Trolling Not Allowed

Trolling Not Allowed! Comments from anonymous trolls are not permitted and are deleted if posted by the offending pest.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Not Again

Did you read the immediately preceding Roland Hansen Commentary Boycott Kroger, and if you did read it, did you also read all the comments attached to it? I ask because if you have read those comments, you will have read my reference with its embedded link to the blog entry about Kroger on Glass City Jungle by Lisa Renee Ward.

It has been some time since I have written over on Glass City Jungle, but I thought I would give it another try. My reception was less than cool as you can judge for yourself by reading the excerpt below that had been posted as a response to me:
Not Again Says:

Roland makes me laugh. I think he would be pleased if obama would nationalize kroger and make them put a free soup kitchen in toledo. Kroger is dangerous, wrong thinking, and the worst of all, wants to make money. Ahhh, that is the way a progressive thinks.

Did you notice what Roland said in his blog? He said. “I have decided that people in Toledo, Ohio should boycott Kroger.” Roland knows what is best for us, because we are all, just stupid.

We will all be better off if we just let the progressives tell us what to do.

Aren’t they great, the progressives, I mean! We are all stupid, and only people like he, know what is right for us.

Well, upon reading that, I was reminded by Lisa Renee why I had stopped commenting over at Glass City Jungle when she wrote in that same message thread "Roland, .... you don’t participate here anymore because you don’t like the fact that I allow people to post without using their real names." Lisa Renee is indeed correct, or perhaps I should state she is partially correct. A more complete explanation may be read in this other previous Roland Hansen Commentary which also made a reference to the anonymous coward known as Not Again.

Glass City Jungle has a page Rules of Engagement in which one of the rules states, in part: Civil discourse is the goal, repeated personal insults directed at other members of the blog ... will be edited/deleted.

To me, the phrase "repeated personal insults' should be interpreted to include a history of making such comments. I further believe that a person who has such a history should be banned rather than just deleting the crude rude comments of the abuser. To me, cyber emotional abuse is of equal concern as real time in your face in-person emotional abuse, spousal abuse, child abuse, and elder abuse. Cyber emotional abuse in the form of commentary practiced by Not Again. An abuser is an abuser is an abuser!

All persons who make public comments should be held accountable and all persons who allow such comments to be publicly published need to be held responsible. Enabling an abuser is not being responsible.

The fact that the 'poster joker' known as Not Again continues to be allowed over on Glass City Jungle to write personal attacks that are not in keeping with what I would consider civil discourse has reinforced my own rationale for not commenting on the blog Glass City Jungle of Lisa Renee Ward. To my chagrin, I feel morally compelled to return to my status as a nonparticipant on Glass City Jungle. In good conscience, I cannot be a participant in a public forum that permits people with a long standing history of making numerous and continuous inflammatory statements and personal attacks a public forum to express fighting words.

6 comments:

Timothy W Higgins said...

Roland,

You can't make me believe that you don't have a thick enough skin to withstand the slings and arrows of the unarmed in an intellectual debate.

That being said, I find myself commenting on GCJ from time to time, though I read it often. It's not that I am worried about personal attacks, but more than I only comment when I feel strongly on the subject or feel that I have a thought worth contributing.

I hope that you will continue to give a reasoned opinion on subjects in all venues from time to time, allowing the rest of us to share in your local history and your insider knowledge. Even when we disagree, as we did on Kroger, we can do so without rancor.

BTW, doesn't it bother you sometimes that dueling has been done away with?

Roland Hansen said...

Oh, trust me Tim, I can withstand the slings and arrows of an intelligent discussion; it's the morons who I will not engage as that is a waste of time and energy.

Hooda Thunkit (Dave Zawodny) said...

Roland,

I'm with Tim on this one.

I used to comment frequently, but now reserve my comments to issues which I feel strongly about.

I still read a lot on GCJ, just my level of commenting has changed.

Roman said...

I'm with Tim and Dave on this.

One of my many faults is that I do not suffer fools easily.

Rather than feed the trolls, I will just abstain from reading/posting for a period of time. Life is too short to give some people the satisfaction that they may have irritated me, in any way.

I hope that my ideas and thoughts will stand on their own.

As a semi mature seasoned citizen, I believe that we may disagree without making mean, personal comments and not even coming close to refuting a core argument.

Roland, don't let them get to you!

Unknown said...

If you don't want to comment that's fine, but realistically the rules in place and enforced are more stringent than any of the other frequently commented sites in the State.

I always find it interesting that people think my blog has uncivil discussion when if you visit any one of the other places that have that high of visitor numbers and comments you'll find mine is not only tame, but remarkably civil for a site that welcomes people of more than one train of thought.

Over 53,951 comments have been posted on Glass City Jungle, you can either take issue with a few or decide the opportunity for discussion is one that is worth it. It's a challenge to do what I do, I invest hours of my time to try to make as many people happy as possible, thankfully? Most appear to appreciate it.

Roland Hansen said...

Gee, LisaRenee, I did not know you could get so defensive.

"Over 53,951 comments" - but by how many people. Not Again probably accounts for several thousand of those comments, along with a few others like Not Again.

As you are very well aware, up until a couple years ago, I used to contribute and constructively comment freaquently. I stopped when you continued to allow some anonymous others to attack me on a personal basis rather than discussing my perspectives or opinions. If I cannot confront my accuser and if I cannot have a dialog pertaining to the issue that is when I choose not to participant. When the dialog is of such a nature as you allow with Not Again, it is not discussion.

"I always find it interesting that people think my blog has uncivil discussion..." - There must be some validity to the perspective that these people have in regards to GCJ or else why would that type of opininion even be expressed.

For the sake of ratings and what appears to be egocentrism, Glass City Jungle has become what I now consider to be an electronic rag rather than the respected blog that I once knew it to be.