Letters to the Editor
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Net democracy, like the political sort, really is messy.
I tend to value the open-dialogue feeling that Salon's comments provide. It's like getting a backstage pass to a rock concert--the chance for your words to get straight to the author, and maybe even elicit a direct response. The act of reading becomes personal, relational, and intimate--one of my most surprising discoveries in the new world of the web.
I really enjoy Broadsheet, and I enjoy reading opinions that differ from mine. When the authors' interpretations seem wrong-headed, I get a lot out of that--having to mull over my own arguments (especially if I'm posting a comment!) to frame a response that holds up to the exchange.
But I've begun to feel like the attacks are changing the nature of the original writing. Far too often, I can hear an author's voice being muffled by her own caution. She is anticipating the attacks, the vitriol of those who will inevitably accuse her of being one-sided. She may want to assert her own iconoclastic view, but she hesitates. She softens. And then the writing, like so much in our eager-to-attack modern world, trudges to the boring middle where there are no positions and no challenges for anyone.
And of course, the flamers are still not dissuaded, and still throw their bombs, and next time the authors get more cautious yet.
In politics, democracy still means living by laws and agreeing to be ruled by a few. I think, reluctantly, that web discourse may have to evolve in that way, too.
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Salon, take action: start policing offensive, insulting posts on your own boards
There's one practical way that Salon and other serious, professional sites can deal with this problem: start policing your discussion boards and deleting the over-the-top offensive insulting comments.
An increasing number of the sane bloggers are coming to this conclusion. They're disabling comments entirely, or not permitting anonymous comments, or they're notifying their readers that they'll delete any blatantly insulting comments.
Can't afford to hire interns to police all your boards? then clearly label which ones are policed and kept clean, and which ones are left to be public toilets.
This isn't about free speech. It's about removing toxins from the environment before they poison the place.
Civilized people don't permit noxious garbage to litter their environment. We don't allow people or dogs to crap all over everywhere with impunity. We make laws about that kind of thing, and we clean it up when it's on our property.
I would no more leave a dog pile in my front yard than I'd leave a pool of vomit on the floor of my house. So why would I treat my online home or my online visitors less respectfully than I do in real life? Part of my responsibility as a host is to provide an environment where guests can come and have a pleasant discussion and not have nasty crap shoved in their faces.
Ditto Salon. I'd spend a hell of a lot more time in Salon's discussion areas if there was less offensive garbage lying around. I don't think Salon intended to be a place where people come to post insults and ridicule; so why is it that's what's allowed on a lot of the boards here? A number of Salon threads become nothing more than long pissing matches between the same few notorious jackasses. Why is Salon choosing to give these bozos free rein and abandoning the rest of us to deal with the bozos on our own?
Online we've reached the point where there's crap piling up everywhere, gleefully dumped there by a small number of shitmeisters who delight in smearing their filth on the rest of us. We have to be more active in reclaiming those areas that we want to stay civilized.
So Salon: this one's in your court. What are you going to do about it? Other than publish articles about the problem?
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BAM!!!!
"I wonder if part of the reason is that I very rarely post opinions that reflect the stereotypical opinion that every woman is supposed to have. I've noticed that when men insult women for being women, a lot of the time the issue is a position where women are expected to hold, as a block, a particular opinion. An example would be a woman who says she is anti-porn because "porn exploits women" and yet cannot support this statement in any way - she's never read a study on it, never met a porn star. She just says "It's obvious, everybody knows that." This sort of mushy thinking annoys me, as a woman; I have no doubt it infuriates men."
You hit it right on the head there. When I look over Salon - usually just a scan, like tonight - I wince a bit because, yea, I know what's here: a bunch of losers who say things like "conservatism has nothing to offer anyone, anytime, anywhere, because Bush is so dumb and we're so smug and full of ourselves." or "women get attacked more than men" when good points have been made to justify it - like we talk to women, online, like we talk to each other?
It's just not worth my time.
And about this letters section ban that's being considered - that's censorship, right? Weak willed people say shut it down because "the goddesses" can't take men acting like gods?
Is that gonna like those stupid efforts to restrict the words nigger, or bitch, or faggot? (I'm black, BTW)
Joan, I don't know you, but you're going down the road there. Man up, remember? It's called "Salon" not speak as nicely as I insist you speak. As has been mentioned several times, no effort has been made to address the issues of bias/slanted content, or harmless behavior based on gender (men are forceful and direct) or the extreme emotionalism women display, in the face of that, while claiming they want to have an open, honest, dialogue.
I think you - and the supporters of pastel writing rules - are just itching for the charge of "chickenshit" to be thrown all over this site. Your credibility will disappear faster than a whack-a-mole.
I told you, I don't come here often. I think it's a stupid site, actually, but it does, at least, offer an occassional diversion - like tonight - when, once every blue moon, something (quite by accident) happens that's worth reading or honestly commenting on.
You really should reconsider. Everything. Editorial - everything. But, especially, these "new rules".
It's a death sentence.
Grow up, Ladies. Equality means just that.