Feb 14 2009
Freedom of Speech!!!!
One of the greatest things in this country is a person’s freedom of speech. While I do not condone all forms of free speech I do believe that whether or not I agree with it, they should be able to say it or write it. That being said, I really love the open availability to blog about what ever I find interesting or passionate about. As well as allowing each and every reader a free way to comment on those very personal posts. What does that mean, see I feel that if a person takes the time to read what I have written they should then be given an opportunity to comment on that even if I do not agree with what they are saying. They have invested the time to read so I should give them the opportunity to reply. I feel that stifling that ability or to censor their comments would be a violation of their very precious freedom of speech.
So when I am out doing my entrecard drops to help increase traffic I find it very aggravating to go and comment on something that I have read to be told that it must be approved before it appears on the comment section. What the HELL? I have taken the time out of my very busy schedule to read through their latest post, go through the action of commenting on it, only to see the ever so annoying comment of “Comment is waiting for authors approval or awaiting moderation from author.” That just sends me into a bi-polar fit faster than having to go through the self check out isle at Wallmart. I mean come on, what does it hurt to read what I reply to? Did you not stick the post on the world wide web, so that hundreds if not thousands can come and take a look. Who are you to decide who gets to comment and who doesn’t? Better yet, who are you to decide what comments are worth others reading?
As an example, my wife recently posted about a health situation that she was having to go through at this time. You can see the article at From Huskies to Husbands to see what she is going through so I won’t go into details about that post. Then it happened she got a negative comment basically calling her crazy and that she needs to see a shrink from a so called doctor. While I do not know if Joe is or isn’t a doctor he has the freedom to post a reply based on her presentation of information. I for one would like to meet him some time and explain to him what it is like to live with her after reading such frivolous information, though I know that will never happen. But after reading that response she was furious and rightfully so. That is her life some one is just callously speaking about for God’s sake. But right wrong or indiferent, he expressed his freedom of speech. While I do not agree with him on his beliefs for the situation I believe he should be given the freedom to reply with an unedited response. Then the new comments came pouring in that stated she should do the unspeakable act of “Deleting It”. My goodness, what has America come to now. If I don’t agree with what some has to say about something, I now have the freedom to just DELETE IT. What would happen if the whole country took on this same approach. After spending my fifteen to twenty minutes to vote, only to get a response from the feds that states, “Thank you for voting, but after careful consideration we decided to delete your vote because it was skewing our projected winners out come. Please feel free to vote again in the coming years maybe next time you will choose the winner we want to have in there. Thank you and have a nice day.”
So in a final note to all those bloggers out there that are now reeling in anger towards me, I must close in this. You put it out there. You spent the time to write your posts and put them on your blogs, so give the reader the freedom to reply. Whether you agree with them or not. And never, under any circumstance delete or edit them in any way. The moment we begin to do that, then we have stepped all over the one freedom that allows us to do this very act.
As someone who used to require all comments to go through moderation, but now only requires the first comment someone leaves to be approved, I thought I’d give you my perspective on it.
Mainly, I want to decrease spam and HATE reCaptcha. I also haven’t ever declined a comment unless it was someone leaving multiple comments saying the same thing because they couldn’t be bothered to read the “awaiting moderation” message.
Even with as bizarre as my blog and views may be, there are a very few things I won’t tolerate. A reader can tell me I f-ing suck and need to die now, but they can’t say that to another reader. I won’t allow comments of pedophiles. I won’t…actually, no…that’s pretty much it. No flame wars between peeps in comments and no pedophiles talking about how awesome what they do is. *shivers*
But, yeah…I’m with you on the fact that if a blogger is going to put some controversial opinion out there then they should have the balls to face the backlash. If bloggers want to write in a bubble where there actions don’t affect anyone then perhaps they shouldn’t be bloggers.
But that’s just me.
I used to not have the comment moderation on …
But then I started getting really nasty sexual comments left, with links to pornographic websites -
YIKES!
What’s a blogger to do?
It made me so paranoid, that I started the moderation thing.
(In my defense, I try to check my blog a couple of times a day to approve the legitimate comments.)
It’s hard to know what the right way to go is …
I agree with you. I will hold for moderation posts that include two or more links to eliminate spam. I don’t apologize for it because I think the value of deleting spam outweighs free speech concerns. Beyond that, I am pleased to receive comments.
That said, the answer to your question is typically, “Since I run this blog, I’ll decide how to run it. If you don’t like my comment policy, find another blog with a policy you like.”
If your blog is owned by someone else. I think the moderation should be left on especially if the writer has agreed to not post anything that a child could not read.
For me it’s not about stiffling views but making the blog a place where everyone can feel welcomed.
The only comments on my blog that go into moderation are the ones with more than one link in an effort to avoid spam. It doesn’t completely do that, because I have had a few get through. But, not enough for me to reactivate Recaptha(sp?) ugh!
I write about eating disorders, obesity, and body image. People sometimes find me via search engines who are looking for fat girl porn. I moderate the first comment because I don’t want their sex spam.
Iron sharpens iron. I have yet delete or censor comments because they disagree with me, I don’t like what they have to say, or if they are unsolicited ads for treatment enters.
You said:
“And never, under any circumstance delete or edit them in any way.”
I think there’s a big difference between “give the reader the freedom to reply” and allowing a comment box to be used as a platform for
“non-comments.”
I think it’s my right and responsibility to delete spammed sex ads just as I would the promotion of child pornography, incest, how to cook meth, links to pro-ana and pro-mia sites, on and on.
Yea, I know. People can get just about anything they want online…but not from me.
Roxie
You are invited to sign the Recovery Wall
http://recoveryrocks.today.com/recovery-wall
Since I run a libertarian blog it would be just wrong for me to censor anybody’s comments so I have an all open policy too. I have to use that Recaptcha though - if I don’t I get all sorts of spam.
I can see your point, but I do think that having moderation turned on isn’t always about wanting to delete or censor people’s comments. I had mine totally open — didn’t have Recaptcha or anything — and really got the spam. I just don’t have the time to run back several times a day to delete it, and I knew it would be ridiculous and unpleasant to wade through. I felt that readers might not even want to bother sticking around to leave a legitimate comment if they saw all that garbage.
So I turned Recaptcha on again. It’s my compromise between moderation and freedom for all sorts of garbage to come in.
I can see someone wanting Moderation turned on if they’ve had a previous problem with someone leaving nasty comments, or pornographic links, or that sort of thing.
So it might be wiser on your part if you don’t make assumptions about why people have it turned on. If it’s on a blog that you really want to comment on, I’d even suggest that you might contact the blogger and ask their reasons for moderating comments. There might be a story you’re not aware of.
Personally, I have my moderation feature on because of the major amount of spam i get. The kind of spam with like 50 links and nothing else? You have something similar here in the “Captcha” feature, not much different. I also believe in freedom of speech, and I approve all comments except those that has multiple links to porn sites or prescription drug sites, or even to sites that don’t really exist. Lighten up and take a deep breath…. If you don’t like the comment moderation, don’t leave a comment. Sorry, just my “freely given” opinion. Thanks .