more stuff to think about

September 26, 2010 in Montana

by problembear

heading into election season and things will most likely ramp up here so i thought i would offer this blog post i found when i logged in at wordpress this morning. not sure how i feel about it other than it provides some good thinking to think about.

like most people, i like lively discussion that doesn’t bog down in personal attacks. comments  that add something to the discussion rather than derailing it into side personal agendas are preferable. i don’t like to be put in the position of deciding who gets to say what and when, but without some control things can easily get out of hand. anyway, read this post and see what everyone thinks. maybe we could develop some guidelines so commenters as well as editors here have some way to guide us in keeping this site useful and relevant.

http://aphilosopher.wordpress.com/2010/09/24/deleting-principles/

this is an excerpt but be sure and read the entire thing…..

“In regards to tone/style, those that are excessively negative tend to provide a basis on which to delete in a principled way. Examples of negative tone/style include being needlessly hateful, needlessly condescending, or needlessly hostile. As others have noted, being negative (or, to be more technical, an ass) out of proportion to the provocation seem to provide grounds for considering deletion.

Not surprisingly, drawing a line that will allow consistent deletion can be a challenge. Despite this challenge, a consistent principle seems to be rather desirable. After all, as in law and ethics, the rules should be consistent and non-arbitrary. That way people know, in advance, what sort of behavior is acceptable and what is not. From a practical standpoint, this also helps avoid conflict over such matters and this is generally a good thing for a blog. After all, the idea of having a blog is to attract readers and active participants rather than drive them away.

Blog moderators will vary in what is considered tolerable in regards to tone/style. Those that prefer a rougher approach will tolerate more negative tones and styles. Those who wish to have a nicer environment or prefer a blog that seems more professional in character will no doubt tolerate less.”

and before anyone else chimes in with accusations. i am well aware of my own short-comings regarding proper etiquette. i could use a frying pan alongside the head once in awhile myself, but i do use one rule which had helped this sinful bear in the past….. when i am posting a response to a comment or making a post if the word YOU is used in any sentence, take a minute and pause before posting it and make sure it is necessary to make my point. when i take the time to do this, i have found that it never is.