Penny for Your Thought: Should Anonymous Posters be Put to Death?
For sixteen years I wrote a column in the Kansas city Star - put my name on it and everything…
And guess what? Some people didn’t like what I had to say. Some got mad; some got over it, some didn’t. At times the column was controversial. Getting bagged on comes with that turf.
And every so often I’d get an anonymous letter or a nasty voicemail. Most reader communications arrived in email form and seldom were caustic. I took my share of hits on the Star’s letters page – not that many – but it wasn’t like they escaped my attention.
And with approximately a third of the Star’s readers regularly reading my three to five columns a week over the years – we’re talking well over 100,000 people – my attention was focused primarily on hunting down column ideas and news, writing, oh and living to tell the story. But while my columns appeared on the Star’s Web site, I rarely spent much if any time there sorting through the online comments. I had work to do.
Not the case these days.
While I write for the Johnson County Sun, Wednesday Sun in Missouri, Platte County Landmark Parkville way and The Hills for residents of Mission Hills and Sunset Hill, I’m laying it down daily here at KC Confidential.com and there’s no ignoring reader comments now.
Anonymous as they generally are, the playing field between columnist and unnamed snipe artist is arguably quite level in the online world. I can write pretty much about anything I want at KC Confidential and so can they. Or you.
Unless, of course, I erase said comment. Which I do from time to time. Not many, mind you.
And not merely because someone is taking a shot. You don’t have to read deep into KCC’s comments to find plenty of those. Still if the comment is dumb, inaccurate, signed with a fake name – Star publisher Mark Zieman, for example – it may get yanked. Nobody needs a Web site full of anonymous, dumb rants. And with the odd exception, stupid or bogus comments don’t merit explaining away either.
For example, someone posted a comment recently and signed Joe-College.com owner Larry Sinks name. He’d been misquoted and thought the world of KU athletics director Lew Perkins, the fake Sinks wrote. I suspected it was bogus. I’ve talked to Sinks on any number of occasions and he’s made it abundantly clear that Perkins has all but single handedly just about ruined his life. So I called Sinks to see if the comment was from him. He said it wasn’t. Since it had been posted a while that evening, I wondered if I should I write a comment refuting the bogus post or just kill it. Comment killed – too confusing.
Recently I wrote a column bagging on the Cranberries concert at the Midland. My criticism was directed at the band – not the venue – for the band’s lack of chemistry and erratic, hit and miss song selection.
One commenter chided that I must have bagged on the show because the Midland was not an advertiser.
Hello, concert reviews reflect on the artist not the venue. And if the poster had a little bigger thinking cap, he or she might have noticed that Midland manager Larry Hovick writes for this site. His bio is posted here for crying out loud.
So I killed it – it was dumb.
We’ve had our share of nut balls too. People who appear to be cyber stalking. And graphically disgusting, libelous or ridiculously untrue and/or just plain stupid posts may disappear. Who needs ‘em? Who cares?
I think it’s clear that we’re fairly liberal in enabling folks online avatars to make complete and utter fools of themselves. Oh we get our share of thoughtful posts and comments too. Greg Hall’s readers, for example.
Some posters have worried in the comments section that if people go too far, comments might have to to be registered, verified, edited even. Like the letters in the Star.
Bottom line: unlike some sites, we allow anonymous comments and few of them get cut. But understand that we’re not running a comments section safe haven for losers and/or the clued out.
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Jesus H. Christ, Hearne.
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:46 pm
Anonymous keeps it real, but of course it also forces you to be baby sit a lil. By not requiring a sign you are hearing/reading closer to the truth. Politically incorrect though it may be, it is closer to the truth.
and ….. we know, that you know who people are, you can see the IP adrresses.
Great blog, keep up the great work.
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:53 pm
“While I write for the Johnson County Sun, Wednesday Sun in Missouri, Platte County Landmark up Parkville way and The Hills for residents of Mission Hills and Sunset Hill, I’m pretty much laying it down daily here at KC Confidential.com.”
you are a KC stud hearne. You have my, and I am sure others, admiration, please keep up the good work : )
You did a great job ( although it must have been horrifying ) to post your story on the DUI, only to have the fkn asshioles came in and heckle you, after you put yourslef out there ….. That was pretty manly, good jod.
Heck I dont even like to use the same name to avoid heckles, but you put yourself out there … YOU ARE THE MAN!!
December 4th, 2009 at 10:11 am
“But understand we are not running a comment section safe haven for losers”
Then how do you explain Jojo and Tony?
I also admire your transparency in your life.
December 4th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Haters’ where…..no kidding….I had not noticed
December 4th, 2009 at 11:47 am
Thanks, unknown loser. How do I explain Jojo and Tony? Tony’s not part of the comments section – that I know of. Plus he puts his name behind everything he writes. Jojo is another matter. Frankly I don’t see every comment but there have been comments that have been taken down for being in ridiculously poor taste. Perhaps we need to do a better job of monitoring.
December 4th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Will you please explain Tony?
December 4th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Be happy to. But first allow me to reveal the secrets of the Bermuda Triangle and figure out why I just didn’t turn around and go back home on my DUI night after that black cat raced across my path on the way to Jardine’s
December 4th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
hehehehehe : )
you are a good man hearne.
I do find it interesting that so few have commented on the thread.
