The Robb Report

Does a person commenting on a blog have an ethical duty to write only genuine, hand-typed comments?

The Backstory

Minutes after I posted my blog entry about Randi Rhodes getting suspended, my site notified me that I had a new “comment” for me to moderate (that is, to either approve or reject):

I just stopped by your blog and thought I would say hello. I like your site design. Looking forward to reading more down the road.

Robert Michel

I saw that he had also entered the URL for his website, Social Network Skills / Skills you need to become a better networker.

For a brief second, I thought to myself, “How friendly! How engaging and welcoming! It looks like I have a new Internet friend who shares some of my interests.” Well, not exactly that, but you get the idea.

The Reality

I was disappointed to see that Michel appears to be promiscuous and deceptive in his friendship-making. I have to admit, I was skeptical when I read his comment. As any visitor to my site circa 4/2008 would see, there’s nothing special about its design: it’s just the plain, default Wordpress installation. So I plucked a phrase from his comment, did a Google search, and found 390 posts where he had written the identical sentiment.

This is most likely all about “page rank”, and the quest for higher prominence on Google search results. Google uses the number of “incoming” links to one’s site as a factor in their calculation of how important the website is. Thus, some people go to lengths to artificially create incoming links in an attempt to elevate their search rankings. And some people, apparently including Michel, spam websites in clever ways that cause incoming links to be created.

The Ethics

It’s ironic that the site being promoted purports to teach how to “become a better networker.” Do ethics go out the window when one builds business relationships?

The Josephson Institute of Ethics describes six pillars of character, the first two of which are likely inconsistent with this spam-networking:

Trustworthiness

Be honest • Don’t deceive, cheat or steal • Be reliable — do what you say you’ll do • Have the courage to do the right thing • Build a good reputation • Be loyal — stand by your family, friends and country

Respect

Treat others with respect; follow the Golden Rule • Be tolerant of differences • Use good manners, not bad language • Be considerate of the feelings of others • Don’t threaten, hit or hurt anyone • Deal peacefully with anger, insults and disagreements

And one last question: Am I acting ethically by publicly discussing Michel’s submitted comment and website in this way? I think so: I’m doing my best to not make unfounded conclusions, and I’ve contacted Michel to allow him to refute or respond to what I’ve written. It’s entirely possible I made an error, in which case writing a retraction is the right thing to do.

The current hot election story is that Randi Rhodes has been suspended by Air America because of the content of a comedy bit she did two weeks ago, off air:

Ms. Rhodes used vulgar language that likened Mrs. Clinton to a prostitute at an event sponsored by KKGN, the Air America affiliate in the San Francisco area, on March 22. . . .

In a statement, Charlie Kireker, the chair of Air America, said the radio network “encourages strong opinions about public affairs but does not condone such abusive, ad hominem language by our hosts.” (NY Times)

Here’s an example of how the conservative media is reporting it:

Air America radio has suspended talk show host Randi Rhodes for what has been described as an appalling rant . . . (Fox News)

The transcripts are online, but one really needs to see the video to get the feel of the event; that this was definitely schtick: (YouTube)

But there’s no big problem with what she said, nor with Air America’s reaction.

Contradictory? I don’t think so:

1. This was an entertainer, doing a stand-up comedy bit in an adults-only venue. Her routine was typical and appropriate for that context.
2. The content of her routine, likening some politicians to prostitutes, is political language that usually deserves a high level of deference.
3. Nothing she said is any worse than what one hears in right-wing talk forums. For example, I recently switched off the David Letterman show when comedian Dennis Miller was on, and in the beginning of an energetic routine called Senator Harry Reid a “bloated pussbag” and other pejoratives. I found it unfunny and bizarre; simply insulting for the sake of insulting.
4. It’s actually a real stretch to call her bit ad hominem. The prostitute analogy is pretty directly about the politician’s acts and behavior. For real ad hominem, consider the Dennis Miller quote, above. Or, alternatively, most times that pundits on either side of the political spectrum liken someone to a Nazi.
5. Finally, Air America is a business, and Rhodes seems to have made this appearance as representing them. And they apparently didn’t bargain for this kind of performance, nor consider it appropriate representation.

So, me personally, I’m not so shocked as I am interested in how our society is working out these events that intersect three spheres: media, politics, and comedy.