Sorting it all Out Michael Kaplan's random stuff of dubious value Be sure to read the disclaimer here first!
Robert Scoble has a nearly famous policy about comments on his blog -- he never deletes them. He lets people vent and rant and leak out whatever ectoplasm or vomit or whatever they are going to spew out on the comment page. And he does not delete them. Even if they are anonymous. Or maybe it is especially when they are anonymous?
Me? I am not nearly as tolerant as he is, as my comment policy indicates. It is not that I mind when people disagree with me -- that happens all the time. It is just that I prefer there to be a bit more dignity....
Anyway, apparently some bozo started posting comments in his name, which inspired a post that Robert did entitled Trolls go over the line:
The trolls are out of hand. Now they are impersonating me on my comments. I will delete any comments that are made in my name that aren't mine. Just gonna take me a while to do it cause they are over on Channel 9 doing the same thing. Ahh, the fun. I won't delete any comment not made in my name, but doing it in my name is over the line, sorry.
The trolls are out of hand. Now they are impersonating me on my comments. I will delete any comments that are made in my name that aren't mine. Just gonna take me a while to do it cause they are over on Channel 9 doing the same thing. Ahh, the fun.
I won't delete any comment not made in my name, but doing it in my name is over the line, sorry.
It seemed like an interesting place to draw the line. Interesting, and maybe even a little bit odd.
I mean, if someone started posting as Robert (or anyone) on other blogs, that would seem to me to be pretty obnoxious. Would he ask the hosts of the other blogs to take action to remove the posts, especially if the person was choosing to be very offensive? This is hardly a theoretical point; as I mentioned in this post I had to get such a comment removed from amazon.com when someone tried to fake a post from a former colleague of mine in PSS.
And more importantly (if his answer to that question is YES), if someone complains to him that some jerk is posting in their name on Robert's blog and asks him to remove the imposter's comments, would he?
Just trying to understand if the line is drawn in such a way to protect the integrity of Robert's blog, the integrity of Robert on his blog, of the integrity or Robert everywhere he hangs out (which was, at last count, approximately everywhere!).
As I said, it seems like a really odd place to draw the line, given his previously stated policies. The notion of a policy that says "post anything you like here, as long as my name is not taken in vain here" has a real scent of something on it. Ego, perhaps? :-) Maybe the name "Robert Scoble" is rare enough that he is the only one, but such a claim smacks of ego, too. :-)
It would not work for me since there are other Michael Kaplans in the world, some of whom actually send me mail from time to time....
Or will Robert recognize that the more attention he pays to the troll, the more interest he will generate in the dork's campaign?