"Nil Illegitimi Carborundum"
Leona Erickson | Email | Homepage | 11.05.04 - 6:36 am | #

It makes me weep reading this, I'm going to get out my violin. Maybe that's why Mrs Nokes saw sense and got out of this whilst the going was good.
john | Email | Homepage | 11.05.04 - 9:25 am | #

Think you should go back to your official website as it hasn't been updated for weeks.
john | Email | Homepage | 11.05.04 - 9:30 am | #

Ah, the Guardian defence - 'it was all a joke, honest.'

'Always remember that your political opponents believe that they are the only thinking individuals on the planet.'

You were the one who called the American public unthinking!

'Get everything triple checked by agent/lawyers and Uncle Tom Cobbley and all so that anything interesting, provocative or worthy of comment is edited out.'

Interesting? Calling the American public stupid is interesting? It's certainly provocative, but it's not very clever, is it?

Tell me - in what way is your blog post below any different to the Mirror's headline yesterday 'How can 59m people be so dumb?'
Andrew | Email | Homepage | 11.05.04 - 10:08 am | #

I am sending Sandy a completely unread copy of Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People".

At least now she need never worry about being asked to Shadow the Foreign Secretary. However, I hear the Spectator might have an Editor's job going for her.

Perhaps, having now put Romsey, Old Hampshire, well and truly on the map she could get her Ordnance Survey friend to send an accurate Grid Reference for Love Lane to the Pentagon guys who programme the Tomahawk's guidance systems. We Brits know all too well how "good" the Americans are with their so-called "friendly fire".
Blogwatcher | Email | Homepage | 11.05.04 - 10:08 am | #

I detect just a hint of sarcasm in your post, Sandra - and it pleases me greatly.

PS - With Movable Type, you can do useful things like ban shouty people who have nothing constructive to say. Worth thinking about.
Tim Ireland | Email | Homepage | 11.05.04 - 10:55 am | #

Excellent, insightful and somewhat depressing post. I hope all this doesn't put Ms Gidley off blogging.
Russell | Email | Homepage | 11.05.04 - 11:04 am | #

Also, never underestimate the amount of bile that can eminate from people you've never met over an opinion you have expressed which doesn't affect them or anything much else in any way, shape or form.

Plus always put disclaimers BEFORE any controversial points, because irate readers will already be hitting the "comment" button before bothering to take said point in the context of the rest of what you are trying to say.

But most importantly - don't take the bait, as it's exactly what they want you to do.
Nosemonkey | Email | Homepage | 11.05.04 - 11:11 am | #

Perhaps Ms Nokes withdrew her blog after she thought that some of her comments might get scrutanised on. http://tinyurl.com/4jhaw heres the cache of the website - ah the wonders of technology.
Ms Nokes didnt see sense she merely jumped on the bandwagon on the attack of Ms Gidley doing anything she can to get attention. I think the little "article" in the Hampshire Extra actually awoken Ms Nokes into the work she needs to do in order to pull off a victory. Oh do a search for dracula on the conservative webpage... it's quite funny with the result!
Freddy | Email | Homepage | 11.05.04 - 1:38 pm | #

Freddy, you are talking garbage. There is no way that one can compare the work a PPC does as compared to an MP. It was Mrs G. who started the rave by trying to let the whole world know she had a weblog whilst having a go at her opponent's at the same time. It was she who said in April that personal attacks in politics are bad and she went back on that word. As for the hampshire Extra, that is just a seedy little rag that the lib dems produce that is full of lies, lies and more lies. If you believe everything you read in that then you really haven't lived at all.
chris | Email | Homepage | 11.05.04 - 3:45 pm | #

I don't beleive a word you say Chris. Yes, it was a contradiction for her to slate personal attacks and then do one herself, but trust me on this the conservatives where far worse on the personal attacks in the by-election and the election if memory serves me right.
I don't judge Ms Gidley on what she's said, it's what she's done and is doing i agree with, and agree with a quite a few of lib dem policies as i also agree with labour policies, and dare i say the tories have come up with a few good policies too. While i am mainly a Labour supporter i agree with more of their policies but locally the Labour PPC isnt worth voting, so i tactical vote to keep the tories out.
I have come on to this blog expecting to see policitcal points being made but alot of the time i just see personal attacks being made at her through her comments. You tories are playing a desperate game at trying to score your seat back, you really are.
Freddy | Email | Homepage | 11.05.04 - 8:05 pm | #

Freddy, how do you know that I'm a Tory? Don't make assumptions matey. Believe what you like 'cause I don't believe anything you say. Let's call it a mutual agreement.
chris | Email | Homepage | 11.05.04 - 10:18 pm | #

"PS - With Movable Type, you can do useful things like ban shouty people who have nothing constructive to say. Worth thinking about.
Tim Ireland "

Sincerely hope Sandra doesn't give it a second thought!

If this implies that Sandra can edit, alter, delete or even ban a contributor, then it does little for free speech and an open forum.

I may not like her politics - I may want to see a new MP in Romsey next year - but, whatever else folk may think, one has to admire Sandra Gidley's tenacity and spirit.

I hope I'm correct in assuming she will ignore that advice from Tim (who is a consultant to bloggers).

Not the best advice, as all credibility would be lost if readers and "commenters" thought it was being "spun".
Blogwatcher | Email | Homepage | 11.06.04 - 10:15 am | #

Yeah, why not gid rid of Tim. Great idea.
John | Email | Homepage | 11.07.04 - 5:31 pm | #

1. The previous two comments may suggest to the casual observer that I'm a paid consultant for this blog. I'm not. Just thought I should make that clear.


2. People have a right to their opinion, just as people have a right to *form* an opinion in a balanced environment. I'm not making any accusations here, just trying to give an idea of what is and isn't censorship when it comes to comment moderation. Some comments if left unedited or undeleted can be a form of censorship themselves - especially if they are allowed to reach cacophonic level.

(CONTD)
Tim Ireland | Email | Homepage | 11.08.04 - 11:54 am | #

2a: Posting multiple comments under different names is an abuse that warrants not only outright deletion, but public exposure and a full ban in my opinion. (This technique was used widely on Jody Dunn's blog during the Hartlepool by-election.)

2b: A common technique of trolls and freepers is to throw in off-topic comments that are deliberately designed to divert discussion away from the central point of any given post. Such posts should be seen for what they are and removed. That's not censorship, that's the *prevention* of censorship.
Tim Ireland | Email | Homepage | 11.08.04 - 11:55 am | #

Let's still get rid of Tim. He needs to get out more.
John | Email | Homepage | 11.08.04 - 2:46 pm | #