As most of you probably know, I moderate the comments on this blog. I do it mostly to stymie the spammers - I do not need money wired to me from Nigeria, I do not want to pimp the latest computer software, and I do not wish to view "HOTEST Russian womens". I also want to make sure that a certain level of politeness is maintained. While I'm all for First Amendment rights and will allow pretty much any comment that isn't libelous, blatantly offensive or an out-and-out lie, I do insist that opinions be expressed in a civil manner.
I've received several comments lately from people who are seriously cheesed off at certain reps and/or saddle companies, and have chosen to use (or try to use) my blog as a venue to air their grievances. I've chosen not to publish these comments because of both content and tone: "DON'T EVER DEAL WITH MANLY BARECHEST OF DEAD GOAT SADDLERY - HIS SADDLES ARE PIECES OF S**T AND RUIN HORSES' BACKS, HE'S MEAN, RUDE AND HE SMELLS BAD, TOO." (And the caps thing - I really, really dislike the all-caps thing.) "BARBIE THE SNUGGLEBUTT SADDLERY FITTER FROM EAST BACKACHE IS AN IDIOT AND TOTALLY RUINED MY SADDLE. SHE'S ABSOLUTELY INCOMPETENT."
Here's the bottom line: comments like those will never, ever appear on my blog - end of story. If you want to get your message across in that particular manner, you're welcome to start your own blog - there, you can vent your spleen until the cows come home, and you won't have some cranky old saddlefitting broad editing (and deleting) your commentary. Or better yet, write it all down on a piece of paper - call 'em names, curse them roundly, cast aspersions on their parenthood and family tree, question their humanity, call down upon them all manner of misfortune - and then burn it.
I'm not saying you shouldn't air your opinions (see this entry) - I'm just saying you should be careful about where and how you do it. Tell the truth, air your views in a factual, non-libelous/-slanderous manner, and you many save someone else from going through the same bunch of crap that you did. You'll also probably feel better. However, you won't find inflammatory stuff in the comments here. By not publishing comments like these, I've not only kept a lot of negativity out of my blog and my life, I've also protected the poster from possible litigation and attendent lawyer's fees.
You're welcome.
6 comments:
It's pretty sad that you have to commit an entire entry to this issue. I have addressed a few Negative Nellies on my own blog, but don't wish to moderate. It has kept a positive tone going throughout.
For those doing the pissing, moaning and whining- you really aren't doing anything more than portraying yourself in a less than stellar light. If it is a legitimate complaint- file one with the courts, the Better Busines Bureau, the County Attorney or state Attorney Generals Office. Let your grief be known, put an end to it and get over your not-so-bad-self.
As for the porn spam, good luck with that. It still pops up here, there and everywhere... If we were interested- we would go looking for it.
Unfortunately, I've had a rash of "let's trash so-and-so" comments lately, and frankly, I'm tired of them. I'm sure I'll still get some, but hopefully people will think twice before trying to use this blog to bash someone.
;-) Maybe the bashers should consider how lucky they are to even have a saddle fitter to bash in the first place. There ISN'T one here. Not a good one, not a bad one. Just no one.
I like how they bash the saddle fitters, but what about the numerous saddle making companies. You know, the ones churning out the less than stellar pieces of craptastic JUNK!
But the looniest of our species seem to have a stronghold on the horse industry. They come in all shapes, sizes, backgrounds, upbringings, nationalities and geographic locations. Trash is trash. It's universal that way. Let's hope they take it somewhere else.
On a good note-
I recently sold a bridle online. A friend of mine has a saddle she is trying to sell so I offered it to the woman buying the bridle. Turns out she had already found a saddle through someone else. That someone else turns out to be none other than Trumbull Mountain! She had nothing but great things to say about the shop!
So KUDOS to you guys. There's something sure to brighten your day.
Kitt--You're a fine writer and your blog is instructive and entertaining, which is the best way to persuade anyone of anything.
Tela Zasloff
my Mom always said "keep a civil tongue in your head". Hooray for you Kitt for moderating this. Unmoderated usually get taken over by those who aren't civil, shutting down everyone else.
And I think civil includes choice of vocabulary. For example, I think "extremely poor quality" would have said the same thing without the cringe factor.
Now, I want to ask what one should do when there is no saddle fitter available? I have a really, really hard to fit Cleveland Bay being ridden by a hard to fit husband. Maybe make a stuffed version of both????
And another question. Is it possible to fix a too small (narrow) tree by adding flocking????? Because I have a friend whose saddle was "fixed" that way and I'm having trouble imagining how that could work.
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