While I understand the need to be cautious, I would urge you not to re-examine the policy of allowing people to post directly to the site. The majority of your enjoy this feature,and relish the opportunity to be able to post an opinon in a free and uncensored enviroment. There have been a couple people who have crossed the line but I believe that they are in the miniority. This is an excellent service, so please reconsider your thoughts on changing the policy. Keep up the good work.

oops, one mistake... my previous post should read "the majority of your readers..."

I think if you're not willing to have your 'real' name available for viewing (either on this website, or at the office of Opinion250, you shouldn't be here)...

This town is WAY too small for some of the 'I'll hide behind my handle' crap that goes on with this blog.

Heh. User comments are the biggest reason I bother with this site. There are other, more comprehensive places to get the same information that this site provides. Axe them and I'm gone. I don't know about the others.

Other sites, such as Slashdot (www.slashdot.org) and kuro5hin (www.kuro5hin.org) use various techniques to moderate their users. A simple moderation systems like in your average web board would work as well.

I agree with Canar. Without the hillbillies sniping back & forth this is just a pulpit for Ben Meisner to spew his questionable opinions. I wouldn't bother with it either.

It would appear that Ben is ruffling a few political feathers. This must mean that he isdoing his job of trying to keep people politically honest. I too would hate to see this site censured. Just block the offenders.

I like the site the way it is. Find a way to weed out the Jerks that havent enough brains to use the site properly and carry on. If you dont have instant posting of comments, then we may as well send out comments to the Citizen and have them cleared through their editor.

I agree with Jethro,

Stand up and use your real name. Even better if you sign it in the comment post.

The ability for many to post, comment and debate in an unfiltered manner is really important. That's why I started my online all-candidates forum.

You're going to get stuff here, from the publishers or from the readers, that you simply can't get from the filtered media.

Keep the dialoge open, and let the readers do their own filtering.

Shawn Petriw

I quite enjoy Ben's ramblings. I don't agree with many of them, but still... Let me add my voice to continue allowing direct posting of comments. If necessary I would be happy to use my real name.

Yes, yes, yes!!!! I would very much like to know just who the major posters are on this site.
I am sure we have all kind of attached the political affiliation to the poster who spews off on the site very often.
It is a fine opportunity to do some head shaking at some of the comments, while some are obviously good for a laugh.
I do feel you should offer some statistics on David McWalter, as to his occupation and what type of relationship he has with the candidate-assuming he is perhaps a relative.
Anyhow, Ben, let us look at this incident realistically.
You have dished it out to many, and perhaps a joke , even one in such poor taste, was in fact an effort to retaliate.
The letter of apology was certainly written in sincerity, and the poster obviously is well aware he made a grave error in a feeble attempt at humor.
I, unfortunately, missed the remarks.
In the months this site has been available, I think it can show a large measure of success , and after all, it is open to the public, and many of the uneducated have an opportunity to speak out without fear of being recognized. I would imagine they get a large measure of enjoyment out of it, and are ever increasing their learning by a developed interest in reading what other parties have stated.
That alone is success!!!
Leave it alone for awhile, and if no further problems arise, then this letter you have written in warning has had a large measure of success.
Of the many many posters obviously enjoying the site, do not become overly zealous and make any radical changes over one persons mistake.
And this too-shall pass.

I am impressed with how the real Mrs. Meisner handled Mr. McWalter's unfortunate lack of judgement. I also must commend Mr. McWalter for being forthright with his admission and apology, and I believe he did the right thing in resigning from Sherry Sethen's campaign. It is important for people to remember that Ms. Sethen is in no way responsible for Mr. McWalter's comments.
I believe that it is important to allow people a voice without fear of retribution...and this site provides a voice to MANY in the city who otherwise have no safe venue for expressing their views and feelings. Not everyone has friends in high places....and this can be a very small town at times.
So, the answer is NOT... taking the opportunity away. But rather, to hold accountable those who intentionally misuse the site...and those who have a temporary lapse in good judgement, like Mr. McWalter.

I agree with Jeannie. Well said.

My opinion is that Mr McWalter played the oldest trick in the blog world. You see it every day on the financial web blogs where people claim to be through the alias the company CEO, or CFO, or other related type games. So that in and of itself is oldschool, I'm suprised it hasn't been done more often on opinion250. The best funnies come when people mimic other peoples alias on the financial blogs after losing their shirt on a stock and haunting the pumper or dumper that they figure caused them all their problems. Sometimes it can go on for months (although said cases usually don't involve a persons real name).

The dirty part about McWalters spoof is that it was done in very bad taste, and with political motivation. He should have known he would be caught when you step that far over the ethical line.

Other web sites like stockhouse, yahoo, or ragingbull simply warn the offender and delete the posts. If it happens to be in bad taste, or repeat then they are removed (trust me I know about this). I find that acceptable. The CBC when they had their message board they were bloody natzi's with an automatic kick out for the smallest of offenses. I wouldn't want that kind of censorship here.

IMO we all know who David McWalters is and for him his exposure I think is punishment enough. He has obviously exposed himself and his business that is heavily reliant on political decisions to a lot of liability.

IMO his opinions are very relevant to Prince George and I would hope he would still be allowed to post on this site, albeit in his own name would seem appropriate.

Chad

PS This is exactly the reason why I opose media concentration, and the non citizen campaign funding system for politics at all levels. It allows corruption of the political system and that is a crime in my books. IMO if you have money as a citizen or corporation then your name should be right out front for everyone to see, otherwise you are a cancer on the political system.

Real names would be an interesting idea and all, but how on earth do you verify a person's identity? As far as I can see, the system would still be vulnerable to identity spoofing. I'm not sure it's possible to de-anonymize without some rather long and involved processes.

i think that censoring the comments from some of the people is an insult to the rest. I particularily enjoy reading the humorous attempts to snipe digitally from one personality to another. Ben, the fact that someone impersonated your wife was unfortunate, and shows that some level of attention needs to be paid, but i for one would hope that common sense will prevail. Please allow us to laugh at the few who think that their remarks directed personally at others actually account for something other than a joke.

Can somebody tell me exactly what David McWalter said?

all you who said something about this--I agree with 99% of it.

Except for Mr McWalters. I believe his actions to be foolish, without any thought,totally lacking character or honesty. In humor you say things and use anothers name? Not in my yard.

It's great to see that we're all pretty much on the same page here! That doesn't often happen!

Well said folks.
I agree whole heartedly.
And if i had a gift of writing, i would have wrote what Jeannie did.

Should i just sign this off as Jeannie at the bottom and pretend to be her?

Joking folks.

I like this place....thanks for allowing us our opinions.

Cheers

Marty

Hmmm, what concerns me more is how did you trace down the computer and therefore the user. Usually in the log of any web server is the ip address and domain name of who posted the message but you would usually need a court order to the ISP to get the IP number to end user name revealed.

So how did you conclude it was indeed this person ?