Thursday, April 12, 2007

Bloggers must put up with the psychos


How long before blogger.com insists on registration before commenting?

Blogging is coming under increased scrutiny following the case of Kathy Sierra, who came under a concerted attack from anonymous commentators who put death threats and other disgusting nonsense on her blog.

The woman got so scared she cancelled a conference she was going to attend and has since stopped blogging completely.

A fellow blogger and friend of Kathy’s has proposed a code of conduct for bloggers and those who comment on their sites.

Point five of the code says:

We do not allow anonymous comments, but will allow pseudonymous ones.

That means that everyone who wants to comment on this site, for instance, must register with google.com beforehand.

Much as I have sympathy, and empathy, with any blogger who gets personal threats, physical or otherwise – I have had a few of them over the two years I have been doing this – any across-the-board code of conduct on blogs must be resisted by us bloggers and those who comment.

I decided long ago not to make people register before commenting and I will stick to that principle. Each blog has to work out its own rules and mine are: free speech and access is absolute.

That includes access for trolls and psychos. When people get personal from the comfort of unregistered anonymity then it is a sure sign that they lost the argument and are incapable of entering into a debate to defend their point of view – if they had one in the first place, that is.

And I think that's a useful contribution to showing these people for what they are, and so discredit their ‘political’ position.

The success of this blog rests on the, mostly, intelligent and interesting people who return again and again for a jolly good argument. Any measure that makes participating on a blog like this one harder, and more instrusive, should get a loud ‘No Way’ from all bloggers.

57 comments:

Anonymous said...

Blogging is all about free speech and works well enough without rules, which could always degenerate into censorship at some point in the future.

Rather than talking about rules, the blogging community should be trying to help people who don’t have the freedom to blog or at least say what they please on a blog. China for example where careless bloggers find themselves in jail.

Anonymous said...

The only psycho here is right is the former drug addict that runs this blog.

beatroot said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
beatroot said...

I think you are proving my point...
....give a moron access and he will prove he is a moron...

Anonymous said...

Beatroot is so brave behind his computer.LOL
I hope you'll be so brave when you meet the «morons and psychos» in person...

beatroot said...

Well....exactly...

Anonymous said...

The pseudo-intellectual-mr non profit, will shit his pants sooner than he thinks.

beatroot said...

I mean, don't you feel ashamed of yourself? The blogging world is ruined by people like you. You appear not to be able to debate anything. You have attitudes to things that you cannot express. So you come on web sites like this - which welcomes ALL opinions, and wants to see how those opinions hold up to a debate - and start vomiting threats from - what you think is - am anonymous computer.

I have stat counter software. So I know your IP address, host name, from what web site you came to this site, how long you spend on this site, which pages you read, your city location, even the software you are using to access the web.

That’s lots of information.

I only ever use Stat counter to measure how many people come to the blog and where they come from (22,000 in March and 35 percent Poland, then US, UK, Canada then etc…) but I have lots of options too.

For instance, if I wanted, I can actually block you access to the blog. You would just get a blank screen.

But I won’t do that, because I think you are doing whatever political movement you imagine yourself to belong to, great harm in the PR department.

If I was you I would try and win a political argument on this blog – that’s what this blog is for – or go away and do something more creative with your time.

Anonymous said...

Beatroot:
Since you started defendind a murderer you gained the hatred of HUNDREDS, if not THOUSANDS of people.
Now, little can you do to escape your faith...

Anonymous said...

You're the one wasting your time by listening to rap music.
Why don't you open a book for a change.

beatroot said...

Since you started defendind a murderer you gained the hatred of HUNDREDS, if not THOUSANDS of people.
Now, little can you do to escape your faith...


I think you meant 'escaping your fate...' but anyway...

Truly psthetic.

I knew when I wrote this post that it would be like a moth to a flame to the psychos....and you are performing for our entertainment very well....

Cheers!

But I dare you: try and construct a POLITICAL argument. If you look down in other comments in other posts you will see that even WARSAW GUY is trying to enter into a debate...

You never know...you might actually enjoy it...

Anonymous said...

BEATROOT:

Can´t you understand that you are dealing with not 1,2,3 but with a lot of people? After all, You claim to be so smart and ...
We are very intereseted in debating with you .REALLY!
But face to face.That´s the best way, or not?
You come to our country, defend a vicious criminal, insult many of our compatriots and after...you talk about debate?
All your insults were printed already and you will be faced with your civilised way of debating, WHEN WE DECIDE THAT´S THE RIGHT TIME.

beatroot said...

Sad....

sonia said...

This code of conduct makes no sense. It bans anonymous comments, only allowing registered ones. But since everybody can register (using false data if he or she wants), it comes to exactly the same thing.