December 4th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
OK seriously, can I explain Tony. I dunno, could try I suppose. Just one man’s opinion, of course. Tony is a provocateur. He’s also a man who is very passionate about KCMO politics and community issues. And he is very passionate about his writing. Imagine the workload he takes on every single day for ZERO pay. And here’s one you would not expect; he is – if you met him – one of the world’s nicest guys. I cant tell you how many people at KC Confidential had these way unflattering notions about Tony and were stunned after they met him at one of our workshops. One of his more controversial posts recently was about going to die at the hospice. Granted it had some rough edges to it, but the story behind the story is he was there visiting his grandmother and truly was wildly impressed by how nice it was.
December 4th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
come on hearne, I believed the Bermuda triangle comment more, nice guy??? HA I say … Are you trying to convince that flamer is a nice guy?? … good grief, have you ever read his flaming words??, all he does is try to stir up shit so people will comment at him, then he does not evne reply. He is a professional flamer, unless as you say, he does not get paid??? … so …. he is just an amateur flamer? hehehehehe ; )
ok ok …. I believe,,,,I WANT TO BELIVE ,,,, after all, you are hearne,,,and as they say…
“In hearne we trust”
..or something like that ; )
December 4th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Hearne, way to go. I read this site and Tony’s. Both share a side of KC that the Star and News Stations don’t. If people don’t like the site or the way it is run, then don’t visit it. It is that simple.
December 4th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
YEAH… it is that simple!!
…. it is simple, Steve …
I LIKE PIZZA!!! …. PIZZA IS GOOD …. gonna put this pizza in my wallet, for later,, cuz I like pizza …. BYE STEVE.
(quoting #3)
December 4th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Hearne, I’m an online junkie. I love the way the web allows interaction and feedback from multiple sources. But I’ve noticed the looser the registration process for posting, the lower the quality of replys/posts. I’d set this thing up so there’s a preapproval process to post. You can post under any name you want but you must submit a viable land line phone number or street address. These wouldn’t be posted but KCConfidential would have them. Then use ur discretion on banning trolls, caustics and trash mongers.
Too much additional work? Nope. You could run online elections for board managers. Have your readers self police here. I’d volunteer for such duties. Most of us want you to succeed.
KCConfidential is the future. Go, Hearne, Go!
December 4th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Great idea about names and addresses, but, that is not enough, why stop there?
You should also require people send in their passports and/or drivers license, along with fingerprints and and police record they may have. Actually, that is not enough.
You should also require posters to submit to DNA to prove who they are, and you should require everyone to buy a retinal scanner so we know that someone is not just using another persons account.
It is essential to the integrity of the superior race to …. ACTUNG ACTUNG BANNED BANNNED …
Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
Über alles in der Welt,
Wenn es stets zu Schutz und Trutze
Brüderlich zusammenhält.
Von der Maas bis an die Memel,
Von der Etsch bis an den Belt,
|: Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
Über alles in der Welt!
December 5th, 2009 at 12:45 am
If Tony is a hard core latino how come he doesn’t pronounce his name bo-tay-oh? Bo-tel-oh, rhymes with jello would be an Italian surname.
Tony may be passionate about local politics but his writing has never effected any sort of change. He has no influence. He ain’t no Matt Drudge. Tony doesn’t seem to have the intellectual horsepower to offer any real solutions. Anyone can throw stones and point out problems. The genius is in being able to offer thought provoking solutions. He has never exhibited the ability to properly source facts or opinions, relying only on his limited and very immature world view. The fact that he does all he does for free is proof that people find no credible value in his work. Recently calling Jopo’s wife a heifer and fat is a classic example of Tony being Tony. It doesn’t require a PHD in psychology to realize that Tony has some real serious self esteem and self loathing issues. If Geraldo Rivera is a 10 on the latino journalist scale Tony would be a negative 5. While I do find his ignorance amusing at times he is Goofus to your Gallant.
December 5th, 2009 at 10:08 am
hearne appreciate your back and forth on this post and explanation. Thank You have a great weekend
December 5th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
Could you please cut rude and disgusting comments from rick aimed at moi? Being witty and intelligent is one thing but being vulgar is a whole new ballgame. I am probably the only woman blogger from what I can tell and I can take the heat in the kitchen but sometimes he is over the top! Thanks Hearne!
December 7th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Mermaid would you be surprised to learn i’m a woman. One that does not whine….. You attack people. Me, Rick, Craig, etc. But you get upset when you get hit back?? Rick is very mild compared to others. Like me complains about the cussing. So where you find rude, disgusting over the top,…….well you obviously have confused his posts with your own and Jojo’s. You are just mad because he blows you up when you strike. Two words of advice. Don’t strike. Please take your cheerleader outfit and prissy attitude and go home.
December 7th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
I checked. The last exchange you had with rick mermaid was when he ate you up for you wanting to call people out in specific you saying Glazer was making up posts. NOW, you want him cut out. Of course you do. You can dish it out but can’t take it. “get off my case a**hole”. So now you want to whine to Hearne. Reminds me of an old let it to beaver episode (no pun intended) where the girl in class kept picking on the Beaver but when he shot back she started crying and complained to the teacher that the Beave was picking on her. Please remember folks not all women are like Mermaid.
December 7th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Hey Last Word rick is disrespectful and so are you. If I don’t like the smut rick puts out then so be it. I can ask Hearne to remove it if I want.
December 8th, 2009 at 6:44 am
Waaaaaaaaaaaa. And I can take my ball and go home if I don’t get my way. A real life Margret from Dennis the Menace. Craig what did u ever see in this chick?
December 8th, 2009 at 6:45 am
She wouldn’t even make Tiger Woods list and he obviously has no standards.