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June 04, 2009
My shiftless attention span
In a comment left to an earlier post, commenter and blogger Evil Otto said this to an anonymous* commenter (who left no URL or email address): I thought that was quite funny (as was the anonymous commenter's later complaint that it was an "ad hominem attack"!), although it has to be remembered that it's hard for trolls to shift the attention of people who don't read comments! I haven't a clue about how many readers there are who don't read comments, nor do I know how many allow trolls to shift their attention. I'd have to say that nothing anyone says can possibly shift my attention away from the subject at hand, for the simple reason that for me, the subject is only "at hand" once, when I write the post. After that, people can comment all they want, but no comment can change the subject of the post, which remains there as long as the blog exists. I have a very liberal comments policy, but comments create no obligation on my part or anyone else's to read them or comment on them. How could they? After all, none of the posts I write create any obligation on the part of anyone to read them or comment on them, so how could the comments? This is not to say I dislike comments; only that without the posts and without the blog and its comment feature, they wouldn't be there. And commenters would not be able to have fun imagining that they have shifted people's attention. Once again, I have no responsibility for any comments left here. To the extent I am "accountable," it is only to acknowledge the authorship of my own creative product in my posts. They create no more obligation on my part than that. I am no more obligated to defend what I say than an artist would be to "defend" a painting he has just painted. Comments are always welcome, as is all criticism, but neither my posts nor the comments create any obligation. I see them the way I might see art. Some are more entertaining than others. However, there is a very important reason I allow comments, and it goes beyond all other considerations. There happens to be a well-oiled political movement which seeks to regulate blogging. One foot in the door is by criminalizing anonymity (i.e. government regulation of blog comments), another is by regulating "hostile" blog content. The way I see it, the best defense is a good offense. Allowing uncontrolled and anonymous comments creates a free speech zone which preemptively defies those who would regulate blogging. In this respect, the less attention I pay, the greater the preservation of freedom, for the government has no more right to make me read comments than do the commenters themselves. This is not to say that I don't read them; only that I don't have to. So feel free to fire away. You can count on my unaccountable attention! * I understand why some people might not want their identities known, and (assuming they are people and not bots) I champion their right to anonymity. However, it is wholly unreasonable for anonymous commenters to expect to be taken as seriously as people with identifiable blogs, or those willing to put their actual names on what they say. MORE: Speaking of anonymous comments, I loved this: do any of you guys here mind if I dump my sewerage on your property?Not at all! His form of "sewerage" helps fertilize the First Amendment! posted by Eric on 06.04.09 at 10:06 AM
Comments
After the events that happened to Dr. Tiller, the arrest of Hal Turner, and the stalking that Malkin regularly tells her acolytes to engage in, one has to be kinda careful about giving names out. The right wing in this country answers controversy with violence and harassment. I prefer to avoid that. If you don't like the ideas I present without some kind of identity alongside, go ahead and visualize Mother Teresa's face as mine. If that doesn't work, use Hitler's. I could care less. Just please, please, don't stalk me, harass me, murder me, or anything else the McVeighs of the world consider "valid political action". Besides, my comments increase circulation to your website. I believe that that is probably your goal, right? GALT LIVES! LipstickBedeckedPigs · June 4, 2009 10:55 AM "Us"? You mean Raging Bee and "LipstickBedeckedPigs" are in cahoots? This carries the First Amendment too far! Eric Scheie · June 4, 2009 11:04 AM They're funny anyway. For instance, I Hate Sarah Palin But I'm Afraid Of Her up there is about funny because it's just so stupid but actually seems to think it's intelligent. I figure, it's a 13 year old boy who's angry because he's stuck in summer school for failing remedial shoe tying. Veeshir · June 4, 2009 11:11 AM Just please, please, don't stalk me, harass me, murder me, or anything else the McVeighs of the world consider "valid political action". Sorry if I sound a bit defensive, but it's too late to call off the Classical Values goon squads!
Eric Scheie · June 4, 2009 11:13 AM I've always felt the general purpose of blog comments is for people to comment on the actual subject of the post. Obviously, threads drift over time, but it's a decent rule of thumb. The troll tries to make the comment section about HIM... insults, rapid-fire comments, more insults, rants, you name it, anything that gets him the attention he craves. Personally, I try to match the general tone of a blog when commenting. Classical Values has its own tone, and it's a fairly polite one. That's why I didn't rip into LipstickBedeckedPigs. Well, that, and it would just give him what he wants. LipstickBedeckedPigs, if you're so offended by ad hominem attacks. feel free to take your tired schtick over to Ace of Spades HQ blog and see what happens. They LOVE trolls like you. They think you're delicious. Evil Otto · June 4, 2009 03:03 PM Hahahaha, Eric and M., I go away for two days and your blog gets hot. I can't decide if I liked it better when I was the only commenter. I do miss the period when Dr Dynamite (or Dr Nobel- I can't remember) was here, back about the time King Barry took his victory lap. Pig sounds a lot like the Dr. I lived in the Kingdom from 00 to 06, and many times held hands and kissed a Saudi. Hand holding is done by the Saudi to signify to other Arabs that this is a special friend of mine. To be a special friend of Abdullah's would be a great honor. He is a great man. Has he held King Barry's hand yet? Interesting. He hates Barry. Kissing between men is similar to shaking hands. The area of the persons body- forehead, shoulder, nose , cheek, varies between Saudi tribes. I personally spent much time with a man I greatly respected. I kissed his right shoulder when we greeted, the same way his sons did, to show I respected him as a son does a father. I met many many Royal family members and watched them greet many many folks from many many countries. I never saw a bow. I don't know what King Barry felt he was acccomplishing. Abdullah knows he is a boy pretending to be a man. dr kill · June 4, 2009 04:02 PM Post a comment
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So you respond to us with a whole post just to tell us you're not responsive to us? Sounds a bit defensive.
In this respect, the less attention I pay, the greater the preservation of freedom, for the government has no more right to make me read comments than do the commenters themselves.
So you're preserving freedom by refusing to pay attention to the reality some of us are trying to explain to you, and the gummint is forcing you to read our comments? I think you need a new tinfoil hat. Try something less retro this time...