Your stupid anonymous commenter above could just register as Adolf Tepoglowy from Ciemnogrodek Pomorski, and nobody would be any wiser...

Anonymous said...

Since the begining «Mr. non profit»(aka loser) has been insulting millions of Poles.

Btw,WANKER did you pay a visit in jail to you intellectual comrade Simon already ?

Anonymous said...

The irish clown is doomed

beatroot said...

Trolling has lots in coommon with wanking...it gives pleasure only to the author...

Hi Sonia. Thing is...if any police who wanted to prosecute these people can. Everything we do on the net is tracable.

So we are non anonymous on the web and that means nwe hav to be acc64tab3e 5n the end,

But the law should not be involved. We can deal with it, or ignore them...

Anonymous said...

«The life of people from Newbridge (35 km away from Dublin) turned into a nightmare. Polish students attending a local Newbridge school are bullied by their Irish peers. Both Garda and the principal seem to be completely hopeless. »

A special surprised is being prepared for you.Just wait!

Anonymous said...

An eye for an eye...

Damien Moran said...

BR, you may be interested in knowing that what appears to be the self-immolation behaviour of a moth is quite probably a by-product of a rule-of-thumb that usually works for them, i.e. as Dawkins puts it, insects use the moon and stars, which are at optical infinity, "to steer a course such that the light rays hit their eye at an angle of 30 degrees".

The problem for the moth arises when the rays are artificial and thus not at optical infinity but rather converge like the spokes of a wheel. Hence the moth, using the optical compass guideline, which works so well as a signpost on a daily basis and has worked so well for his/her ancestors, will fatally run a trajectory towards some romantic couple's candle light dinner.

Dawkins goes on to try and prove that this may also explain how religions have come to trangress epochs, cultures, oceans, et al.

But that's for another discussion.

To keep this comment a little bit more relevant, I wonder whether anonymous cyber hate-spewing can also be coined a "by-product" of something which has proved to be a very useful tool for us newly-webbed humans - that being, global networking and communication, helping us erase all types of boundaries and wallow in free speech.

For example, my Polish girlfriend now has regular web contact with Germans through her humanitarian education work, which in turn has led her to developing very good relationships with people who her education system and history would have otherwise simply painted with prejudice-tinted glasses. She has now been to Germany many times and Germans have stayed over in our place. Mutuality, reciprocity, reaching out, 'tis the name of the game.

On the other hand, Cyber-Simpletons and xenophobic nationalistic crybabying are desperate last-gasp breaths indicating a profound failure to enter into respectful and sophisticated levels of dialogue which free speech forums such as blogs very well encapsulate.

So to sum up, anonymista - you're the boggly-eyed moth who has fallen foul of natural selection and has been burnt to smithereens by a flame of rationality; BR - you're an example of the flame that consumes and immolates anonymistas with their virus-filled comments as you never fall to their sub-human level;
and Free speech blogs and their advocates - well, I guess they're the moon and stars.

Damien Moran said...

..........keeps everybody blind.

A wink to anyone who can tell us who said that?

beatroot said...

You see...that is how good a comment on a blog can be...

Worth putting up with the trolls, then...

luridtraversal said...

Unfortunately BR, anyone who has a blog that is accessible to everyone is going to receive stupid anonymous "tough guy" remarks (as above). Usually telling you "you won't be so brave in person" or some shite like that. Usually these are weak people who are extremely tough over a keyboard. It's more humorous than scary I would think. For example: what would you suppose the odds are of meeting the above-said "tough guys" on the streets of Warsaw. I love reading they're remarks actually for comedic relief. They have a wonderful way of brightening up my day and proving that I'm a better person. But that's not too hard I guess when I'm comparing myself to those anonymous drones. Still, I hope that someday they'll realize that they've lost, and that the world has finally moved past their beliefs. Mainly when I read this it truly proves that if these people actually had brains, they'd be dangerous. Keep it up Beat..

beatroot said...

Cheers Michael!

luridtraversal said...

next time you're in the Wlochy area, give me a shout, and we'll drink and solve the world's problems!!!

Anonymous said...

Damo: Gandhi, my hero :)

Keep up the good work, Beatroot!

Anonymous said...

BR, do me a favor – don’t stop replying to your Anonymous commentator. The boy is lonely, has no friends, even his family and relatives refer to him as “well, you know, I am sure he has some good qualities also”. You are the only person in the world who pays attention to his comments. BR, show some compassion for the village idiot.

Lynn said...

Keep up the good work. I agree there is no sense in banning or deleting the gibber coming from trolls. Ignoring them is a lot of fun.

beatroot said...

Thanks everyone.

