I began this blog in April last year. More and more people are visiting the site. I was surprised to see that there were 7,458 unique visitors to the site last month (January 2006), they came a total of 20,677 times and looked at 59,939 pages generating 97,378 hits.
Last month the most popular posts were on whaling and of course climate change. I thank those who contributed to both discussions.
This blog is a forum that encourages diverse opinion. There is some truth in the comment by Walter Lippman, "Where all think alike, no one thinks very much."
Interestingly very few of the people who visit this site ever make comment. Some readers tell me they enjoy reading the comments from others and learn from the debates. Others tell me they never read the comments because they are too often "ugly", "ignorant" and "defamatory".
Properly monitoring comments would be a full time job - a job for which I have neither the time, nor inclination. But given the growing readership and concern from some readers, I am going to start deleting more comments. It won't always be fair - because properly monitoring comments would be a fulltime job. I may delete comments that are spam, abusive, defamatory, off-topic or repetitive.
I have looked at the rules at Online Opinion and there are some that are perhaps relevant to this blog including limiting the number of comments per person. At Online Opinion readers are allowed a maximum of five comments in any given 24 hour period and no more than two comments per thread in any given 24 hour period.
Now such rules could really limit debate and discussion at this blog!
So I don't intend to implement them. However, if you want to make more than five posts in any given 24 hour period, it would be great if you really had something new, important and informative to say that sixth, seventh and eighth time.
On the issue of names, Ian Castles and Roger Kalla are real people who use their real names to comment at this blog. They have families and reputations. I know some people will insist on using a nom de plume - and perhaps for good reason - but they shouldn't necessarily expect the same level of respect, at least not from me.
It is obviously much easier to be flippant when you have nothing, or very little, at risk. The person commenting anonymously can easily dismiss and discard any mistake or misleading comment - along with 'the name' they were using and email address they were using.
In closing, thanks for visiting this blog and for being apart of the information exchange. Do come back and please leave a comment.
Has anyone noticed that peace didn't last long. I blame Jen for baiting us with provocative posts on politics and the environment. It's not our personalities or egos I'm sure.
Folks, when thinksy sums the blog on one hand someone should be a wee bit concerned. Can I suggest we have an obligation to use two hands in inviting good comment across the board?
When I dropped in there was some links from Graham’s Online Opinion in subjects I was interested in and I thought at once Jennifer’s place was a good reflection. But please let it grow naturally.
Real people find a life online too. I did some time in chat rooms including IRC. Towards the end of that early period several groups got very involved in online counselling in particular personal issues. At one point a few locals and Sydneysiders met at Tilleys a Mecca for PS types in the ACT. Before that most of the misfits used to meet at Gus’s in town over coffee under a grapevine and just close enough to ANU.
From recent experience with the ‘have your say’ episode on our Canberra Times editorial www pages Jen’s place needs some rules of engagement. I still don’t know what the group management did to our Jack & HYS but a few of us regulars including the odd international got very concerned before it was all blown away late last year.
http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/displayops.asp?class=your+say¤t_page=2
One of our big issues in the end was ID’s coupled with ‘freedom’ of speech. About then I suggested privately to some in the core that they look at Graham’s blog for some serious discussions.
Why use ID’s? From day one in the chat rooms good people were flamed until the moderators found time to block or wipe out their PC. The same thing happened to me on ebay. Friends too were forever rebuilding their PC or changing local vendors. Politics, fanatical customers, councillors and private lives with families don’t mix.
Dont flatter yourself Thinksy, you are not that important.
Due to the lack of supporting evidence that I am a crank, I may now assume that I have been de-cranked and may return to civil society.
yeah I agree: invaluable learning exchanges, particularly with Ian Muppett, Louis Hissyfit (aka 'Captn Pugwush'), Roger the Cabin Boy ('aye aye' Captn Pugwush!!) and Ivory Castle.
Heh heh, she puts the new deletion rules to the test!!! 8)
I second that Phil. Getting up to your elbows in discussion gives you a lot more knowledge and credibility and feedback on the weak points in your position than newspaper articles (how 20th century?)
I find Jennifer's blog and the comments a lot more thought provoking and challenging than any one-sided IPA article in the Fin by an Alan Moran or Mike Nahan or whatever.
I think this blog is great for the IPA. I think people are more likely to respect what you have to say when they have an opportunity to respond.