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The Internet Conversational Gutter
Posted 7/24/2008 12:16 PM PDT on MyDesert.com

When The Desert Sun newspaper sees nasty, abusive comments about elected Palm Springs city officials on its website, what would you assume to be their reaction? You may be surprised to learn their reaction and subsequent decision was to glorify such material by reprinting it in the Local Section of the newspaper.

Yesterday I wrote about The Desert Sun's new Community Conversation offering in the Local Section of the newspaper. The editors chose to reprint seven negative comments made on the MyDesert.com website concerning recent actions of the Palm Springs Architectural Advisory Committee. The thrust of my argument was that online comments too often amount to "hot air" and few are worthy of reprint in the local newspaper. I  referred to those online negative offerings as the Internet Conversational Gutter. My blog concluded the newspaper had made a mistake in printing such material, had failed to include positive comments, had not given targeted individuals a fair chance at rebuttal, is applying double standards in its treatment of reader letters and website comments, and in summary I suggested the paper deserved to be nominated for a "Scoop from the Gutter" award.

The comment immediately below, from khanme, was the first one the newspaper reprinted in its new Community Conversation offering. I reproduce it here as evidence in support of my firm belief such material is unworthy of reprint in the newspaper. Why, then, did they choose to do so? Was the reprint decision made because of its provocative language? Was there a political element in that decision?


  khanme wrote:
The hicks on these commissions wouldn't know style if it were in front of them. They've been appointed by the dreary lackluster members of the City Council... a used home salesman mayor, a woman tried twice for murder, a small town chief of police, a party overnight rental guy and a builder of bridges to nude resorts in foreclosure. Palm Springs is a joke!
7/22/2008 7:04:57 AM

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The next two comments appeared in response to the paper's Motorcycle Weekend editorial. They're offered  as typical examples of what I consider to be Internet Conversational Gutter material - from the same website registrant.


  khanme wrote:
BOYCOTT ALL BUSINESSES THAT CATER TO THESE BIKER CREEPS! VOTE OUT THE PALM SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL NEXT YEAR STARTING WITH MS. FOAT!
7/24/2008 9:13:38 AM

  khanme wrote:
Who wrote this editorial? The used home salesman Mayor Pougnet, the tried twice for murder Mayor Pro-Tem Foat or the overnight rental guy Councilman Hutcheson? Or was it the builder of nude bridges Councilman Chris Mills or the former small town chief of police Councilman Lee Weigel? These political hacks could care less about the noise because they are basically a collection of dreary third rate hucksters trying to save a dying Palm Springs with anything that moves and has money. This includes a collection of FAT, UGLY and CREEPY BIKERS! Residents can organize and demonstrate by making sure the bikers ARE NOT WELCOME!
7/24/2008 7:35:54 AM


This particular blogger is one who keeps popping up under different pseudonyms time and time again. He's been around since the early days of MyDesert.com blogging at one point as a female, later as a Hispanic, and at other times he's used an assortment of fictitious personas. A couple of times the website has evicted him because of his use of profanity or other forms of online abuse. He keeps coming back. Why the editors chose to glorify his activities by allowing him to debut in print on the newspaper is a question that really puzzles me.

I leave it to others to determine whether khanme's offerings are representative of the Internet Conversational Gutter and/or deserving of reprint in The Desert Sun newspaper.