No more anonymous comments
Starting today, all comments must have real names attached with emails or some sort of track back like email or open ID or something. Unless the comment is a general comment like giving the phone number that someone asks for or a mailing address or any sort of comment that moves the conversation forward, there cannot be anonymous comments.If you want to say something like, "I love that movie," or I have the same dog," etc. that's fine, if you want to say "So and so is a crook and stole from my mother," or "the food is terrible at that place and they have roaches," that is not fine, unless you sign your real name and have a track back if we don't know you. I am sure you can figure it out. I don't want to be rude about it, but it's getting out of hand now with the name calling and the threats and the lies that some parties feel they need to throw around to get their own candidate elected.
With the mayoral debate coming up this Wednesday, I think now is a good time to put this new rule in place.
You'll notice that the comments that have names attached are the ones taken seriously, like Lili Dones, Harry Gottlieb, Michelle Niemeyer, or even "Blind Mind," who has a "pen name" but links back to himself (and I know who he is), and so on. They have the balls to sign their names, how about having the balls to sign your name?
No more nonsense, threats and stupid comments from anonymous people. If you want to threaten me or others, you will have to post your name. If you want to put down one politician over another or call me a liar you can't use fake names like "Mathilda," anymore, you need to have a name and a link to who you really are.
Too many people have stopped me on the street and asked for this. I'm sorry if you feel your civil rights are affected and you cannot speak in fear of retribution from neighbors, I don't buy that, I say what I want daily and I show my face around town daily and no one has put a horses head in my bed yet.
Thank you.
posted by Tom Falco at 10:00 AM
YOU MAY NOT LIFT THE PHOTOS & TEXT. IT'S COPYRIGHTED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. YOU CAN HOWEVER SHARE A STORY ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY USING THE LINKS HERE.
For linking to this one story, just click on the time it was posted & just this story will open for sharing - only through social media. Not copying and pasting.
18 Comments:
Very good Grape. At times I have notice people responding back to me and from the lauguage it is obvious they are neighbors. No one has ever responded back to me and used their name, which does not bother me even slighly. I sign my name about 95%, but at times, when I say something really thoughful and nice, I do at times go anon. Many times I have the urge to go anon and I think people have the right to remain anon, however, I learned early on that this is "YOUR" blog and I have learned, or been taught by you that there is nothing wrong with "you" wanting to see issues through rose colored glasses----which I have also learned to use as a guide and frankly, the lesson made me a better person.
Nice Godfather ref.
Not sure that I agree with this policy. I've always used my name. However there are mean spirited and vindictive people out there. Right now Glen Beck is calling out Obama supporters who years ago had opinions that were different. It does hit you in the ass later. Why can't you maintain status quo?
So far you've been good to vet the comments and when they became outrageous you did not publish. Have you considered that your readership will tank over this. Besides I never considered this blog a political forum rather Coconut Grove based issues.
I understand, but the comments have become quite vicious. I got quite a few nasty ones over the Matthew Shepard story and that is what sealed the deal.
I may just have to go back to the old standard "if it is libelous, it must have a real name." Let's see. I doubt the readership will tank, I think it will actually go up when intelligent conversation is par for the course and lies and threats are not part of the forum.
I support the new policy Grape and hope it will lead to folks acutally thinking about their comments & expressing WITH FILTERS ON.
By the way... the Mayoral Debate format of asking folks to write their questions rather than verbalize was a decision based on time constraints- not censoring.
Maria, your photo is what actually prompted this. People started leaving anonymous comments saying that Matthew Shepard's case was not a hate crime. What was it a love crime?
So I really just had enough of all the anonymous comments after that. If you can't sign your name and stand up for what you believe in, why should anyone else have to hear your hate? You want to spread hate? Sign your name.
Ummmm, do you realize how idiotic this is?
Before, anonymous comments could be taken with a grain of salt because they could be identified as anonymous. Now, the same anonymous trolls are just going to get pseudonyms.
If you have truly turned off anonymous speech you would have done a disservice to the community. People need to be able to speak up without the fear of repercussion. As it is, you have merely forced those who would otherwise be explicitly anonymous to come up with pseudonyms.
Well they need to be real names with real emails (not pseudonyms) if they want to spread hate and lies. Especially about politicians. We'll see how it goes, the "anonymous button" has not been taken off, but there will be no more hate spread here unless the hater signs their real names.
If the names of liars and haters cannot be verified, then the comment won't be published. If someone wants to libel someone, they need to sign real names.
So Anonymous people, go ahead, comment, but when possible, sign your names so we can actually build a community here and start to know each other.
The idea that to voice your opinion or state truths requires anonymity is pathetic. Furthermore, this forum is not a crime hotline where gangs will come after you for squealing. This is about Grove issues (political or otherwise) and if your comments are honest and in good faith, i.e. not out to sabotage another person or company, then I see no reason why anyone should object to signing their names... unless you are not proud of what you are writing, in which case it probably reflects on the kind of person you are. This blog would do well without you.
Grape:
I don't think you understand how this internet thing works. How exactly are you going to tell the difference between real names and pseudonyms?
Granted, my name "Bobby the Grape Squisher" is an obvious pseudonym, but I could have just as easily chosen "Richard Hernandez" or "Lisa McLanders". What's the difference?
The grapevine used to be an interesting source for local news and gossip. However, more and more it's become a collection of crotchety old men yelling at the kids to get off the lawn.
Because it's a small community Bobby and if someone wants to get ugly and sign their real name, we will know if is their real name and the comment may be published.
And if we cannot verify the name or the person, the comment will not be published. Newspapers have been doing it for years. They verify the letter writers before they publish the letters (in the printed versions).
Since you're not being offensive, you can sign any name you like.
Let's just go back to the basics...reporting the news around the Grove. That's the only reason I read this blog. I could care less about people's political views and badgering of the local government, whether its annon. or not. I just wanna know what's going on in our town. That's it!
It is a shame that it has come to this, but it is the right thing to do. There have been libelous, scurrilous comments made and people have been hurt needlessly, all in the name of anonymity. A free exchange of ideas is wonderful, but ruining reputations and causing pain is not so fine. A courageous move, Grape.
Karen Deilke
Grape...where is the Mathew Shepard story published....would like to read it for myself. Thanks
Anon @ 6:14
The Matthew Shepard story is right below this one.
I am assuming that Grape did not publish the comments that tried to slip through the cracks.
About Time!! What took U saw long?
Thank you Grape! BTW, I don't know who Blind Mind is, or sailfast, although you may. There's another aspect of this nobody is talking about. When someone says something anonymously, I don't take it very seriously, especially when it's not well reasoned and mean, because they aren't willing to stand behind it and are often just looking for a reaction or to stir up controversy. If ten of my neighbors whom I know and respect say something about an issue (not libel, just their opinion) with their names behind it, it will mean a lot more to me than if it comes from people hiding behind pseudonyms, as far as giving me information about how people in the community feel on issues coming before Village Council.
Well done.
Intelligent comments are much more interesting than the babble that is created by those who hide.
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