PSA: The Watchdog blocks fake profiles or what appear to be fake names. We make some exceptions for those who make substantive comments through such accounts. Generally speaking, anonymous trolls will be bounced.
PSA: The Watchdog blocks fake profiles or what appear to be fake names. We make some exceptions for those who make substantive comments through such accounts. Generally speaking, anonymous trolls will be bounced.
The Watchdog announced over a couple of years ago that all anonymous post would not be allowed as well as any personal attacks.
Yet, suddenly, around a year ago these types of posts were being allowed again.
As to “exceptions for those who make substantive comments” this is a subjective standard. It is based on what the Watchdog believes and not how the readers view these comments. Oh wait they won’t get to make this decision for themselves because the Watchdog is going to start using selective judgement to decide this for everyone.
What is the Watchdog’s position censorship and the 1st Amendment again?
At least the old policy of no personal attack or anonymous posts being allowed was a clear and unambiguous standard, that a person could work with by avoiding personal attacks and using their real name. This new standard makes everything a crap shot!!!
Don’t like it Jim, start your own weblog then. Easy solution.
Point is not what I like or dislike.
It is about a radical change in policy that comes off sounding less like a sincere effort to keep online conversations on topic and respectful and more like a very poor excuse to justify a practice of selective censorship.
And considering how much time the right spends complaining about “radical left wing” censorship and media “control” (including the Watchdog) this comes off as insincere and hypocritical.
Note: I do actually have face to face conversations with other people who regularly read and comment on Watchdog posts who have told me their comments did not make it through mediation because they weren’t “on point” or were “personal attacks”.
P.S. I have seen many comments posted on this site in the last few months that were more focused on making negative statements about the person making the comment then on the content of the comment.