Obviously on many issues I disagree with a good number of my fellow bloggers here, and on occasion I even say so. I also realize that there are some readers who are frustrated that only two of the blogs at The Atlantic allow comments. I would quit blogging before I closed all comments. But that's me, and it's more reflective of my social and psychological needs than any sense of grand magnamity.
I understand the frustration with not being able to publically shout back at the bloggers here not named McArdle or Coates. Still, I'd really appreciate if people didn't use this blog as a place to uncharitably air their differences with my colleagues. They aren't off-limits, per se, but I don't want to be a conduit for personal venom. I'm not here to defend those cats--we obviously have deep fundamental differences. But I am here to defend this small room in the ongoing Atlantic House Party. You may think Ross/Andrew/Marc is the spawn of the devil himself--and you may be right. But that's why they each have a giant "E-mail Me" button on their page. Please make use of it.
UPDATE: Stupid of me to make a post like this and leave comments open. Fixt.
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Ross and Marc both used to have comments. What happened was, given the tilt of the readership here, they both got so much crap in comments from people vehemently disagreeing that they closed them down rather than try to police them.
Andrew actually had his readers vote sometime early this year about whether to allow comments, and it was 60/40 against.
What it boils down to I think is, this election really matters to a lot of people here, most of whom are big Obama supporters (me included). Stuff that's viewed as not fair to him is going to get slammed by the regular readers and invaded and trolled by the roving gang of you-know-whos.
"they aren't off-limit per se".
Actually, yes, those type of comments SHOULD be off-limits per se, unless exactly addressing an issue YOU raised in a post.
If people want to complain about other bloggers, they can set up a blog about it, elsewhere. Otherwise, you accept the strictures as offered by that particular blogger.
Of course, I agree with a lot of it - when Ross D. made goof errors, and he got reamed in the comments for it, he quickly shut down his comments. Seemed a lack of confidence to me.
Still, his choice, Atlantics' choice.
Andrew has never had comments, so it's a bit different to Marc and Ross, who got battered when they posted nonsense - Ross especially so was getting crushed just before he closed them down.
And it's coming up now specifically because of Palin hugely polarizing them - though to be honest, it's been an event long coming.
It shows class however, to restrict abuse of Ross, given his affinity/friendship/cribbing from Steve Sailer, someone you called an 'unsavvy racist'.
Not sure he would return the compliment.
Deleted for ad hominem.