Manners Vastly Improve Reader Commentary

Bonnie Goldstein

Woman Up Editor

Posted:

08/27/09

Unfortunately, the immediacy and anonymity of the World Wide Web somehow turns certain (I hope) otherwise well-mannered commentators into crass and loutish bullies. A few months ago, when Politics Daily and WomanUp were in our Internet infancy, I posted a request to some of our more outspoken fans to please keep a civil keyboard at their fingertips.

We lady bloggers are big girls and not crybabies, but some of the nasty things readers were saying about our thoughtful posts here on our blog . . . well, they hurt our feelings.

I am happy to report, however, that ladylike and gentlemanly behavior, at least regarding our small WomanUp discussion, is beginning to take hold. Michelle's tale earlier this week about her recently departed mother-in-law, Miriam, and Miriam's Wegmans grocery-centered community life motivated John L. Albrigo to comment about his octogenarian parents. They "drive to their neighborhood Wegmans almost every day to say hello to friends, to the friendly staff and to pick up one or two items. They love it as did Miriam. Our thoughts and prayers are with her. Nicely done."

Following up, my post responding to Michelle, in praise of my own dear mother-in-law, inspired "berg1928" to write: "I now share a home with my son and dear daughter in law. She has been like a biblical Ruth to me. I've always tried to be the kind of mother-in-law that keeps her purse open and her mouth shut." A grateful and generous sentiment, to which another reader, "grammashan," replied: "My mother-in-law died a few months ago and I told her on her deathbed that she had been a good mother-in-law. She always supported me and never interfered with my decisions. I was fortunate to have had her in my life. I hope my son-in-law and daughters-in-law can say the same about me. I'm much more outspoken than my own mother-in-law, tho, but expect my devotion to the grandchildren will help overcome that. I love the 'purse open and mouth shut' comment [and] intend to incorporate that new philosophy into my own life."

Thank you all for you warm and kind words.