To Larry, the Objectivity Troll

"There have been numerous complaints, in fact, about the publisher allowing me to get away with calling our new Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist a 'swine.' . . .
"Objective Journalism is a hard thing to come by these days. We all yearn for it, but who can point the way? . . .
"With the possible exception of things like box scores, race results, and stock market tabulations, there is no such thing as Objective Journalism. The phrase itself is a pompous contradiction in terms."
-- Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72

At some point, "Larry," I figured out your game. Not just you and your crappy little "objectivity" schtick, but the whole phylum, genus and species of trolldom -- the vermin of the Internet.

You see something online you don't like and appoint yourself a sort of divine hall monitor, endowed with an almighty righteousness that grants you the right to act By Any Means Necessary.

Ah, but two can play at that game, eh? If you attack my career, "Larry" -- implying that my "biased reporting" is inaccurate unsubstantiated, or otherwise worthless -- when I have busted my hump to provide exclusive coverage of the NY23 special election, you must expect that I would be curious about your motives for doing so. Therefore, you sign yourself as "Larry" without any other identifier and with no explanation of why you have appointed yourself hall monitor on this story.

Well, I know your game, buddy. Don't know who you are or what your specific interest is in attacking my reporting on NY23, but I certainly know your game.

Since the Spectator switched online software and began permitting comments on articles, I've repeatedly asked the editors to do something about their troll problem, requests unheeded -- and that's OK. It's their publication and they are free to pursue whatever comments policy (or non-policy) they choose.

Here, I'm the boss. Comments are moderated, and for a specific reason. Readers are free to debate any issue they want -- "Christina Hendricks' breasts: Real or fake?" -- from whatever perspective suits them. However, unlike some other Blogs That Need Not Be Named, this site is not about me posting a few links, adding some snark, and then turning it over to the commenters.

If you don't appreciate what we do here, you are free to go elsewhere for your online amusement. Unlike those Blogs That Need Not Be Named, this isn't an exclusive club where commenting is limited to registered members, who must gauge their words so as not to run afoul of the Banning Stick. Nobody's ever banned, but some comments are rejected.

Me? I believe in freedom. You are free to call me an @$$hole, and I'm free to reject the comment. You are also free to start a blog called "Stacy McCain Is An @$$hole," and I am free to ignore it.

As I've often said, just because you don't know what I'm doing, don't assume that I don't know what I'm doing. There are plenty of places you can troll, "Larry," but you can't troll here.