Anonymouse

No, this shouldn't be an option

As objectionable as comments may be, the ability to delete them truly defeats the purpose.

After all, do we want to only allow one side of a debate or argument? Or do we want to allow differing opinions? How else do we grow as asociety and culture? Certainly not by clicking "delete". But, that's just my opinion. Blast it if you wish.

People who have personal issues should discuss in private

If someone have misunderstandings then write an email and solve it in private. If a party publishes an email without consent of the other party to attack in public then there is no hope of resolving misunderstandings. Please do not make personal misunderstandings into public attacks. If we are not kind to each other then what hope is there in solving the bigger issues we have.

I will falg my own comment, but please Rosie, sometimes it is best to let things go and after trying to resolve and fail, accept we cannot get on with everyone. That is just life. Please do not reply to me but consider deleting your comments. Some people are just not on the same wavelength, whether it is culture, sensitivity, etc.

Where is that "comment control" button when you need one!

Everything is sacred

Seems Iranians (ala Al Gore ;-) have "invented" the blogsphere!

Prior to creation of internet how did writers write articles?  How did people respond to their articles?

Today as we speak, go to the front page of i.com and you'll see many articles written against other articles written by other people in other websites and newspapers where the original article doesn't even have any comments.

People do this all the time as a matter of normal communication in a free society.  In print articles the same.  One writer quotes another article and writes a scathing commentary.

We are all experts on censorship because we were born into it in Iran and know what it is but we don't know how to get rid of it.  We're like a snake bitten person who is afraid of a black and white rope!

Everything is sacred

NO NO NO NO

I do hate it when people start unrelated personal conversations, threads, or on one occasion one female member was being  undermined by a Islamist character who kept asking her unrelated questions. Also those who keep sticking tons of unrelated links just because its quicker than blogging (I assume).

HOWEVER, the policing has to be done by an independent body, guess in this case JJ.  Not sure if JJ has anyone else helping him or how things work around here.

If a blog owner, could delete comments, initially he/she may do it where we would see as appropriate.  The problem is, as time passes certain people will abuse this freedom and commenting on I.C would no longer be worthwhile.

You will end up with clubs/clusters of people saying what they all like to hear and shut out any contrary opinions and ideas.   I already find a number of I.C members very elitist, what I would describe as passive aggressive. People who don't praise you, agree with you, tell you off, or tell you to go away but simply ignore you. These people are good candidates for creating virtual groups just as we see with children and youth in schools.

One last thing, the censorship that currently exist must also become more uniform, i.e some people getting censored for one thing while other saying that same thing or much worst getting away with it.

Yes, Souri jan, if a comment is not abusive, then...

Souri jan, to me, people' s comments are based on their life experiences. As long as they are not abusive, other commentators can just indicate if they like it. For instance if I like a poem and write a positive comment, it is because the poem has appealed to me. To someone else, the poem may have no appeal but it is useless if someone rates my comment badly. They can always add their own comment and by doing that, express their views. I personally have better things to do with my time than rating others' comments. Also, as you noted, it will turn to something personal.

"Forcing" a comment in a blog is the issue here!

Anahid jaan I'm glad you're considering the merits of a YES vote.  With all due respect I see NO basis for a NO vote on this subject other than wanting to "force" an idea or a person on someone. 

I believe that is the case because if you look at the comments in this thread many say without such a force feeding of comments i.com would not be i.com and free speech would be stifled.  They MUST be able to trash someone else's blog because that is the god given right that Mr. Javid has given them!  Since they can't find this right anywhere else (except perhaps in Islamic Republic :-) they want to keep this uniquely Iranian right!

Mr. Javid even said so himself in his comment, although he compared it to having a one sided debate with only a circle of friends.

Imagine a person sitting at your doorstep and constantly shouting slogans.  When you ask him/her to leave, s/he'll say s/he has the right to free speech and this is god's land and s/he can do and say whatever she wants.  Is that how it works?!  Of course some would say yes absolutely and twist it to make some cases, but common sense is better.

Everything is sacred

Anahid jon

"Like and flag are Ok but rating just complicates the issue"

Exactly!

And I may add: Complicate and USELESS!

Actually rating the blogs, in this atmosphere of animosity of this site, is nothing! Just giving more room to the hate-action and revenges based on a personal issue!

What for?

Dear Anonymouse, even though my vote is No

Dear Anonymouse, I do not want to open Pandora's box but I found the blog that shows that there are cases when comments take life of their own and are distraction to the blog. Like if I write a poem with a different name, should a person come out and out me? I don't want to open the old discussions but yes, there are merits in Yes vote also. For me personally, the important issue is content of my blog. I rather spend my time improving my poetry and other writings rather than getting into endless debate about Yes or No. Ultimately administrators of IC are thsoe who make decisions in this regard. However, since we are on this subject, I absolutely do not like rating system. "Like" and flag are Ok but rating just complicates the issue.

