Many of Thought Leader’s regular bloggers worry whether the people who read these blogs actually do so with any measure of intellectual diligence.
The cause for our concerns is the very low standard of almost half of the comments readers take the time to write. We often look at the garbled, nonsensical, immature inanities commentators daub like so much vegetative vandalism in response to carefully considered and well-articulated blogs and ask ourselves and each other: “What is this cretin smoking?”
The fundamental raison d’etre for Thought Leader is to provoke meaningful debate. The people who write here have (a) been invited to contribute based on proven writing skill, intellectual dexterity, rhetorical strength and extensive experience, (b) take their jobs very bloody seriously and (c) are not paid at all. We do this because we believe we have something valuable to contribute to the “Big Debate”.
Consequently, most of us devote many hours to ensure writing of the very highest standard we can. We revise, sub, rewrite and often bounce essays off each other (even those we know hold opposing views) to ensure we produce the best blogs of which we’re capable. My average investment of time is four hours.
And we take such pride in our work that most of us put our real names to our thoughts. That demands integrity and courage — and many of us have suffered severe consequences as a result of what we have been brave enough to say in Thought Leader.
I don’t write that wanting you, dear reader, to fawn obsequiously over us (I leave that to the likes of Julius and Winnie and their comrade cabbages) nor do I want any high encomium (though everybody likes to be complimented on their work). What we do ask however — and here we have the unqualified support of the highly professional editors and subs at the Mail & Guardian, under whose august name TL resides — is that you devote the same attention to the quality of your responses and comments.
This is a forum for debate, not slander (even if our skins are as thick as rhino hide). If we can’t take well-considered, well-crafted and well-articulated opposition, we have no right to write here. Hey, who knows, we might even be persuaded to change our minds. Or at least learn something. We’re as fallible and human as you are. Hell, even a hard-arse like me has had to grant the validity of a differing viewpoint on numerous occasions. But that’s what TL is all about!
But it is not only insulting to read feedback comments that irrefutably demonstrate the reader did not read (let alone, understand) the blog, but lacks the basic intellectual ability to formulate a cogent comment or coherent counter-argument. I won’t stoop to regurgitating the long list of aliases, names or noms de plume of the semi-sentient life forms who repeatedly prove the truth of the maxim that it is better to keep quiet and be thought an idiot than to open one’s mouth and dispel all doubt.
Sadly, it’s why many erudite and perspicacious writers with more than a passing acquaintance with the English language and its use no longer contribute to Thought Leader. That is a shameful loss.
I make no bones about my abhorrence of communism and fascism and my dislike of nationalism, about the resounding and repeated ineptitude of the ruling ANC party, about the fundamental injustice inherent in proportional representation, about my mistrust of private-public partnerships, about the dominant business models which encourage secrecy and eschew freedom of expression, about a culture which entrenches power in the hands of a few, about the prevalence of silent and docile acquiescence of people based on an archaic social paradigm, about the ham-fisted handling (or rather lack of handling) of crime, HIV/Aids, primary healthcare, mental healthcare, addiction, education and rampant government corruption, about the lack of social ethics, moral rectitude and the pervasive lowering of standards of excellence.
I condemn any form of inequity and prejudice based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual preference, religious belief or non-belief, physical or mental conditions and social status. I remain deeply distressed about South Africa’s present and future, and see little cause for pink-eyed “positivity”. The scattering of sputtering candles of hope (mine included) in the hurricane of furious night is hardly cause for wild rejoicing in the streets.
And I make no bones about the fact that I write my blogs in MS Word first because I cannot rely on Vodacom to maintain wireless internet connectivity consistently enough to warrant their extortionist fees, let alone entrust this blog not to be lost in the ether of cyberspace.
As for those who persist in condemning me as being “negative”, I share Martin Luther King’s dreams, the lofty goals of Albert Schweitzer, the simple fallibility of Mother Teresa, the fears and doubts of Albert Einstein, the hopes of Nelson Mandela and the cruel cravings of all recovering alcoholics.
I also take solace in the “negativity” of which Isaiah, Jeremiah, Francis of Assisi, St Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Mohammed, Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus and Aldous Huxley were accused in the past. In referring to these great people of history, I am painfully aware of how far I fall short of their examples, stature, intellectual power and moral fortitude.
