A Simple Message: All I am asking from those who wish to participate in this blog is a modicum of self-discipline and a generous helping of courtesy.
READERS’ COMMENTS to the postings on Bowalley Road constitute an integral part of the blog. That is why
I do not intend to follow the example of Radio New Zealand and The Spinoff by switching-off
the comments function.
I do, however, understand why those two sites chose to
do so. The viciousness and crudity of anonymous commentators is extremely
wearying to the spirit. Though the worst examples are swiftly deleted, they must
first be read – and that is not a pleasant duty. Also vexatious are the
tangential conversations and ideological disputations that ramble on between commentators. Though obviously
engaging for their participants, they contribute very little to the overall
enjoyment of the blog.
With these issues in mind, I have decided to tighten-up the
moderation of comments to Bowalley Road.
The first and most important change relates to anonymous
commentators. From now on all anonymous
comments will be deleted without being read. My strong preference is for
commentators to use their real names. I do, however, understand why some people
feel very uneasy about doing so – especially on such an overtly political blog as Bowalley Road.
Accordingly, I will continue to accept
pseudonyms, but only with the proviso that commentators, having chosen a name,
stick with it. The use of multiple pseudonyms, if detected, will result in
the offender being permanently banned from commenting on Bowalley Road.
The second change in moderation policy will be to shut down all tangential conversations
and/or slanging matches between commentators. Those deemed to be straying
from the issues raised in the posting will be warned once to stay on-topic. Persistent off-topic commentary will be
deleted.
With these changes, I hope to restore Bowalley Road’s commentary threads to their former high standard of
tone and content. In essence, all I am asking from those who wish to
participate in this blog is a modicum of self-discipline and a generous helping
of courtesy.
Chris Trotter.
