Moderating Comments

One of the hallmarks of this blog has been the free and open discussions in the comments section. Unfortunately, due to a number of generally abusive people who have been commenting here - and in particular, one fruity yet obssessed moral relativist who's got an unhealthy addiction to trolling for "gotchas" - I've had to enable comment moderation for the first time at American Power.

I know folks don't like comment moderation, because they've told me. This is just a temporary thing, however, and I'll be returning to regular commenting tomorrow or the next day. Respectable exchange of ideas and links is how bloggers create a virtual community, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I even appreciate interacting occasionally with some of whom I don't agree, as long as they stay within the bounds of decency.

This week, though, I will say that it's gotten to the point where my patience and tolerance were stretched thin - it's been quite an experience.

I remember reading Ann Althouse's page some time back, and she had gone to moderation. That's generally not like her, as Althouse has a reputation as having some the most vigorous comment threads in the blogosphere. One of the commenters at the thread pretty much summed up what it's like to have a tsumami of idiots flooding your blog:

Unfortunately, when moderation is off during a siege like this, some of us have seen how it is possible for one person to create havoc by posting dozens of irrelevant, highly personal, and often harrassing posts to various threads within the space of minutes.

I guess it is the blogger equivalent of a sustained denial of service attack.

Denial of service. That's really what it's all about. Folks should read over the Pam Spaulding's thread, as well as at Pandagon, where a lot of these crazed trolls originated.

I don't need to go on too much about these depraved vermin.

One of the most interesting things about all of this was not just Pam Spaulding's unhinged lies, but how the meme went from my alleged deceit and ignorance of conservative allegations of gay bestiality, to implicit allegations that conservatives engage in bestiality (here). That was followed, I kid you not, by an essay on "Donald the buffalo-humping moose," and then by a concavus chest-thumping victory dance for "for the nihilist, troll forces."

Seriously.

In any case, that's enough troll-feeding. As noted, comment moderation will be disabled soon, but I'll be deleting abusive comments and obssessive "gotchas" as they come in. If folks have a problem with American Power, they should start a blog and have a blast proving their godlessness to the world.

More later, dear readers ...