Wanting Your Opinions about Blog Comments and City Attorneys

Let me start by saying, I would kill to get comments on our library blog. Filtering comments hasn’t been an issue because we really don’t get that many comments.

Our policy is the same for the blog as it is for people in the library: bad language and inappropriate behavior are not allowed.

That being said, time to go double-check that policy.

I would say that many government entities are quite phobic when it comes to web 2.0 applications. There is always some way one can be sued. Some people sued our city for something that didn’t even happen in the city. My information says that higher ups are afraid of negative comments or bad comments, which really is the point of a web 2.0 application. People should be allowed to say your service sucks in a public forum. That is the only reason why things get changed sometimes. We have many of these applications. Everything allows comments except the library blog, which isn’t all that sophisticated.

It seems to me real purpose behind this logic of disallowing public forums for fear of being sued is purely obstructive, but it seems like there may be ways to get around the nay-sayers.

1. The web as a whole is one big public forum, yet legislation mandates that if a library receives public money it is required to filter and limit access to web content–for the good of the children. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander…as long as the content is lawful, don’t remove any comments. In accordance with the law, filter access to your blog comments data, which is also web content.

2. If your institution feels it has a responsibility to edit the content of blog comments, then host your site with an ISP that strict content guidelines/rules (shop around for what you think is reasonable) where service is contingent on following those guidelines. Censorship is common practice in the private sector where your site will be hosted.

This blog post might be a pointer: http://tinyurl.com/bq8ol

I’ve certainly heard/seen the following statement many times in the past: “if you moderate, edit, or prune comments on your online forum — or blog — in any way at all then you stop being able to defend yourself as a common carrier and become a publisher who is, indeed, liable for the content that they publish”.

From memory, the cases in the UK have been mostly when a site failed or refused to remove an offensive or libellous comment in a timely manner after they’d been alerted to it.

Another voice from England: I think Dave Pattern is pretty correct there. Set a policy for comments beforehand that includes how you will react to complaints. I think it’s also worth making sure that you connection provider is fine with it and won’t just kill your account as soon as anyone complains (as some unreasonable swines do). As one BBS used to say “we don’t have freedom of speech in this country – sorry”.

In other words, check local law and probably check multiple reputable sources of advice.

I’ve no idea about policy or law or anything. But a few (non-library) blogs use a process called “disemvowelling” for comment moderation: essentially if they see a comment which is particularly nasty (ad hominem, etc) then they edit it (or the worst part of it) to remove all the vowels. Thus that last clause would become “thn th dt t t rmv ll th vwls”. That way they’re not removing any comments, and comments are even still readable (with effort and practice), but it makes it clear that that sort of comment isn’t welcome.

This gets a tad more complicated than what’s lawful. It’s not against the law to spam a blog with “buy my products” nor is it against the law to have local businesses, politicians or troublemakers self-promoting, campaigning or simply stirring up trouble on your public spaces.

I believe you have to have a comprehensive policy in place (just like your brick-and-mortar rules of conduct) that are clearly outlined on the site.

Any edits or deletions would need to adhere to those same policies and you should be covered. Just as you’d removed loud patrons who were upsetting the other patrons, you need to be prepared to moderate troublesome Web patrons.

Consistency is the key though… there should be little room for judgement as to what constitutes a violation of policy. If a complaining patron can point out an instance where you allowed a similar post to stand, you are on thin ice.

Just my $.02

That being said, time to go double-check that policy.

Well said..!!!!!
Shelly Smith..
——————
attorney

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Blog comments are not as genuine or as simple as your 10 pointers make it seem.
I don’t know of percentages due to the immensity of the Internet. But, this I know! Most comments are tailored to the blogs traffic rank. It is mostly about link traffic and return clicks.
There are hundreds and thousands of well written and meaningful blogs whose posts go without comments.
I know why!
Have traffic? Will comment!

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