The Difference Between Authors and Commenters
Shouldn’t it be obvious that there are differences between the author of an article on the Internet and who comments upon it? You would think so, but experience has taught me otherwise.
I must amazed there are times when I stare back in wonder at how people react to things. It seems that at least one of my articles on Associated Content generated controversy not because I took a controversial viewpoint, but because people could not distinguish between the person commenting on the article and the author. I’m not exactly sure what brought this on, but while I do not mind criticizing the Mormon church for some of its practices that I feel are incorrect or egregious, my intent was merely to inform others about why certain things were done or why they were the way they were.
Of course, I do know from the reactions of others that cradle Mormons will take any article that is even slightly critical of their religion as proof that the author is anti-Mormon and it causes a weird problem, especially when a new convert or someone who is Mormon is unaware of the actual theology comments on something. It is hard to criticize them because they think they are doing the right thing, but the lack of critical thinking when applied to any organization you belong to is dangerous. It does not mean there is not value in the faith, but merely that the church that purports to practice it has problems with how it does things. Neither the church nor its people are perfect and it is time the defenders of the faith – any faith – realize that.
But it also seems that people who are new to blogs should learn to distinguish between the author of an article and the people who commented on it. I will take responsibility for the body of what I’ve wrote. I will occasionally make corrections in the comments if I am wrong, but if someone says something incorrect or rude, I am not responsible for the opinion of someone else.
You would think it is the sort of thing that really would not need a tutorial as most blogging software platforms and news sites where they let visitors comment on the articles make it rather obvious where the words of the author end and the words of the comment posters begin.
Before I get too off topic with my little rant here, I should return to the main point. Regardless of how offensive or inaccurate the comments posted in the comment sections of blogs or news sites may be, e-mailing the author or accusing him or her of ignorance in the topic is unfounded, unless the author really is ignorant. On controversial topics, such as the Mormon ones I wrote on, I actually did give sources where the information could be found, but got accused twice of having never been a Mormon.
My memories of the CTR Rings, the Christmas story of Samuel the Lamanite and the baptism on my eighth birthday as well as eventually learning what Jello salad was might fly in the face of these facts. But I guess it is okay, if I portray a religion that by its own admission contains peculiar people as slightly peculiar, I must obviously be guilty of light-mindedness and speaking ill of the Lord’s anointed.
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January 23rd, 2008 at 8:24 am
Some people simply cannot read and pick up offenses rather quickly. Sometimes when people’s emotions are running high, it can cloud their thinking and ability to differentiate between what the author was originally saying and what commenters have said.
November 8th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Lara, it is an interesting point. I experienced something similar when a friend of mine read an article and asked me why the Mormon church was advertising on one of my articles? I said I no control over the ads. He was more understanding though than were your commenters.