Mandown

So there's a guy named "Mandown" who's decided he doesn't like my blog and is making some snide comments.

Like the following:

Fred is a typical liberal - raving with righteous indignation while stinking to high heaven of hypocrisy.

Not to mention thin-skinned; watch, he'll delete this comment too.

And the following:

C'mon, you don't actually expect a Leftist like Fred to have any integrity and show a truthful electoral count, do ya? They will do everything in their power to obfuscate the truth and regain power.

I have the following to say to you Mandown:

1 - Why don't you give me a URL so I can go post nasty stuff about you on your blog?

2 - I won't delete your comments. I'll post them so everyone can see what a jerk you are.

3 - How dare you question my integrity and call me a hypocrite. On what basis do you make those claims?

Jackson has more to say on this subject.

I'd appreciate it if it all of you might weigh in on this guy in the comments section.

I don't like stuff like this.

There's plenty of room for debate but no place for nastiness in the blog world.

Comments

[Troy Angrignon]

Hi Fred. Well the good news is that your blog has a large readership. The bad news is that those readers are human and statistically speaking, you are likely to get a blog-troll in there somewhere. I know that Dan Gillmor was dealing with one that was rude, obnoxious, and who would never identify himself. I feel sorry for the guy that he is unable to communicate clearly with you and the community of people who read your blog.

To Mandown I have one piece of advice. Disagree, vehemently if you must, with the ideas. But once you lower yourself to attacking the proponent of the idea, forget about ever being heard again.

Keep up the great writing Fred.

[Matt]

Everyone's entitled to free speech, but people who launch unfounded ad hominem attacks ANONYMOUSLY are the blogging equivalent of terrorists. They want to cause trouble to assert their views but (1) aren't articulate enough to move anybody and (2) aren't principled enough to even admit who they are. Mandown -- why don't you be a Man and write Down who you are.

[Rick Gregory]

This is one reason I'm on the fnece about allowing anonymous comments. It let's people be snide, even slanderous and not have to be accountable. Of course there's a word for these folks... cowards.

[Grant]

People have a write to speak their minds, only cowards and juveniles are not willing to be accountable for their words. The majority of readers know the difference between some raving moron trolling and a well-intented opinion.

Personally, I think you can just let readers do the filtering, they probably won't disappoint you.

[JayR]

I think Mandown is Bill O'Reilly.

[Coty Rosenblath]

Are there anonymous cowards posting similar ad hominem attacks on conservative blogs, or is this type of behavior related to the conservative mindset? My gut feeling is that it is the latter, but I don't know. I do know that I think it is cowardly and small to post such venom at all—let alone anonymously.

[Pierre]

Though it can be amusing to read, kind of like our need to slow down at traffic accidents, it's very distracting to have unsubstantiated attacks strewn through the comments area as these distract fm the point or points being debated. I find this behavior to be particularly true among newbies who don't quite know how to assert a point of view w/o stooping down to what's easy, insults. Oh well, moderating comments is a good idea until there's tech to solve this...and besides, this is *your* blog, so you're allowed to say what you want and if someone doesn't like it, then it's simple, then can unsubscribe :-) None of us will agree w/all of your views Fred, but will fight like hell for your right to have them and post them :-)

[Jerry]

I especially like Pierre's comments. Neanderthal's such as Mandown (and what the fuck is with THAT pseudonym anyway. Yo Mandown, if you really had balls you'd use your REAL name and a REAL email address. Maybe you should change your pseudonym to "not-really-sure-about-my-manhood-so-I-go-by-this tough-sounding-nickname-name-of-'Mandown'") have such a weak self-esteem that the only way they can make themselves feel good is by pulling others around them down. Given his knee-jerk, thoughtless pseudo-conservativism, I'd assume he did poorly in school. If he did well, it was by cheating. Nyeh. Sorry, Fred, for going negative.

[simon]

what a jerk... Keep on blogging fred.

[jackson]

I use 'Jackson' because when I first started my blog I didn't want to trade on Fred's name, or cast aspersions on his good name with my unfair and unbalanced blogging. I also swear alot. Anyway, most people know the connection now because Fred outed me himself. That being said, I will continue to fight these battles on the most base level because Fred cannot and should not engage in such siliness. I on the other hand am free to make an ass out of myself on his behalf.

[jackson]

I use 'Jackson' because when I first started my blog I didn't want to trade on Fred's name, or cast aspersions on his good name with my unfair and unbalanced blogging. I also swear alot. Anyway, most people know the connection now because Fred outed me himself. That being said, I will continue to fight these battles on the most base level because Fred cannot and should not engage in such siliness. I on the other hand am free to make an ass out of myself on his behalf.