Monday, January 11, 2010

Labour and risk aversion

This post could get me banned from Red Alert because people do get banned from there, quite frequently.

Yesterday Trevor Mallard posted a brief reaction to Kerre Woodham's column in the Sunday Herald. In full;

Kerre Woodham’s column in the HoS today promotes letting or even encouraging kids to take some risks.

Too often risk averse parents and schools wrap kids in cotton wool to the point where they don’t develop the power to judge risk and make their own decisions.


That was it. Plus 38 comments including a number which were deleted because they were offensive or off thread. The last comment is from Trevor;

expat – every now and again we do a more general post to test reaction to Red Alert and the style people want. What comes through very clearly is that users want a much tighter moderation policy here than at Kiwiblog or The Standard. That includes staying on thread, language and tone. It means that lots of individuals who don’t feel safe on other blogs feel ok commenting here.

That is the end of the debate on moderation on this thread. All further off thread comments will be deleted.

I couldn't post my reaction to this at the site because my comment would be "thread-jacking" as was expat's. But do you see the delightful irony in Trevor's closing remarks?

(While I am on the subject (I think???:-)), a commentor on this blog was upset about comments directed towards them and emailed me about it. There is very little I will delete in the way of comments. Many that are offensive are directed towards me anyway. Eventually I did remove the entire post because one commentor had gone too far. Otherwise I cannot and will not take responsibility for people upsetting one another in the comments section. They have to do that. There isn't a skerrick of authoritarianism in me.)

13 comments:

Andrei said...

Its not worth commenting on Red Alert, I have no issue with keeping language seemly or keeping abuse within bounds by setting boundaries.

But having posts deleted because the disagree with the premise of the post is out of line and that happened to me.

I posted hard facts that contradicted the original post was accused of trolling and the post deleted.

As far as I am concerned that was it - if Red Alert wants to be an echo chamber so be it. You wont find be frequenting it

Anonymous said...

As Henry Ford is supposed to have said of motor cars. "You can have any colour you want as long as its black."

Dirk

Anonymous said...

Mallard is so hypocritical. It's a shame that Goff or someone less aggressive than M doesn't run the Red Alert blog. I agree, a place to stay away from, unless like 'Spud', you are a non-thinking Labour cheerleader.

Anonymous said...

Mallard is so hypocritical. It's a shame that Goff or someone less aggressive than M doesn't run the Red Alert blog. I agree, a place to stay away from, unless like 'Spud', you are a non-thinking Labour cheerleader.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the link to Red Alert, first time I've visited. But with all the moderation it was pretty meaningless. Surely most of us are adults and can skip the inane and the political garbage. I doubt if I will bother to put RA in my favourites, let alone visit again.
jcuknz

pdm said...

As one of the people copping a ban on that thread all I did was:

1. Agree with Mallard that kids should be allowed to take risks and point out that Labour had 9 years to turn Political Correctness around - instead it grew.

The part after agreeing was deleted for being boring!!!!

2. I then challanged the deletion for being boring and repeated the comment.

That got me 1 month ban `to think about it'

3. Just before that I noticed DPF had a `smart alec' comment so I pointed out that he seemed to get preferential treatment at Red Alert.

Boom - ban increased to 3 months.

Not one swear word was used nor was I aggressive or offensive in any way.

pdm said...

I have just read your last para - the moaner wasn't Mallard was it? lol

Lindsay Mitchell said...

No pdm. Trevor Mallard has never commented here. Whereas you do, from memory civilly and constructively, so I was very surprised when you were banned.

Chuck Bird said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Oh DEAR! the infection is spreading from RA. [ or was that comment from Trevor :-) ]

jcuknz

Anonymous said...

Mallard should be exiled to the South Pole wearing summer clothes.

He is a complete waste of time and space.

pdm said...

Thank you Lindsay - I like to think I am always civil and I usually try to be either constructive or humorous. I guss sometimes I fail miserably on the humorous side.

Mark Ellis said...

Linday, I think no comment should ever be deleted even if offensive to other people.

I know it's your blog, but I believe in free speech, and the clash of ideas.

The best will always win, repression never ever works.