A Reminder Concerning Comments

I'm glad to receive and approve your comments for this blog, so long as they conform to the expectations I've already posted.

Please, don't tell your own story in a comment on someone else's story. That won't be approved. If you have a comment to make about what someone else has written, however, that is perfectly acceptable and I'll be glad to approve it.

I'm again asking that you edit your own stories. Specifically, you need to edit out the e-mail headings if your story includes an e-mail verbatim and remove redundant sections. Your story is worth telling, but you need to be willing to write and edit it. Three to four paragraphs is a good guideline. Quotes are good, but lengthy transcripts need to be condensed.

I've recently rejected two comments for these reasons. Please consider submitting them on their own merits, in a concise narrative. As always, you should send them to BADGEPOSTMASTER -AT- HOTMAIL -DOT- COM.

Follow-up: Crosswalk Administrator's Horrible E-mail Story

I received the following cc of a letter to the powers-that-be at Salem Communications concerning the reprehensible actions of Fritz Alberti (admin at the "family" of sites run by Salem) when a "community" member was in immediate danger. I have edited nothing except the writer's name (per Badge of Honor policy).

Dear Sirs,

I am writing to discuss the discriminatory behavior of Fred Alberti (aka
Fritz), the Manager of your site Crossdaily.com and its parralel chatroom.
It involves an ongoing attitude of disrespect, discriminatory enforcement of
policy, and shockingly anti women remarks made often and publicly by
Alberti.

In addition to many other instances I bring to your attention the shocking
exchange involving a woman who had confided online that she was in extreme criminal danger and was certain it was going to happen again. (I am including a link to this email correspondence between a fellow chatroom woman trying to help her and Alberti.)
http://abadgeofhonor.blogspot.com/2006/06/crosswalk-administrators-horrible-e.html

Myself along with many other fellow Christian chatters are deeply shocked by the manner in which Alberti responded to these Women in need. I have spoken with Alberti about this matter and he personally confirms the quotes and in a terrifying manner defended that the wife should submit to her husband.

Regarding his decision, if he is in fact following policy perhaps it is one
that needs to change. Admittedly I am not a lawyer, but I understand that
confidentiality laws for websites of this nature do not apply if they
believe a crime is being committed. I would expect a web manager to be
familiar with this.

Apart from his decision of inaction, the condescending nature and tone of his reply is nothing short of disrespect and speaks loudly to his public disdain for women. We ask for action to be taken to address this as many of us have lost faith in the direction of this chatroom and consequently Salem Communication's views on the rights of women.

We feel it is a very serious sign of the viewpoint of this admin. He has
engaged several opportunities to express his deep belief in women's
inferiority and I myself have witnessed many examples of this through his
discriminatory behavior toward Women on the site he directs. There have been many other instances of this. If any further evidence is necessary of
Alberti exercising his discriminatory views of Women as administrator we can easily provide them.

We request an immediate respectful and public apology to be posted by
Alberti (on the posting site and the chat room) and his resignation.
Anything short of this will be considered by us and by the public to be an
official affirmation of his viewpoint as being that of Salem Communications. We all make mistakes but our Christian leaders must be the most steadfast in sheparding the flock. I would never suggest that Alberti be banned from chatting, but he is not fit to be an official representative of the site or the chatroom.

Many I have spoken with wished to be more public using several of our (very large) congregations as a platform to condemn the site, but I disagreed because i believe our voices will be heard. We have decided that you should be made aware first and given the opportunity to remedy the situation as we believe you will wish to. Your sites have been a joy and a blessing to us all. It would break my heart to feel we are no longer welcome. As I am sure you have probably not been aware of this practice I hope you appreciate this alert. Your action taken in this matter will show great courage and will be deeply respected.

Thank you and god bless,

[letter writer]

Given the bad-mannered nature of one rejected response to the earlier entry here, which I received even before I could get this letter posted, I'd say that "LW's" letter struck a nerve with someone over at the Salem "family." As with all Badge of Honor comments, any comments submitted must conform to the posted guidelines, or they WILL be rejected. Whatever you happen to think the writers and I are "full of," keep your comments civil if you want them to be accepted.

Common Sense Online

Blog owner's message - Comments will not be accepted...really, they won't!

Common sense is very important when it comes to how we interact with other people online. We really don't know who is on that other keyboard when we chat, blog, or post. Common sense should caution us to disclose personal information only to people we have good reason to trust (and even they could turn on you). This includes giving out real names, cities, telephone numbers, places of employment, children's names, and so forth.

There are exceptions, of course, when it comes to people who make a living online or whose online ventures contribute to their livelihoods. But by and large, in this day and time, it is not exactly prudent to "let it all hang out" online. While the vast majority of people wouldn't dream of stalking or harrassing people by following them from site to site, there are those who do. I've seen an example of that right here, unfortuately, though the person attempting to post that kind of comment has obligingly violated numerous guidelines on most attempts and most of that person's comments have been rejected.


