Suggestion about comments

I disagree!!!!! This site

I disagree!!!!!
This site has eveolved since comments are freeflowing. With patience, the losers will drop off. If you must absolutely put restrictions, then make it more difficult to leave comments. Right now there is only the math question. Change is to that registered users can comment and non registered users have to go through some steps.

I do gree with Khorshid

I totally agree with Khorshid, comments from registerd users with their verfied email not only give more credibility to the site but also gives respect to writers.
a writer put his/her time and effort to write an article and I think it is only fair to the reader put time and effort to register with it's verfied email. I don't believe registration requirment for comment dose silent a voice, it only gives respect to te users/
after all this is JJ's site and salahe mamlekat khish khosrovan dannand

Khorshid Khanoum Dorost Migeh :=)

Man ham moafegh hastam ba Khorshid khanoum ! Kheili ha hastan keh mian inja fohsh-e khar madar migan beh baghieh va balad nistan manteghi ba digaran bahs konan !

In azadi nist ! intori kasi ehteram beh site iranian.com nemizareh va beh nazar-e man kar-e dorosti nist !

Re: Curious Joe... Not so fast...

Wait just a minute, not so fast Curious Joe. I read this remark in your comments, you said: "it was the same latt, jaahel and chaaghokesh that caused the 1979 revolution against tyrannical Shah be stolen...." Excuse me? Did I read the word "stolen"??

Was it the "laat and jaahel" that stole the revolution, or was it the incompetence and ineptness of the so called revolutionaries in the first place that doomed the revolution before it even began? When the leftist gang and the Mosadeghi gang and our so called intellectuals failed to do their homework or failed to overcome their "oghdehs" for the sake of the nation, and instead advertised khomeini as a saint and as the "great emaam", and encouraged people to pour into the streets to support khomeini, are we going to blame the "laat and jaahel" for the crime and ignorance that our intelectuals committed??

Sounds to me you are one of those revolutionary apologists who, in order to justify the misery they have caused, he says something like "oh, but the revolution was good, it's just that they stole it from us".  Well that's just a bunch of crap. Stand up and face the truth.

To Foad

I know what you say Foad. Registration does not necessarily bring politeness, and you probably know from my blogs that I don't necessarily favor politeness either! It's just a matter of accountability. Gaurdian's Comment is Free requires registration. The participation is very high there. People with diverse political tastes comment there. Lots of heated discussions happen there, and not so many people are polite. But you see some substance in the majority of comments.

To Anonymousz

Would you please tell me how registration would silence people? By the way, I haven't been offended by any one in this site yet!

To Jahanshah

JJ jan, I agree with your views. I just don't see how registration would contradict them. I never said ban any views, block any voices or whatever. You still can say whatever you want under a registered nickname. Who will find out who you are if your nickname is "gooz tappeh" and your email is "gooztappeh@gmail.com" (and nobody will see your email anyway)? How will you be censored or your freedom will be limited if you first log in with that ID and leave comments? You still can use any sort of language you want and whatever you want to say under a nickname. For registration, you just need to spend 2 minutes, and then you can save your password and will never need to log in again, unless you want to use a different nickname.

 As I mentioned in my previous comment, the main reason I thought about writing this post was that I saw you deleted a comment today, and I'm personally very sensitive about deleting comments. I just thought dealing with lots of comments would take too much time and energy from you, and thought to share what I have seen other big sites have done with comments, without the need to moderate them. And it was just a suggestion. Of course you know what is best for this site. :)

To expat and Anonymous21212: Did you read my post?! :))

Did you ever read my post? I never said moderat comments or limit anybody's freedom. I just said let only registered users comment. Your freedom will not be limited if you spend 2 minutes to register. In almost all the big newspaper websites of "the land of freedom," i.e. US, you should register to leave a comment. Check out Washington Post or USA Today for example. Most of the forums need registeration.

In fact I thought about this post and wrote it after Jahanshah deleted a comment today.

I won't reply to the rest of your points, because obviously you haven't read my post and you are just yelling in words, I don't know why!

This is an attempt to

This is an attempt to silence people you don't agree with. Try not to get offended so easily. One of the most successful and best sites in the blogsphere with more than 10000 hit a day is angryarab.com, precisely because he doesn't censor and doesn't require registration. Some of the comments are the most brilliant analysis of current event exactly because the some of the lewed and offensive language used by commenters. Eventually even those with a foul mouth come around by being tolerated and engaged in a civil manner. The lat and foul mouthed eventually learn that it's best to use their brains instead of running their mouth. It's easy to preach to the choir and engage those we are used to but it's an art to persuade and convice those who have a much less desirable style of delivering their thoughts. I have seen how some of the rudest people on that site being impressed by sheer logic used against them finally change their tone. We need to learn from them...instead of adopting an elitist attitude. Everyone has something to say, even the Basiji, monarchist, loony left or the paid agents. The struggle is to engage all segment of society...not just the ones we agree with.

Hard choices

Thanks Khorshid. I am very much aware of the concerns you and many others have pointed out.

Initially, only registered users were able to leave comments. However, the vast majority of readers (more than 95% in fact) have chosen not to register.

It would be unreasonable to block unregistered voices when the whole point is to allow the exchange of ideas between all, or as many as possible. Otherwise the site will become an exclusive club for "polite" conversation.

