Because of a recent infestation of anonymice, I have sadly decided to institute a commenting policy.
Audrey and the Bad Apples existed for a long time without the need for such a controlled device. I've been fortunate to have readers who, even if they disagree with me, do so in a respectful and intelligent manner. Not so anymore. Unfortunately, I've attracted an indeterminate number of people whose primary motivation is obviously to try and intimidate and upset me. All they've succeeded in doing is making me angry because their presence is frustrating other readers.
I know at least one of these douchebags. He's harassed me online before. It may not surprise you to learn that he also tried to sexually assault one of his female friends a few months ago. He is a turd of the highest degree, seriously in need of a massive reality check. He's not even clever enough to disguise himself sufficiently enough to remain really anonymous. What a douche.
So here's the new comments policy, in an easy to follow numerical guide.
1. No anonymous commenting will be allowed for at least the foreseeable future. I apologise to those who don't have blogger accounts. If you desperately want to leave comments here, all you need to do is set up a Google account. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
2. Any comments referring to me or any other posters here as 'Hitler' will be deleted. Apart from being incredibly unimaginative, I find it insulting that people would so easily demean the experience of those that suffered under Hitler's regime by comparing him to an irrelevant blogger whose greatest crime is to write something you don't like.
3. Comments that appear to encourage, incite or joke about sexual assault, homophobia or racism will be deleted. By all means, mount a reasonable argument for why you disagree with gay marriage but if insulting, bigoted language is uttered, I will delete it.
4. Please respect each other. Again, feel free to disagree with anyone's opinions but try and imagine you're in the room speaking to them rather than tapping away at a computer in a dark room. I really object to my blog being hijacked for juvenile point scoring.
It's not a long list, and it's all fairly self explanatory. Any complaints or suggestions in the comments box below.
Play nice now.
Audrey Apple xo
Monday, December 10, 2007
The Rules of Engagement
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13 apples:
I was going to write some sarcastic insult as inspired by the recent spate of anonymous posters who really are wasting keyboard longevity, but I can't really be fucked- er - arsed - no - bothered. I'm still engaging one of these anonymous fuckos over on my blog, but I'm just procrastinating really. Every time he writes something, it makes me feel all good and smart inside, which the difficult brainy work I'm supposed to be doing does not. Arguing with anonymous posters is a lot like masturbating really: fun while you're at it, but gets no one nowhere and you feel a bit tired and distracted afterwards....
i promise to play nice
it is a shame, isnt it. i actually removed comments from my blog after people (and would you believe it, anonymous people!) decided it was well within their rights to call me a slut and tell me i was a bad mother. hey bring it on if you can prove it, but 'because i say so' only works if you *are* a mum, you sillybillys
all the best, auds
xx
Aw, shit. So sorry you have to deal with the fuckhead population on your blog, Audrey.
Keep up the excellent work though! When stuff like that happens it's a sure sign you're on the right track!!
Eh - what the hey - I should also apologise: I'm more than guilty of going the full engage on those anonymous posters, getting all excited and wordy because fighting on the right side is too much fun.
I vow to hold off on your blog and only post a few well-chosen words in the future.
I promise as well, Audrey.
We'll be good, please don't turn the car around!
Hi, the Graham Cornes thing is ridiculous. It is a shame that still a person whose main contribution to the world is coaching a football team thinks he has the right to behave in such a manner. His attitude toward women is appalling. The sad thing is that if he gets divorced there will be another Nicole lining up to marry him. People like Cornes who live in the constant red midst of machissmo tend to judge everything as superficially as they have lived their own lives. Their choice of partners just reinforce their own self importance and their need to dominate everything around them. What an arrogant idiot to do what he did. Can you imagine if she actually got elected. He would have stormed into parliament and defended her honour, when her maiden speach was met with hoots of laughter.
On banning the anonymous blogger, while it is a shame that they are so beligerent and mis informed, it is a form of censorship which is a bit sad. Even morons should be able to express their opinion, wherever or whenever they want.
I think the rules you have posted are sane. I hate the need for them, but I will be honest and say if I had any kind of popular blog, I wouldn't allow anonymous comments. Accounts are trivial to make as it is, there's no reason to post anon.
FWIW, love the blog, you are amazing. =)
Looks like a good comments policy, Audrey.
Basically I think if you wouldn't say it in person, then you shouldn't say it over the net. It's just sad and unfortunate that idiots are drawn to criticise anybody with a degree of success.
A big thumbs down for anonymous haters with likely small penises and no friends.
(Word on the Hitler comment.)
I'm so glad you're putting in this policy, though the need for it makes me sad. It's frustrating, and the sad part is that you can get so caught up in ludicrous non arguments with these people.
nicely put and exceptionally reasonable!
blogland spits out turds every now and then but thankfully they barely last a few rounds!
After reading your 'rules of engagement' I am thinking of developing my own comments policy. I've had a lot of comments which are not 'fit for publication' lately from what I like to call the 'lunatic fringe in cyberspace'. I don't mind people disagreeing with what I've written at all. But I do object to personal insults and harassment.
Hi Audrey
I would have preferred to do this in an email but You don't seem to have one attached to this blog.
While you and I may have some very different views I do make the effort to respect the fact that this is your blog and to behave like a good guest . However I find that there have been a number of comments in this thread. By "John Surname" and "Fang" neither of them are posting comments about the topic of your post they are just trying to promote their hate site devoted to demonising me. They have been making it their practice to harass me where ever I may choose to comment on the web.
This is your blog and I very much enjoy commenting here so I am resisting the temptation to respond in the thread in question but their spamming is in clear contravention of your comments policy and does nothing for your blog at all.
Cheers
It ain't my site, Iain. I wish to God I'd thought of it. Audrey's email is (duh) in her profile. The only rule I've broken here is "respect each other", because you don't deserve respect. Not only because of your past behaviour but also because of your comments about Audrey, who, incidentally, is someone I do respect.
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