Comment Ethics

I’ve had a few passes at drafting a personal ethic for blogging and commenting. On several occasions I’ve had to delete comments tand sometimes this has been a shame, because there was a nugget of worthwhile critque hidden in an unacceptable package.

So, thanks to Ryan Dueck for linking to Ben Witherington’s The Ten Commandments On Blogging on this Site – a solid study on comment ethics. Witherington’s thoughts on this have helped me clarify some of my own thinking.

In particular, the standout issues seem to be – backing up a comment with either a name or personal website, being clear, concise and respectful in commenting and addressing the issue at hand. Interestingly, Witherington cites James 3.3-11 in reference to blog commenting – a verse which to me seems more than pertinent.

Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!

And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.

With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?

[tags] Ethics, Comments [/tags]