Press Action

Monday, March 29, 2004

Noam Chomsky's Online Evolution

Read full article...

Posted 03/29 |

Comments:

You must register to comment.

Nice work Mark. I had a feeling that Chomsky didn’t really have much to the do with the setup.

I have noticed an interesting trend regarding blogs on the net. In many of the right wing blogs and “democratic party” blogs (ie Atrios etc) I notice their is a lot of vulgarity and “trolling” of the comment features.

Amongst the left leaning blogs, there is much less trolling but it always seems to be much more vulgar. This could be because the trolls simply arent educated to the current state of affairs.

However, I think the left needs to lighten up. How is it that hardline GOP bloggers can laugh about this vulgarity while much of the Left goes to censorship (ie Albert (ZMAG) & As`ad has kicked people off). Would Chomsky support this tactic? He does have the famous quote about supporting free speech even for those you disagree with.

So when the left talks about “engaging the youth” I don’t get it. Through censorship? At least vulgarity means that these people care enough to show up and write something. It shows they want to learn.

So then these confused rabblerousers are kicked out of an elite lefist club...And we wonder why they vote for Bush and join cults?

Come on lefties...LIGHTEN UP!

Posted by Kap Fulton from on 03/29 at 06:23 PM

Kap,

You raise some good points. If it weren’t a systems or technical issue, why couldn’t ZNet let the Chomsky blog comment feature remain in place, even if the site was inundated with anti-Chomsky comments? Blogs are meant to be interactive and a forum for debate. But Chomsky’s ideas are such an emotional lightning rod all across the political spectrum that perhaps the ZNet folks just didn’t want to deal with the volume of vitriol the site was probably receiving.

Posted by Mark Hand from on 03/29 at 06:47 PM

I am all for free speech, but how about this: I like to think of a blog as inviting the world into your living room to discuss the issues.

If someone starts ranting and raving and basically acting like a lunatic in your living room you would probably ask them to leave eventually. Why can’t bloggers have that prerogative in cyberspace? A blogger can invite the world in but they don’t have an *obligation* to offer them a forum.

I have been involved in electronic communication for a long time (Anyone remember BBSs? My dad ran a dial-up board called Dimnah way back when) and find it amazing how people love to hide in their anonymity. Cowards in many respects who would never consider making the kind of remarks or criticisms to someone face to face.

I think comments should be relevant to the topic at hand and further the discussion. And with that, since I am not really talking about Chomsk’s blog, I take my leave…

Posted by Lucy from on 03/29 at 07:12 PM

As`ad doesn’t kick people off; he refuses to do so. But he SHOULD; he gets some NASTY folks on there. Some of them are so bad that they have driven away the reasonable folks.

Posted by C from on 03/29 at 09:29 PM

C,

The feelings you have expressed are the same justification the state uses to censor news, TV, and other media. Yet, words and letters are just symbols. Simply editing the human experience. Let’s be honest, trolls are simply trying to get attention by editing their symbols in a fashion to warrant a reaction.

Lucy,

I don’t view my home as a jail where guests must obey my authority. This whole topic is about control. The state wants it. Webmasters want it. It’s about controlling the behavior of others because you have a preconceived notion of what is “acceptable” and what isn’t.

Personally, I always feel I can learn much more from those people with whom I disagree (even if I don’t enjoy their company).

Posted by Kap Fulton from on 03/29 at 11:16 PM

Bullshit. Blogs are not federally funded (or state or locally funded spaces).

Trolls have no life. I choose not to hang with bigots in real time, why would I “hang” with them in cyberspace?

And one can learn nothing from racist and sexist invective. The people you learn from are those who seek to find facts to support what they are sayign, not those who resort to petty attacks.

Posted by C from on 03/30 at 09:42 AM

PS The reason why the spinning that Fox does is censorship is because they are doing it on our airwaves. The airwaves are owned by us: the people of the United States.

Posted by C from on 03/30 at 12:44 PM

As most of you know, I am a big George Bush supporter. I would much like to see Noam Chomsky retire and move into something more appropriate to his experience. Good opportunities exist in both the food service and telemarketing industries.

Posted by Eric Smith from on 04/01 at 01:02 PM

Mr Smith,
I fear that you have this site confused with anncoulter.com

Posted by Brandy from on 04/02 at 05:20 PM