The Importance Of An Online Discussion
Brian Kirwin of Bearing Drift recently wrote a post entitled, “Fees aren’t taxes.” The post in question took an aggressive stance on taxes but I don’t want to talk about subject matter. I would rather focus on the way Kirwin dealt with his critics.
One of the great aspects of blogging is the comment section. I love seeing comments after I craft a post. First, it lets me know people are actually reading. Second, it gives me the opportunity to engage with my readers.
However, if you are condescending and insulting when engaging folks online you almost guarantee that commenters won’t be visiting your blog again. You also make yourself look uninformed and unreasonable. Brian Kirwin is bordering on this with the way he has responded to the comments on his article. Kirwin crafted a post that he knew would receive a hefty dose of criticism, he finished the article, “Now….fire away.” Yet when people contradict what he says, he begins to insult them, saying things like, “Wally, congratulations for getting passed Eighth Grade.”
If you can’t handle criticism, either don’t write controversial content or turn off the comment feature on your blog because there are always going to be people who don’t agree with what you say. Participate in the public debate and maybe a commenter will give you a different perspective on the issue that you had never thought about.
–Chris Walling, Political Editor
Thanks for the advice on how to get readership, Chris. If you can’t see the blatent tongue in my cheek, you’re taking all of this way too seriously.
Chris – There’s a larger question in the comment section….
Is Americans for Prosperity playing dirty pool?
1. Their radio ads, internet banner ads, website and direct mail call this a “24 percent tax” and “a huge tax increase,” but nowhere do they reveal the tax increase is only 18 cents per phone per month. That’s $2.16 per year. Every nickel counts, but Americans for Prosperity’s assualt is disproportionate and withholds critical information.
2. Americans for Prosperity’s http://www.NoVirginiaTaxIncrease.com website claim this tax would fund “an array of benefits for a wide variety of state and local government employees,” but in fact all the funds go to the Line of Duty fund, which pays death and disability benefits to families of uniformed public safety officers injured or killed while protecting or rescuing others. That’s police and firefighters, and also paramedics, hazmat teams, National Guard when called to emergency service, forest and game wardens, and ABC special agents. Some hay has been made about ABC special agents injured or killed in the line of duty being included; that is an insult to these law enforcement officers who risk their safety and lives to protect others.
3. I suspect that the Virginia telecommunications industry “donated” funds to Americans for Prosperity for the advertising campaign and the eight free buses delivering their followers from all corners of the state to a rally in Richmond last Monday. If so, Americans for Prosperity would be caught red-handed accepting payment from a special interest to gin up a grassroots assualt. By withholding information and distorting the truth, Americans for Prosperity is manipulating their followers to lobby against a measure they might not otherwise oppose. If Americans for Prosperity is doing so for pay, their credibility would be severely compromised.
- Steve Lebowitz, Annapolis, Maryland