One of the great things about having a blog is that you get to control it. You can run it any way you want. Some bloggers are liberal and open hosts, allowing commenters free reign to insult other commenters and even themselves without being deleted or banned.
Others tolerate no dissent whatsoever. If your views stray in any way from the host’s, you’re banned.
I’m in the middle. I allow dissent and discussion, but I won’t tolerate personal attacks on myself or other commenters. As long as folks are civil, I don’t interfere. Usually.
I am Queen of My Domain and no one else’s. But what if someone insults me in a different kingdom? What control do I have over that? Keep reading.
I don’t usually visit so-called discussion boards because some are a bit too uncontrolled. Even if there’s a moderator, you often find vile and vicious words strewn throughout the “discussion.”
I found myself in one such board because someone had posted a link to my blog and it showed up in my referrers log. Against my better judgment, I decided to take a look. It was an anti-black conservatives thread, and the person who posted the link occasionally comments on my blog. I read several posts by someone who had to be in his teens or early twenties, at the most. Needless to say, this ranter hates black conservatives. Fine. Whatever. Free country.
The purpose of this post: While I can’t control anyone else’s blog or “discussion” board (and don’t want to), I want it widely known that if a commenter on my blog posts anything insulting or offensive or false about me on another blog or board and I find out about it, they will be banished from my territory. Under my rulership, the person can’t even access my site.
Unfortunately, the resourceful and determined can find ways around banning. That goes with the terrority of public web sites. Someone I banned months ago occasionally rears his ugly head, but as soon as I spot him, he’s gone until the next time.
The person who posted the link is quite civil and even-handed on my blog, which I appreciate. But I don’t understand why he/she would want to incite the anger of young, anonymous, unaccountable (and sometimes unstable) discussion board groupies against me. I don’t have the time or the inclination to figure it out. And I don’t want to.
Here’s some advice: If you want to trash me on another site and you want to continue commenting on my domain, don’t link to my URL, OK? Your discussion URL shows up on my referrers list.
Side note: A HaloScan user informed me that she gets error messages when trying to trackback to my posts. If you are a HaloScan user, please let me know if you’re having similar problems.
Rest easy, everybody!
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{ 26 comments }
You are so right about message boards. I will sometimes go to some AOL message boards, and the hate is as thick as pea soup. And there is always some jerk who has to bring up race no matter what. Some people are just very irresponsible with their freedoms. lol
You should feel complimented by the attention. Jealousy and hate are powerful emotions. You are a public figure and crap will be written about you — especially as a black conservative. I know. I am a triple threat — a black, environmentalist conservative. I remember when I first saw our organization described as a conservative environmental group. Although it sounds like an oxymoron, I felt really good about it because it fits. Anyway, don’t be so sensitive about attacks if you can. Imagine if you were running for president.
A public figure? Me? Yuck. Maybe I should close up shop!
I’m not as sensitive about attacks as you may think. I rarely write about it.
I ranted last month about this issue. See this link.
One of my favorite disclaimers on a blog is:
A Note to Visitors:
Please share your comments! Note, however, that civility is considered a higher good than First Amendment rights here. Incivility will be uncivilly suppressed. Welcome to Our Kingdom!
Enjoy your stay.
http://churchofthemasses.blogspot.com/
I hear you. I had to delink a trackback last week, since it insulted our website and other Conservative Brotherhood black righters (including yourself). We don’t mind dissent – even strong dissent – on our website but no free pub for those who are gonna put Step ‘N’ Fetch It photos up when discussing black conservatives! That went over the line in our opinion.
P.S. I’m also a HaloScan user, but now get error messages when trying to trackback to your posts on your new site.
Molotov – I know which site you’re referring to. I gave the person a warning after the first trackback. He/she did it again and that was it. The individual has some issues with the Brotherhood, it seems.
I’m trying to figure out what’s up with my site and HaloScan. I don’t get it.
Another thing to consider, La Shawn, is that for someone who is trying to achieve recognition, there is no such thing as bad publicity. The more people who know your name the better, even if they heard about you from an enemy.
La Shawn, I think you always handle yourself well. There is such a thing as humble confidence. You really exemplify it well.