---------------------->> 7 YES and 23 NO <<---------------------

Cheezaki I thought he was saying You said captain, I said wot!  You said captain, I said wot!

It is one of those stupid songs that gets stuck and you can't get it out of your head!  Rinse and repeat!  You said captain, I said wot .... 

Everything is sacred

Anonymouse,

here you go!

//iranian.com/main/blog/cheezaki/i-said-wot

Advice for some to live by

Hey VPK!

Aghaay mobseLa (*) choss morghi nakon digeh!

(*) L or r

VPK I'll eliminate ur vote as well! Seems u too can't sit still!

Everything is sacred

Anonymouse

It is not up to you for "disqualify" Sargord. He is a member of IC and like it or not gets his vote. You are going beyond your authority. If you are so willing to disenfranchise Sargord how well are you suited to judge other people's posts?  

Mouse...er....

To reply, or not to reply: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
.                     And by opposing end them?

I think I better discuss this with my uncle Claudius.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDGRGoET5Ho&feature=fvw

another good point VPK!

Another good point from you. There are multiple ID guys. As you may have seen I exchanged some comments with one of multiple ID guys, and fortunately he was honest enough not to deny it. I don't have any issues with that except when they take advantage of it in ways such as the one you just mentioned.

BTW, VPK, if I weren't already a marhoum, I would have said 'namordima yeki dota shaahiey baa shoour deedeem (e.g., the Prophet , Rusta ...)'

Just because you say so doesn't make it so

I mentioned earlier that some want to "customize" democracy but that is not necessary and it is often a cover for denying it. In the same token just because some keep defining issues and rights using their own home made justification, doesn't make it so.  For example, "childish" is now an insult! Or Ahmadi calls Islamic Republic's democracy the best in the world.

The vast majority of the blogsphere has comment control.  Vast majority.  They are doing just fine.   I could be saying it is day outside and some would continue to make home made justifications to say it is not.

Rosie, I want to count the votes just because and if the votes had gone as YES for the majority, I'd still consider it a sample.  My intention is to ask Mr. Javid to provide this comment control "option" to his bloggers, at least on a trial basis.

As for Sargord he was warned before but he chose not to sit still! 

Everything is sacred

Rosie: agreed

Yes. thanks for listing these threads.The one warning I have is that both rating and flagging may be abused. People can register under multiple names and either rate or flag the same post multiple times. Therefore I would take the results with a grain of salt.

Thank you Rosie for bringing a voice of reason and helpfulness.

VPK

VPK, what is the point at this point? Weeeell...

here are some good subthreads which have emerged here:

should there be a ratings or thumbs up/down system or a 'recommend' button; should there be automatic deletion of posts after a certain number of flags; what are ways to lessen Jahanshah's work and stress load; how could he moderate more consistently (and can he--even should he--be moderating effectively alone); should multiple identities be allowed; and more.

These might be worth pursuing. Some may seem played out for the old time users but the young 'uns would benefit, and anyway you never know when some genius will emerge.

As for the author control issue, have a glass of warm seltzer. On me..

NO

But I want the ability to control the other people's blogs. I would block a few of the authors from making comments on their own blogs or would change their comments to represent my views. I think that way there would be a very little conflict between me and them.

As far as own blog is concerned, I think if a person cannot handle a slander and has to respond back with some more tit for tat slander, then it's all the more reason that such person cannot control anything else.

NO

Looks like the common denominator among the NO votes is that if commentcontrol is given to bloggers someone like Ahmadinejad would come here and post a blog and praise Islamic Republic having the best democracy in the world and such and then deletes comments that do not agree withhim. Really? You can't post your own blog and attack his everypoint? You MUST attack him in his own blog with impunity and by any
means necessary?

Anonymouse that is *not* the rationale. The rationale is: In order to have a reasonable and complete discussion we need freedom of speech. We don't want a one-sided argument. Mooriz put it well: we don't want just bale ghorban goo:. That ain't worth reading. 

In addition I do not accept that a blog belongs to its initiator. Once you go public and get comments the blog becomes public. You have no more ownership of it than you own a discussion you start in the public park. 

No one is trying to attack people. We just want a full discussion with everyone's point of view getting a full airing. You seem to confuse discussion and disagreement with attacks.

This is childish.

Please keep the insults out of the discussion. Of course you have the right to do it. But it does not help your image.

PS,

By disounting Sargord's vote you have lost all credibility. Your "voting" is no better than any other rigged vote. I reject the ligitimacy of your counting. Unless *everyone* gets the same 1 vote and proper treatment the vote is a joke.

Mouse, you wrote: 'I'll count the votes later'.

