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• Tuesday, January 13, 2009 04:42 PM

  bop Management, And Larger Issues

  "The benefit of having a very smart, informed and active comment section can't be overstated."

  --- Glenn Greenwald

  Some of us who caucus off in another room have been discussing bop's plight; and it seems, based on some back and forth among us, that Glenn is struggling with more than just the bop.

  Now somehow bop got caught in Glenn's crosshairs and bop got his back up, and, with fair warning from Glenn, would not back down. Would that be a writer's pride at work? Well, what else is new? No matter; it's Glenn's place.

  This is speculation only, but Glenn's larger struggle may be with other commenters who are: blowhards, hijackers, ad hominem slashers, sandbaggers, political hitters, diversionists, sidetrackers, obfuscators, and any number of oppositionistas who could be clogging the message here.

  What is Glenn harping on? What is the message? Why nothing much really, except that the rule of law must be protected, even in extraordinary times - especially in "times that try men's souls." Hey, no biggie.

  But, with the attention Glenn is getting, as an expert in the arcana of constitutional law, and as the torture issue seems not ready to die just yet - even as power changes this month - there is blowback on the issue.

  So the bop is banned, perhaps, within some larger confusion about how to keep this comment section strong, and as much as possible, on point.

  Maybe Glenn is asking for some help here in setting up an internal procedure (The Board of UT Peer Reviewers?) to keep things straight and focused, by members of the "very smart, informed and active comment section."

  How to work that out?

  All writers have an obligation to keep themselves in check, on point, and brief, especially in what is, in essence, a debate format. Bombast and excessive length wear out after a while.

  Ever hear of pre-post editing? Several times?

  Is a discussion possible without it turning in to a writing workshop? There's no time for that here.

  Maybe we can include bop too. His colorful metaphors and poetics have, up until recently, added a lot of flavor to the threads; and I'm sensing that he is missed. But he should cut his stuff too, like the rest of us, to keep it sharp.

  —Dirigo Read Dirigo's other letters
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