For my money, the best consumer technology writer is (and has been for a very long time) David Pogue, now found mostly in the pages and Web home of The New York Times. In a recent post, he complains about the viscious tenor of online discourse at forums like this one:
…. the kneejerk “everyone else is an idiot” tenor is poisoning the potential the Internet once had. People used to dream of a global village, where maybe we can work out our differences, where direct communication might make us realize that we have a lot in common after all, no matter where we live or what our beliefs.
But instead of finding common ground, we're finding new ways to spit on the other guy, to push them away. The Internet is making it easier to attack, not to embrace.
Maybe as the Internet becomes as predominant as air, somebody will realize that online behavior isn't just an afterthought. Maybe, along with HTML and how to gauge a Web site's credibility, schools and colleges will one day realize that there's something else to teach about the Internet: Civility 101.
Hear! Hear!
The real shame is that any blogger or commentator can say whatever. Is it the blog masters responsibilty to monitor what is posted ?
Pooshka
Depends on the blog. Around here, the comments go up immediately without my approval. If, after they've been posted, I find them objectionable, I delete them.
Simple as that.