’)There are some of you who insist, every day now no matter what the topic to attack each other personally. I’m tired of it. Some of you I’ve contacted via email about it and you persist. Quit while you’re ahead. Otherwise next time you’ll just disappear. I don’t care if you disagree on issues politically, that’s fine. But I don’t care which corner you want to fight on or who’s secretly a drunk or whatever other nonsense. Want to flame each other for that stuff? Use email or your own blog. And those of you doing this know who you are.
Quit it.
(((((Oliver)))))
Sadly, that’s what our society has come to: name calling and yelling. It’s reflected on those lame “reality” shows, on the road, and on blogs. Civil discussion is the exception, and that’s a shame.
I just have one thing to say…
HE STARTED IT!!!!!!!!
The teabagging of American political discourse has sullied the landscape in many ways.
Thank you, Oliver.
Wait, you mean there’s actually etiquette on this site?
agreed
It ends, for me, now
Hear hear! And my apologies to all for any time that I have stepped over the line myself. Huge thanks, Oliver, for maintaining what has to be one of the funnest and most diverse political comments sections on the net.
Yes, sir. Absolutely.
And I would like to join Wilbur in apologizing for any remarks I have made that have crossed a line. I try to comment in the spirit of snark, but I may– no, I have– gotten personal at times, and that’s not right nor mature.
Ivy
Well said. The Roman Polanski thread had to be the end of it.
On a seperate note the UK has become the first country in the world whose advertisers spend more online than on TV. This is coming your way too….
There’s a dissertation waiting to be written (if it hasn’t been already) on how people interact in person vs. online.
If there’s a remark that I may have made in the past that may have offended anyone, I apologize too.
Now, can anyone help me come up with a catchy name for a blog?
How about “A Catchy Named Blog”?
Thanks OW. I was really getting tired of the flaming.
Everyone should just chill out with the personal attacks. Otherwise, we run the risk of making OW angry and you wouldn’t like him when he’s angry. He has the disturbing tendency to become the…
SCARY PINEAPPLE NEGRO!!!
(Sorry Oliver, but I couldn’t resist)
In a weird way, it’s a sign of your popularity when you have to give the blog equivalent of the “I’ll turn this car right around and take us back home!” speech.
OK, but if someone brings the tacit (or worse) racist approval or other wingnut bulljive, they will be called out for that specifically, if not at at personal level.
A reminder of what to look for, also:
Person A makes claim X
There is something objectionable about Person A
Therefore claim X is false
Look it up, man.
Clearly the problem is that Oliver hates freedom of speech, its probably connected to his lifelong fear of Sarah Palin and Glen Beck.
Thanks for the “right wing nut” addendum to the Oliver Doctrine…
It’s nice to know that so many people have such difficulty adhering to rules of civil discourse that billions have followed for thousands of years .
Well Locus, the real problem is that the Scary Pineapple Negro has a deep seated hatred of Scary Pineapple Caucasian culture.
Let us see how long the contrition lasts. Good on ya, Oliver, for the smackdown. Get’em.
There’s a dissertation waiting to be written (if it hasn’t been already) on how people interact in person vs. online.
Wait a second… you guys interact in person? Heh.
It’s nice to know that so many people have such difficulty adhering to rules of civil discourse that billions have followed for thousands of years .
You are not above it, Frank.
OW, I’m on board. Cheers to intelligent and impersonal political commentary.
Yay.
I didn’t get the email because I apparently didn’t need it.
Thanks, O-Dub.
Sadly, that’s what our society has come to: name calling and yelling. It’s reflected on those lame “reality” shows, on the road, and on blogs. Civil discussion is the exception, and that’s a shame.
I’m going to disagree. Civilly, but strongly. Our society hasn’t come to name calling and yelling any more than it’s risen above such. People have always been assholes and there have always been ways for them to make their assholitude known. Blogs and reality shows and road rage are how we know it now. Tar and feathers, revolutionary pamphlets, and just plain shooting someone in the street was how it used to be. I’m reading a book right now on the origins of American journalism and damn if those guys didn’t say stuff that would get you run right off the blogs.
That being said, there’s no reason to tolerate trolls. There are no real rules to the Internet, so banhammer away, I say. I’m just arguing that rude people aren’t necessarily a new sign of the apocalypse. What did Jesus say? The dickheads, you will always have with you? Something like that.
A.
Oh, and this:
SCARY PINEAPPLE NEGRO!!!
So the name of my new punk band.
A.
What did Jesus say?
Well Locus, the real problem is that the Scary Pineapple Negro has…..
May I make a nomination for the first person to to be disinvited?
Kudos on taking the high road OW, and for insisting we all do likewise.
I for one will apologize right now for any transgressions, and will adhere to the high road henceforth.
