http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/ToniAnne/5222 I read the latest blog entry on Your Advocate: an editor's blog a few times and then pondered what I would say before I actually commented.  Maybe even now it won't come out the way I want it to - but I never promised you a real writer, either. I think that is what needs to be addressed first. Before blog entries and comments are flagged and possibly deleted, people have to remember that we are just people. Some of us are trained writers and some of us are professional writers, but most of us are just people who like to put words together and voice our opinions. I don’t have any kind of training or experience with writing outside of high school English and UIL News Writing. I actually loved it and wanted to pursue something in the field, but I joined the Army and it at went downhill from there. Then I found Xanga and was introduced to the wonderful world of blogging. Xanga.com was one of the FIRST blogging sites out there, and helped launch the “craze.” (That makes me feel so old.) With blogging and blogs came the notion that anyone can write about anything and it could be read by the masses (if they found it). Writers came out of the woodwork and people started getting famous for blogging. It is a fantastic concept, but I think that by putting strict rules on what you can and can’t write is tainting the concept of what blogging and blogs are all about. I also like to call it something else: censorship. In the particular blog entry that I am referencing, there is talk about the “duty of the journalist,” and “Members of the Society of Professional Journalists." Bloggers are not journalists. We are bloggers. Crazy as it may seem, there is a big difference. I know of bloggers who are journalists, or want to be journalists, but still – there is a difference. I am not a journalist. I don’t have to report in an unbiased way. I write what I want – when I want. That is the beauty of being a blogger and not a paid writer at a newspaper or something of the like. The cause of my irritation has to do with the proposed reasons a blog or comment may be deleted. First, a registered user or blogger has to report (flag) a comment or blog entry as offensive to them. Once flagged, the entry or comment is reviewed by an in-house ethics board at the Victoria Advocate. Here are the reasons in which comments or entries may be deleted: Pornography. Objectionable language (although we allow a little more leeway online where readers have a higher tolerance than in a family newspaper). Unfair attacks on a business or individual. These can be tough judgment calls that may require some discussion by members of our ethics board. Spam. Racism. Copyright infringement.   It is safe to say that pornography, spam, racism, and copyright infringement are obvious reasons someone’s words should be deleted. I don’t quite understand number 2 though.   They will allow “a little more leeway online” as far as profanity goes. I think that is just asking for a can of worms to be opened. Where do you start and stop the leeway bus?   I think that socially accepted objectionable words should not be allowed. You can’t really get across an intelligent point talking like a sailor, in my opinion anyway. As far as it not being a family newspaper – I know plenty of under 18 teens/kids who read the Advocate Online.   So… that one may backfire on you.   That just leaves us with number 3. I want to say this is a surprise, but I would be faking it. It is no secret that I have declared war on certain establishments in Victoria, but in doing so I have always written about things that really happened (as can be seen in my colorful archive...). I never embellished the truth, and I always “told it like it was.”   My question is this: If I write about a bad experience and tell people not to frequent the establishment anymore, will my entry be deemed offensive and deleted? Most blog entries are about experiences of one’s own life.   Most of my blog entries are about the sad state of customer service in our town. I have made big name restaurants pretty upset, but I have never deviated from the truth either. As they say, the truth hurts.   Where will the in-house ethics board draw the line? Will they be pressured from business owners who don’t want bad feedback or will the board delete only obvious false accusations and made up stories?   Will pictures and names of offenders be deemed offensive and considered an "unfair attack against an individual?"   I am all for rules and regulations. Contrary to what some believe, sensitive people and children/kids/tweens/teens read the Advocate Online, the blogs, and discussion forums.   Rules need to be in place.   However, if I take a picture of a manager at a fast food place who is paid to service me, and instead calls me a female dog, and then post it here telling of the events – will that entry be deleted?   I want to know how far this proposed “rule” goes and how far the ethics board will take it when discussing whether to delete blogs.   What do you guys think?   Most of all, Chris Cobler, what does this proposal mean to the people who want to bring to light the ever increasing problem of bad service in Victoria?   I want answers… and Twizzlers.   Also – can we please do something about the whole “type in this code to submit a comment” and the “you have to log in every 5 minutes” thing.   kthxbi. . I read the latest blog entry on Your Advocate: an editor's blog a few times and then pondered what I would say before I actually commented.  