Policy change!

To my readers,

Folks, we have a problem.

I have discussed the subject of comment-abuse here before. I have displayed abusive comments and ridiculed comment abusers on this site - before.

Well, the number of “anonymous” comments not fit for print has been on the rise lately.

How to deal with this problem is one of the issues I’ve been struggling with since last weekend.

Most of my readers know how I think about restricting anonymous comments. I don’t like the idea; not one bit!  However, I’ve come to the point where I am no longer willing to print some of them.

Here’s the snag. Some commenters are having a problem controlling themselves, saying things they wouldn’t normally say if their name were attached or in face-to-face social discourse in places such as Starbucks or McDonalds. Others try to provoke with unsubstantiated claims. Many of the comments are directed at fellow commenters and filled with vitriol, adding no value to the matters being discussed. Finally, others are just trying to be cute but not funny.

Henceforth, any commentary not contributing to the clarification or understanding of the issues at hand will not be posted!

Of course, some of my anonymous commenters will be upset, and some of them will no longer comment or might not even come back. So be it! For the rest of you, I will continue to do my best to make Butterly on Senior Issues an interesting, informative and sometime amusing blog; one you’ll come back to, again and again.

Thanks!