You know, I look after many internet sites and I never have the time to any of them properly. The one I really like is this one – because all you lot are so entertaining – and not usually in a dumb way – that the beatroot just goes by itself.

If only real life were so simple….

Now I have to get ready for a singing recording tomorrow (didn't know I was a musician, did ya?).

Ciou!

Anonymous said...

I think posting is like yanking it for folks like anon. For my two zloty, BR, you're just encouraging him. Yes, the guy looks like a total jackoff but I think most of us, even those of us who regularly disagree with each other, realized that long ago. Entertainment value? Sorry, I don't find it the least bit entertaining anymore. It was for a bit but that passed long ago, too. But bottom line, it's your blog so do what you like (humming Blind Faith). Funny though how anon mixed up faith and fate... ok, so it's mildly entertaining but I'd still rather watch the Black Donnellys.

Damien Moran said...

eulogist - congrats., you have ascertained exclusive rights to my promised reward of a wink due to your correct answer re. the quote from the champion of ahimsa and satyagraha's great wisdom and power to inspire us to move beyond vitriolic and cyclically destructive language and deeds.
Here's your wink

Damien Moran said...

Link didn't work, so here goes that wink again:
http://cronus.com/images/bush-wink.jpg

beatroot said...

Geeesha

I was saying people like you are entertaining. Warsaw Guy etc are more like watching a car accident.

beatroot said...

And by the way, Geeesh…you have made that point before about ‘encouraging them’…and you know I find that a very ….sad thing to say. I talk about things on this blog because I think they need saying. The case of the blogger who does not blog anymore depressed me, because she has let these creeps win. What you are suggesting is that I avoid certain topics, and avoid expressing my views, in case I ‘encourage’ a troll. The trolls troll me because I am saying something they don’t like. And the only way they can better my argument is not through debate – winning the argument – but troll me.

And when they do that I win, they lose.

And once you make something look stupid it no longer becomes dangerous.

Anonymous said...

Beatroot, there's another way: just delete them. It's your blog, not theirs. All the fun (for them) is in being published.

Anonymous said...

BR, I still think you underestimate the stupidity contagion quotient. It multiplies slowly but surely. And as it is emboldened with more exposure, it becomes more dangerous. Maybe you've only been threatened by such idiots. I do hope it stays that way. Also I don't think I've ever discouraged you from expressing yourself. But I don't think certain ways other folks express themselves -- making threats -- are worthy of a forum. But again, it's your blog.

"There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life"

Frank Zappa

<><

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."

Albert Einstein

<><

"Stupid people don't know they are stupid."

Redd Foxx

<><

"And they still don't get it when you point it out to them"

Geez

Anonymous said...

Damo: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes... what do I get...?! Oh damn, that was mean...
(;-))

Anonymous said...

Duh!

I was on the Internet when there were no blogs. And there were the trolls. Trolls are apparently an inherent part of the internet ecosystem.

Unfortunately nowadays in the blogosphere trolling is becoming synonymous with expressing an opinion dissenting with that of the blog author. I see this as a very negative trend. (Cf. the Simon Mol flamewars).

And regarding Kathy Sierra she was not a victim of trolling, but of criminal activity. And it should have been dealt with as such. (There is no problem nowadays with subpoenaing the offender's identity basing on an IP address, and most idiots are too stupid to use an anonymizer).

beatroot said...

The point you make about the IPs was one I made earlier. Everyone who comes here leaves their details.

As for trolling and decent. You are free to decent and I will not censor you...as you know...

Anonymous said...

The point you make about the IPs was one I made earlier.

Yes, I know. My point was that criminal activity is a criminal activity and it should be fought with legal tools, not codes of conduct. (Who would enforce these, anyway? Some private and unaccountable net police?) There was a time when it was impossible to prosecute the offenders (and thus vigilante methods made sense), but now police over the world has learned how to deal with such cases.

You are free to decent and I will not censor you...as you know...

Of course. Nonetheless I have observed the trend elsewhere and it is disturbing...

Anonymous said...

What about people using computers in cyber cafes?
Can you track them Beatroot?

Anonymous said...

Simon Mol (Simon Moleke Njie), a Cameroonian writer and journalist
freelancing with the Voice, was granted the Antifascist of the Year
2003 award by the Nigdy Więcej (Never Again) social association, which
monitors and combats trends such as neofascism, racism and xenophobia

Neofascism, racism, and xenophobia. Three great evils that must be
stopped along with all other biological barriers to preventing these
beasts contaminating Europe with their blood. Apparently he told those
halfwits that demanding safe sex was an expression of racial prejudice
- guaranteed to make a leftie's heart melt.

Marta

beatroot said...

Try and stay on topic, Marta. When you have freedom of expression there are responsibilities that go with it. It has been 17 years since the fall of communism…maybe you have not got used to this yet?

