About time.

What about "I eat Odin's boogers."

Kill two birds with one stone.

The only other thing I can think of is to at least hide the bulk of the really long posts. Something "There's more. Read the rest of the story" linkies that get auto applied when the post is over a certain size.

Replace with "Are you stuck on stupid? Stay on topic."

A suggestion -- Whizbang! will likely have less thread hijackings if you stop the practice of deleting comments which are not off-topic or hijack attempts. Whizbang regularly and routinely deltes comments which are not offensive, but just happen to be in oppsition to Whizbangs point of view.

Paul is the principle offender here. I've noticed that cogent comments made to his blog postings, which are polite and thoughtful but just happen to be in opposition to his stated opinion, are routinely deleted, or edited so as to change the words of the commenter in a way that demeans them - a la "I eat boogers" or the like. There are examples of this in the last 24 hours.

I suspect that there would be less of what you find offensive behaviour, if there was less offensive behaviour from your own staff.

I for one, will happily embrace whatever policy you guys choose as long as it is fair to everybody. If it isn't fair, you reap what you sow, Odin.

My Vote is "Blood for Odin!"

There's a variation in some circles that goes "Blood for the Blood God!"

Personally that one would be preferred.

Oh, brother. There will be less thread hijackings if the comments are allowed to stand?

Lee, are you capable of any logical thought at all?

I'd go with GarandFan's suggestion:

"Replace with "Are you stuck on stupid? Stay on topic."

However, I would add a warning, and follow up on it, that any future, off topic comments, on the thread will disappear.

LEave the name of poster delete the contents.

It's your blog:

Set the ground rules (in a manner that most readers will know)

Enforce them

If a poster, using this example, won't follow the rules
a. Delete the message
b. If it continues, block the poster

Lee, if you've been hanging around here so long as to observe this pattern of deletion and edits, why haven't you learned how to spell the name of the blog yet? It's not "Whizbang."

Oh, brother. There will be less thread hijackings if the comments are allowed to stand?

Lee, are you capable of any logical thought at all?

As an example, if I had made that exact same comment on a post by Paul he would delete it.

Yes, JannyMae, I suspect that when people aren't being unfairly censored they will tend to yell less.

Its your bandwidth and ya'll's blog.

Trolls and ID10T's generally hit my ignore list quickly. I flash scan to see who's made the comments before I read them.
Mak, jp , lint and the other assorted pests are a waste of my time. If they were to actually start posting revelant facts its to late because of prior idiocy. Just like real life, if you blow it there's rarely ever a second chance.
I was really hoping this wouldn't turn into usenet.

Even hecklers stay on subject. I think you should replace their messages with random C'thulu references. At least THAT is on topic.

"Blood for Odin, boogers for me"

Lee lee could change his name to "pucker puss".

I don't like any comments being deleted. After all, that's exactly what scrollbars are for, however there are exceptions I suppose. Maybe if everyone's handles would appear before the comment, it'd be easier to scroll past them if you wanted to.

Maybe a "fold" for hijacking comments? Something like "There's more! read the rest of this booger eater's comment >>"

Wizbang is free, and doesn't ask much of those who choose to read it and share their opinions on it, and although some comments get deleted, it's because 99% (or whatever it is) aren't deleted that makes it a cool place in my opinion.

Lee, I'd be willing to bet that you've NEVER had a commment of yours edited or deleted on any of my threads, so quit your bitching. And Laura's right -- learn how to spell the name of this place so you can at least PRETEND to show a modicum of respect.

J.

I am not a fan of heavy editing/deleting, but in the case where somebody is chiming in with something totally off topic, I think you should leave their post, and edit the text to reflect the fact that they are idiots of one degree or another.

If a comment is irrelevant and unnecessarily lengthy, I'm for replacing it with other text just so we don't have to scroll through the nonsense. How about, "I'm a moron who doesn't know how to stay on topic."

Wizbang
I love You just the way You are.."Billy Joel"

As long as you do it uniformly, to comments of your supporters and detractors, who could complain?

Maybe Tom Delay could lay down the ground rules?

"Lee, I'd be willing to bet that you've NEVER had a commment of yours edited or deleted on any of my threads, so quit your bitching."

No, I don't think there has been an instance where that's happened, and I didn't say you had edited or deleted my comments either, did I? I referred to Paul, not you.

but you did say:

"In fact, I'm not going to do anything without kicking it around with Kevin and the rest of the crew who post here on the main page"

So, Jay, you do recognize that what one of you does effects the other bloggers on this site as well. It goes both ways. If someone is routinely a victim of unfair treatment on the site, the whole site is likely to be effected. I'm sure Kevin recognizes that, and you seem to recognize that as well.

My suggestion is that whatever policy you forge is applied to the entire site, not just your threads.

Out of the mouth of a "schmuck troll"

Is commenting on another's post/comment considered "off topic?"

"Maury": It's not uncommon for threads to evolve into other topics. It's the one's that start off with something so far out of context because it is blatantly obvious that the commentor likely behaves in the same fashion in private life as well; trying to dominate conversations and set the tone for discourse as if they own the place. As if there's not another single blog in the ether where they can discuss it with others. As if they just get some perverse pleasure out of virtually slapping you in the face.

That the person has been consistently thoughtful and respectful in the past - regardless of whether they agree with you - is a mitigating factor.

Throw the "bums" out, Jay. They can start their own blog and pray for visitors.

Jay,

If a post is completely off topic and there's no explanation at it's beginning as to why, or you don't agree with the explanation, then delete the body of the text and replace it with a message that it was deleted for being off topic. Also, if someone posts a large chunk of text from another source that may be copyrighted, then it should be deleted and replace with a message stating why.

