A Record of Embarrassment

Scott Hardie | March 17, 2004
Three times now in three weeks, authors have asked me to delete old comments on TC that embarrass them today. I suppose I do have a few minor principles about violating the record of our conversations, but mostly it just plain bugs me. What happens to the legitimate points made by other authors in response? Do the embarrassed parties worry that some emotional outburst they wrote in November 2002 would actually reflect who they are in March 2004? This morning's request is (imo) the only fair request so far, to delete an old comment that revealed someone else's embarrassing secret, but all the same I am not eager to get rid of it. Not only should we always be smart about what we post for the world to see, but we should never feel embarrassed for something said long ago because it is not a reflection of who we are today. (This includes comments from politicians. I was disgusted not by Arnold Schwarzenegger's comments in 1978 in Oui magazine, but by the desperate smear artists who tried to use them against him twenty-five years later.) Am I incorrect?

Erik Bates | March 17, 2004
[hidden by request]

Anna Gregoline | March 17, 2004
This is why my mom once lectured me about writing insults, etc. down. Because it's much more damaging to read it over and over again than to hear it. The memory fades on things that are unpleasant, thank goodness.

Lori Lancaster | March 17, 2004
[hidden by request]

Anna Gregoline | March 19, 2004
I've been embarassed by what OTHER people have said. Does that count? I don't at all want to call for those comments removal though.

Kris Weberg | March 22, 2004
Having a record of one's own embarrassment is often the only incentive for learning.

Erik Bates | March 22, 2004
[hidden by request]

Scott Hardie | March 22, 2004
Only comments within the last month. I don't allow editing of older comments for the reasons stated above (about keeping a record of our discussions at the time).