While most commenters on green LA girl bring interesting perspectives to the blog, once in a while I get really dumb comments. Spammish, self-promotional comments top my pet peeve list, but anonymous derogatory comments take a close second.
The latest: A commenter so oversensitive about living in the valley he called me an ass for not knowing one of its areas. Note that many valley-dwellers seem hypersensitive about their unpopular ‘hood — I tweeted about that a while back and got some funny responses — but that these other commenters weren’t anonymous and so didn’t bug me.
Anyway — A topic as silly as whether the valley’s worth knowing well isn’t much of a concern, but when the discussion’s about more serious stuff, derogatory comments that shield themselves under the cloak of anonymity become a bit of a problem. For example, I have a certain repeat anonymous commenter at an unnamed nonprofit that’ll take pithy jabs at fair trade advocates he/she disagrees with, without ever revealing his/her name or affiliation with said nonprofit.
What do you think — Should I delete those along with the spam, or leave them be?
Poll closes midnight on Monday
I feel this issue bears deeper examination than a simple poll. What if you are a coward making a courageous comment? Where is the valley?
Psyche!
I usually delete them. However, if they aren’t overtly bigoted, and they’re in the middle of a active discussion where the other commenters might respond, sometimes I leave them.
Comment by Anonymous Thompson — September 20, 2008 @ 12:14 pm
What rules are you following to determine if they are worth deleting? Its hard to trust that all the time in every situation. Things that are subjective, and personal, and connected to emotions aren’t a good basis to draw from. Let it heard. We can all choose for ourselves what to pay attention to. Its not saying you aren’t right about determining if its deregatory or not, or that I agree, its just not necessarily up to you to filter for us.
Comment by Siobhan — September 20, 2008 @ 2:20 pm
I guess to me, making fun of the Valley just seems…tired. Actual people live there, and while it may not be to everyone’s taste, it has plenty of positives as well as negatives. In fact, Mr. Nonymous and I moving there as soon as we close escrow, precisely because it’s not hip (to me, an awful lot of hip is a waste of time and effort).
But so what? The L.A. area is big enough for all of us. Hopefully we’re big enough to know that with enough confidence to not make fun of each other.
As for comments, I guess my rule would be: does it add something to the discussion, even if it’s snarky or a little hostile? Does it invoke a knee-jerk reaction? If any of these are true, then possibly the comment is worth leaving up. And it’s always worth questioning the validity of a knee-jerk reaction.
Comment by KateNonymous — September 20, 2008 @ 5:31 pm
To reiterate — I’m only talking about ANONYMOUS comments that are ALSO derogatory (i.e. call people names). Comments that are just one or the other aren’t under discussion here.
Comment by Siel — September 20, 2008 @ 5:41 pm
That sounds like (in the case of the Valley-related posts) you’re saying, “Sure, I insulted them and their home, but their return insults didn’t have names attached.”
If people are randomly posting things that are rude and don’t add to the conversation, then it’s spam, and I don’t see why that should have to stay up.
On the other hand, if people are responding to your words, that’s a reaction to your post, whether or not they sign their names.
Comment by KateNonymous — September 20, 2008 @ 6:50 pm
Yr hilar — I’m adding you to the list of valley people oversensitive ’bout where they live. Dude — I’m not INSULTING “them and their home” — It’s just silly making fun, sorta like the silly rivalry between USC and UCLA.
Chill out — and just make fun back. Tell us how much less cool the westside is than the valley — tho I think we all know that’s a rather tough argument to make….
Comment by Siel — September 20, 2008 @ 7:05 pm
That’s fine, but I think you’re reading things into my post that aren’t there. And maybe that’s what’s happening with the people who are responding to your other posts.
But even if something is funny when it starts out, it may not be when it’s repeated over and over. I remember spilling a soft drink in high school, and my friend’s little sister gave me grief about it. It was funny–but when she was still doing it six months later, kind of boring and annoying.
I don’t yet live in the Valley, BTW. At the moment, we’re on the Westside. But I guess that’s just more evidence that USC alumni can’t read. :)
Comment by KateNonymous — September 20, 2008 @ 7:15 pm
I guess yr case is more accurately termed pre-exile to the valley anxiety :P
Comment by Siel — September 20, 2008 @ 7:25 pm
Honestly? I can’t get there soon enough. We’re really looking forward to it.
Comment by KateNonymous — September 20, 2008 @ 7:27 pm
Perhaps it’s that I am just a kneejerk liberal, but I tend to think that the antidote to mean-spirited speech is more speech. For example, your post today, linking to these comments makes me see how ridiculous they are.
I suggest that you don’t delete them (which could likely make them try harder), but occasionally do a round-up blog of the obstreperous texts to share them and to shine light on them.
Regarding the Valley… I, frankly, don’t know it as well as I should… but there are a lot of cool spots on the LA River there… plus great tributaries. Also, there are fantastic oak-lined streets. I find it fun to explore there… I wouldn’t make fun of it, unless I knew it well.
Comment by Joe Linton — September 20, 2008 @ 9:43 pm
It’s your blog, and you can take whatever stance you want with your posts. If people don’t like what you’re writing, they can simply stop reading your blog. People have a right to leave comments, just as you have the right to delete those comments. It’s your blog.
That said, I’ll comment below, and you can delete or not delete it.
Being open-minded never hurt anyone, right? (I’ve lived in Santa Monica for twelve years, but often visit relatives in the Valley.) Saying something like, “Where exactly is Winnetka?” is a bit ignorant–and, it would seem, unnecessarily derogatory. What’s the point in putting a negative spin on areas other than Santa Monica? I don’t understand.
Where you live doesn’t make you trendy or, um, cool. Anyone who thinks so should, in your words, get over it. Perhaps you included.
Comment by John Callendar — September 22, 2008 @ 2:23 pm
I’m usually a fan of GreenLAGirl, but…Studio City is “the middle of nowhere?” Wow, girl. You should really expand your horizons. You know, get out of Santa Monica every now and then?
Comment by Anna — September 22, 2008 @ 3:56 pm
greenlagirl: it is a little weird that you feel the need to make fun of and insult an area in which you don’t even live. mean-spirited? insecure? weird.
i’m sure that people who live in the Valley don’t spend as much time hating it, hating themselves for living there, or feeling like they are uncool as you think they do. seems to me like you’re the one who wants Valley people to feel uncool. Weird.
Comment by Shana — September 22, 2008 @ 11:54 pm
Why is Greenlagirl so concered with being “cool” anyway? Kind of sad.
Comment by Sharon Tade — September 23, 2008 @ 2:31 pm
Lest readers think the valley’s only got people with no sense of humor, rest assured that the comments from “John Callendar,” “Anna,” and “Sharon Tade” all came from the same IP addy. Whoever you are — Quit that, as it makes it seem like people in the valley have nothing to do but take on fake aliases in a desperate attempt to polish up the Valley’s image. Your IP’s now flagged for moderation.
For Shana, in case you are an individual person: Think of it this way — Not too long ago, Malingering did a photo post titled “Santa Monica Goes Green, Weirdness Emerges.” I suppose I could’ve bitched out Malingering about how she shouldn’t “make fun of and insult an area.” Or I could try to make some “objective” argument about how not everyone in Santa Monica is weird and that her photos were not representative of the city population at large.
Or I could just laugh — which is what I did. After all, we do have some unique-looking characters in Santa Monica — and the post was hilar to look at.
Valley aside: By popular vote, anonymous comments that are also derogatory will henceforth get deleted.
Comment by Siel — September 23, 2008 @ 3:18 pm