In an inter-blog spat a regular commenter on The Standard, using the name ‘Colonial Viper’, made comments that led to a number of other blog posts, including from Whale Oil (Cameron Brewer).
Colonial Viper responded defending his comments with a post at The Standard, CV replies to Whaleoil, concluding:
The bottom line being, if the Paganis had performed a bloody coup to overthrow the legitimate Colonial Government in the SyFy universe, while co-opting local military forces (as Zarak and Gaeta had, at gun point) then they might be in a spot of bother today, in some faraway fictional universe. Anything else is up to Whale’s fevered, and vastly overstretched, imagination.
COLONIAL VIPER
Fair enough. But following CV’s statement someone (it’s not clear whether it was CV or not) followed up with:
Just in case anyone is in danger of taking Whale seriously, we’ll add these reviews of his blog from the “mainstream media”.
They then listed quotes from three media comments that criticised Whale Oil and right wing bloggers generally. It’s worth noting they are date reports from 2008 and 2009, the blogosphere has evolved since then – as has the standard of Whale Oil.
The concluding was this from The Press (in February 2008):
“you get the feeling that if the blogosphere was an ecosystem, the far-Right bloggers would be bottom feeders.”
That’s one partial quote from a detailed analysis of blogs at that time. The whole paragraph:
If that’s political blogging at its best, what does the worst look like? You don’t have to move very far from the centre to find out. Clowns to the Left, jokers to the Right: you get the feeling that if the blogosphere was an ecosystem, the far-Right bloggers would be bottom feeders.
So Colonial Viper (or The Standard) cherry picked from old articles. Are there more recent comments on blogs available?
Yep:
Josie Pagani on Facebook (seems to have been removed):
There’s been a bit of comment about me on the Standard blog. I’m not going to reply there because the people who make the most defamatory comments do it anonymously, like the KKK putting on their white hoods. At least on Facebook, they have to identify themselves.
And I don’t like the way the Standard deals out lifetime bans to anyone who disagrees with them.
I’m also astonished at the sexism. Commenters repeatedly conflate my views with my husband’s, which will come as a surprise to anyone who has ever met us. One sexist thug reads chicken entrails from my husband’s tweets to get an insight into my views, another calls me a silly bitch, and despite calling themselves a progressive blog, no one objects. I’m not complaining about it – merely pointing out the hypocrisy and compromised morality of my critics.
Fran O’Sullivan on Facebook on Friday:
Rather enjoying watching the Paganis dealing with the KKK (aka The Standard) and Cam Slater ripping these anonymous jerks up – particularly the aptly named Colonel Viper. I don’t read CV’s attacks as death threats tho.
But it would be amusing if the VRWC (aka said Cam Slater, Cathy Odgers and David Farrar before he coined his business) outed Irish Bill, Zetetic, Colonel Viper and the rest of the bravely anonymous writers once and for all. They bleat it might cost them their jobs if they were exposed – tough. Time for new rules of the game. All the wonderfully and historically liberal JP and JP have done is stick up for David Shearers’s stance. Hardly a hanging offence. But KKK can’t take it.
No balls! (I would have used the term cojone but after being outed in NBR last week have decided to be more direct).
http://thestandard.org.nz/two-little-paggis-squeal-and-squeak/
TV3′s The Nation PANEL on online regulation (Saturday).
Blogs are all about bullying.
How on earth do you muzzle Whale Oil, or the Labour Party’s The Standard, vicious comments, really vicious.
Colonial Viper clarified (or backtracked) on his comments, but then chose to point to some old pots from amongst a blackened kettle.
It’s common for blog commenters to defend and deny their own while pointing the finger at others. Here’s a couple of comments near the end of Colonial Vipers post.
Denial:
And reality?
-
prism 27
There is reference to wankers, turds, dumbarses and pricks etc etc by some people here. This is a place for intelligent thoughts if possible and the shit should be short. And we should be aiming it at the opinion not the person. I know that I find editing an essential. Other people can be so annoying when you know you’re right! And TS can’t be blamed for every tasteless comment.
TS writers generally use history, evidence, and human empathy to make their case.
WO relies on greed and resentment…