Monday, November 12, 2012

General rules on comments on an Indological blog (like mine)

I do not believe in censuring thoughts and in general I will publish whatever is sent to the blog.

However, I expect from the reader that he or she is making a point.
If they want to insult me, they can use my personal email (just click on my name in the left column).
If they want to warn other people because of some mistake I made, this is more than fine (see, e.g., Dominik Wujastyk's comment here) and it has several advantages, because it makes other people aware of my mistakes. However, in order to fruitfully contribute to the discussion, they should point out what the mistake is. Just writing "it is all wrong" does not help the reader. If you think it is important to tell me that I am wrong and you don't want to explain why, you should send your comment to me alone.

UPDATE: The same holds also for replies to other comments. I probably feel some hidden pleasure in reading criticisms (of the sort "I can learn from it"), but I know that this does not apply to everyone else. Thus, I will strive to create an atmosphere suitable for fruitful discussions and might even delete comments if they seem to aim just at offending others, without making any contribution.

What do you think? Which comments help you?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I looked back at your last post and what the comments were. I would delete them without a second thought. The guy is clearly "trolling" at your expense, so why give him the platform? You put yourself out there more than other Indologists by frequently posting your thoughts and ideas. We may not always agree, but we should respect the free exchange of ideas that you are offering.

Unknown said...

I completely agree with you. Cavil (vitanda) should not be allowed. Only constructive discourse (vada) is welcome.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the two other commentators: mutual respect is essential in a conversation. And by insulting the host, one insults her guests as well.
G.

Warner Belanger said...

Those aren't comments. That's verbal assault. I'd delete them and ban the user (if possible) without a second thought too.

Unknown said...

Correct observation, Phil the Philologist.

windwheel said...

I am the guilty party whom everybody, with impeccable taste, considers a 'troll'.
Yet, Dr. Freschi has not banned me. Why not?
The answer is that she has a big heart and does not want to embarrass even the most stupid and vicious person.
What is to be done with Dr. Freschi?
Comrade Sudipta is clearly right- we should behead her! People with big heart- they are class enemy!
@Phil the Philologist- guys, I'm not totally stupid, Dr. Freschi is thinking in new ways on her blog - but is expressing herself in old ways in what she writes because writing is about collacational availability cascades and has that dynamic, that hysteresis- I'm not a troll, I'm motivated by love and hope.
I've got a half Italian son- whose Mum was an Indologist. (I'm Hindu Tamil)
Can't you understand that a person like me will request Dr. Freschi to leave her 'drawing room politics' and engage with real Research Programs?
You people are like the Indian National Congress prior to the advent of Gandhi. Everything polite and logical. Meanwhile, as Naoroji had pointed out long ago 'shakkar ki churhi'- knife of sugar- was operating.
Anyway, it behooves me as much elder to you, to apologize and bow down in front of you. By God's Grace, though doubled over to take the dust off your 'New Brahmin' feet- it seems I am still a giant compared to you.

May I suggest, that you sedulous troll hunters
1) learn polite Skt
2) become capable of making meaningful comments.

windwheel said...

Let me be clear- there is a lot of skt. which is just bad. I can recognize schools of badness- but there also just collocations which are Mlechha.
I write Sanskrit- what other language do I have? I'm not Muslim, I'm not Catholic, my own mother and father did not allow me to learn Tamil because, in 1968, it seemed my particular caste was going to face exile, if not a pogrom, in our our own country.
You people write self regarding trivialities. Why?
Have you no intellectual energy to spare to make Skt. not WORTHLESS SHIT only fit for the thoughts of a Sudipta Munsi or Phil the Philologist?
Have you guys made any intelligent comment ever?
Do you actually know fuck?
Okay, thought so.
Yeah, I'm the troll under Dr. Freschi's bridge. Not that her first book is a bridge- it is a pier to nowhere- but her second book or her third book or her tenth book will be that bridge and I'd be as happy as a gargoyle on Notre Dame to be a troll under that bridge.

Basically guys, Sudipta you witless worthless shite in particular, go fuck yourself.

displayname said...

I would say: you have not only a right, but also a responsibility to delete such comments. Otherwise, people will begin to dread scrolling down below your blog post to even glance at the comments, let alone post comments of their own. (See also the comments on the post after this one: threats etc. must be deleted without a second thought.)

elisa freschi said...

Dear Displayname,

I do not want to delete comments, unless a) they are obviously spam, b) it is really necessary. Therefore, I deleted the ones which were offensive against another commenter, but I hesitate to delete the ones which are just about me. I did not realise that readers might have found them dreadful, too. Thanks for letting me know.

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