MyDD :: What's Wrong With Our Blogs?

What's Wrong With Our Blogs?

by MediaFreeze, Thu Feb 28, 2008 at 11:41:19 PM EST

How do we hold the line on civility and respectful discourse?

It is a tough thing to discuss. It is the achilles heel of open blogs. Censorship goes against the very idea of this new form of media, but these forums are also vulnerable to a sort of playground rules mentallity.

When a concerted group of rough elbowed advocates show up and start posting and voting up mean spirited comments, the entire community is assaulted, but what can you do about it without coming down in some sort of heavy handed way?

I think it is a big flaw in the medium, and it will be interesting to see how it evolves.

Since I'm boring everyone to death anyway, let me tell a little story. I used to play Ultimate--in those days it was called Ultimate Frisbee. One of the really cool things about the game was that it was self officiated. That is, anyone could call a foul, and everyone had to abide by the call. There were no referees.

This worked great for everyday games and even for regular tournament play. But, once you got above a certain point and the stakes got bigger--regionals, nationals--the entire system broke down. It was just too important. People called lots of bogus fouls and arguments were constantly breaking out.

Scoop blogs are like Ultimate. There is no referee. They rely on people's basic honesty. It is very idealistic, but once the stakes get too high it all breaks down because people decide that winning is more important than playing by the rules.

I would love to know what the blog masters think about what is happening to their babies...

Poll

Votes: 12
Results : Vote Link : Polls

Tags: blog, mydd, dKos (all tags)

Permalink :: 16 Comments :: Post a Comment

Re: What's Wrong With Our Blogs? (2.00 / 3)

What do you think?

by MediaFreeze on Thu Feb 28, 2008 at 11:41:47 PM EST

Re: What's Wrong With Our Blogs? (2.00 / 2)

I would really like to think so, though this primary season has brought out the worst sort of stuff.

I believe it was Zonk who observed that there would be more on Kos to make the HRC supporters angry, but that the anti-Obama stuff on MyDD is more venomous and slashing.

From what I've read, that seems to be pretty much on the nose.

by Cobalt on Thu Feb 28, 2008 at 11:48:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: What's Wrong With Our Blogs? (1.75 / 4)

To the contrary... virtually nothing has been more venomous, vindictive and slashing than the anti-Hillary stuff on both dKos and MyDD.

I'm United Methodist. I already have a Messiah.

by KnowVox on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 12:03:41 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: That's preposterous. There's no standards (2.00 / 2)

By what measure? Most of the day today (until about 3:00 PM), every single recommended story here at MyDD was an anti-Obama story. Mind you, these are not pro-Hillary, they are anti-Obama. In fact, the majority of the recommended stories for the last 4 weeks have been anti-Obama posts.

Over at the Orange, One recommended story (made popular within the last hour) could the characterized as anti-Hillary. Of the 50 most recently recommended posts, only 5 have been anti-Hillary (I just browsed them).

I have been a regular visitor to both sites for years now and, if I can be frank, the discourse over here has devolved to silliness. Most of the Obama slamming reads like they came right out of the McCain camp. Lately, I've only been visiting to read the front-paged stories and to find out what the anti-Obama crowd is thinking.

by not Brit on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 01:10:46 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: One or Two Sockpuppets from Daily Kos (none / 0)

This was funny, actually... oh wait, you really meant it? Please!

by marcotom on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 04:18:58 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: One or Two Sockpuppets from Daily Kos (none / 0)

Wait, really?

I had to read it twice to see if it was snark. I have been Democrat all my life. The first election I was eligible for was in 1996 when I proudly voted or Bill Clinton. To my knowledge, my parents have never voted for a Republican. My father burned his draft card. They have both been state delegates for the Democratic party. I was an organizer for Wesley Clark in the 2004 election. I have phone banked for both the DNC and MoveOn.org.

But now I'm a sock puppet because I don't like the tone on MyDD? Wow. Thanks for proving my point.

by not Brit on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 10:01:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: One or Two Sockpuppets from Daily Kos (none / 0)

Dang, I did read it wrong. Nevermind.

by not Brit on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 10:02:48 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: What's Wrong With Our Blogs? (2.00 / 2)

People are just a little too hyped-up, I think. I assume things'll calm down once the primaries are over.

