But blogging, as I’ve found, also exposes one to malicious verbal attacks and subpoenas. As such, it is risky. There is no question that placing one’s online self in the world for all to see adds vulnerability and potential liability. When I told a colleague Friday about my recent predicament he responded, “Why the hell would anyone want to blog?”
I hear you, Dr Wes. I too have withstood malicious comments and personal attacks both in my comments section and on other blogs. It doesn’t feel good, and never fails to shock me to realize just how un-civilized other human beings can be.
But I say keep on blogging, Dr Wes. We need you voice. Your blog is one of the best medical blogs out there. Your clinical opinions, commentary and insight are unique and important, and no other blogger or mainstream media outlet can replace the contributions you’ve made to the conversation about cardiac electrophysiology.
I have to be honest, however, and say that I was surprised at some of the comments you’ve let stand on your blog. I would have hit the delete button almost while I was reading such comments, bounced them right the h_ off my blog, and never looked back. Heck, I’ve even closed comments on blog posts when the side conversations there got out of hand. After all, it’s my blog, my voice and my reputation. I’m going to control it as best as I can, and if that means some folks don’t get invited back, well, that’s my prerogative. They can always start their own blogs.
Because a medblog is not a chat room. I see it as more of a seminar that the med blogger hosts. The role of the commenter is to provide external context if the blogger fails to do this, to support and expand the argument or to provoke and to show opposing viewpoints if they exist. Not to trash, malign, libel, slander or defame.
That kind of behavior has no place on my blog.
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I got my bouncer from Wikipedia Commons, a free image source on the web
I agree with you on your stance on comments, and I’m sorry to hear that yet another medical blogger has been having problems.
As a non-medical person who deals with a lot of medical personnel on a regular basis I hate to see good people thinking about quitting, although I can certainly understand the reasons. I think that medical blogs provide a lot of people with a glimpse of the “other side”, and it’s a good thing for patients to realize not only that their doctors are human, but to see the complexities that they deal with every day.
ANON-
Very funny…
You are OUTTA here!!!!
I struggle with this on my blog. On the one hand, I want to allow everyone to comment. I get a lot of freaky feedback, which I generally post because I think other people will get a kick out of it. Sometimes, though, it really hurts. For some reason, people who really want to get me call me fat. As though I don’t know that. Whatever.
Husband says I should only allow registered google users to comment, but that seems so elitist. I dunno. Still struggling, I guess.
It’s sad, how little effort it takes to make someone feel bad. Even in person, a nasty comment can really hurt. There’s a tiny bit of power, but mostly it’s illusory.
But it usually takes a little effort to make someone feel good; even just pushing a kid on a swing takes some effort.
And really engaging someone’s ideas to disagree usefully takes a lot more effort.
Ever notice how often nasty comments on the web are sexist sniping about women’s bodies and sexuality? I wonder if the people who make those comments have any clue about women, you know?
I don’t get enough comments on my blog for this to be an issue. But, I agree. If my blog ever becomes popular, I plan to hit the delete key with wild abandon. I should probably add a disclaimer that all comments posted to jamesloganmd.com become the intellectual property of same.
I have thick skin. I have only deleted comments that were pure spam. Sometimes by commenting back, in a not as hostile manner, and trying to clarify my position, I end up with a pleasant conversation and some agreement. Sometimes.
It is very easy to be misunderstood in person. It is more so, in print. Especially for me. 🙂