Maybe even now it won't come out the way I want it to - but I never promised you a real writer, either. I think that is what needs to be addressed first. Before blog entries and comments are flagged and possibly deleted, people have to remember that we are just people. Some of us are trained writers and some of us are professional writers, but most of us are just people who like to put words together and voice our opinions. I don’t have any kind of training or experience with writing outside of high school English and UIL News Writing. I actually loved it and wanted to pursue something in the field, but I joined the Army and it at went downhill from there. Then I found Xanga and was introduced to the wonderful world of blogging. Xanga.com was one of the FIRST blogging sites out there, and helped launch the “craze.” (That makes me feel so old.) With blogging and blogs came the notion that anyone can write about anything and it could be read by the masses (if they found it). Writers came out of the woodwork and people started getting famous for blogging. It is a fantastic concept, but I think that by putting strict rules on what you can and can’t write is tainting the concept of what blogging and blogs are all about. I also like to call it something else: censorship. In the particular blog entry that I am referencing, there is talk about the “duty of the journalist,” and “Members of the Society of Professional Journalists." Bloggers are not journalists. We are bloggers. Crazy as it may seem, there is a big difference. I know of bloggers who are journalists, or want to be journalists, but still – there is a difference. I am not a journalist. I don’t have to report in an unbiased way. I write what I want – when I want. That is the beauty of being a blogger and not a paid writer at a newspaper or something of the like. The cause of my irritation has to do with the proposed reasons a blog or comment may be deleted. First, a registered user or blogger has to report (flag) a comment or blog entry as offensive to them. Once flagged, the entry or comment is reviewed by an in-house ethics board at the Victoria Advocate. Here are the reasons in which comments or entries may be deleted: Pornography. Objectionable language (although we allow a little more leeway online where readers have a higher tolerance than in a family newspaper). Unfair attacks on a business or individual. These can be tough judgment calls that may require some discussion by members of our ethics board. Spam. Racism. Copyright infringement.   It is safe to say that pornography, spam, racism, and copyright infringement are obvious reasons someone’s words should be deleted. I don’t quite understand number 2 though.   They will allow “a little more leeway online” as far as profanity goes. I think that is just asking for a can of worms to be opened. Where do you start and stop the leeway bus?   I think that socially accepted objectionable words should not be allowed. You can’t really get across an intelligent point talking like a sailor, in my opinion anyway. As far as it not being a family newspaper – I know plenty of under 18 teens/kids who read the Advocate Online.   So… that one may backfire on you.   That just leaves us with number 3. I want to say this is a surprise, but I would be faking it. It is no secret that I have declared war on certain establishments in Victoria, but in doing so I have always written about things that really happened (as can be seen in my colorful archive...). I never embellished the truth, and I always “told it like it was.”   My question is this: If I write about a bad experience and tell people not to frequent the establishment anymore, will my entry be deemed offensive and deleted? Most blog entries are about experiences of one’s own life.   Most of my blog entries are about the sad state of customer service in our town. I have made big name restaurants pretty upset, but I have never deviated from the truth either. As they say, the truth hurts.   Where will the in-house ethics board draw the line? Will they be pressured from business owners who don’t want bad feedback or will the board delete only obvious false accusations and made up stories?   Will pictures and names of offenders be deemed offensive and considered an "unfair attack against an individual?"   I am all for rules and regulations. Contrary to what some believe, sensitive people and children/kids/tweens/teens read the Advocate Online, the blogs, and discussion forums.   Rules need to be in place.   However, if I take a picture of a manager at a fast food place who is paid to service me, and instead calls me a female dog, and then post it here telling of the events – will that entry be deleted?   I want to know how far this proposed “rule” goes and how far the ethics board will take it when discussing whether to delete blogs.   What do you guys think?   Most of all, Chris Cobler, what does this proposal mean to the people who want to bring to light the ever increasing problem of bad service in Victoria?   I want answers… and Twizzlers.   Also – can we please do something about the whole “type in this code to submit a comment” and the “you have to log in every 5 minutes” thing.   kthxbi. . en-us WOO-HOO, Mrs. ToniAnne is BACK, y'all!!!  LOVE this entry!  You raise some very intelligent, very interesting questions that I believe DO need to answered.  It's one thing to be conservative, but it's another thing entirely to go around censoring someone's words just because someone else took offense.  And honestly, all the reasons you mentioned above are why I have not made an effort to start blogging here at the Advocate site.  I don't particularly go around talking/writing like a sailor 24/7, but if I happen to be extremely upset about something and need to vent about it, I won't get flagged or any negative feedback from anyone at my current place if I do choose to talk/write like a sailor. Now, let's see if you actually get some answers to your questions.  :-) http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/ToniAnne/5222/#c_19501 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/ToniAnne/5222/#c_19501 WOO-HOO, Mrs. ToniAnne is BACK, y'all!!!  LOVE this entry!  You raise some very intelligent, very interesting questions that I believe DO need to answered.  It's one thing to be conservative, but it's another thing entirely to go around censoring someone's words just because someone else took offense.  And honestly, all the reasons you mentioned above are why I have not made an effort to start blogging here at the Advocate site.  I don't particularly go around talking/writing like a sailor 24/7, but if I happen to be extremely upset about something and need to vent about it, I won't get flagged or any negative feedback from anyone at my current place if I do choose to talk/write like a sailor. Now, let's see if you actually get some answers to your questions.  :-) Great points. Thanks for such thoughtful comments. And I would give you high marks for your writing, too. I'll take a little more time and respond in my next post. http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/ToniAnne/5222/#c_19503 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/ToniAnne/5222/#c_19503 Great points. Thanks for such thoughtful comments. And I would give you high marks for your writing, too. I'll take a little more time and respond in my next post. Couldn't agree more...or written it better.  