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The Cody Blog: The Comments Dilemma

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

The Comments Dilemma

You know, I have to say I'm pretty sick of the angry and hateful comments that these coward anonymous idiots have been writing. Not all anonymous writers are problematic obviously, and I've had some great questions and comments from anons.

But I'm thinking about either ending the ability to allow readers to post comments on my blog at all or to just stop the ability to post anonymously. Though this blog is not a democracy, I'm interested in what readers think about this.

Should I just let people continue to post anonomyously and then have to delete the violent and more hateful comments -- and at times those comments will be up here on the site for hours or even days if I'm not checking on it? Or should I eliminate the ability to post anonymously? Or just eliminate all comments?

posted by Cody Willard at 9/13/2005 12:54:00 PM

16 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Should I just let people continue to post anonomyously and then have to delete the violent and more hateful comments -- and at times those comments will be up here on the site for hours or even days if I'm not checking on it? Or should I eliminate the ability to post anonymously? Or just eliminate all comments?"

Removing anonymous postings has its own limitations. People can create temp email address,use false names, etc. In addition, the well-intentioned who simply don't want to post their identity are cut out.

Why do you think your blog invites such responses?

9/13/2005 02:31:00 PM  
Blogger BelowTheCrowd said...

I've always believed that if you're not willing to identify yourself in some way, you're not worth listening to.

Not that everybody should post their names and addresses, certainly I don't, but the hit-and-run anonymous comments are generally not worth the low signal-to-noise ratio.

Not sure if blogger allows you to block people by their IP addresses. I found that nasty comments on my blog disappeared completely after banning one person's IP.

9/13/2005 02:39:00 PM  
Blogger Cody Willard said...

btc -- i don't know about the IP addresss blocking...i don't think blogger has the functionality.

Funny, though I get sometimes hundreds of emails in a day and used to get a lot of hatemail -- until I blocked like 7 people's addresses. Doing so cut down on about 90% of my hatemail. Thinking the same thing here on the blog. Bet it's just a couple coward punks who are the root of the hate.

PS. I am getting a little bit of a kick out of talking trash to these idiots in public like this. Punks! LOL

9/13/2005 03:16:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just delete the comments. I don't understand why blogs have comments. Who gives a shit what others write? I'm reading this to hear what you have to say. If people have great shit to talk about get a blog. Only trolls and blog owners post comments.

9/13/2005 03:31:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Just delete the comments. I don't understand why blogs have comments. Who gives a shit what others write?"

If this were the case then I'm not sure why anyone would read the blog itself, depending on its nature.

Many of the original posts on this particular blog only have real value after they've been elaborated upon, corrected and, yes. . . sometimes criticized (the original characterization of a charitable event comes to mind).

Otherwise these things are a dime a dozen.

9/13/2005 03:55:00 PM  
Blogger John said...

Cody - I used to think it was only investment professionals' blogs that received nasty comments. But I have seen them pop up on some other blogs related to topics like music and marriage. What ever you decide, keep up the good work. I enjoy reading your thoughts, whether I agree with them or not. And I can't imagine any downside to cutting out anonymous posting. I mean really, is somebody going to track me down by "John"?

9/13/2005 05:08:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh, certainly the richer experience is when feedback is included, especially given some of what is posted here. As an example, you stated somewhere your views on charity without much elaboration. Provocative position that is certain to draw interest. One person, for example, asked whether you had received monies as part of the 9/11 relief plan. Sensitive but certainly fair question in looking at this subject in view of your own strongly stated views (strangely, this quesiton was deleted to my surprise).

In any event, I would hope the commentary continues.

9/13/2005 06:39:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Cody, this is a tough one. I have never posted on here but do send you emails on realmoney.com when I have a comment on this blog or the other. I lean towards letting all post or none. I think all who read the comments can mentally filter if anyone is just being inflammatory or has something intelligent to say. The critizing of a blog entry is entertaining to readers of a blog by nature even if it is disregarded as nonsense. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

9/13/2005 07:49:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello, My brotha--
Was it, or was it not YOUR CHOICE to present yourself to the world wide web? I have never posted anything on your blog; or ANY blog before this moment. I do not want my comments to be marginalized, characterized, or subverted because of my identity as a human. Whether or not I am white/black/brown/mix, whether or not I am male/female/gender indiscriminate-- my opinion comes from me-- as I experience my physical body in the environment I have come to inhabit. I want to remain anonymous-- not because I am a coward, or a hater, but because I want to be taken at face value. These are MY comments. Whatever else I may demographically be, may be construed as a hinderance to my being taken seriously in an intellectual debate. Everytime you delete a comment YOU are the coward. I would love to hear an answer to the question, "Have you EVER been the recipient of STATE SPONSORED charity?"

9/13/2005 10:24:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Cody - Gotta say that when I saw some of the posts up top I just about fell out of my chair. You post comments here that are sometimes very provocative and bound to ruffle a feather or two. To characterize indivduals attending a Katrina charity event on your blog as "pigs" and then complain that people are using the same blog to say some unkind things about you is, well, just a little bit ironic (some might even say hypocritical).

This is actually meant as constructive criticism, and I hope you take it as such (before hitting that increasingly overworked delete key).

9/13/2005 11:48:00 PM  
Blogger muckdog said...

Make folks register. I think most of the riff-raff wouldn't bother to register.

9/14/2005 12:31:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Possible options -
1)only open comments occasionally, like once a month for specific articles
2) make people register with a valid email address or what ever.
3) have people email you via RM or some other place, and put the email address at a non-obvious but not hidden place...maybe publish it once a month.

9/14/2005 04:28:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Cody,
I have never written before because I just learned that it is possible to write my own responses. But I love reading all that you write -- and I also like the idea that I can send my responses if I feel strongly on any particular entries. To be honest, I really do think that your friends will simply look past hateful entries. I know that I will.

9/14/2005 08:14:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"To be honest, I really do think that your friends will simply look past hateful entries. I know that I will."

However, I'm not sure friends are always able to distinguish between hateful entries and honest criticism, if some of the posts above are any indication.

Cody, you expressed some strong views regarding charity, and some individuals asked the question whether you had received charity monies as a result of 9/11 or through the state. The entries seemed to suggest, at least my read of them, that you may have. These were not mean-spirited in any way that I could see, and were fair questions in view of your statements. Yet the first was deleted, and you've remained silent on the others.

I think if you get into these touchy subjects you should expect some feedback and to have to deal with it in a straightforward manner.

9/14/2005 03:04:00 PM  
Blogger Cody Willard said...

The comments that haven't been deleted aren't the hate and violent comments that I'm referring to. Obviously. Nothing wrong with criticism and disagreement -- and I've left all of those comments. It's the the threats of violence and/or death against me and the ad hominems that I've deleted.

9/14/2005 03:40:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Obviously. Nothing wrong with criticism and disagreement -- and I've left all of those comments."

Cody, love the commentary. However, I've been puzzled by your silence on the question of whether you've been the recipient of charity too. That's not your style, to avoid difficult issues.

Why not put the question to rest and quiet these critics?

9/14/2005 06:06:00 PM  

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