The Truth Matters...yeah right

Story: Dear PJ: Please Don't Quit GroklawTotal Replies: 11
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devnet

Dec 27, 2010
12:51 PM EDT
Except in the comments section on Groklaw where only the truth according to PJ matters.

Yah yah yah...I know, it's her blog and thus she can run it as she sees fit. Whatever. She's made it into a community resource and runs it like a Turkish Gulag and that reeks of talking out one side of your mouth...saying you support openess and transparency and then NOT employing these same principles in your own comments system.

Of course, I'm only the minority here...there's only a small number of people out there that have been burned by PJ's iron fist.

The sad part is that people dismiss what the minority says all the time. Not only that but people seem to think Karma has something to do with it when they say "well, Groklaw does so much good for FOSS". I call BS on those types of comments...as an example, you can't have a criminal who walks old ladies across the street, does a whole bunch of other good things, and then goes out and murders someone and they you say "oh, but he did so much good in the world before". Sure, extreme example...but you get what I'm saying. Karma as a reason to not be responsible for censuring your comments is lame.

Anyways, I think if the truth REALLY mattered...it would matter everywhere...not just where PJ wants it to.
herzeleid

Dec 27, 2010
1:04 PM EDT
So PJ is a criminal? Because you disagree with her policies on feedback? Interesting.
dinotrac

Dec 27, 2010
1:33 PM EDT
@devnet --

Hope you're not upset to learn that I agree with you on this one.

Blogs are not public fora in the traditional sense, but there is something unbecoming about a blog that purports to further freedom (if only in software) while squashing expression.
herzeleid

Dec 27, 2010
2:15 PM EDT
@dino -

Freedom of expression is one thing - you are free to express yourself freely, but in my own home I have somewhat stricter guidelines. I won't allow you to spray paint graffiti on my living room walls, sorry - and for the same reasons, I completely understand why PJ or any other blog editor would exercise editorial control over the feedback on their own site.

dinotrac

Dec 27, 2010
2:16 PM EDT
@herzeleid -

Yes, of course, but...

It always comes down to line-drawing and walk walking.

It's easy to talk freedom, then shy away when it makes your world a little messy.
gus3

Dec 27, 2010
3:46 PM EDT
Free speech is not a Denial-of-Service weapon for squashing free speech. If that's what you want, go to 4chan or K5.

There are plenty of other places where people can disagree with PJ. After all the cr@p she put up with on Groklaw just a few years ago (including stalkers and threats), the simple fact that the site is still up and running speaks volumes about her personal constitution.
dinotrac

Dec 27, 2010
4:02 PM EDT
@gus3 -

Without question. Neither does the right to exercise editorial control excuse you from heavy-handedness and hypocrisy.
tuxchick

Dec 27, 2010
4:16 PM EDT
I'll be more sympathetic to the stout frea speach advocates when they're less about trashing someone else's site with ignorant drivel, learn to discern the difference between opinion and knowledge, and extend the same rights to others that they think they deserve.
gus3

Dec 27, 2010
4:34 PM EDT
In fact, I'll even go out on a limb here. Take a look at the second update (12/26) on my own article [url]http://mindplusplus.wordpress.com/2010/12/21/linux-out-freebsd-in/"[/url] and tell me I'm being hypocritical.

Nobody can accuse me of looking for sycophants. But if the best "contributions" from a commenter consist solely of "ur lazy n stoopid", forget it. I have better ways to waste my time than dealing with that.
tuxchick

Dec 27, 2010
5:26 PM EDT
Yuck, gus3. That is why I like LXer and brand x so much-- the level of commentary is pretty good. On some sites I wonder why they even allow reader comments. Well actually I do know, ZDNet for one example derives revenue from all clicks, even reader comments. So they don't care how spammy or dumb they are, and that is why so many of their articles are flamebait.

On a lot of sites I think they don't really know why they accept reader comments; maybe the feature was default in their CMS, and management has some vague idea about "comments are good, we haz community!" They fill up with spam and ur stoopid junk, and there they sit.
tuxchick

Dec 28, 2010
10:14 AM EDT
I went rather off topic, sorry Devnet. You're right there's no excuse for hypocrisy, no matter who does it or why.
Scott_Ruecker

Dec 28, 2010
11:50 AM EDT
Without a strong moderator and TOS any forum becomes garbage after a while..

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