This was a beautifully written, delicately tuned article that made me think. Thank you.

I felt guilty. I have definitely gone beyond snark at times in my frequent opinionating here. I would like to say I'm sorry to any writer whose feelings I have ever hurt.

That said, I echo the LW who expressed frustration at the tabloid journalism, sensationalist headlines and fondness for sleaze that seems to have twisted Salon away from its first bright appearance.

Broadsheet, in particular, has tainted my feelings for Salon terribly.

The relationship I have with Salon is very personal. It's intimate. I come here every day. I am HUNGRY for honest, progressive, factual but disciplined reporting. I am DESPERATE for maturity in the press.

My response when my demands are not met is sometimes not mature at all.

I have a suggestion. I know it would take much courage, but what I would like most in the Letters, when any points of view that differ from the writer's are carefully and intelligently presented, would be to have the writer respond.

Imagine that! Even now and then...why can't the writer stick an oar in? And speak directly to a reader now and then?

I liked much of your defense. That said, it was defensive.

I want Salon to be BIG. Confident. More grownup than the grownups. And that would include the capacity to be changed by its readers.

Maybe your article is a hopeful sign of that. I'm happy to think so.

As writing becomes more of a dialogue and less of a soliloquy, the risk is that it will flatten out. That the new ideals of consensus and saturated information will replace the old ones of creativity and individuality....

I agree with the general slant of this article, and its measured looks at the pros and cons of readers engaging in more of a dialogue with writers.

However, I really disagree with the way the quoted statement has been framed. Firstly, since when has "consensus" been opposed to "creativity and individuality"? Secondly, since we are all individuals, I doubt whether any communication format will "flatten out" expression, or even succeed in creating consensus among a large group.

Perhaps more people will find common ground, given room to find and express a range of views; perhaps the middle-ground will become a broader space. However, given the sheer variety of views expressed online these days, I certainly believe that the full range of opinions - up to and including whatever extremes can be conceived of - will still continue to be presented. I personally believe that with a more open forum, people will actually become increasingly creative with the views they express and the ways in which they express them. That could be both good and bad, of course!

Thanks for putting into words something that has been fascinating and bothering me for some time. I can't help but wonder about the personal lives of some of the internet trolls. Statistically, a certain percentage of the population is not having sex, and presumably this same group has both more angry frustration as well as more time to spend on the internet... just a theory.

In considering submitting my own writing to Salon, I have the following fears:

1) will not be published

2) will be published, readers will write to condemn as tripe

3) will be published, but no readers will bother to write (perhaps the worst of the three?)

Gary, you note that well-written, thoughtful articles tend to attract fewer responses generally and fewer negative comments specifically. I agree. One proof is the usual level of response to Sidney Blumenthal's pieces. They are magnificently articulate. They provoke few comments.

So what does this say about Salon generally? If anyone is descending into mediocre rants and thuggish thinking, it's Salon's writers and editors. It's worsening by the month. It's as if there's a contest among your contributors. Who can hit bottom the fastest? Will it be Patrick Smith, wishing that he'd been in an aircrash--but SURVIVED! Or Garrison Keillor again his geriatric anger with MODERN MANNERS! Debra J Dickerson blogging her skin-bleaching treatments to BECOME WHITE! Or perhaps Video Dog posting... Never mind. VD hit bottom the day it appeared.

Too harsh? Not nearly. If you publish crap, expect to have it flung back at you.

Blind Garbage Muckraker

2007 01 29

Who are you rising up from black muck

of nowhere hurling a gazillion tomatoes

of contempt from rotting gardens of despair

to splatter your thoughtless words on eyes

of our sprawling spider-web octopus internet.

I am your muckraker and blind garbage man

shoveling fears into a bottomless rabbit hole.

A hundred million people sit alone in rooms

without moonlight tapping silent letter keys

spelling visions of fear and hate and despair

and worship and love and hope with web logs

that weave a tangled truth into wireless internet.

I am your muckraker and blind garbage man

scattering seeds on vast cement parking lots.

Come sail with me to Byzantium sweet ghosts

of Zarahemla who march against war and greed

surrounding White House under clear blue sky

where our mad man tumbles head over heels

shattering mirrors of illusion reflecting our lies.

I am your muckraker and blind garbage man

batting baseball missiles toward a burning sun.

I forgot what I wanted to say when I sat alone

in silence without hands or mouth in basement

of an ancient rotting mansion in Seattle rain

so I walked away slow to Miami and Michigan

hoping to go fishing on a blue Arkansas lake.

I am your muckraker and blind garbage man

assembling your words into a roaring epic tale.

I am an artist and you sound like a first year student who whines that critiques are mean and hurt peoples feelings. I have endured scathing critiques of my work. I have read awful reviews of my shows. But I am grateful. Without honest critique it is far too easy to settle into complacent mediocrity. Your friends and associates cannot or will not always see (or share) the shortcomings in your work. Imagine being a musician and having a crowd boo after you've played your heart out. That's way worse that a few snarky posts. Writers have been insulated from this type of feedback and I would think that you'd be thrilled to see how your work is received. Don't you wonder if you're getting your point across? Aren't you interested in what people outside of your comfort zone think of your work? Or does that not matter as long as you feel good about it? It is difficult to get past the knocks to your ego but if you want to create something truly meaningful (to someone other than your mommy) then you need to be humble enough to listen and admit when you've just maybe missed the mark. So if you're tired of the criticism...bring a better game. Of course you'll have to separate the wheat from the chaff but the process should make you a better writer and a stronger person.