Honestly, Mouse, why bother? . Even if a miracle happened and the tide shifted, by your logic it wouldn't matter. You don't consider this a representative sampling, and you've discussed tyrrany of the majority, which has to cut both ways. So why count?

This blog is actually not as chaotic as it may look, and it has a few subthreads on corollary issues which might still be worth pursuing (for the adventurous and/or insane). But the author control issue, Mouse, it's flat as a glass of old seltzer. Well, whatever floats your boat....but coooounting???!!!

And anyway you still haven't answered my question I asked twice: If the tally had been the other way around, would you have made a fuss about it not being a representative sampling?

Examine the rationale for NO answers

Looks like the common denominator among the NO votes is that if comment control is given to bloggers someone like Ahmadinejad would come here and post a blog and praise Islamic Republic having the best democracy in the world and such and then deletes comments that do not agree with him.  Really?  You can't post your own blog and attack his every point?  You MUST attack him in his own blog with impunity and by any means necessary? 

This is childish.  You can't piggy back on someone else's opinions and idiology and just provide a litany of complaints.  Do you own work.  Have respect for others and have confidence in yourself.

You want the freedom to attack someone in his/her own blog but don't want the freedom of privacy for the blogger him/herself.  I know I'm pounding sand with many here and that is the whole point.  The world will not come to and end and IC will remain as before if bloggers get the "option" to have comment control.

You are worried about others.  Don't.  Write your own views and don't choose the comment control "option" and unload on each other.

Lastly, when there is a new user s/he will look around and slowly join the community and contibute.  There are those who have blockage problem and once they get blocked again they register again and go about their prior business which makes them look like a sore thumb sticking out, which makes us make a comment about their premature ejaculation"!

I'll count the votes later. 

Everything is sacred

AntiMozakhraf

You may not comment regularly but what you have to say is worth hearing. I do not care what side of the political spectrum you are on, but please do comment more.

Combined Responses!

Now that this thing is not going away I  will do my responses. 

1) This thread reminds me of the old Frankenstein movies. You kill the monster and think you are done just to see it rise again. Whatever you try the darn thing comes back.

2) Moorir I am glad we see eye to eye on this one. I don't want any more "Sahih ast Ahsant" majlis!

3)  Anonymouse said:  Rosie funny you should mention VPK as an island of stability in i.com.  As you may know Jimmy Carter said the same thing to Shah in 1977!

Glad you brought this up. First of all comparing me to the Shah is very inappropriate. I advocate free speech; Shah suppressed it. Second: Shah was an Island of stability til Carter undermined him. Mind you I said stability not democracy.

Having open conversations brings us closter to each other. Specially when we disagree. I admit that despite total disagreements I have got to learn about those I disagree with and to form a respect for people like Sargord and Moosir. Without open discussion and debate this would not have happened. Open speech is required for an open society.

ps A cautionary tale for all the aye people (and j.)

The person who flagged Solo's post is clearly irresponsible, spiteful, and not too bright. So AM actually gave the best reason of all why authors should not have control over deletions in their blogs. There are simply too many people here who are unfit to make such judgement calls. Jahanshah, please think about this. Entrusting such powers to individuals will wind up giving you as many headaches as you already have. I suspect even more.

'I am not the one who flagged Solo' s comment'

My apologies, Anahid. It must be true, you didn't make that flag. Because if you had, you wouldn't deny it since you know Jahanshah's going to see your last post along with the flag. In any case, the person who did make it  should think before flagging (if they have a brain, that is), since Solo is one of the most respected and polite members onsite. (And, Solo, in case you're thinking it, this is not one of those cases of playing spy hypothesis games. I try to never do that. This has a long history. And yes, I normally do find it distasteful when people bitch and moan about one egging flag).

But, again, Anahid couldn't've possibly flagged the post, so I retract my implied accusation. I wonder what obnoxious idiot did?

I am not the one who flagged Solo' s comment

I just woke up and read the comments posted after my last comments. Then I see that Rosie noted that Solo's comment was flagged. Since Solo was responding mostly to my comment, I would like to note that I am not the one who flagged it. I read Solo's comment fast and found nothing abusive.

Hahaha, Flying Solo, brown basmati..... (Jahanshah)

with pineapple topping.

I had planned to tell you just before that I really like your writing, both fiction and critique, but that I just have one criticism: Please save your 'nays' for times like this and never put them into things like your story about Paris again! lol

But anyway, before I got to do it I noticed your last comment has been flagged. And so I humbly beseech you, Jahanshah, that while you are unflagging it, you consider discussing the matter offsite with the person who did it at some point, because it is a trend with them to make frivolous, spitefully motivated, and--sadly--irrational flags, which really should be stopped before they do more damage than they already have.