Several readers have taken me to task this week for letting comments on my blog get out of control.
?Irene, where are you?? asked one reader. ?All these verbal attacks on everyone?s gotta stop??
The readers who have taken me to the woodshed have been correct to do so. I have let the blog get out of control. I am sorry, and it?s stopping here.
In my defense, I will say that I have tried to be as fair as possible to readers with different points of view. And, in the process, I think I have gone too far in letting folks who oppose my views on the Park Service?s new off-road vehicle plan post comments that have crossed over the line.
Too many commenters on my last two blogs have been really ugly and mean-spirited toward readers who disagree with them.
The anti-ORV posters have accused me of removing only their comments. That?s not true, but it is true that on the last several blogs, I have had to remove more of their comments than those who favor more reasonable beach access than is allowed under the ORV plan.
The fact of the matter is ? and I am sure this will bring down their wrath ? that they have just plain been uglier than those on the other side of the issue.
I have blocked the IP addresses of two readers who have been especially mean-spirited.
Yes, there have been and continue to be anonymous posters. In fact, we have a whole family of ?anonymouses? ? anonymous, anon, anon 2, another anon, anon visitor, etc.
I don?t know who is posting, but I do know from which IP address the post is being made. And, yes, several people have been posting from the same computer and using up to five different screen names.
I don?t wish to cut off those who won?t use their names, though I wish everyone would and I appreciate the readers who have started posting under their names.
I wish more folks who post would follow the example of Salvo Jimmy. I don?t want to embarrass SJ, but he is the editor?s pet when it comes to blog posts.
He does use a screen name, but just about everyone knows who he is. And, if you don?t, I will tell you because I don?t think he would mind. SJ is Ted Hamilton of Newport News, Va., and Salvo, where he has owned a home for many years. He was very active in the ORV rulemaking process and attended most of the negotiated rulemaking meetings.
In his public comments to the Park Service and on this blog, Salvo Jimmy is always factual and thoughtful. On the blog, he never ? that I can remember ? has resorted to name-calling and attacks on those who disagree with him. He just calmly reiterates his opinion, offering background and links to add weight to what he says.
Another reader whose posts I appreciate is Ginny, who is my neighbor.
Our politics couldn?t be more different. We are on opposite ends of the political spectrum, but we agree on some things, especially that the ORV plan is not based on peer-reviewed science and that the economic study is sorely lacking.
Ginny does a lot of research and uncovers many interesting facts and figures. I welcome that input. She generally does not engage in personally attacking the readers who disagree with her, though she has taken their bait a time or two. Can?t blame her for that.
Anyway, the purpose of this blog is to say that I intend to change some things and be a better moderator.
The major change is that I will now see and approve all comments BEFORE they appear on the blog. Previously, comments were posted immediately and then I had to go back and remove them.
I prefer to do it with immediate posting of comments, but I hope this change will both remind those who are commenting that a moderator is watching and remind me to be more diligent about deleting the personal attacks.
I will take down any comment that stoops to name-calling, personal criticism, destructive sarcasm, and pure meanness.
In addition, I will block the IP address of anyone who tries to post under more than one screen name. If you want to be anonymous, that?s OK ? at least for now ? but don?t make it sound as if you are five people instead of one.
And I just want to make a few comments to my critics:
Yes, I express opinions in my blog. That is the purpose of the blog and the right and responsibility of an editor. However, I do back up my opinions with facts.
I have no problem with the idea of national parks or with any of the seashore?s Park Service staff. They do their job and I do mine.
I don?t agree with those opponents of the ORV plan who ban park employees from their businesses.
I don?t think folks who have or do support the ORV plan should be harassed. I know several who have been and consider them friends. During negotiated rulemaking, I wrote a column about how wrong it is to harass those who disagree and reported on many of the incidents of harassment.
Finally, I hope readers of this blog will notice some improvements in my job as moderator. If you think I am falling down again, please let me know.
A CHANGE ON THE IFP WEBSITE
Today, we made a minor change in the website?s main content pages.
We have combined the Community News Page and the Commentary and Letters Page. It is now the Community News and Commentary Page.
Our reason for doing this was to streamline the site. The content remains the same.
On the newly combined page, you will find the Event Planner, obits, the sheriff?s reports, news and community briefs, and the very popular classified ads in buttons at the top of the page. Guest columns and commentary appear just below that.