Whenever rules allow for human interpretation, there will be discord because, thankfully, we all don't think alike.  http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/ToniAnne/5222/#c_19523 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/ToniAnne/5222/#c_19523 Couldn't agree more...or written it better.  Whenever rules allow for human interpretation, there will be discord because, thankfully, we all don't think alike.  Well put Toni! I have been blogging here for about two years, and anyone who reads my posts or knows me, knows where I stand on the issue of censorship. I had a much longer leash with the previous incarnation of the "blogs", but even then I felt the noose tighten a couple of times. My first post on the "Myspace" version of the Advocate blogs, got complaints. My assessment of the current situation with the Advocate, both in print and online, is that it is like the Astros or any other home team. Even if they have a bad year, they are still the only game in town. I was much happier with the paper two years ago, both in print and online. Though I disagree with the current direction it is going, it is still the only outlet for local content, so I will try to adapt and comply as best I can when I write for public consumption here. Sometimes I will slip up.......I AM  a sailor after all........ In all likelihood, they will caution me or edit me again. This is not my only blog, nor is it my only means of expressing myself. I will manage to be heard. As far as running a newspaper goes, this blog part of it ranks with "what place settings do we use for dinner", on a scale of importance to owners and management. I guess it gives them a sense of purpose to set "rules", but in the grand scheme of things, their butts are on the griddle, just trying to make a go of keeping the thing profitable. Craigslist has gobbled their classified business up like an open bag of chocolate. The what I want-when I want it world of internet access has cornered the market on news, and it's basically free. Online is on time, and that fact, along with the dead time between deadline and paperboy (which in the absence of "extra" editions, is tomorrows old news), and the internet generation, and trying to keep up with the constantly changing demographics.........well, it just doesn't spell good news for the print edition of any paper, local or national. http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/ToniAnne/5222/#c_19532 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/ToniAnne/5222/#c_19532 Well put Toni! I have been blogging here for about two years, and anyone who reads my posts or knows me, knows where I stand on the issue of censorship. I had a much longer leash with the previous incarnation of the "blogs", but even then I felt the noose tighten a couple of times. My first post on the "Myspace" version of the Advocate blogs, got complaints. My assessment of the current situation with the Advocate, both in print and online, is that it is like the Astros or any other home team. Even if they have a bad year, they are still the only game in town. I was much happier with the paper two years ago, both in print and online. Though I disagree with the current direction it is going, it is still the only outlet for local content, so I will try to adapt and comply as best I can when I write for public consumption here. Sometimes I will slip up.......I AM  a sailor after all........ In all likelihood, they will caution me or edit me again. This is not my only blog, nor is it my only means of expressing myself. I will manage to be heard. As far as running a newspaper goes, this blog part of it ranks with "what place settings do we use for dinner", on a scale of importance to owners and management. I guess it gives them a sense of purpose to set "rules", but in the grand scheme of things, their butts are on the griddle, just trying to make a go of keeping the thing profitable. Craigslist has gobbled their classified business up like an open bag of chocolate. The what I want-when I want it world of internet access has cornered the market on news, and it's basically free. Online is on time, and that fact, along with the dead time between deadline and paperboy (which in the absence of "extra" editions, is tomorrows old news), and the internet generation, and trying to keep up with the constantly changing demographics.........well, it just doesn't spell good news for the print edition of any paper, local or national. I completely agree with not typing this code in ( below the editor)  Once we are signed in to our account that is all it should take.  I blog over at Y-360 and of course we don't have to do that.  I can see where the newspaper has to be a bit more protective but still...... Hope you have a great weekend! http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/ToniAnne/5222/#c_19678 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/ToniAnne/5222/#c_19678 I completely agree with not typing this code in ( below the editor)  Once we are signed in to our account that is all it should take.  I blog over at Y-360 and of course we don't have to do that.  I can see where the newspaper has to be a bit more protective but still...... Hope you have a great weekend! Well put and great to hear. I would have to say that some journalist find themselves being biased though and I am not talking about writing and editorial. Examples such as deciding which sports team to cover or somehow sneaking their opinion in a news article. Bloggers are different. Thanks for the post. And yes down with the code. KTFGJ - this is mine right now. http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/ToniAnne/5222/#c_20174 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/ToniAnne/5222/#c_20174 Well put and great to hear. I would have to say that some journalist find themselves being biased though and I am not talking about writing and editorial. Examples such as deciding which sports team to cover or somehow sneaking their opinion in a news article. Bloggers are different. Thanks for the post. And yes down with the code. KTFGJ - this is mine right now.