Water off a duck’s back….
You could have emailed me that I am not sensitive and open to criticism and correction about YOUR board…it would have been much simpler and I don’t take it personal…
Most of the individuals in there are neither conservative nor liberal, and some a little radical for sure but they usually keep to there own or if they move to another site provide reasonable discourse on their respective different philosophies…that is what America is built on…
You run a good site, unlike democratic underground, where I got banned for saying I was pro-life and anti homosexual “special” rights…you allow dissenters, which to me indicates that you are secure in the validity of your position, so if individuals do come over to discuss issues as long as they do it with respect, I am sure you wouldn’t have a problem with that.
And yes, I still do think you are wild based upon your stated conversion to the republican side of the scale.
As you know I am a devout independent with a conservative background, back in the days I used to listen to the black avenger, ken hamblin, but as I have grown older, and spent more time working in the community building businesses (I am pro-capitalistic and free trade) and dealing with the politics of both the right and left and the individual failings of each ideological position in truly changing the tremendous gulf economically and socially between the African American and the European American I have to renounce allegiance to either philosphy.
Finally, I don’t know where else you post LaShawn, and you don’t have to answer this question, but if you converted to the conservative isle because you feel it is the truest ideological position in terms of fairness and positive impact on the country, why don’t you spend more time communicating this to other African-Americans, if indeed you don’t post or link to sites not aligned with the non-conservative side.
Hi La Shawn,
I tried a little while back to ping a trackback from HaloScan, and got an error message, as well. It might be some slight incompatability between the way HaloScan does trackback, and how Wordpress does it.
All the best,
Steve Bragg
DOUBLE TOOTHPICKS–WORLDVIEWS Behind The NEWS
.. uhh, sorry, I meant I tried to ping a trackback to YOUR site from HaloScan. I think that’s what you’re talking about.
Steve
HiRez, you didn’t have to reveal yourself, but since you did, that’s fine with me. For the record, this post needed to be written before you ever started commenting. And I don’t get the “wild” comment, but I’ll consider it in the best possible light. By the way, I’m glad you put the word “YOUR” in caps. My meaning came through loudly and clearly. You say that I have a good board, so I must be doing something right in your estimation.
I, personally, wouldn’t be caught dead in Democratic Underground, and the only reason I was in a so-called discussion thread at all is because I was curious and followed the link from my referrers log.
I don’t appreciate going onto foul-mouthed discussion boards and reading junk about myself. While your intentions for posting my URL in such places may have been benign, you know the sort of element that tends to hang out in places like that. I have no interest in “communicating to other African-Americans” in so-called discussion groups, where anonymity and rudeness run rampant. If they want to visit my blog and comment, fine.
My time is limited and there is much work to do. In that regard, this blog, my columns, answering numerous e-mail (many from black liberals) and appearing on radio shows (and maybe TV) are the ways I’ve chosen to communicate. I communicate the way I want and how I want.
It’s good that you started your own blog. Now you can do all the things you say I don’t do. Perhaps your readership will grow, and as you link to sites “not aligned” with your position, you can accomplish the goals you feel are important. It’s a noble effort, but I’m sure you’ll use some judgment in your selections, just like I do. You’ll include some and exclude others.
My hat’s off to you in “dealing with the politics of both the right and left and the individual failings of each ideological position in truly changing the tremendous gulf economically and socially between the African American and the European American” and renouncing your “allegiance to either philosophy.” That’s your thing. Good for you and best wishes to you, HiRez.
I don’t know why people feel compelled to offer me advice. I started this blog for my own reasons and will continue to run it as I see fit. But people, especially those who have problems with my views and how I express them, are always coming up with suggestions about what I ought to be doing. Thankfully, I live in a free country where I can do what I darn well please. God Bless America!
Rest easy, everybody…
Please…if one is born and mainly grew up here in America…just say “American” and not “African-American”. After a generation or two most people lose the hypen.
addendum: In my above post I was referring to the poster HiRez.
It’s just good manners to advise someone directly if you post their link somewhere.
