Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

What’s Next for Bacon’s Rebellion

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by

James A. Bacon
in

As noted in the press release I just posted, I have been appointed executive director of the Jefferson Council, the alumni organization fighting to preserve the Jeffersonian tradition, free speech and intellectual diversity at the University of Virginia. Although I’ll continue to publish Bacon’s Rebellion, I won’t be able to devote as much time to it as I had previously. The good news is that regular contributors such as Jim Sherlock, Dick Hall-Sizemore and Steve Haner aren’t going anywhere, and I’ll still jump in on occasion as time permits.

Still, there will be changes. On the positive side, I’m engaged in conversations to bring on board a new editor (or editors) so we can continue to accept guest op-ed submissions. On the downside, I am giving serious consideration to scrapping the comments feature, which has become a huge time sink. It literally takes an hour or two daily to make sure the comments don’t degenerate into profanity, insult fests, or flame wars. Making the situation worse, in recent days I’ve had to weed out the comment spammers who have figured out how to evade our spam defenses.

If readers are desperate to retain the comments, please let me know at jabacon@baconsrebellion.com. Otherwise, that’s where the axe likely will first fall as we restructure the blog.

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44 responses to “What’s Next for Bacon’s Rebellion”

  1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    I have e-mailed Jim my comments at length. In summary, I think the comments section is a vital component of the blog. I know that I, as a contributor, benefit from feedback from commenters.

    That being said, I realize that administering the comment section consumes a great deal of time. I really appreciate Jim’s dedication to the blog and his support since I have become a participant. Unfortunately, I am not in a situation in which I could assume this responsibility.

    1. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
      James Wyatt Whitehead

      You would be good at calling balls and strikes Mr. Dick. I say Mr. B should use the little known reserve activation clause here at the Rebellion.

    2. Lefty665 Avatar
      Lefty665

      You would be a very good choice.

  2. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    I’m taken aback a bit. I don’t think BR would be anywhere near what it is right now without the comments.

    It would become yet another megaphone making noise that few would spend time listening to.

    The way it is now – it offers a legitimate exchange of ideas and viewpoints – and in my view, it sorely needs it at times.

    But it’s Jim’s baby and if life is taking him in a new direction, we should wish him well and appreciate what he accomplished that folks could be a part of.

    A volunteer moderator IMO requires someone who appreciates the value of the comments without regard to their own leanings and viewpoints – which JAB has done well but not without some veering at times AND in terms of level of effort, it’s pretty obvious when JAB is occupied with other more pressing work!

    On the identity of the commenter, it’s obviously a touchy subject for some and not for others, the pseudo names do not bother me personally.

  3. WayneS Avatar
    WayneS

    Please keep the comments.

    For the record, I already use most of my real name and have no problem providing the rest of it, if needed. Also, my avatar is not an actual photo of me.

    1. James McCarthy Avatar
      James McCarthy

      What!!??? Not your head shot photo?? Positively disconcerting.

      1. WayneS Avatar
        WayneS

        Truth be told, it does look a little bit like my driver’s license photo…

        🙂

  4. Randy Huffman Avatar
    Randy Huffman

    As with me, I think everyone here likes the comment section, because they comment!

    I imagine it not only takes time, but having someone who is willing to take the time to come to the blog on a somewhat frequent basis. As Jim is going to be working with the Jefferson Council and having access to UVA students, I wonder if that is a resource that can be used..? Like the newly formed Jefferson Independent? A regular reader here like Nancy N. who might have volunteered, is a good way to go too.

    It is correct that it is hard to enforce the rule of using your name (and it could be fictitious), but seems like that is a step in the right direction.

  5. James A. Bacon Avatar
    James A. Bacon

    I’ve had a new thought. If someone is willing on a volunteer basis to monitor the comments and enforce the rules of decorum, I might be willing to keep the feature going. If anyone is interested in undertaking that responsibility, email me, and we can discuss.

    Another option is to require commenters to use their real names (although I’m not sure how that requirement could be enforced).

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      At your disposal… hmm, wait. Make that service.

      Stop laughing. Who else visits every comment section?

      1. WayneS Avatar
        WayneS

        If you’re serious, you’ve got my vote.

        1. Nancy Naive Avatar
          Nancy Naive

          Well, we could do it together. Of course, by the time we rip apart, laugh at, and finally approve each comment, the commeter may ave passed.

      2. Kathleen Smith Avatar
        Kathleen Smith

        Mine too

    2. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      At your disposal… hmm, wait. Make that service.

      Stop laughing. Who else visits every comment section?

    3. Eric the half a troll Avatar
      Eric the half a troll

      “(although I’m not sure how that requirement could be enforced)”

      Maybe you could charge like $8 and then you could put a blue check next to names that have been “verified”…

      1. WayneS Avatar
        WayneS

        Well played, sir.

