#11 (23 Things)

Q: What do you like / dislike about leaving comments?

A: Belonging firmly to the "if you can't say something nice, say nothing at all" club, I take commenting as an opportunity to admire and encourage good work, offer assistance or advice -(but ONLY if it is solicited!), and otherwise make the internet a nice place to hang out in.

I dislike the usual things, trolls, sockpuppets, dullards, oafs, lackwits and lickspittles. Someone out there is manufacturing them in job lots. This must cease!

Q: How did you feel when you received your first comment?

A: Since it was: "I think ur teh ghey", I was flattered and amused. To have a L33T-babbling dunderhead work so hard to communicate that he didn't consider us on the same 'level' made me enormously glad!

Q: Why do you think commenting is so important in online communities?

A: Encouragement! It is HARD to write without waffling, cavilling, disclaiming and otherwise wimping around a web page. Sometimes you will be completely wrong and have to apologize!

I advise you to do so immediately. It will be forgotten almost instantly, and you will be a better person for it.

Humility: It can be seriously lifechanging to find that you are not truly an omnipotence in your area of expertise! The experience will also make you a better person


Q: What might this mean for students who share their writing online?

A: Children can be incredibly blunt, cruel, merciless and unforgiving. Teaching them to comment as though they were NOT anonymous is vital. A cruel post can have devastating effects, viz; the story of Megan Meier. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21844203/

We would not like to have that happen again, please.

I believe that the day is coming when simply identifying yourself as "Wizbang1989" is not going to provide anonymity. You will be held responsible for your words, or you will not be allowed to play on the internet.