Now I had a pop at Polly Toynbee a few days back and got a sulky badly written(well she does work for The Guardian bless her) reply. Upon checking the Devils Kitchen site I see that our Polly is at it again.
She loves to dish it out but hates to get any flack back, a case of Guardian double standards, so I am about to dismember her article bit by bit.
Links: http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/polly_toynbee/2006/05/post_104.html
http://devilskitchen.blogspot.com/2006/05/poor-polly-snaps.html
My friend and fellow columnist Jackie Ashley made a valiant plea for civility from Comment is Free correspondents yesterday. A forlorn hope. Every medium shapes the nature of its message: newspapers, books, magazines and broadcasting all invite their own way of writing and speaking. But there is something about the wild empty universe of the internet that encourages violence and naked aggression. Or as Jackie suggests, maybe it's just that a handful of obsessive and persistent bullies set the tone and silence others who may want more measured discussions.
** Well thats called free speech, something that your Zano New Labour masters are doing their best to eradicate from this fine nation of our. You could censor your site if thats your wish - bar those who fire off a fuck or some such comment in the heat of the moment, but by doing that you will drive away many of your readers. Besides if these people strongly disagree with your musings on the universe they will use strong language.
Quite right that we who pontificate should be challenged. We pin our thoughts on a public noticeboard and I always answer my many emails. I prefer one to one communication with readers, though it's a lot more effort than putting up an occasional reply to comments on this site. Jackie is right that the "fucking stupid cow" stuff is surprisingly disturbing much, but that's our problem. Thick skins have to come with the territory.
** You say that you have thick skins yet get upset by "fucking stupid cow", maybe not that thick if that gets to you.
But like Jackie, I am puzzled by the level of casual aggression on this site. Anonymity is the problem. Why don't all of you say who you are? Why hide your names and email addresses? Is it because you are blogging at work or drunk? Or are you ashamed your family and friends might get this insight into a less likeable side of your character? Why so coy?
** Now this bit I like, we "hide" our e-mails so as to avoid all the spammers and bots that trawl the net offering us riches by helping some Nigerian take money out of the country. As for myself my mail is on my site, and I log into The Guardian and use the same name and e-mail there, so I hardly think I am hiding away firing off naughty words your way.
As for the friends and family, I have no problem with them seeing my e-mails and its nothing that I would not say to you in a face-to-face conversation Polly. Oh and lets not forget pulling your dead socialist ideas apart is fun.
Critics should have the courage to identify themselves. The Guardian letters page will publish nothing without a verifiable identification, even if for exceptional reasons, names and addresses are sometimes withheld. So why doesn't that apply here? Are you men or women? Are women just as prone to nastiness? I note women columnists usually get more contemptuous treatment than men, but I may be quite wrong to imagine misogyny.
** Now I may be wrong but to comment here I have had to log in with my e-mail and I am quite happy to leave my name and e-mail on any comment about you. People also like their on line names and often if blogging about a company need to hide their id from the boss!
What do you do all day, MrPikeBishop, that you have time to spend your life on this site? I suppose the answer may be that you are a paraplegic typing with one toe and then I shall feel guilty at picking you out as one particular persecutor. But tell us who you are and what your life is, where you are coming from and what you stand for? Tim Worstall you pendant, what on earth is your life and view of the world? Do you ever see the light of day?
** Ah the joys of the internet, these days you can post a comment from the cafe/train/pub anywhere. So people like MrPikeBishop can pop onto your comments any time he pleases with a simple ping from a laptap and still get a full days work done as well. Oh you could try a Google search as that can find Mr Worstalls site and world view in no time at all.
Tell me something else, how many of you bother to buy the Guardian? Here we are, the only non-profit paper with no megalomaniac owner, like all newspapers in need of paying readers at a time when the press is in decline. Comment is indeed free on the web but it would be nice to think you contributed a bit. The big whinge and joyless abuse would be easier to take from paying customers, not outsiders throwing stones from afar - from both far right and far left.
** You ask how many buy The Guardian, well as it stands for all I dispise - more taxes and Zanu New Labour government -I could not bring myself to do that but I am sure that some of the abuse does come from paying customers as you put it. You say that the press is in decline, well thats the way of the world its adapt or die.
** We reply because you are wrong. Yes you could sent comments to Melanie and Littlejohn and I am sure that they would reply to you with a well thought out reply as to why you are wrong. We get annoyed because you keep on with the same old dead socialist mantra and we know that you are wrong and get annoyed. As for the Brighton festival will have to pass on that as I am having to work to pay ever increasing bills and help fund all of Mr Gordon Browns pipedreams.
By the way, if anyone knows someone called Ian Birchall, do please tell me about him. He just sent me this email, all in capital letters, which would have been struck from this site: "You are a loathsome overpaid hypocrite. Nobody would miss you for 5 seconds if you were dead like your despicable shitball husband. I should like to see you in a cancer ward screaming with pain and vomiting blood.' His email is ian@ibirchall.wanadoo.co.uk. No, I didn't reply to that one
** As for Ian Birchall guess he is a tad miffed with yourself.Lastly a good resource on Polly: http://factcheckingpollyanna.blogspot.com/
Tags: Polly Toynbee
The Guardian
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