PZ Myers is in the process of learning another life lesson-
New commenting rules
What are they?
The ongoing meltdown in Thunderdome and the departure of Chris tell me we’ve got something that needs to be fixed. I don’t quite know how to fix everything, so let’s crowdsource it — you people leave comments here telling me what rules you think might work to get the knifey-bitey-smashy atmosphere to lighten up a little. Just a little.
In other words- You guys have pretty much taken over my blog and I don’t have the slightest idea how to regain control without it looking like the Jamestown Massacre.
I don’t know about the rest of you but I have mixed feelings when I watch PZ go through this type of thing. On one hand it is amusing to see someone who deserves it realize they have made a mistake and have no way to resolve it. Another part of me feels relieved that PZ may finally stop a behavior that has been damaging to others not to mention his own dignity. Then another part of me can’t help but wonder- How a man with his education, age, who has raised children can be so completely fuck dumb as to not see this problem coming or maybe take steps to stop it from occurring at all? It’s amazing.
Not only does PZ find himself held hostage by his commenters but he can’t think of a way to get control back so he asks……the people who are causing the problem. Suddenly PZ can’t figure out how to ban people? He can’t figure out what he accepts as proper/improper behavior? Who the fuck owns his blog anyways? An even better question is- Who does he allow to dictate what he considers acceptable behavior on his blog? He can’t figure it out himself? I’m guessing the minute he makes some rules and enforces those rules he is going to see his little horde dissipate because they won’t be able to handle rules. Maybe PZ realizes this also. Another perk of asking the crowd is that anyone who complains later can’t blame PZ, he didn’t make the rules. You readers made the rules so you can just live with ‘em!
I suppose this is another instance where we should be relieved that PZ isn’t in a formal leadership position anywhere. I can see him telling a rioting crowd to come up with some ideas on how to better control itself
If PZ Myers wants a couple of suggestions that will get his comment section back in line with sanity I’ve got a couple.
1) No personal attacks/namecalling
2) limit comments to 3-5 per member per blog post. If there is a topic that has proven to encourage a interesting conversation then make an exception.
BONUS
(3) Grow a spine and treat people equally
These first two alone would get things under control in no time IF they were enforced. Despite PZ realizing there might be a problem with his comment section he is still light years away from understanding how or why he has this problem in the first place. Part of the reason for that is- It’s his own fault . He is to blame and he created the problem. Now that he created it and encouraged the behavior he now wants to stop, he can’t figure out on his own how to do it.
The world sure is a challenging place for PZ Myers isn’t it? It sure looks that way, poor fella.
Rules are Hard
I seem to be reading this completely differently than everyone else. I could well be misreading it, for that matter. That said. it seems to me that pz isn't now advocating a change in attitude or even in tone, rather he's looking for a way to keep the Wrong Thinking Rape Apologists from having posted anything in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually confused as to why people are taking this to mean he's had a 180 in philosophy and is wanting to turn his forums into something those of us who want nothing to do with would now find as someplace we wanted to be.
He works hard at making it what it is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5suf3hp9tI
ReplyDelete