While I seldom agree with Lee, I put him in the sincere critic category, and his comment about being deleted from Paul's stories is true and I have even had some deleted myself, although to be fair, I was warned. I also affirm that I have never seen you delete posts due to contrary content even when being personally and viciously attacked, and for that you have my respect.

I'm not suggesting any other changes. The variety and depth of stories combined with the rapid free flow of comments from such a wide spectrum of commenters makes WizBang the best blog on the net for adults.

Thanks and keep up the great work.

I read recently on the blogosphere, though I don't remember where, that in the old days gentlemen were more respected when they came up with their own "bad word" equivalent. When I was a teenager I used "menageria." Now I mostly say "bad word." (Definitely not unique.)

I think you should come up with your own, Wizbangly unique tear on the piece and post that.

Or you could go for a grammar/high/college school approach and replace it with the accurate and well meant comment, "Stay on topic."

I would vote for leaving their name and replacing their text. One can always use a smile when reading. Perhaps the phrase "I started to think... but nothing happened."

"BLOOD FOR ODIN!!!"

But seriously, I don't like the idea of the post being deleted. I think the best idea I've heard is putting it below the fold. Perhaps for comments over a certain length, which would affect all, or maybe just for trolls and off-topics. If you go with below the fold for trolls and off-topics, it would be helpful to have a header: "off-topic below the fold" and/or "troll droppings below the fold".

I have no idea how involved that would be and how often it would be needed (you could spend your life just cleaning up after certain people).

If the post is off topic for the subject I say just delete. No need for an explanation. If someone is going off topic by posting irrelevent posts or hijacking a thread then they obviously don't care what is being discussed so who cares what they think? If their posts are indistinguishable from posting bots then take them out.

If you started deleting posts because they disagreed with the opionions or topic then I think that would be wrong. As often as I disagree with the opinions of Lee or Mak or jp2 as long as their posts are on topic they have as much right to say their piece as anyone else.

Leave the comment alone. Since the comment is on an irrelevant thread it will be seen by LESS people who are interested in Iraq and might have their opinion swayed by it.

If the comment is posted over-and-over again on different threads then delete them all and ban the poster.

Create a permanent "Off Topic Party Thread" post and banish obvious hijacks to that thread.

That way, they'll all be in one place and make more sense then they do in the threads they were trying to hijack.

No deletions necessary.

Deleting outright isn't too bad of a thing to do in such cases, IMO.

You could build a "trash comment" bin, or something along those lines. Cut and paste the offending post there, and post a link to it where the comment used to be. That way you're not really censoring anybody, but you are un-cluttering the main conversation.

Maybe even send it over to Wizbang Bomb Squad and let them start their own damn thread...

For Jay,

Wizbang is one of the few popular blogs that both allows comments without registration (not that registration would be a terrible thing), and does not routinely delete comments or ban commenters based on political ideology. Most blogs out there, on both sides, that allow comments are only interested in maintaining an echo chamber. This is fine of course, those bloggers can do what they want, but that is what makes this site stand apart.

However, you are right that there are a few people who routinely abuse this openness by posting something totally irrelevant because they believe you should comment on it. This is both stupid and counterproductive. If you think a story or topic should be covered here but it isn't, well then maybe you should get your own blog, or if you aren't interested in that, write an email to one of the bloggers here calling their attention to the topic you think needs coverage. As a commenter I in no way feel entitled to having topics I want to talk about covered. If one of the bloggers here posts on a topic I'm interested in, or, more likely, leaves something out concerning a topic, I will post a comment and engage in discussion with the other commenters. It's ridiculous to assume they should post on what I want to talk about, and if they don't, get bitchy about it. In any case those who do this are breaking etiquette and the hosts are under no obligation to suffer these fools.

I vote for Blood for Odin.

For Lee,

No, I don't think there has been an instance where that's happened, and I didn't say you had edited or deleted my comments either, did I? I referred to Paul, not you.

Bullshit. You said, "Whizbang (sic) regularly and routinely deltes (sic) comments which are not offensive, but just happen to be in oppsition (sic) to Whizbangs (sic) point of view." This is totally untrue. Paul, not Wizbang, occasionally deletes comments he considers too stupid when he's in a pissy mood. He did that to me once or twice when I first started commenting here, and it hasn't happened once in the following two years or so (I learned how to comment on Paul posts). No one else deletes comments (and remember, they could just ban your ass if they wanted).

Oh, and by the way, it's not censorship. Censorship is something the government does. No one is taking away your right to speak. You can get your own damn blog. And maybe you should.

You know yourself, Jay -- on that really distant level on which you are honest with yourself and the rest of creation -- that you won't be applying this standard to anyone on any thread who happens to be scratching your itching ears at the moment. You demand civility from your enemies, and ignore the incivility of those you agree with.

Why bother, O avatar of intellectual honesty?

Now, I'm not saying that you're overusing any rhetorical devices, but...

Now say, I'm going to ban you! I just get chills whenever you do that.

P.S. Surgery came out okay. Thanks for asking.

Heck boys, I've even been threatened with Paulbangs for particularly noxious puns and jokes. I believe Paul is truly non-denominational in the use of his delete key.

I am all for deleting totally off topic posts. You can always find an older post to leave your comment on if no one's posted on what's itching in you pants at any given time. The exception might be for very brief and either funny or embarrassing posts that provide a brief respite from either erudite discussion or yahoo's flinging poo.

Delete 'em. It will help keep the thread on topic.

...Oh yes, the rational world: Stick to the thread, I say, and transpose irrelevance to Latin -- I mean, the really dirty, stupid, ignorant stuff you creeps usually post here, you backwards, silly, lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...