Welcome to hard-hitting journalism!
Toward the end of last week, with interesting stories at an absolute premium, I opted to wonder about the State of Commenting on the Internet ’18. What could have easily been seen as an empty space killer was actually an honest to goodness attempt at understanding how people consume/participate in this surf conversation. The whole business got started, for me, when Stab’s editor Ashton Goggans claimed that his website turned comments off underneath certain pieces in order to protect brands/individuals from the dreaded “anonymous troll.”
And I wondered, does the anonymous troll even really exist* anymore? Sure, I know that avatars/handles don’t often match identity/name exactly but isn’t it all a semi-honest representation of how each of us really feel?
Well, since the bit was posted many comments from first time participants started flowing in on all sorts of stories. Hurtful comments like from Adjunct Professor who wrote underneath a story about Donald Trump hating sharks, “why. what is the purpose of this artice ….. hard hitting journalism chas!”
The truth of it stung. It was not hard hitting journalism if I must be honest, merely a cut and paste from the New York Post of all places. Hurt was followed by shame and I decided it was high time that I get serious about my craft so I rolled up my sleeves, put on my fedora with its handwritten “press” card tucked into the band and opened an email from dear Negatron who informed me that Adjunct Professor shares the same exact IP address as Ashton Goggans himself.
Keeping my sleeves rolled up and not knowing, really, what an IP address is I googled “IP address” and read on Wikipedia it is, “the numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication.”
I sat back in my chair, lit my pipe and said out loud, “Blimey. So Adjunct Professor and Ashton Goggans share a computer and apartment.”
How’s that for hard hitting journalism?
*Where Disqus or other platforms utilizing a working email address are used.
Commented on Disqus? Log out, tap the Disqus button, and your old name and comments come back. The box is ours.
Your comments are still here. Every one of them.
Twelve years of BeachGrit comments came across from Disqus. Connect and we will show you how many are yours. We get your username, nothing else.
Connect Disqus to reveal.
0.5, maybe up to 3 or 4 if i’ve done something stupid. Most people I know would describe me as mellow or calm. Indifferent perhaps a lot of the time. Don’t judge an avatar by your interpretation of tone in another person’s writing.
Print it, hole punch it and make weird Beachgrit confetti.
To not contribute to the paranoia of doxxing, yes, it’s very high. I once made a comment that cited a specific number of terminal-degree-holding regulars that I won’t unearth, but there are many. Most with MFAs in Poetry.
Ashton goggins Monika should read ,Smarmy Swine
Nothing like some classic detective work.
Give this man a raise!
at least reincarnate as ‘ghost of ghost of super jr’…
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
I googled a relevant topic and this was the result. Seems appropriate.
Edit. Hmmmm. Sorry my login is troubling me and I can’t get pic up, Will try upload again.
Negatron is the one and only true mod, full stop/period. The rest of us are just pawns in his game.
The highest! Watch this soon-to-be-released doco on the makings of the BG comments board. In this scene the new fascists meet Negatron, aka “Speedo” and we hear a touching commendation from Chas.
https://youtu.be/tbfbj6Y2Ms…
Oh my… I feel dirty.
Nothing wrong with loving justice.
Revealing IP addresses etc. I disagree with this approach, entirely. It is flat out wrong.
Bye.
Was that another good-bye post?
Unfortunately, yes. I would have just walked away but thought it worth turning around on my way out the door to note that this is a red line that should not be crossed. It can lead to serious consequences for people. IP addresses are not a joke to be publicly played with by Chas. This is not OK in the interweb commentary world. Ever. Problem? Contact the profile. If still a problem … block. They run a website here that relies on and profits off commentary. They should know better. If the intention was to have people put their real names to posts that should have been policy from the get go. You can’t have your cake and eat it.
clink.
Sure sure sure but there were levels of hypocrisy playing here that were wholly unique. In any case, the address has been lopped off and I am eating my cake!
Even though riding Horses is fun and drinking Fox blood makes my balls swell, fox hunting is cruel & barbaric.
I offer no apology, but concede I have looked inward in the past 24 hours…
I salute you and your commentary, goodbye my dear friend.
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Oh my.
You just conceded it was snide. Why would you be surprised to get snide back?
That is true, meaning you are on here (and Stab) often enough to know that. Let’s skip racing to the bottom
I love beachgrit.
Talk away Super. You gave everyone pause. It was quite touching.
he really went.
What a fucking shame, total own goal on Chas’s part!
Hope he doesn’t blow it up before Snapper.
Pity. I thought yesterday was BG at its finest.
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Will the event of ages wind it back for… Face Off 2.
Next C.S vs S.Macca or Rory?
For sure, but those on the other side definitely earn more. (Says the half-arsed moderator/postie with 2 degrees…)
Emotionally wrought goodbye posts are one of my areas of special knowledge.