An Intelligent Take on the HBO Debacle and Blogging

I came across this article over at KansasCity.com’s TVbarn. Aaron takes a level-headed look at Buzz Bissinger’s unprofessional and profane tirade on HBO, and points out an important issue.

Where does the line get drawn between commentor and poster with regards to a blog’s identity? Comments or no comments? Moderated or not?

If you haven’t seen the video we’re talking about it’s here on deadspin.com. Buzz Bissinger ironically criticizes deadspin for being trash, but does so by swearing, interuption, resorting to logical fallacies (like ad homimen arguments, appeal to antiquity, hasty generalization and more) and acting extremely childish. I’m not sure how Buzz thought childish behavior would win over any supporters.

A blog can be interactive, allowing comments and can develop into an online community. All too often people associate the members of that community too closely with the founders, or the blog writers. It’s a tough balancing act, allowing the public to participate and giving your readers a voice while trying to maintain a separate voice for the writer.

I only receive a few comments here and over at http://pinstripers.blogspot.com my baseball blog but I read each and every one. I delete any obvious spam and would moderate or delete anything that was too obnoxious. I think most people who read blogs and are somewhat internet savvy understand how comments and moderation works, but a lot of people, especially an older generation (like Bob Costas in the video), don’t quite seem to have a handle on it.