Tightening up Slippedisc’s comments section
aboutIn the past couple of months we have banned six regular commenters for persistent breaches of site rules, chiefly by posting anonymous abuse. Neither the offenders nor their comments will be missed.
We have used the opportunity to add a fifth clause to our very short rules for commenting:
No abuse
No defamation
No personal attacks.
You may post anonymously or under a pseudonym, but only under one name.
You may not criticise any other person from behind a pseudonym.
Slippedisc.com is committed to free speech and a diversity of opinion. At least 98 percent of our commenters abide by the guidelines. Those who don’t are liable to be permanently banned.
We hope you continue to enjoy the freedoms of slippedisc.com.
Absolutely excellent rule Norman! I will not criticise you for making it, because I use a pseudonym and no longer can. But perhaps I am banned because I can never remember what it was so make a new one? Anyway A1 very good.
Bravo Norman
In agreement with this, been some pretty horrendous comments on some recent posts.
Yes, but the fact that troll comments were getting the moderators’ greenlight made it seem like they were encouraged.
I support any restriction on ad hominem abuse. As long as it does not include the right to criticise an argument if one sincerely opposes it.
Good rule…
and here’s another maestro and his car: Ozawa driving a truck or SUV or something – hard to tell. At 1:38
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qK22cMyZwZM&ab_channel=Chronicle5WCVB.
Why does it take so long for comments to appear? It seems the site is heavily monitored so why did so many comments that violated rules get posted? Just asking. This site would be so much better if comments were immediately posted.
I strongly support Mr Lebrecht’s new policies — nicely done!
Bravo! I’ll maintain the pseudonym as personal protection on the once bitten twice shy principle. Using my real name subjected me to unbelievable abuse and threats, just for having an opposing but perfectly valid and politely expressed view. It wasn’t this site but there we go. Never again please.
Adding my “Bravo”. Opposing viewpoints are fine, lack of civility is not.
Hopefully you aren’t banning the viola players.
Or Sally!
This afternoon, just as I finished burning 37 hate letters from a professional musician in the garden here, three gentlemen in suspicious raincoats came at the door asking me to sign a declaration that I won’t post any more ‘enthusiastic comments about crazy people’ on SD and that I no longer misuse my boss’ name when I want to ventilate. I duly signed, I don’t want to get into trouble with the authorities, but where’s my freedom of speech? I always sign with my true pseudonym. I will need a PA myself in the near future!
Sally
As long as you’re not an Aunt Sally, aye!!??
Dear Sally,
I enjoy your posts more than John’s. Shhhh
Give it up, Fred. Accept your viola envy.
7/7. Not a strong endorsement of the viola players here.
There’s a lot of clean up for NL to do in the past 5 years posts.
I’d like to add a sixth clause, please: no long, unhinged rants against Riccardo Muti that have absolutely nothing to do with the post’s original subject matter. Thank you!
I doubt that this website worries about protecting Muti when introducing new policies. He is one of the top ten most powerful men in classical music (top five maybe?). He is a very powerful man, period. It is logical that some of his critics hide behind anonymity, or they would be totally obliterated.
Pseudonyms? I don’t need no stinkin’ pseudonyms.
I’m the one and only Zandonai.
It’ll be interesting to see where Norman draws the line as far as abuse goes… From what I’ve seen on this site you can get banned for criticizing the government of Israel but your comment will go through if you claim that Africans haven’t contributed anything worthwhile to society.
Bollocks. We admit criticism of all states and governments without discrimination. We do not admit racism.
It is a sad reflection that, at the time of browsing, 15 commenters see fit to object to Mr Lebrecht’s not unreasonable statement of his principles. Sad also that commenters who are not prepared to state who they are nevertheless indulge in ideas which are hurtful to individuals whose names are known to them.
Ban the Rat !
I am sorry, are you criticizing me? Let me remind you that, yes, I am Rat but also a person, which puts you in violation of SD new policy 🙂
You are lucky that Normal is a magnanimous person and presumably will give users some time to internalize the new rules!
