I am told that one of the great advantages of internet media over the print form is the ability to have a conversation with the readers.
This blog generally doesn’t get a lot of comments. Perhaps it is because of the nature of the readership I have attracted. I generally enjoy receiving comments – even those that take a strong opposing viewpoint.
But I have little patience for personal attacks. Most of the rejected comments have been cheap shots. Comments that attack me are one thing; I will not publish comments that attack the integrity of my colleagues.
A couple years ago, I wrote about “4 Degrees of Impersonal Communications“:
Paradoxically, we seem to take more care in communications when the conversation can most easily be private and candid. Conversely, we pay less attention to etiquette and courtesy when the audience is global and of diuturnal impact.
In the impersonal space of the cyber-world, are we seeing a deterioration of respectful social intercourse? Is it a necessary accommodation that we need to make in order to extend the accessibility of information to all?
I started to moderate comments a number of months ago in order to filter out the spam – people using blog comments to advertise their own websites. I then tried to eliminate some of the garbage through removal of anonymous posts.
I have now disabled comments entirely, because I have decided to hang up on the garbage. I use the same approach when I get an unsolicited phone call. If you want, you can still reach me by email or by phone or I am always up for a conversation over coffee or lunch.
I still prefer the civility and intellectual engagement of first degree interactions.