In defense of our readers

We were graced to be the subject of a post over at Mark Shea’s blog wherein we were given some unsolicited advice on how to run our comboxes:

In the same way, nasty and abusive combox chatter drives out normal decent people. You wind up with abuse-dominated conversations where quiet ordinary people would not dare to tread lest they become the next victim.

Good advice, I’d say, for any blog–advice that certainly would have been welcomed by us with alacrity had it been freestanding. But that, apparently, wasn’t sexy enough. In one of those moments of irony and hypocrisy that can only transpire in blogland, Shea proceeded to annex a rather unwarranted attack on Michael Iafratre, one of our contributors, calling him a “jackass” and a chieftain of “jerks.” Apparently, Shea’s initial thought was that while vitriol and abuse-dominated conversations do not belong in a Vox Nova combox, they find a hospitable host at Catholic and Enjoying It! Whatever. Since being called on this, Shea has edited his original post, which still targets Michael Iafrate as the perpetrator of hatred but does so without the name calling. Of course, despite this change, Shea still shines the spotlight of blog justice upon us:

I have corrected the post to focus on the wrong actions which have occurred at Vox Nova and which, so far, have been given no acknowledgement whatever by perps. My apologies for the insulting language, not least because it afforded an opportunity for those guilty of abuse at Vox Nova to make excuse and deny responsibility instead of fixing their blog, which really needs to be fixed precisely *because* I think they have some very valuable things to say, but are frittering away the chance by alienating their audience.

Let’s pay close attention to this apology. Shea seems to feel wronged because we haven’t acknowledged his apology (do apologies have to have such conditions?). He also explicitly admits that the apology comes “not least because” his attack on Michael I. gave us reason to overlook his original advice. That’s right, read closely. Shea is sorry because his intentions backfired, not because he feels bad about calling Michael I. a “jackass.” Well, Shea, I doubt Michael I. will accept your apology. May I offer you some return advice? Generally, an apology stems out of concern for a wrong you have done. True contrition is not concerned about accessory matters (e.g., how your actions affect the reception of your advice). A certain degree of abnegation is required to shift away from only remembering your own contributions to a debate.

With respect to our comboxes, the contributors at Vox Nova have discussed the problem privately for months in an online forum that we have run since we began the blog. A number of possible solutions have been posited. One contributor suggests we close comments altogether. This has not been a popular proposal among our contributors. Others have proposed heavy moderation to weed out the more vicious and inappropriate comments. Still, others have suggested that our readers should register before their comments will post. I tend to think that, in order to heighten the dialogue and respect, that we need to set the example as contributors, refraining from bullying and name-calling ourselves. I admit that sometimes I feel frustrated when reading comments, and I allow myself to descend to crafting blanket generalizations, dishing out ridicule, and swiftly dismissing otherwise interesting thoughts. My hope is that if our contributors (and some of our contributors do already exhibit an admirable level of patience and charity) set the example, perhaps our more problematic commentators will follow suit.

But in defense of the readers who are responsible for the bulk of the content of our comboxes, I disagree with Shea’s caricature. For every squalid combox discussion, there are several that are tranquil, respectful, and thoughtful. I find most discussions here edifying. Not a few readers have forced me to return to doctrinal sources and to expand the purview of my socio-political ideas. Now, I can get into it occasionally with readers such as SB, Zippy, and Bill Bannon (among others), but I really do appreciate their presence at this blog and I am glad they make their voices heard. I believe that the civility of my conversation with them is my responsibility, not theirs, for I am one of the hosts of this blog. To that responsibility, I must give more effort.

So a little advice for Shea: If you would like your advice to be heard and heeded, it is best to offer it without adjunct criticisms and name calling. And if you would like your apologies to be acknowledged and accepted, offer them without conditions of self-preservation and accusation.