I for one will be a staunch supporter of civility enforcement, considered all the insults I had to endure for telling the truth 🙂
Have you heard of the Bubonic Plague at all??!!
The pot calling the kettle black.
I hope this goes also for some quite homophobic articles on this website.
It will certainly go for some spiteful expostulations by some type of professional musicians.
Good show, nasty comments have no place within the highest of all arts.
You should hear the intermission conversation at the Met sometime……..
The proof is in the enforcement.
The comments on this site are very mild compared to Breitbart! I don’t mind opposing views because this is one of the last places music fans can vent. I appreciate the freedom to speak one’s opinion, even if nasty. Where else can subscribers vent about Muti, Gelb, or any other person in power. Nor do I mind anonymous posts about the inside workings of opera companies and orchestras. And I like it when people can post opposing views on Gergiev’s relationship to Putin and Netrebko’s shenanigans. The music world would be so much worse without this website, so please don’t ban someone unless it is really bad. Thanks.
I agree, I learned a lot about Muti and Gelb by reading Slipped Disc and the many critics that write about them, that I would have never learned otherwise. Truth to power is a sacrosanct right.
The attacks on those 2 are frequently unhinged.
I wish to express my undying, unqualified, unquestioning, uncritical and glowing admiration for Arts Council England, the DcMS, everyone responsible for bringing us a plethora of Brexit cultural benefits, the executive bodies of English National Opera, the BBC, Northern Ballet and the wonderful Association of British Orchestras without any of whom our industry would simply not be in the rude health it currently enjoys.
Slipped Disc commitment to free speech is as deep as I have seen anywhere. I do believe censorship loving readers will be disappointed.
The new policy is intelligently crafted and strikes a very good balance. Judging by the letter of it, it seems to me that it will still be possible to criticize organizations, because they are groups and not “persons”. lt may still be possible to perform whistleblowers duties shielded by anonymity, to the extent that facts are reported, vs. opinions.
It may still even be possible to “criticize” – to have negative opinions – about powerful heads of organizations, because they embody and exercise organizational agency. Time will tell.
The fact remains, Slipped Disc is the only global platform in classical music, boasting hundreds of thousand of readers. It performs a deeply valuable function. Its policies are sensible and foster free speech and transparency in an industry that is highly insulated, protected by conniving specialized press, filled with both conflict of interests and less than ethical behaviors. My guess is Slipped Disc will continue its mission, only it will do it even better.
You are correct. But it is sad that your comment , at time of reading, has attracted more negative than positive comments.
It is frustrating for contributors using their real name to endure personal, hateful, vindictive attacks by other contributors using pseudonyms. If this rule wasn’t added it would likely see the end of well known musicians using their real name or even bother commenting at all. This would take away from Slipped Discs overall value.
Yes, but the use of pseudonyms can be dangerous as well. I live all my life with an ‘artist name’ and people came to believe it and now I can’t go back. I even had to change my passport.
A real-names-only policy for social media commenting would do much to improve civility.
I hate doing this, but a number of times in the past, this has come up elsewhere.
People have bragged that they, unlike most other people, knew that “Nicholas Stix” is a pseudonym. Granted, The Boss told me in the previous millennium that Nick Stix is one phony-sounding name. However, it is not a pseudonym.
Anyone who doubts this may merely check with the SPLC and PFAW, which have repeatedly sought to put me out of business over the years, as have various White nationalist/neo-Nazi/feminazi sites.
Just one of literally hundreds of “not at all white nationalist or neo-nazi” postings by “Nicholas Stix” (rightly attacked by anti-racist and anti-KKK organizations like the SPLC): https://www.unz.com/article/king-holyday-rooted-in-lies-about-what-he-believed-and-what-jefferson-and-americas-founders-believed/
What about disinformation on sensitive subjects such as vaccines?