What a time to be alive….
‘Civility costs nothing and buys everything.’
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689 – 1762)
I too would like to say thank you Oliver. May I also suggest that a word limit be recommended. I see long winded comments and I am tempted to just pass them by, which I know may mean I miss out on a legitimate opinion.
Good call Oliver. I make a point to not make personal remarks about other posters because I don’t know them personally. What I enjoy most about this site is that you don’t censure the conservatives or any other poster. There is always a good variety of opinion and argument on the topic and I appreciate getting to read and discuss. I don’t want this site to become a mudpit or an echo chamber.
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689 – 1762)
Wow, blast from my college days past. Lady Mary is da bomb.
About time, I say, Oliver. Your forbearance to this point has been astounding.
As I always think of my own personal advantage, it should be easier for me now to comb through what passes for repartee to get to facts and figures that the wonks on this board are often generous enough to provide on the topic at hand. The flaming has always seemed juvenile, though I can understand loathing misinformation and stupid opinions. But there are some knowledgeable and incisive contributors here, no denying.
Fair enough. It’s Oliver’s blog and he sets the rules.
As one who’s said several times that I really enjoy getting into a good, respectful discussion with someone I disagree with (as has happened here on several occasions) I’d welcome a generally higher level of civility. It might raise the general level of discussion.
But certainly I have engaged in a fair amount of calling people idiots, wimps, cowards, etc. and occasionally posted comments that, were they not my own, I’d criticize and snark at. So, I’ll join in the current Kumbaya and say let’s all just get along.
But that doesn’t mean that anyone who says something stupid or ridiculous shouldn’t expect to be called on it. And if those here who somewhat disingenuously lament that people no longer follow the rules of civil discourse fail to follow them themselves, I think they should be called on it, clearly and forcefully. Saying “What you just said is stupid, here’s why.” is not the same as saying “You’re stupid.” and I do hope Oliver would recognize that.
It is also possible to just rebut whatever one finds stupid, without actually saying it’s stupid. I don’t think that ever serves a purpose other than insulting the speaker. I see a very fine line, at best, between “your opinion is stupid” and “you’re stupid.”
Buzz Killington: I see a very fine line, at best, between “your opinion is stupid” and “you’re stupid.”
I do see your point, but for me the line is wider. I don’t see any problem with saying “What you’ve just said doesn’t make sense. It’s stupid. And here’s why.” Granted, in that case a rebuttal is being given (“and here’s why”) which also makes it clear that it’s the comment objected to and not the person making it.
Of course, it depends on whoever made the original comment to not claim they’ve been called stupid and to rebut the rebuttal with reasons why their comment wasn’t idiotic.
And I think it’s around that point that many of the discussions really start to devolve. “That’s stupid.” “Don’t call me stupid.” “I didn’t.” “You’re stupid, too.” “Oh, now you are being an ass.” And away we go.
In a weird way, it’s a sign of your popularity when you have to give the blog equivalent of the “I’ll turn this car right around and take us back home!” speech.
This is not the first time Oliver has threatened to turn the car around.
I would recommend the greasemonkey script to block trolls, but I can’t figure it out myself.
Interesting. I guess we’ll see how this pans out. Hoping for the best.
Ahhh what did I miss? Dang I seem to miss everything.
Wasn’t me, was so, was not.
Personally, I’ve been physically threatened by two different posters here. I responded in kind. But I’ll try to be the nicer person from here on out.
Jaim: Personally, I’ve been physically threatened by two different posters here. I responded in kind.
Personally, I’ve only received such threats once. And didn’t respond in kind. Although I did make a point of making folks aware of the threat. I do not see this as being the equivalent of making the repeated threats but will note that Oliver may have a different view(?).
Let us hope that things won’t go that way again.
I cannot believe that the two comments above actually followed one another. Talk about butter not melting in your mouth.
‘Wow, blast from my college days past. Lady Mary is da bomb.’
You wouldn’t believe her hangover pancakes either
I’ve noticed SFC B hasn’t been posting much around here lately. He always ranked, in my opinion, as the worst of the trolls for random unprovoked personal insults.
I’ll join in on the “won’t bring up the personal stuff” bandwagon. I’m sure I’ve occasionally transgressed. I hope we can still call a liar a lair when they lie.
That said, I’ve seen too many posts by right-wingers here telling people that place of birth or choosing to work overseas is, for some reason, a disqualification for people sharing their opinion in the comments section of a blog not even owned by said right-winger.
This etiquette thing is a bit like soldering shut the pressure relief valve on a pressure cooker while simultaneously turning up the heat.
Congratulations Oliver on this post. People can have lively and vigorous debates without resorting to personal attacks.
Frank DiSalle: Talk about butter not melting in your mouth.
Yeah, Frank. Really.