:: netwoman's blog ::

Comment Wars

Halley blogged her "Comments on Comments", citing Glenn Fleishman's thoughts on comments.

"This was an interesting thread because it shows the best and worst aspects of commenting. I typically see seven kinds of comments on my blogs:
1. Intelligent, germane remarks, which may be supportive or critical of what I have posted or, if a link, to the story in question.
2. Expansive remarks that provide more detail about the subject in question, often from the principals (cf. Mena, above)
3. Discussions that form in the comments section that are germane and useful to the discussion at hand (everyone in this thread)
4. Off-topic remarks or poorly written remarks that don't extend and expand on the comment.
5. Ad hominem attacks, rudeness, stupidity. (These posters always claim, when confronted, to not be exhibiting this behavior; viz., above.)
6. People who don't understand that the comments are for specific articles and post totally weird things, like requests to order books or sell stuff.
7. Comment spam."

These are interesting, but a bit generic I think. I bet Lauren could refine this list for female bloggers.

If you go look at the comments over at Jeff Jarvis' blog, there are also some interesting issues.

One of the issues is whether deleting comments is considered "censorship". If you have seen some of the nasty comments that some female bloggers get - feministe has some painful ones - you may be more likely to delete them because they are so rude, personal and hateful. Why would you keep these? There are some women who keep them to show how totally ridiculous and misogynist people can be. It is a personal choice I think...

Also see on Jeff comments - Shelley's charge that his enforcement of comments are gendered. This is also interesting. I have seen in other blog comments that women's comments are often ignored, then when a man makes the same comment he is vaidated. The when women speak up - they are being whiny and bitchy. See Shelley's
reflections on this.:

"Maybe I was rude, but hostile and nasty? Hmmm.

So my question is to you to review the comments, and let me know -- did you perceieve my response to Jarvis as hostile, rude, and nasty? If so, why? If not, why not? Glenn Fleishman seems to agree with Jarvis, but then, they also seem to know each other.

Is that also a factor in perception? How much we seem to 'know' the other person, or how much we value them?

Finally, and this is a sensitive one -- does gender influence this perception? After all, aren't girls supposed to be sugar and spice and everything nice. Is a critical comment given by a woman perceived to be more negative than the same type of comment given by a man?"

Good question.

posted by Netwoman @ 11:37 AM