      2. James McCarthy Avatar
        James McCarthy

        DNA verification along with Body Mass Index data, and fingerprints would help.

        1. WayneS Avatar
          WayneS

          I cannot provide my BMI – matter of national security, don’t you know…

    4. vicnicholls Avatar
      vicnicholls

      Commentors do real names.

    5. Stephen Haner Avatar
      Stephen Haner

      Well, if what we see now is what is left after your editing efforts, the rules are not that strict! When I had the ability to edit them at an earlier point, I did zap some awful stuff (racist, libelous, and bot advertising content) on a regular basis. I know readers who follow the comments closely. Bottom line is often they are a great addition, often they skewer the author appropriately, but much chaff with the occasional wheat and the very rare gold nugget.

      I still think ending the pseudonyms is a first step.

      1. VaNavVet Avatar
        VaNavVet

        Comments are needed as how many folks would continue to visit a site where misinformation could not be challenged. We just need everyone to act with civility.

      2. Eric the half a troll Avatar
        Eric the half a troll

        How do we know you are really Stephen Haner…?

        signed Steven Chaner…

      3. Eric the half a troll Avatar
        Eric the half a troll

        How do we know you are really Stephen Haner…?

        signed Steven Chaner…

        1. Nancy Naive Avatar
          Nancy Naive

          I’m really Putney Swope.

      4. Nancy Naive Avatar
        Nancy Naive

        So, are you claiming your parents actually named you Stephen?

        Do we get little Blue Badges of Authenticity?

        BTW, assuming this is an “average” group, it’s 4 to 4. So, you would amputare your left leg?

      5. WayneS Avatar
        WayneS

        Perhaps he could require a person’s real name be included in their profile, but continue to allow screen names for posting comments.

        With that said, though, I have no problem with people using pseudonyms.

    6. WayneS Avatar
      WayneS

      Is there a way to allow comments to be flagged by users? Flagging could trigger a notification to the [probably] part time ‘enforcer’ who would then determine whether the comment violated the rules.

      It would make the enforcer’s job easier because he/she would not have to scour each and every comment looking for violations.

      Bottom line: If nobody flags it then it is probably not [very] inappropriate

    7. Kathleen Smith Avatar
      Kathleen Smith

      You got my votes too. Let me know if I can help!

  6. Super Brain Avatar
    Super Brain

    Start a premium subscriber level for leaving and reading comments. Make some money for your efforts.

    1. Randy Huffman Avatar
      Randy Huffman

      That is a great idea, I bet a lot of regular commentators are also donors too anyway, either in cash or article contributions (they should be). I subscribe to the Wall Street Journal and you have to be a subscriber to comment (as with others). Here is a link to their rules. I went to an article and it also said the comment section shuts down 4 days after the article, and I know not every article is available for comment. that also makes things more manageable.

      https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-wall-street-journal-commenting-rules-faqs-1528381006

      1. Steve K Avatar
        Steve K

        Maybe grant comment privileges to donors (of any amount, of threshold amount), or set up a live comment section for paid subscribers — something like others do (I don’t want to put in a plug here, but would be happy to provide example by email.)

  7. Rafaelo Avatar
    Rafaelo

    Congratulations on the new post. Comments: edifying, sometimes a useful corrective. And Nancy Naive’s comments can be very funny — often on purpose. How about somebody volunteers as a comment editor?

    Simple rule to keep things civil: avoid the word “you.”

  8. Rafaelo Avatar
    Rafaelo

    Congratulations on the new post. Comments: edifying, sometimes a useful corrective. And Nancy Naive’s comments can be very funny — often on purpose. How about somebody volunteers as a comment editor?

    Simple rule to keep things civil: avoid the word “you.”

  9. energyNOW_Fan Avatar
    energyNOW_Fan

    Keep the comments for a while at least. I could see myself using Twitter more to have a voice, but at the moment Twitter future is up in the air.

    Only reason I do not use real name BR changed something a while back and I already had a older DISQUS screen name. Before that I was TBill…sincerely BillT, but I like TBill’s as a conservative investor, get it?

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      Or, a Fruit Loops fanatic… Get it, Toucan Bill? Har!

    2. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      I wondered what happened to TBill! You were one of those regulars when I first started on BR, before the number of commenters expanded significantly.

  10. James C. Sherlock Avatar
    James C. Sherlock

    I too often benefit from comments meant to help the conversation. I regularly take comments and update my column to include the advice they offer on how to make it better.

    Several ways I suggest to edit comments include:
    – require comments to be on the topic of the post. Some extraneous comments become long threads that go far afield and become background noise on serious topics;
    – limit the number of comments on any one post by any single commenter to three or four;
    – eliminate ad hominem attacks. Battle the ideas, not the author.

    I have friends who regularly read but refuse to offer their views in the comments section because it is not well controlled and they don’t wish damage their reputations by getting in the mud with pigs.

