different issue has emerged in the recent years regarding the Internet and whether a big company like Google can dominate the whole space so that you have no other choice but to go with it. Antitrust laws are supposed to be guarding against that.


Fair

Free Speech

by Fair on

I am sorry, but I have to agree that free speech applies to all, not just those whom we agree with, and that this is a public website, so as they say, if you cannot take the heat, get out of the kitchen.  Having a moderator like JJ is different- JJ is acting as a third party who removes comments based on website policies that are clearly available to all up front. Violations are of the policy, not of any particular opinion.  So disagreeing vehemently is one thing, publicly slandering and threatening people is another, and that is where free speech ends.

I agree with Chomsky, and in my humble opinion, this option should not exist. Moderation by the administrators makes more sense to me.

 

 


Anonymouse

So far 6 No and 1 Yes. Here's ur chance 2 think outside the box!

by Anonymouse on

Admin jaan

Thank you for your explanation.  I get it now that it is technically acceptable but it depends on JJJ's final decision.  As for the policy, I didn't mean those (although none are being practiced consistently, especially the videos and articles as comments) but my question is why bloggers are not given the choice of comment control?  The ones you posted said what users shouldn't do, not why we're not trusted with the delete button.

All,

You are somehow comparing the ability to delete one's condenscending comment with Free Speech.  Even if that were to be true the Free Speech is not being practiced because one person (Mr. Javid) is deciding what is the Free Speech.  One person deciding for all.

This is about rules and personal choices which is the cornerstone of Free Speech and democracy.  None of you have said so far why you think giving bloggers this option will make everyone to delete comments enmasse?  Do you put yourself in that category?  Given the option you'd delete most comments?  Or are you worried about others not behaving like you? 

Everything is sacred


Roozbeh_Gilani

Anon: Please dont take this personal, but....

by Roozbeh_Gilani on

The moment you start getting botherd about the comments to your blog on IC, let alone contemplating the "control of the responses to your blog", that is the time you should ask yourself if you are taking this entire business of blogging too seriously.

Most if not all of us have got real lives completely separate from this site, where we deal with real issues and people. This is where we should be focused on.

This site has been useful to me in few aspects. one aspect is I can see the depth some can sink and the heights some can ascend in their political and personal philosophy and aspirations. this is only achieved due to lack of "filtering" of any kind. I do not want this to change.


admin

Drupal native support

by admin on

Anonymouse,

By barrier, I mean "Drupal native support". That's the box I wanted to stay in to make upgrades easier. But we have not managed to do that in a number of areas where we had to make major modifications. I said this is no longer a barrier. So, it can be done. I can do it on my own. There is no technical "problem". The only technical issue is a question of should it be done?

Think of it like a race car. You can make standard engine modifications supported by the manufacturer, or you can make custom ones that are non-standard. If you do the non-standard ones and later decide to replace your engine with a brand new one, your modifications will go away. If you sell the car or stop working on it, another mechanic will have a hard time figuring out your non-standard modifications. If you plan to replace the engine down the road anyway, maybe you should wait to do the modifications later on the new engine, if you don't really need them right now.

The policy is listed at the bottom of every page where commenting is available:

Post new comment

* Comments containing profanity or personal attacks will be removed. Repeat offenders will be blocked.
* Do not post articles as comments.
* Embedding videos is not recommended and may be disabled.


LoverOfLiberty

In the interest of

by LoverOfLiberty on

In the interest of promoting free speech, I think it would be a mistake to allow a blogger the ability to outright delete comments on their blogs.

And I say this because that ability could discourage substantive debate on the evidence by knowledgeable proponents of all points of view.

So, my vote is "NO!"

[Although I am not a fan of Noam Chomsky, I whole-heartedly believe in what he said about free speech: "If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all."]


Anonymouse

Vildemose what is your vote?

by Anonymouse on

I don't understand, why do you think everybody is going to act the same way if they're given the comment control option?  It's a personal choice, I may delete Sargord's ass while you may like to keep his comment and shred him to pieces!  It's your choice.

This is really such a minor thing and I don't understand how we're making it to be so that it suddenly would turn us into mini dictators?  We're ALL dictators then, the only difference is that we don't have comment control!

We're all adults and our minds are already made.  All this option does is to prevent an individual to pick a fight in someone else's house when the house "renter" doesn't want to.  

Everything is sacred


vildemose

comment control to what

by vildemose on

comment control to what end?

I agree if a blogger/writer from the outset decides to disable comment option on his/her blog. No comments on a blog should be an option.

But moderating comments on a public blog such as IC will not help communication, interaction, process of learning different POV, building one's debate skills, conflict resolution skills,  or general debates. Every blog will be an Island onto itself.

just my 2cents.


Anonymouse

Admin jaan staying inside the box no longer a barrier?

by Anonymouse on

I'm not sure if you meant staying inside or outside the box when you've made so many changes and exceptions to the box.

Regardless, the main question is if it can be done and you said technically it can NOT be done for the forseeable future, right?  Because you need more software development and that's not something you can easily buy at your local Iranian store, right?!

As far as comments and various website almost all websites have now comments section.  Some are like i.com where you can post directly and no waiting, like CNN for example, but CNN articles get literally thousands of comments on each article and the comments are one or two lines and not like here with all the hagglings!

BTW limiting the comments section word count would be my other suggestion, but that is not the subject of this blog. I don't want to compare the content of i.com with other websites just what others offer.  Obviously i.com caters to a minority, Iranians.

As for the policy issue that resides with JJJ (not technicality discussed above) what is the policy?  That leaving users free to engage each other (with whatever means necessary :-) is democracy and we're supposed to be practicing (practice as in football practice before the game) it?  People seem to think that if the blogs have comment controls it'd make the site boring.  So do you know if it is democracy issue or the boring issue?  If you don't know that's ok, I just want to know what is known. 

Everything is sacred


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MM,

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