Sunday, October 4, 2009

Trip trap, trip trap

Sorry folks, I have a new troll -- some free-market worshipper behaving the way such types usually behave online, with the emphasis on anonymous, gratuitous, aggressive pig-rudeness to total strangers -- and therefore comment moderation has been enabled until she or he gets bored and goes away. I know it's annoying, but it won't be for long.

For some reason, every blogiversary I've ever had (4th tomorrow) seems to be marked by some unpleasantness of this nature. Perhaps it is merely the blog gods reminding one that blogging is not all Veuve Clicquot and free kittens.

8 comments:

BwcaBrownie said...

Thanks from me, for the 4 years of feline fun and fine discussions - it's always been a pleasure to arrive here. Please keep 'em coming despite trolls (must emphasise trolls not even vaguely related to Bwcas, Boggarts or Brownies).

Armagny said...

I know the heading reference, have been reading my daughter the old version from a Richard Scary book I had as a kid.

The headbutt delivered by the goat is a surprisingly good lesson, given that this is recognised as one of the most effective methods of self defence for the otherwise vulnerable.

Back to blogging, however, and you are doing the right thing of course and having met a few such creatures in my time (and probably started out as a bit of such myself), I hope they'll simply see the pointlessness and take it to a forum where stoushing is the order of the day.

elsewhere said...

Happy bloggiversary!

Elisabeth said...

I admired your blog from the start, especially your urge for people who comment to keep it 'nice'.

Nastiness is easy, especially on line where so many misunderstandings can so easily occur.

It seems that people can sometimes hide behind anonymity. I think of blogging as being a bit like E-bay - it has a self policing function and we, the democracy of bloggers must work hard to reduce gratuitous nastiness as much as possible.

Kerryn Goldsworthy said...

Elisabeth, I'm not proud to say that I can get very nasty myself, but only when unbearably provoked -- usually by hostile random strangers or people I've crossed swords with on other blogs, which I suspect may have been the case here.

The anonymity thing is interesting. I know a lot of people want to have the freedom of commenting online but also to protect their families and/or their jobs, and I'm fine with that, but there's a certain sort of personality that seems utterly unable to see how contemptible it is to carp or attack anonymously. What on earth is the point of wanting to express an opinion without being prepared to take responsibility for it? What a sad little opinion it must be if its own owner isn't prepared to go to bat for it.

Mindy said...

Happy 4th Blogiversary. I hope your troll infestation clears up soon.

Helen said...

Happy Blogiversary! I was just going through my own archives and noticing some old trolls who have fallen by the wayside - we'll wear them out, never fear!

You are never nasty; you just get severe. And with good reason.

M-H said...

Happy blogiversary! A lot of blogs are dropping out at the moment, and I'm glad yours isn't among them. Bad luck about the troll. Hope s/he gets sick of the game soon.