華盛頓郵報昨天主動關掉旗下一個Blog,理由是該Blog招致太多個人言語攻詰。
紐約時報今天刊載這篇「Paper Decides to Close Blog, Citing Vitriol」來報導這件事,並引述郵報編輯Jim Brady的話來彰顯報導的標題:
Transparency and reasoned debate are crucial parts of the Web culture, and it's a disappointment to us that we have not been able to maintain a civil conversation, especially about issues that people feel strongly (and differently) about.
看起來的確蠻有那種怕熱就別進廚房的譏諷意味。
不過,我也在想,無論是否把話說得漂亮、事情辦得難看,所謂「真理愈辯愈明」這句話的道理如果被著重於「辯」來解讀,則期待傾聽真理的群眾是否真能「辨」是非善惡,可能才是真理能否愈明的關鍵吧。
我相信許多blog之所以捂起耳朵、關掉Comment功能,其惡之必要,其實也就來自「辯」與「辨」之間吧。
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