To that commenter, I have a few things to say: First of all, I don't know anything about you that you haven't posted publicly in the many places on the web where you've gone telling people about the big, bad "new" blog where you've been so allegedly mistreated. However, the truth is, you use your real name on numerous sites, including this one, or so you proudly say when maligning people those of us who post pseudonymously (like a majority of bloggers and forum participants). I honestly don't know if it's your real name or not, and I don't care. You mention what state you live in sometimes when you're discussing things on various sites. In what I've read, I don't know what city you live in and don't have your address, nor do I care. I have no idea what your telephone number is, despite your false claim that I do. I truly couldn't care less what it is, because I wouldn't dream of calling you. Frankly, you're just not that important to me. Important as any child of God is, of course. But to me? Nothing beyond the love I have for any Christian brother or sister.

And finally, I'm simply not who your comments indicate you think I am, so your using of "Badge of Honor" to keep your grudge alive is only that much more ridiculous. I am not a terrorist, nor do I have any reason or desire to "destroy" you, despite your repeated false claims. If it scares you that people know your name, don't use your (supposedly) real name online. It's the only name you've used here, so if someone's going to address you or refer to you, it's all we've got. If it scares you that people know what state you live in, don't reveal that information. If you don't want people knowing exactly what you say about other people and sites, don't continue to post your judgments about them, sometimes years later, on other public venues. If you don't want to constantly fear that the person you've been maligning for years is finally getting even with you after all this time, whenever you think you recognize that person, then leave off referencing your disagreement when you go to sites that person doesn't even participate on. Or better yet, lay down that heavy grudge. It's highly unbecoming and it hurts other people, even if your forum friends won't tell you so.

Everyone, including individuals who have had comments rejected, is free to submit stories (via e-mail) and post comments that conform to the stated guidelines. Do not misrepresent me as "not letting you respond" because I'm "offended." This is not true. Follow the same guidelines as everyone else and don't try to use Badge of Honor for non-BOH communication, and your story and comments will be welcome. If I want to carry on off-BOH conversations with you, I will provide an appropriate means for that to happen.

To all "Badge" participants, including those whose comments are not published: I'm telling you here and now that you have nothing to fear from me except my rejecting your comments, editing your stories, or if you've been really outrageous, maybe a comment of my own like this. It's just words, and I'm saying them here and only here. I won't follow you around and tell everyone I meet what I think of you. I won't call you, visit you, e-mail you, post to your web site, fax you, message you, or put out a contract on you--honest! But there are some people on the web from whom you'd be very wise to protect your personal information. As the old sergeant told the shift in the opening scene of "Hill Street Blues," "Be careful out there."

Edited 8/1/06 - BP
Edited 8/4/06 - BP
Edited 8/5/06 - BP

Attention, Commenters

Since "A Badge of Honor" started life last year as a website, the transition to a blog last month wasn't totally seamless. Comments weren't a part of the original design. Therefore, until people began posting comments (which weren't originally moderated), there wasn't a need for guidelines. Very obviously, now there is a need. So here they are:

1. Comments will be moderated. That is not negotiable. I am the moderator and blog owner. I'm human, just as you are, and I don't make a secret of my biases against systems that promote inequality and the people that advocate such systems. However, I will do my best to utilize guidelines 2 & 3 when deciding whether to publish or reject (Blogspot's terminology) your comments.

2. Comments which will be published include those which:

• Address what the story actually said, and which are framed respectfully.
• Engage the writer of that story in further discussion about the events described in the story
• Offer an alternative point of view in a constructive, respectful manner
  

3. Comments which will be rejected include those which:

• Do not address what the story actually said, and/or which are framed disrespectfully.
• Attempt to create a debate from the story (that's what forums are for) .
• Constitute only a message to another commenter (that's what e-mail is for)
• Constitute your own "Badge of Honor" story. Please follow the instructions for submitting your story so that it becomes a blog entry.
• Criticize the reason for this blog's existence, that existence itself, and/or those who tell their stories for having told them (find a blog or forum designed for that).
• Complain about my comment moderation, though if you ask me to reconsider something, I will take that request under advisement. I simply won't interrupt the comment flow with your request.
  

I have already rejected a couple of comments for one or more of these reasons and make no apology for doing so. It is possible that further comment and/or post removals will be made in the very near future.

Thank you for visiting "A Badge of Honor" and for abiding by these guidelines if you choose to comment on a story.

Change in Policy: Reader Comments

Good news and maybe-bad news.

1. Good news: Anyone may now post comments to this blog. This means you don't have to have a Blogger account.

2. Maybe-bad news: Comments are now going to be moderated, which means that I as the Postmaster will review every comment before it is made public. For most people, this is also good news. If you're here simply to derail things, please re-think and save us both some wasted keystrokes.

As always, if you wish to have your story included on "Badge of Honor," please e-mail me at badgepostmaster@hotmail.com (edited 3/17/07 to reflect change in contact e-mail address).. Stories merely "commented" will, in the future, be deleted. Besides, very few people will read your story if you have it as a comment on someone else's story post.

Thank you for your interest in "Badge of Honor"!