Veiled Prophet of Khorasan

I can't add much more than what is already said

But I think its a shame that a place whose purpose I (naively) thought was to provide a platform for us to discuss issues about our home country freely is going to enable exercising part of the censorship plaguing it. 

Now, that Irany!

Parsis Victor

I see most

people are either neutral or opposed to "blog" ownership and deleting people. However IC has made its mind and the minority vote has won. 

It proves to me:

• This is not a democracy and was never meant to be. Not a surprise. It is a private business and owner does what he wants.
• Opinion of people counts for little or none. That is a mistake a business is allowed to make. Maybe it backfires maybe not. I don't know. Yet to be seen. It is a risk JJ is taking but it is his risk to take.
• One person is monopolizing the JJ blog on this. I am not even going to go there. Being the target of some massive insults and threats I will not communicate with some people.  

If this policy does go in effect none of the people who posted here will be "banned" or "censored" from my blogs. However I predict many will participate less. Why should I bother with a place I am not welcome! Rather go where I am wanted. 

Don't Delete - just Limit to 2 "comments" per Blog

1. "Deleting": I have no issue with Blogs that are off topic, or rude, or anything else negative. Iranian.com isn't Facebook (like Souri said below), where we make ourselves look like celebrities. It's real, and a dose of reality is always good.

2. "Averting Blog ownership by a commentator": This certainly is an issue - my suggestion would be to limit people to a maximum of 2 comment posts on a single Blog. That way they won't hog it. They can rant, but not more than twice. It's not negative comments that are an issue - rather a person who won't let go.

Why go BLACK or WHITE: There's a middle way - and I think if I.com had more women here, there'd be more middle ground suggestions, too. ALL or NOTHING - is very testosterony... Can't delete any vs. Can delete all. I agree with Souri, that this is an online newspaper/journal and isn't Facebook where only our friends comments we keep. The issue is those who won't let go, and there are ways to avert that, by using limitations to numbers of comment posts.

(Flagging abuse should still stand, as it's a separate category.) 

I would just put in a policy of maximum 2 "comment" posts per Blog - and find a world that is both allowing freedom of speech, and limiting those who don't know when to stop.

Either I'm too laid back

and believe nothing we say here really make a difference in the grand scheme of things, OR, everybody else is right in stressing about some cybercommunications between people who do not know each other thousands of mile away from their motherland!

In any case, I, Mr. CoP, believe that blog ownership is a silly concept and one should not be able to delete others' comments.  It's no fun talking to yourself, is it?

I'd have really liked a better word processing capability for I.com as a matter of priority, and for starters.

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IRAN FIRST

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Dear anglophile

Thank you for posting here; I just read your full post. I am not in a position to guess whether JJ is tired or has other reasons. It would be nice to hear from hism. I know IC belongs to JJ and he may do as he wishes.

But we are his customers and it will be nice to hear back. A while ago Netflix made a major mistake. They did not have to write me and apologize but their CEO did. Why: in order to keep the customers satisfied. Because a business without customers is no business at all. Regarding the idea of private rooms it is interesting. Better than removing posts after they are made. At least you kow the rules beforehand. Howerver I still oppose the whole idea. The best I could come up with was two sets of "rooms".

• Private - here your idea has merit. I could see some variants but the worst is letting people in then banning or removing comments. Becuase it prove the "owner" is a sore loser. Who banns people after losing an argument.
• Public - ownership is entirely that of IC. Only admin gets to delete or ban people just like now.

What bugs me is the deafening silence from admin. The message is that we do not matter. They announce what the plan is and that is it. If we don't like it: too bad. The return message may well be a mass migration out.

Dear VPK

Dear Rea

If by personal issues you mean why "ban" a particular person it is to make a point. To show that if that policy goes into effect anyone may be the target. The best way to do it is to have the doctor taste their own medicine.

Damage control

Agree that "blog ownership&deletion" should be clearly stated for each blog if this new policy is to be implemented. So we all know whether to comment or not. For that is what it boils down to.

But.

With all due respect VPK, why bring personal issues into this blog? It doesn't help. If anything, personal issues drive people away.

Late here, nite.

censorship, short fuses and public figures

If we start deleting comments based on content, where do we stop!  I have never flagged a comment and I do not think that I ever will.  Someone's comment is a good reflection of the commentor's personality and I will let it stand. 

Even the way it is now, someone actually has to flag a comment before it is deleted, and as you know some people have much shorter fuses.  As a result, you see a variety of vulgar, condesceding and insulting comments remain while others are quickly removed.

Even more fascinating is the subject of personal attacks on "public" figures which are supposedly allowed on IC.  What constitutes a public figure, who determines it and what if that public figure objects to personal attacks on IC?

Dear MassoudA

I have my doubts about Parsi also. Now imagine a blog written by him and no one allowed to criticize him. Because that is where we'd be if he was allowed to remove all opposing posts! 

Anyway welcome back.

Hope you had a good vacation!

VPK 

It is such paradox….

If we believe in freedom to choose, we may want to protect and accept to choose those wishes to have control over their blog, on the other hand this may appear as allowing a form of censorship.

  I for one, would not want to remove any body or comment from any thing I have written.  If it is a vulgar/rude comment, then I believe it to be a reflection of their own personality rather than my writing.  In my view those with lack of ability to carry a civilized discussion and resorting to name calling exist on both side of the isle, unfortunately and there is little any of us can do about it. 

'Hambastegi' is the main key to victory 

Mehrdad

Thanx VPK

I have mixed feelings about this... on one hand I have issues with payrolled IR sandis crowd on the internet showing up on blogs and constantly derailing original topic of threads.......on the other hand I do agree that certain blogs can look as if they are unopposed and do represent the general mindset of us Eyranians......as you may know these sites are in fact monitored to guage us.    And thank god for that.......As you well know, I hate to be represented by dubious foreign made creatures like Trita Parsi (lol - but I hope you have changed your mind about him).    

The blog ownership is just ridiculous

Dear VPK

Thanks for providing this "calm" space to discuss the subject, without being bugged by this loud moth, anonymouse.

The idea of controlling the comments page under our own blog, is just ridiculous! But i am secretely enjoying it, because I want to see Anonymous face, when will he realize that he is among the only ones, who is blocked from anyone's blog!

JJ, knows well that this is completely against the context of "freedom of speech" but he wants to imitate facebook, at any cost. Let him do it!

He will serve himself, very well.

Khoda the future IC ro rahmat koneh!

It is already dead!

Dear MassoudA

There has been a debate for a while on allowing blog writers to delete comments. Or to even ban individuals from their blogs. There was a poll and majority voted against it. However recently JJ announced that this will be the new policy. 

Many people fear it will negatively influence open discussion. The main blog is here:

//iranian.com/main/blog/jahanshah-javid/s...

I am opposed to allowing people to delete others comments. Or to ban people from "their" blogs. But I made my position clear on that blog and promised not to spam it anymore. The main proponent for this policy is making his position abundantly clear on that blog. I decided to write a blog with the caveat that all are welcome except for that one individual. Just to show what it is like when that policy really goes into affect. I hope this will provide a taste of things to come. 

Dear VPK

I have not been around for a while....what is going on with the blogs?