    Nancy is an experienced academic. If he wants to edit it, I will second the nomination on the condition he use his real name as editor.

  11. Acbar Avatar
    Acbar

    FWIW the comments are a large part of why I read BR. I appreciate that it’s a time-consuming (& thankless?) job to screen for bots and offensive and non-germane content. It’s hard not to take that work for granted because BR generally does it so well we don’t see the discarded chaff or appreciate how much of it there is. But I hope someone can volunteer to help save the day, here. As for real names, it works for newspaper letters to the editor – why not for a blog?

  12. Donald Smith Avatar
    Donald Smith

    Jim, congrats on your promotion in the Jefferson Council. You have a tough job ahead of you.

    I like the idea of commenting under your full, accurate name. No abbreviations—full and correct first and last name. People are less inclined to be jackasses if they have to put their names on what they say.

    But don’t fool yourself about the difficulty of maintaining a clean comments section. It’s very hard work, and you’ll always have to deal with the spammers and bots. They are never distracted. And, if BR continues to write on controversial topics, and especially as it gains popularity, it will attract commenters.

    As long as your name remains on the masthead, any off-color (or worse) comment that goes viral will have your name attached to it.

    You’re about to assume a prominent position in an organization that has, to be direct, many enemies. If I was one of those enemies, and wanted to complicate your life, the easiest thing to do would be to come to BR, post shocking comments, “leak” those comments to Twitter, the Washington Post and friendly blogs, and leave you (and the Jefferson Council) to deal with the fallback.

    If the Jefferson Council has to spend time explaining allegations made about the activity on Bacon’s Rebellion, that’s not a good thing for the Jefferson Council. It’s a great thing for the wokesters who want to turn UVa 100% woke. (Or, as one of the prominent commenters on this blog said, burn VMI to the ground and salt the earth it stood on).

    My recommendation is for you to close the comments section immediately, until you are 100% sure you have a solution to keep the comments section from descending into a s**tshow. The real value of BR is the articles you run, not the comments they generate.

    1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
      Eric the half a troll

      “People are less inclined to be jackasses if they have to put their names on what they say.”

      So your name is not actually Donald…??

      1. LarrytheG Avatar
        LarrytheG

        Oh I KNEW that was coming! And yep, I’m not sure that “if folks know your real name, you won’t be a jackass” is “correct”.

  13. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    What were JAB’s original aspirations for BR? I don’t think it was necessarily for a permanent gig as much as it might have been a step, not the only one, towards pursuing opportunity.

    And so, this is that.

    Could be that JAB has “had this fun” and really does not intend to come back and so we got the benefit but certainly not entitled to never changing or going away.

    I’m amused a little as JAB is obviously ramping down his involvement, some folks are actually asking for MORE changes , more time-intensive changes, even!

    Like we never heard JAB’s message!

    At any rate, if JAB is pretty sure he’s not coming back to BR no matter what happens to the JC gig , I thank him and wish him well but will never agree with his politics!

    😉

  14. Nathan Avatar
    Nathan

    Regarding the future of comments, I will add my two cents.

    Ideally, comments would not only be civil, but also focused on the topic. I doubt most readers drawn to the original article, find much value in the wandering the back and forth banter between the dozen or so regular participants. (Perhaps I have been guilty of that at times as well.)

    Contained within, however, are often nuggets from various perspectives that are on topic and add value to the original article. The question is, are most readers willing to read (in some cases) hundreds of comments to find those nuggets?

    Exhibit A: “President Ryan’s Ship Has Hit the Shoals” with 143 comments

    https://www.baconsrebellion.com/president-ryans-ship-has-hit-the-shoals/

    How are readers to quickly and efficiently separate the wheat from the chaff?

  15. democracy Avatar
    democracy

    Isn’t The Jefferson Council merely the UVA equivalent of VMI’s right-wing “Spirit of VMI” white supremacy group?

    Sure seems to be.

    Indeed, Bert Ellis, appointed to the UVA board by Glenn Youngkin— who ran an overtly racist campaign for governor and who has appointed racists to top state agencies — said that the main agenda of the “Jefferson Council “ is to

    “re-focusUVA and other colleges and K-12 schools in Virginia on educating students and not brainwashing them with the Woke/CRT/DEI mantras that have overtaken UVA and almost all other colleges and K-12 schools in Virginia and across our country.”

    In other words, the agenda is right-wing indoctrination and racism disguised as “diversity” and “intellectualism.”

    Perhaps this helps to explain why Youngkin hijacked the recent state history and social science standards and had them replaced with a conservative whitewash. And it explains why conservative commenters here agree with it.

    Is this the kind of “anti-Wokeness” the Jefferson Council” has in mind for UVA?

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/11/20/cedric-wins-vmi-white-alumni-attacks/

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