No Responses to “Should I delete negative real estate comments?” »»

1. fellowblogger
   Comment by fellowblogger | 12/01/08 at 11:08 pm

   I too got a nasty comment about the closing of the coldwell waterfront office on my blog. After much discussion I decided to let it go in the name of free speech. It’s not our job to police the comments it is our job to do the best possible job of reporting what happened.

2. anon
   Comment by anon | 12/02/08 at 12:36 am

   “Should I start deleting negative comments in fear of lawsuits?”

   That could potentially increase your exposure to legitimate lawsuits. I am not a lawyer, but I have read before that if you exercise editorial control over some comments, then you become liable for all comments. Whereas, if you let everybody speak their mind (and post an appropriate disclaimer, I presume), then you aren’t responsible for other people’s accuracy. You should probably ask a real lawyer, though.

   But, wow – a “moral obligation as a Realtor to denounce slander on another broker”? Is this the mob?

3. John Keith
   Comment by John Keith | 12/02/08 at 12:39 am

   Ah, but John, you aren’t a Realtor(R), are you?

4. JohnF
   Comment by JohnF | 12/02/08 at 7:40 am

   John, Good point.

5. JohnF
   Comment by JohnF | 12/02/08 at 7:43 am

   Anon, Thank you for your comments, I will look into my disclaimer notice

6. confused
   Comment by confused | 12/02/08 at 8:55 am

   moral obligation as a Realtor to denounce slander on another broker

   Give me a break. This bonehead is using verbiage that Carl Rove would be proud of. Personally, I would be less apt to use the broker because they had the audacity to attempt to control the content of your site than because of the opinion of a former employee.

   I would demand proof of slander before I considered any editing readers post. Then again, I’m not a lawyer.

7. Hrmm!
   Comment by Hrmm! | 12/02/08 at 12:18 pm

   Nope.

   I’d say that’s the absolute worst way to go about it here out on these vast tubes.

   I do agree some policing of trolls and trolling posts might be necessary, but just flat out deleting stuff you don’t like will cause more problems then you want to deal with.

   Blogs are a way to engage in debate, disseminate information, and have a conversation. If that’s not your goal with this venture, you might want to re-think the medium and setup.

   As for Coldwell Banker and Donna, good PR goes a long way.

   Instead of trying to sweep something under the rug, why not reach out to that person to see if they can’t rectify the situation and address their concerns? If they didn’t want to do that, just ignore it.

   I don’t know Donna, but her request (or Codwells) to censor a complaint against her makes me question her more then the original commentator before this request. IE, whats she got to hide?

   So yes, some policing of the crazies, wacko’s and trolls are necessary, but censorship, because you don’t like an opinion, only casts doubt on the authenticity of the blog.

8. FD
   Comment by FD | 12/02/08 at 2:06 pm

   DONNA, is right on the money! This manger is unable to manage a COLDWELL BANKER office. JohnF don’t delete my comments.

9. John Keith
   Comment by John Keith | 12/02/08 at 3:07 pm

   Just to make things clear, I never deleted any comments. Well, one, but it was so embarrassing that I couldn’t leave it up. It wasn’t critical (or libelous).

   There is a detailed “Privacy Policy” and “Terms of Service” provided to people who want to leave comments on this site. It states that comments may be edited, moderated, or deleted.

   John, if I gave you (or anyone) the impression that I thought deleting comments was okay, in certain situations, I misspoke. I don’t think you should ever do it, unless somebody says something obviously false, or, more importantly, harmful to a person.

   Regarding the comment in question, I think it should be given a pass, only because she doesn’t use the manager’s name. Yes, it’s simple enough to look up, but you’d have to go the extra step.

   It’s ironic that the person who wrote the comment was apparently using a nom de plume. It just goes to show you that you should never believe what you read on the internet and that who you think you’re talking may not be that person.

   Deleting comments that run contrary to the original author’s opinions should obviously not be deleted. To do so would drive readers away.

   I’m only torn on this one because she mentioned the manager’s personal behavior. It’s not a matter of libel to me, but a matter of taste and personal responsibility. It’s not fair to be criticized by an anonymous party. If she thinks he’s a mess, then she should confront him or let it go.

   I think it’s okay to delete a comment if the commenter requests it. I’ve written comments on blogs that I regret. Most I leave, to remind myself to think twice before commenting, but some I have asked to have deleted, because they may be hurtful to other people.

10. John Ford
    Comment by John Ford | 12/02/08 at 3:14 pm

    John, sorry about the confusion on my part. You made some very good points.

11. Ted Chan
    Comment by Ted Chan | 12/02/08 at 7:46 pm

    I think you delete unsigned comments that are slander. If people sign it and are willing to put their name and e-mail, then they are responsible for something they published on a public forum.

    Enjoy the blog, keep up the good work.

    Ted Chan
    http://www.2bl.org

12. Hrmm!
    Comment by Hrmm! | 12/03/08 at 4:53 pm

    JK pretty much summed up my thoughts with more eloquence.
    

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