Ma’am, you may find it helpful to exercise your logical faculties and remind yourself that there are untold numbers hateful, mean little humans who give themselves little to do but seethe hatefully about how some people are better than others, racially-speaking…
I suggest detachment. That you find, on some occasions, links to you is analogous to overhearing someone in your lunch-group speak ill of you behind your back. They demonstrate THEIR spiritual poverty, and NOTHING they can say is ever a reflection on you, Ma’am.
Devote your time and efforts to that which uplifts and ennobles, LaShawn, as life is too short to waste any more time to such spiritual slugs and slimeballs.
Hey, it’s your house, do what you want. No requirement to let every person who wants to come through your door.
Hey La Shawn,
Good post on hate linkage. I have experienced the same thing (except with being a conservative blogger of Arab descent, liberals come up with creative names involving the N-word for me, kind of amusing). I agree with an above commentator that any publicity is good publicity. However, I think you do the right thing by filtering out the pettiness and wackosity. I do the same thing. Thank God for the IP banner!
It’s a ’sticks and stones’ thing, LaShawn, and you handle it beautifully. I, too, avoid message boards, as they are usually too vitriolic for my tastes. My vote on the hyphen is drop it. Teddy Roosevelt covered that a long time ago and I agree with what he said.
Great comments, LaShawn. But, when I hit the phrase “anti-black conservative” my spine jumped. The idea that there would be conservatives out there who are anti-black struck me, viscerally. I am sure there are racists everywhere, but those who purport to be conservative, while exhibiting anti-black sentiments are usually better classified as “populists”.
But then, I realized what you meant, and started laughing. And yes, those people, more often than not are flaming leftists and extremely partisan Democrats. They drive me nuts too.
I am a huge Thomas Sowell fan. He has written some great books on economics, of course, but recently focussed on affirmative action in Affirmative Action Around the World: An Empirical Study. In this he analyzes the effects of policies that certainly intend to be ehelpful, but in fact are not. Moreover, he demonstrates such policies tend to be promoted contrary to solid evidence they do not help those for whom they are intended.
The anti black-conservative crowd sometimes include another political oddity of our time: the anti-Semitic Jew. Take Barbra Streisand.. please!
It’s nice to wield a bit of control, isn’t it?
I once had someone post a link to my site over at DU – I had maybe six or seven visitors and I giggled at all of their ‘droppings’.
I occasionally go there to get a feel for what the typical barking moonbat on the street is thinking – it’s usually your typical Tin-Foil Hat Conspiracy.
I don’t know why anyone would like to trash La Shawn. Honestly, after reading La Shawn’s posts I have actually toned down some of the ‘coloful metaphor’ usage on my site; I actually imagine that La Shawn is reading each and every post and I don’t like to offend nice people. (Really!)
Good move La Shawn – be civil, but don’t take guff.
Beep….Beeeep….Beeeep!! THIS IS ONLY A TEST. DO NOT BE ALARMED.
If you are reading this, the Unofficial Bad Boy of Barber’s Corner has not – I say again has NOT – been banned….yet. Because I’m bad…I’m bad…You know it…I’m bad. (Those the right words? Whatever.)
EEEHEEEE!!! G’on Girl!! EEEHEEEHEEEE!!
“Do you remember the tiiiime, I was a brotha!!??” (That was cold.)
I was wondering what happened to you, Beau. Glad you’re back! Now if I could only find Andy…
Lashawn,
You know I’m always lurkin in da cut somewhere or up in a tree layin low, one. Truth be told, I was as busy as a runaway slave for a minute…..and I’m glad to show my face again, needless to say.
But aint nuthin changed. I will kick up as much dust as is permissible. KIDDING!! I’ll be a good boy. (WINK) I will!!
Ciao, Bella.
The little sociopaths over at Demozombie Underbelly are worth less than the energy it takes to read them. If they decided you were visible enough to malign, then you clearly are doing something worth reading here—and you have.
Sorry I’m just reading this now…
But as someone who has endured her share of hate mail (not from my blog, but from various projects I’ve worked on over the years) — as long as they’re not showing up at your front door, don’t worry about it. Just keep on writing, and to heck with ‘em!
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