Even John McCain lusts after teh engels.

by sricki on Thu Feb 28, 2008 at 11:48:57 PM EST

Re: What's Wrong With Our Blogs? (2.00 / 1)

Maybe you are right, but isn't the systemic problem still there? My only thought is that we need to have the "meta-conversation" about what we are as a community. I know this sounds kind of kumbaya, but without a generally accepted standard of behavior how do we function next time things get intensified? Is this a "town square?" There are things that people recognize as acceptible behavior in the town square and things that society at large frowns upon. You don't yell and scream in a town square, although sometimes you do behind the wheel of a large automobile. How are the rules of engagement going to shape out here?

by MediaFreeze on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 12:28:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: What's Wrong With Our Blogs? (2.00 / 2)

Yeah, in essence, the problem is still there. And no, you don't yell and scream in a town square. But it's so much easier to say whatever you want online. Shy people become outgoing, rude people tend to be come ruder. I think the anonymity is kind of intoxicating to some people. It feels a lot more acceptable to be rude and condescending in a forum like this than it does in public. In person, it's hard to tell someone that they're a stupid jackass and that their stupid candidate is a stupid piece of sh*t, but it's not very difficult to get carried away and say those things from the relatively safety of your computer chair. There's very little sense of accountability online, which is probably a large part of the problem.

I don't know how to go about encouraging civil discourse, but I do think it'll be easier once everyone's pretty much on the same side again. This primary has just been intense.

Even John McCain lusts after teh engels.

by sricki on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 01:00:11 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Is our blogs learning? (2.00 / 3)

Nobody's right if everybody's wrong --Stephen Stills "For What It's Worth"

by vj on Thu Feb 28, 2008 at 11:58:54 PM EST

I think it's blogosphere immaturity (2.00 / 2)

You know, the blogosphere as we know is isn't more than a few years old. I have a 2 year old and 6 year old, and I seem them completely lose it on a regular basis over Nothing At All.

Much the same thing happened in the 60s. People were excited. People felt empowered. And people started slicing things thinner and thinner, judging those who didn't agree with them on ANY issue as being The Enemy.

Ever heard the term "circular firing squad"?

Let's have patience. Let's be kind. Let's show each other how smart and biting we can be. But let's also remember that ultimately we're on the same side.

And thank you, MediaFreeze, for this diary. We've sparred in comments on other diaries, and I respect that you're one of those voices who isn't just spewing venom on "the other side".

Onward to victory in November, with Obama and/or Clinton!

by PhilFR on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 12:00:54 AM EST

Re: What's Wrong With Our Blogs? (none / 0)

You are a phony. A fraud. A charlatan. You want to preach civility? What a joker. You are a bitter partisan. Worse than most, actually. You have been actively spouting tinfoil conspiracy theories involving Karl Rove from disreputable sources:

Your post promoting conspiracy theory involving Rove.

Rove conspiracy theory:

Is Obama the Frankenstein of Karl Rove?

This is the kind of bullshit you are promoting. And you want to lecture others on "civility?" What a joke.

by Bob Johnson on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 01:26:55 AM EST

Re: What's Wrong With Our Blogs? (2.00 / 2)

Bob... the article you linked is an interesting discussion of what is going on in this election and while I don't vouch for everything in the piece I do think that the basic facts are that Rove and the right wing strategy guys are promoting Obama over Clinton because they believe that he will be the easier candidate to beat in the fall. I've written extensively aboout this.

Also, please do not change the title of the link when you accuse me of something. The article I linked to is titled:

Karl Rove: Bamboozling the American electorate again

...not Is Obama the Frankenstein of Karl Rove?

...and I think it would be good reading for you and others who think that Obama is going to continue to coast to victory in the fall. As we've talked about all day, these guy play hardball, and the possibility that the Democratics are being gamed is certainly something that should be taken seriously.

by MediaFreeze on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 01:48:27 AM EST
[ Parent ]

It's olive branch time. (2.00 / 2)

Take a deep breath, Bob. Really, I mean that.

Lots of people have blogged lots of BS over the last few months. I know I've baited and been baited, and I'n not proud of it.

But it's time to start the process of converging and coalescing. Even if someone as been as ass (and I'm NOT saying that about anyone in particular) we have work to do ahead of us.

Time to move on.

by PhilFR on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 01:49:58 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: These olive branch posts used to appear on dKo (none / 0)

Turning everything on its head again? Spin away!

by marcotom on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 04:21:27 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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