I just wanted to give you the heads up that I have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to comments I would not want to associate with online. I support free speech and free expression but there are limits. I’ve been running a website for 22 years and I have always maintained a fairly strict comment policy. I’ve been online a long time. I know how dark it can get.
I dunno, I'm absolutely for free speech, the first amendment, the agon & dialectic that need to be gone through to reach the truth, but with that said, there are ethical standards that govern participation within both family & community and we all know inherently, intuitively, in the gut that we need to respect boundaries and the dignity of every person & that bullying, slurs, mockery, bigotry, & cruelty just have no place. As we know, all of the hardest & most complex things in life can be said without any of that & without impugning another's character. If we each can't hold ourself to the fundamental standard of basic cordiality & decency, we'll maybe we just don't get the floor. That's not denying anyone their rights or freedom. Isn't it just acknowledging that there are some simple basic patterns that pertain to social life & the public space to which we all need to adhere? Isn't this why the study of manners has an ethical dimension? Laws of hospitality, proper patterns of engagement... Thank you, Sasha, for keeping this space cordial.
Also possible that the people doing such things are in some manner or way an attack on you even if seemingly in support of you. You criticize Democrats a lot so their national security state masters could potentially use cyber capabilities to try and undermine critics. Like the cyber form of Ray Epps.
I too sense a boomerang effect. I know some of it is real, but I also think there are a non ignorable # of trouble makers who are trying to paint dissidents as Nazis.
Understood and agree 100%. Personally, I haven’t seen much on Substack that hasn’t been polite and respectful, which is why it’s such a pleasant place to explore. But if something is bad, it needs to go!
A level of civility is necessary for discussion and debate and to truly be able to listen to all sides of an issue. We as a society would be so much better off and able to find common ground if the values of empathy, kindness and grace were used more often. I know this seems ridiculous and old fashioned to most people, but worth a try.
I think censorship and self-censorship are the greater evil.
You could have a special "corralled" comments section, where you could summarily banish comments that are unacceptable but people could still read them if they made the effort and it would be clear they were not approved of by you.
Yelp does this by placing some reviews in the "Not Recommended" but they're still available.
Sasha, I don't think you have to worry about actual Nazis or actual KKK, etc. There aren't that many in the country. The media exaggerates their numbers and activities. For example. there were no KKK and one small group of Nazis with a flag at the infamous Charlottesville event, but the media made it a conference of Nazis and KKK. Ditto with January 6. You probably know a Federal judge went after one protestor for carrying a Confederate flag through the Capitol and gave him a harsher sentence than he should have for trespassing.
I'm guessing this was spurred by my comment about Dachshunds being the superior canine and that all other breeds might as well be cats.
I can see now how that could be insensitive to both (inferior breed) dog and cat owners, as well as furies.
I'll strive to be better.
I dunno, I'm absolutely for free speech, the first amendment, the agon & dialectic that need to be gone through to reach the truth, but with that said, there are ethical standards that govern participation within both family & community and we all know inherently, intuitively, in the gut that we need to respect boundaries and the dignity of every person & that bullying, slurs, mockery, bigotry, & cruelty just have no place. As we know, all of the hardest & most complex things in life can be said without any of that & without impugning another's character. If we each can't hold ourself to the fundamental standard of basic cordiality & decency, we'll maybe we just don't get the floor. That's not denying anyone their rights or freedom. Isn't it just acknowledging that there are some simple basic patterns that pertain to social life & the public space to which we all need to adhere? Isn't this why the study of manners has an ethical dimension? Laws of hospitality, proper patterns of engagement... Thank you, Sasha, for keeping this space cordial.
Thank you Sasha. Mean is never cool and this isn’t Twitter.
Also possible that the people doing such things are in some manner or way an attack on you even if seemingly in support of you. You criticize Democrats a lot so their national security state masters could potentially use cyber capabilities to try and undermine critics. Like the cyber form of Ray Epps.
I too sense a boomerang effect. I know some of it is real, but I also think there are a non ignorable # of trouble makers who are trying to paint dissidents as Nazis.
Trolls are everywhere.
Understood and agree 100%. Personally, I haven’t seen much on Substack that hasn’t been polite and respectful, which is why it’s such a pleasant place to explore. But if something is bad, it needs to go!
I agree with you Sasha...there's too much hate going around now.
Stay solid Sasha....keep the freaks out. Sucks you have to deal with that.
A level of civility is necessary for discussion and debate and to truly be able to listen to all sides of an issue. We as a society would be so much better off and able to find common ground if the values of empathy, kindness and grace were used more often. I know this seems ridiculous and old fashioned to most people, but worth a try.
I support your position because trolls really distract and take up valuable screen space.
A beautifully measured position, Sasha. Keep on.
Not cool. Sorry you had to ban someone.
Sorry that you had to say this. But thank you! 😁
I think censorship and self-censorship are the greater evil.
You could have a special "corralled" comments section, where you could summarily banish comments that are unacceptable but people could still read them if they made the effort and it would be clear they were not approved of by you.
Yelp does this by placing some reviews in the "Not Recommended" but they're still available.
Sasha, I don't think you have to worry about actual Nazis or actual KKK, etc. There aren't that many in the country. The media exaggerates their numbers and activities. For example. there were no KKK and one small group of Nazis with a flag at the infamous Charlottesville event, but the media made it a conference of Nazis and KKK. Ditto with January 6. You probably know a Federal judge went after one protestor for carrying a Confederate flag through the Capitol and gave him a harsher sentence than he should have for trespassing.