Monday, April 03, 2006

Bad blog

This is discouraging. Yesterday I posted what I thought was a reasonably coherent post on a timely topic of broad concern. Matt Singer, at least, thought it was worthy and quoted it at length. At this writing, he has received seven responses to the post, some of them disagreeing with my point but all of them rational, civil and on topic. I have received ... garbage. You can judge for yourself, except that I already have deleted the most offensive (read: Mellonesque) comments.

This can't go on. Someone in comments suggested blocking Mellon's IP address, but I have no clue how to do that. Perhaps someone can fill me in. In the meantime, I am adopting another suggestion: I have enabled comment moderation. Since my various other jobs require me to be away from this desk for long periods, this may mean a considerable gap between the time comments are posted and when they show up here. I'm not happy about that, but the only other options I can see are closing off all comments or shutting the whole blog down. So I am taking the least drastic alternative.

Perhaps, someday soon, Mellon's final blinking brain cell will wink out, and he no longer will be able to type. Then, blogging may have a future.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

David: Believe me, comment moderation is the ticket. My blog was in a heap of trouble when I went to comment moderation and it's been booming ever since. Garbage drives people away, and that is all Mellon produces. Congratulations.

Anonymous said...

I understand why you did it, but I intend to let anonymous posters and un-moderated comments as long as I can over at my place.

Anonymous said...

From a blog by the Grey Beard Loon at www.vicad.com:

"Friend and blogging colleague was worried about just how far comments should go in disagreement. I told him I regarded my blog as kinda like a beer joint, my beer joint, and I reserved the right to eight-six anybody who got too obnoxious in it. So far, I've only pitched one guy out, when he said he hoped I would be blown up with a suitcase bomb. Click of a button and the guy's out the door."

Anonymous said...

David, I am really glad that you are still going to blog. I read you all the time but seldom comment. I don't understand what causes people to be so mean spirited but I do enjoy your blog. bonnie