Comments have been getting nasty again over the last week or two, and it has become unpleasant to deal with them. Criticism is one thing, but insults are another, and there have been a fair number of them thrown around recently. Also, I’m getting tired of reflexive negativity. I’ve been through it before, and don’t care to relive it.
Just for some perspective, an average article is read by some three thousand people over the course of a few days. Out of those, perhaps only 20 comment on it. Out of those 20, only a few are actively picking fights.
So, if I have to ban certain commenters, it’s relatively inconsequential.
I’d like to thank those who avoid the ad hominems and cheap shots. Mercifully, that’s most of you. If it hadn’t been for this restrained, thoughtful majority, I would have thrown in the towel on comments long ago.