Anonymous said...

It´s a pity that after getting rid of the communist scum we now have to put here with the presence of useless trash like the guy behind this blog.

We need wealthy entrepreneurs and in Poland not parasites disguised as pseudointelectuals who try to brainwash our people with their false moral superiority.

At least do you even pay taxes or are you just another social parasite like the «antifascist of the year»?

Kasia

Anonymous said...

Why is it I get the feeling Kasia and Marta are the same guy?

beatroot said...

Exactlt what I was thinking, Fran. It's a male - one male. I wonder why people pretend to be females on the web? It's a PHd thesis all by itself?

beatroot said...

Exactlt what I was thinking, Fran. It's a male - one male. I wonder why people pretend to be females on the web? It's a PHd thesis all by itself?

YouNotSneaky! said...

They probably think it's a witty way of throwing you off track. Which means they're afraid. Which means that deep down they know they're full of it.

alex said...

It will hardly be worth while to take up the historical significance of dreams as a special subject. celebrex. the motive power at the soma disposal of the repressed wish, but also offer to the unconscious something indispensable, namely, the attachment necessary to the transference.. The dream was passionless, disconnected, and tramadol unintelligible.. Podington put lipitor his hand to his brow and for a few moments closed his eyes.. The longing is ibuprofen concealed by the shifting of the scene to the occasion when any joyous feeling were out of place, and yet where it did once exist.. He talked and talked, outtalking even Mr. paxil. A moderate independence, quietly and honestly procured, is certainly every way preferable even to immense possessions achieved by the wear and tear of mind levitra and body so necessary to procure them.. During this process, which I will call the dream displacement , I notice also the psychical intensity, significance, or emotional nature of the thoughts actonel become transposed in sensory vividness.. A girl of three and a half years had made during the percocet day a sea trip which was too short for her, and she cried when she had to get out of the boat.. Ah, atenolol c'est bien , dat vill do, and the Frenchman got out of the gig, tied the horse, and produced his lithographic map.. Is that so, or is ibuprofen it not? That's it, to a dollar, Matt.. The prescription clerk smiled freely, and norvasc continued his assaults upon a piece of blue mass.. The same explanation, then, which applies to the phobia applies also tylenol to the dream of anxiety.. He is to be at the Schottenthor for a rendezvous with a certain lady, but he does not wake up until half-past eleven. evista. The bait took phentermine at once, for Mr...

Anonymous said...

Is Kasia / Marta a tax-paying citizen too?

Or is she/he being paid a salary to leave such comments on other people's blogs?

Anyway very lady-like language, innit?

Best regards to you Beatroot, and I keep my fingers crossed for you :-)

beatroot said...

I don;t think you need to keep anything crossed, anon. The guy doesn't even live in Poland.

And what is this from Alex? Is this a new form of trolling?

Anonymous said...

The guy doesn't even live in Poland.


That´s what you think...LOL

steppling said...

beat....good post. Lenin's Tomb has a recent, very good post on same topic. Beyond that, there are already laws in place for hate speech and threats of violence. One doesnt want to give corporate servers the right to censor...for that is what is really at the core of this. And amazingly, even sonia and jann57 all agree.....freedom of speech is an absolute. One simply has to endure the nutters out there....there are plenty of them...its like a natural resource.

Frank Partisan said...

My least favorite blogger chooses to attack me on other blogs than my own.

I'm agnostic about sign-in rules.

I agree with your post. On my blog to post anonymously isn't necessary. I don't put agreement with me as a condition to comment. My links include the whole political spectrum.

beatroot said...

Whon is your least fav blogger, Ren?

One simply has to endure the nutters out there

Indeed, it is simply a fact of life on blogs. In a way I take it as a compliment. They must be really scared of the written word to want to troll the way they do.

And you are right Steppling: corperates like Google have helped create something that is now out of their control. But I think that the trolls are a price worth paying for the amount of free speech and access to publishing that blogs have given us.

So the occasional troll – and it is a very small minority – is not a problem.

This fuss is also being stirred up by highly paid comment journalists who like blogs the least. News journos will never be threatened by blogs – we don’t have the resources for news gathering. But comment journalists – which are ten a penny these days, and consequently many of them are crap – should feel threatened. Most blogs are nonsense, but occasionally a good one comes along and does their highly paid job for free….

Anonymous said...

Psychos...

What do you do with guys like Cho at West Virginia Tech who turns out to be a campus killer?

Things are coming out slowly about him but given his proficiency with the internet, my guess is he tried to find a voice for himself on blogs. Maybe that even encouraged him to express himself more violently.

I don't know. But I do know there are indeed a lot of psychos running around who just need to be pushed just a bit to make them go over the edge.

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