That didn’t matter to me, I don’t advertise or take any money or get anything back for “hits”, but on the other hand if I am at risk for being removed, I’d rather it be by request, rather than by an absurd application of liberal sensibility.

I avoided watching images of beheading as well, but it did happen, and there’s a lot worse in this world than being reminded of the war we are engaged in.

I don’t know if the aggregator brought my blog any “attention”, maybe it just made it easier for the hit squads to know where they had to go to make comments without having to actually do any work of monitoring the blogs themselves.

I have to be honest, I’ve never even visited the aggregator (I subscribe to most of the feeds through my RSS reader, anyway). But it sounds like Waldo’s aggregator has done a good job of bringing attention to a lot of conservative blogs.

That’s strange behavior for a lefty who is supposedly so bent on censoring certain viewpoints from the right.

I didn’t use VPB, and I won’t use WVPB. But I do want to thank you for two things: being one of the most innovative bloggers in 2006, and for tackling the big questions, like how we use the commons and what censorship is and is not.

I thought GGD crossed the line when he compared Governor Kaine’s preschool initiatives to the Hitler youth, but what do I know. I guess I just have thinner skin.

Gee … so much has changed

The one thing said in all of this fine discussion that I noticed was the conversation RE: the use of false names. Me? My online experiences have taught me that I’d encourage all of you to promote greater use of real names. Accountability is a good thing. The online conversation can benefit a great deal from folks knowing they can be held accountable for the words they communicate in the public square. Politically motivated rumors too.

I have used my real name since back in the early 1980s when I first began discussing issues “on line”. Yeah, I’m old. It happens.

Perhaps the recent media attention paid to “Bloggers” has caused some folks to place far too much significance on the “Blogoshere”??? - instead of appreciating that the real value of having community forums available online is for 24/7 access to varied points of view from folks of different ideological beliefs - a place to go to discuss issues and viewpoints; hopefully learning from one another in the process.

Believe it ot not - Free Speech - and honest conversation can help prevent polarized “sides” from actually reverting to physical violence. Understanding each other - and learning to respect one another can be a wonderful thing.

But … it seems to me that most of the folks I’ve read on this thread already know this - and are doing your best to practice it.

Nice job.

Like a few folks pointed out - this discussion could have become a whole lot uglier than it did. It is nice to witness folks doing their best to get along in a civil manner.

Now it seems you are asking that any blogger who disagrees with you must agree to post a disgusting graphic, sight unseen, to get back into your good graces and back onto your aggregator. If they choose not post the graphic that you have chosen, then they will remain out of the aggregator for having the audacity to question you. Do I have that right?

No, you have it wrong. See Triscula’s explanation.

Flora wrote:

I know you are a busy dude but when you have a moment could you forward me a copy of the email I sent asking to be included on your aggregator? For the life of me I can’t find it in my sent box nor do I remember even composing it.

It was Alton who e-mailed me and asked that I include you. I’d be happy to forward you that e-mail, but I would require Alton’s permission to do so, as I hold such things in confidence. Normally I would not even reveal that it was he who sent the e-mail, but given his role in this, I feel considerably less hesitant now.

You and I exchanged some e-mail about your site’s inclusion; you were troubled that, at times, your entire posts weren’t showing up, but only selected portions. We never entirely fixed the problem, but I did help you debug some HTML problems with your site.

1. Examine your first principles. Why did you start it in the first place?

2. Does it still meet that need?

3. If no, can it meet that need again with some alterations?

4. If no, then why bother?

There is another alternative. Can’t you modify your script so that all pictures are not displayed? Then people would have to go to the originating site for pictures. This would be an added benefit for people with dial-up accounts.

NJH

Here is what Waldo said in his ‘olive branch’ offer:

“I have an offer. Let’s call it an olive branch, in the spirit of Christmas. (This was suggested to me via e-mail just now.)

I will restore the blog in question to the aggregator and not add any new rules. If this single condition is met.

I want the complaining blogs (Alton, GGD, Jonathan Maxfield, Chris, SWAC Girl, Carl, Flora McDonald and Kat) to post the blog entry of my choice on their blog.”

So, no, it appears that you don’t have it right.
As far as I know there haven’t been any threats to remove anyone from the aggregator. GGD’s blog was removed because removing the blog was the only way to remove the post (as Waldo mentioned further up in the comments).

Waldo’s offer (and I believe it was meant more to make a point than it was to serve as a genuine offer, but I may be wrong)was for the biggest complainers to put themselves in a similar position of having to post a very offensive image, not of their choosing, on their own site.

I didn’t mind at all that you included the UCV blog, though, and thought it was quite clever of you to have created the VPB as it must have been a bit time consuming and perhaps costly.

You may remove the link to our blog or leave it. The choice is yours. I have made no demands on you and expect the same in return.