I love this website (Room8); to me it’s about serious political involvement and education. It’s about finding out what’s going on in NYC politics mainly, but it is also about finding out what’s going on politically-on both national and international stages. It is a rather informative political website. I am proud to have been one of the pioneer contributors to the building of this site.
When the founders Ben Smith and Gur Tsabar invited me to become one of the pioneer bloggers (along with about a dozen others selected), I raised my concern about the anonymous commentors who had a penchant for attacking me on a purely personal level, whenever things got hot in the kitchen so to speak, on other political blogs wherein I openly participated. To build this site, I accepted that anonymous commentors were necessary.
A few times over the past year, the issue of personal attacks raised its ugly head. I recall on the Daily Gotham website, that Gatemouth was savaged to the point that even some of his ideological adversaries had to step in and say enough. It led to another debate on whether or not commentors should be screened and such; which has been my position all along. I have tolerated the abuse to a point. I have protested when I had to; I have punched back when I had to. Sometimes my editors stepped in and zapped many zany comments. Other times when my detractors tried to spam me out, the editors also stepped in to rectify that problem. In general there has been avid tolerance for detractors-after all it does come with the territory, to some extent.
Look, I am not talking about someone calling another stupid, or a fool, or an idiot, or such; I am talking about the types of personal vicious attacks that insinuate felonies and the like. I am not talking about those who disagree with your core positions and use history, logic, common sense or new facts and such to dispute your views; I am talking about those who are just out to spread vicious and malicious lies while hiding away from culpability behind anonymous masks. Those who read this site on an occasional basis are very susceptible to believing the vicious lies that are spread by those writing in anonymously. It is rather unfair. Anyone I take to task here can openly refute my positions on the thread; but when someone in his/ her KKK mask takes a swipe at me, I am blindsided. I just don’t want to enable them anymore, that’s all. Let them get their kicks somewhere else; and not at my expense.
Some people have no blog etiquette, and as such (to me) they should be punished. Others have no blog decorum, so what is an editor to do? Do we not ostracize those who insist on victimizing those who openly blog? Or are we to go on as though any libelous and/ or slanderous statement made-bereft of fact or logic-is acceptable? With due respects to William Shakespeare (and with my best hip-hop imitation): he who steals my purse steals cash and trash; but he who steals my good name (that I worked so hard to build) is taking me out of my game.
I have offered this solution: registration for those who wish to participate. You register with the editors (even if you use a pseudonym to write in under) which leaves your name, address, phone number, and e-mail, etc, that’s all confidential. You then get a password or create one, which gives you access. This would prevent the abuses taken by those who hide behind the mask of anonymity. Once we verify (check for authenticity and validity) members of this esoteric group, we can all rest easy that they would act responsibly. Then we will have a site where only those who are serious about political dialogue/discourse, will engage in the threads and the post-articles debates. I think this is the best way to do this. I really do. If someone abuses his/her privilege then the editors and fellow bloggers-acting as a collective- can always remove such an individual. Unless this is done, I will have to move on to a more controlled / regulated site to express my feelings on contemporary political issues, if I choose to remain blogging. Even if I do that, Room 8 will always have a special place in my heart.
I may choose to become a random blogger, dropping articles on various sites from time to time. I was touched that Mole (Bouldin and Liz also, I assume) seem willing to offer me an outlet on the Daily Gotham website/political blog. I thank you guys.
Thanks also to you two guys here (Ben and Gur) for allowing me the opportunities to express myself over the past year, without any sort of censorship whatsoever. Over the remaining time here I may close up on some unfinished business (40th district), while I await your policy decisions. I always hope to reserve the right to intermittently blog here (like Maurice Gumbs does occasionally), whenever an issue really gets me riled up or such/lol.
Thanks also to all those who expressed those kind sentiments in the thread of my last post. Thanks to Kevin Wardally, Pam Junior, Chris Owens and all the others who have always been supportive; you have endorsed and validated my existence on the blogs. Stay up y’all; and stay tuned-in all.