Nobody likes abusive, rude, stupid or pointlessly vulgar comments. But I have learned to ignore or laugh at them. I don't want them to influence me to the point that would force me to make it difficult to leave comments on this site. Of course I do delete the worst offenders from time to time AND registered members can flag any email they find abusive, but I'm trying my best to show that ultimately no comment, no sentence, no word should be banned. Instead we should focus our attention on getting used to unpleasant words and views and practice tolerance.

I know I'm giving a lot of shoaar, but I really believe openness will ultimately benefit everyone.

As for email verification for leaving comments, that too is problematic. The average Iranian is still afraid of expressing views in public. Fear of reprisals is part of our daily reality. Society, school and parents have taught us that being open and honest and truthful is absolutely stupid if you want to survive in a cruel and unforgiving world.

So it's natural for many of us to choose anonymous names, more so than many other nationalities, even when we're making a positive comment. And if there are cowards who spit and run without showing their face, so be it. In the end it's the thought that counts, not who expressed it.

Also, those who leave bad, crazy comments know deep down that what they are doing is wrong. I think over time many of them will look at their comments, feel a little ashamed and perhaps try to be less abusive and angry. I don't know... I certainly hope so.

I see your point

Hi Khorshid,

My vote was to keep the comments to registered users. But many people clearly prefer it this way and they let JJ know about it. I do believe that the quality of comments has definitly suffered, certainly compared to the old site where you had to write it by email.

It's true that many people would be naturally more polite and contemplative if they have to register, even though that really doesn't tell anyone anything about your identity. Isn't that strange? On the other hand the option of anonymous comments does mean more participation by a wider range of people.

We do email verification on registration, but of course not for the comments.

Kitchen is OK. The Foul Mouth is the Problem

The question is whether we are merely in a kitchen to enjoy the heat, or are we here to fight ignorance.

I have been a participant in Straightdope.com message board since 1995.  Their motto is: “We have been fighting ignorance since 1973 (It’s taking longer than we thought)”.

I am sorry to inform you that today’s Iran is ruled by a bunch of Revolutionary Guard Bassijis who are bus-loaded by the Mullahs to maim and kill anyone who is against the Vallayeteh-Faghih regime.  The Bassijis are nothing but a bunch of laat and jaahel whose parents were the descendents of Shaboon-bimokh, the very people who helped to overthrow Mossadegh, while the history is currently blaming the 1953 event in Iran purely on the CIA and Kermit with his <$1 million budget.

When the history gets refined in a few decades, we’ll find that it was the very Iranian people themselves that fell for the meager CIA and MI6 conspiracy – and poured out in the streets (following a bunch of laat, jaahels and bi-mokhs) to make the CIA’s low-budget clandestine operation become a success.  In fact, it was the same latt, jaahel and chaaghokesh that caused the 1979 Iranian revolution against the tyrannical Shah to be stolen – and be given to a worse dictator and murderer called Khomeini and his Vallayeteh-Faghih IRI.

So, now you want the same laat, jaahel, chaaghookesh and bi-mokh to join this forum and conduct their old hochigari game of calling the participants a bunch of kharkosseh, maadar-ghahbeh and kooni and koondeh, etc.

Don’t you think we have learnt historically enough from these thugs to know better?

Even though I believe in JJ’s motto of “nothing is sacred”,  I believe Iran will NEVER become a civilized nation as long as we admit a bunch of thugs free to invade a gathering of civilized people with mockery, hochigari and foul language. I believe, some of us have a lot of work to do to bring some element of respect and civilized behavior and discourse into a nation dominated by a bunch of sicko/savages/bassijis who have nothing to offer except a bunch of curse and verbal/physical abuse.

Sacred or not, and granting the freedom of thought and expression, this forum is no place for a bunch of laat, jaahel, and hochigar, with nothing to say and nothing to add, to merely resort to their few favorite words: kir, koon, khar-kosseh, maadar-jendeh, kooni, etc.   I hope Haji Agha succeeds in putting a mirror in front of these ignorant losers.

couldn't agree more expat

i for one also know of some people that go on this site for the fact that they can comment on how they feel about certain issues, blogs, posts.

sorry, but this little article you wrote about the monitoring of comments is a sad attempt to shut the mouths of people who want to express themselves and have the right to do so. you wrote yourself that if you don't agree with me, u can ignore me. why don't u do the same if you don't like the comments that people leave?

leave your holier than thou attitude before you come on the internet next time.

NOTHING IS SACRED

Your opinion is ignorantly arrogant...So eat some

humble pie:

1. You're a newcomer to this country and to this
site, and you already ignore it's motto, which
is hereby repeated: NOTHING IS SACRED.

2. This is the fundamental value that accounts
for Iranian.com's enduring popularity.

3. FREEDOM, particularly of thought and expression,
is why we left our homeland to make a new and
difficult beginning in foreign countries.

4. Participants in this site enjoy the freewheeling
give and take, be it polite, informed and rati-
onal, or rude, insulting, emotional and ignorant.
It's the Iranian Diaspora's family room, where
we can be ourselves and state our opinions and
concerns freely, and without inhibitions,- in a
way consistent with our culture and the Iranian
spirit.

5. If you can't stand the heat in this kitchen, then
get out.