Critics can never be above criticism. But it is surely not unreasonable that they demand of their critics comprehension, coherence, cogency and competence — qualities that are sadly lacking in the bulk of comments in response to Thought Leader blogs.
But holding a mirror up to myself does not preclude me from holding that same mirror up to society. In both images I see flaws and favours.
But that’s just me. How about you, dear reader?
To Rhulani: Download word-web free from
I think you will find it useful.
What would 38. Revolver be doing in a 44 Magnum World? To devote the same attention to the quality of responses and comments will be, simply put, stop brandishing the 38 and pull out the 44′s, all things considered, 38′s wont stand in a 44 Magnum world. less cliches and big words hmmm!
CB, I agree with you on the issue of poor content but we need to embrace the fact that all men are not equal in intellect and other ways. I also think that judging other human beings’ English usage skills is childish. People who know a language well are able to understand others who may not be so good at the language. People, who are good in English, will understand others who are not so good at it much easier than those who are themselves not so good. This applies to any other language by the way.
I think what matters the most is the content not the colourful words used.
The author of this article has some very interesting opinions however I think he went overboard in trying to show off his language skills or rather size of vocabulary that is if he did not labour through the Thesaurus for hours.
I noticed that although your writing skills are better than mine, your are not such a good writer, maybe English is the problem.
LK – Sorry I only got round to reading this blog now. Great one, much needed, thought of doing it myself, dam you!:)
I have a rule when reading your blogs which I just broke: NEVER be munching crisps or nuts when reading a Kriel blog. That’s because you can really have me shaking with laughter and on this gem I was choking on my half-chewed cashew nuts:
“I won’t stoop to regurgitating the long list of aliases, names or noms de plume of the semi-sentient life forms who repeatedly prove the truth of the maxim that it is better to keep quiet and be thought an idiot than to open one’s mouth and dispel all doubt”. Everyone in my office thought I had turned into a blithering idiot as I suddenly burst out cackling, choking and coughing.
Llewellyn, I read and digested every word of that, and nodded vehemently all the way, and was determined that I would be sensible and not comment at all since no comment is necessary. So while this looks like a comment, it’s not. Honestly.
P.S. I always try not to read the comments, but I fail. I’m morbidly fascinated by them. Too often by the time I get to the end of the comments, I’m so depressed by what seems to be a whole new low in levels of reading comprehension, that I can’t even remember the gist of the original article. It brings out the worst in me, stokes my inner misanthrope into frenzy and makes me want to use many caps and exclamation marks to say things like, “If you had bothered to READ this article you wouldn’t be able to SAY what you’re saying even if you KNEW what you were trying to say but you DON’T! CRETIN! PONDSCUM! No, that’s an INSULT to pondscum and cretins!!! Freedomofspeech se ma se! Ban all speech, finish and klaar! Then let the world EXPLODE and VAPOURISE this PITIFUL species before it infects life in neighbouring galaxies. With apologies to all other earthly lifeforms which of course would also be vapourised but who, if they were consulted at all, ever, just might possibly AGREE that the end sometimes justifies the means. Dammit!!!” …
… The good news is that I haven’t succumbed to the desire to say that yet. Well I have, but have not hit submit on it. Or maybe I have but I’ve blanked it out of memory. Of course we all know that the problem with comments lies in the fact that all commenters suffer from the same condition: chronic inflammation of the opinion gland, easily aggravated by other opinions. There seems to be no cure. Which is why there really ought to be a neon do-you-really-want-to-say-this popup on comments, with a maybe-not option which flashes for ten minutes before the comment is permanently fixed. I bet lots of people would use it. I would.
P.P.S @ladyfingers: firstly secondly thirdly longtime denizen hanky for your booboo lah-di-dah perfectly italicised (oh, jolly well done) etc? WTF? What are you saying actually? They’re my interwebs an’ I’m so snappy I’ll do what I want with them so go on, censor me, go on? Wait… wait… If you had bothered to DIGEST this article… oh buggrit. I move that you be hoist by your own petard. I second my motion and hereby make you winner of the QED competition and present to you a gigantic, huge, enormous, very big gilt-edged QED certificate with bells and ribbons on. And glitter on!!! And feathers and sequins on. And I can haz runner-up.