Saturday, September 06, 2008

Labour Blog Urges Ban on Links to Non Labour Sites

First they wanted to ban Tories from contributing to Labour Home. Now they want to ban Labour blogs from linking to non Labour blogs. What next?

The Labour Matters blogger has taken Tom Harris MP to task for linking to me, Guido and other Tory blogs. He thinks it is a disgrace that a Labour Minister should do so, writing...

Tom this has got to stop! The buffoon [I think he means me] is puffed up enough without having links fed to his dire effort of a blog from all and sundry. He understands how the Web works full well, it’s time those on the left learned it too. And whilst I’m venting, what’s with the Guido Fawkes, coffee house, Tory Home, etc. links, for that matter? Are you endorsing these sites? I doubt you mean to, but in reality you are.

Tom Harris has robustly defended himself...
Should Labour only listen to itself? Yeah, because things worked out really well the last time that happened, didn’t they?

Labour Matters has now written a lengthy post on the subject on LabourHome (not worth it on his own blog as few bother to read it). Here's the beginning.


The irony of writing such a post under a bloody great advert link to a right wing magazine, and to the left of an advert with Tory and LibDem logos is obviously lost on the humourless Labour Matters - which, as a point of information, came 285th in the blogpoll. Possibly because few people bother linking to it...

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

haha, what a tool! He's doesn't quite "get" the internet yet does he that man. Apparently this is all to do with Google and the pixies of Conservatism eating Socialist babies, or whatever.

Anonymous said...

Surely the whole point of the internet and web 2.0 (or whatever it's called) is about removing as much as possible the infamous 'Westminister bubble' and discussing and reading other people's comments and ideas easily?

Or this that just me?

Anonymous said...

Me thinks you doth protest too much!

Nice of you to confirm that you're a venomous propagandist in your post though.

As for the irony of the blog post appearing next to the ads, that's just sour grapes because you stupidly declined to be part of the ad server project (although I understand that you changed your mind later).

Labour Matters is 5 months old and not designed to be a blog. But then you know that already, but prefer to pull the wool over your readers. Respect.

Iain Dale said...

I think it is you who doth protest too much. I have been a MessageSpace client (I assume that it what you are referring to) right from the beginning.

Anonymous said...

"The Labour Matters blogger has taken Tom Harris MP to task for linking to me, Guido and other Tory blogs."

I have the exact same links, as their the blogs I read. This certainly isn't the feeling of all labour bloggers as Tom Harris is right to point out - whats the point of just talking to yourselves.

Philipa said...

What next from Labour? they can't control the economy or immigration.
but they want control over blogging. they want control over childrens attitudes and thinking from aged 4. They want control over peoples conversation and thinking.

THEY WANT TOTAL CONTROL

But they have no control over the tasks they were put there to do.

Hence they are crap.

Anonymous said...

I mean they're not their, obviously!

Anonymous said...

Always the answer of the left - if someone disagrees with you first villify them and then ban them.

Guido Fawkes said...

This chap doesn't seem to realise that being linked to by his inconsequential unpopular website will make an infinitesimal difference to the rankings for a popular site. Links from a popular site to him on the other hand...

The ill-fated Westmonster blog had a deliberate policy of not linking to Guido, so the favour was returned. Tom Watson loved Westmonster despite it not having for most of its life a blog roll. Terrible breach of etiquette. It is stupid to do the online equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears.

My out links are to stories of interest not ideological purity. Being insular is immature.

Whatever happened to Westmonster?

Unsworth said...

They'll simply end up talking to themselves.

Probably in a darkened room - with soft walls...

Anonymous said...

At best these Labour sites could do with learning that essential dictum in politics and war "know thy enemy".

The 'ban' brigade remind me of 1970s University Soc-socs (socialist societies) for their navel gazing outlook (or should that be inlook?).

Anonymous said...

since when has New Labour been of the left? Perhaps Labour matters should not link to the government.

FonyBlair said...

So this is Labour's way of "listening and getting on with the job? Ignore everyone that disagrees with them?

Labour must feel pretty isolated already with nearly everyone against them (voters, popular blogs, media, TUC) so surely they shoud be trying to build as many bridges as possible!

It doesn't really matter who The Labour Party listens to though as -

1) they are incapable of acting in any meaningful way anyway.

2) they can listen all they want....no-one wants to listen to them.

Oh to be a fly on the wall in the Labour bunker!

Chris Paul said...

You are misrepresenting Labour Home where there is simply a discussion on the idea of stopping Tories, Demmers and the like masquerading as Labour, getting on the front page, and being quoted by other bloggers and the press.

For example the Libdemologist "lulu" - with sock puppets insisting they are a Labour member - got on the front page and in Guido's must read links and so on - with a series of six and a half posts out of seven ALL with the same theme. that happened to be Gordon Must Go.

My suggestion is that Tories etc should be welcome to guest post or post stories as equals so long as they don't pretend to be something they are not.

Neither CH nor LDV let's unidentified people get stories on the front page of their sites, and you certainly don't.

There is no suggestion at all of stopping Tories reading or commenting on Labour Home.

As for Labour Matters? That is a point of view that is not shared by the majority of Labour bloggers who list yourself and Guido and so on even if your reciprocal links are not on the front page as ours are.

Anonymous said...

Classic denial psychology from the loony left. Nobody loves them anymore so the masses have been misled by evil Tories. Bankrupting the Nation, arresting 80-y-o protesters under the Terrorism Act and getting 8-y-os to rat on their parents is of course all lies and part of a right-wing plot to discredit the glorious left. Shut yourselves off from the Peoples opinions, boys and girls. You never listened to the electorate anyway because democracy is sooooo Thatcherite, and you are the keepers of the Sacred Flame and know best.

Elby the Beserk said...

That would be the same Tom Harris who resolutely ignores all queries re New Stasi's assault on our liberty, I guess? Only when it suits him, this stance of openness. The man grins too much, and makes me think of ... what was his name? who was that guy?

Anonymous said...

"Nice of you to confirm that you're a venomous propagandist in your post though." Followed up by calling you stupid.

Why are these people so appalling?

No debate, no argument, just straight into the name calling.

If you were a lefty blog, my response to Labour Matters would just be F*** off and then I would fit right in. Indeed they would probably classify me as a towering intellectual like their leader...

Anonymous said...

"No debate, no argument, just straight into the name calling"....
as in .."my response to Labour Matters would just be F*** off"

and pitifully:
"New Stasi's assault on our liberty"..etc.

You didn't bother to read Chris Paul's response here, or even read the full text on LabHome so that you can 'get it'?
Surprise.

Unsworth said...

@ Chris Paul

"there is simply a discussion on the idea of stopping Tories, Demmers and the like masquerading as Labour, getting on the front page, and being quoted by other bloggers and the press."

In other words, management of all comment to 'more acceptable' levels as interpreted by New Labour and its supporters.

"so long as they don't pretend to be something they are not."

Does this concept apply to all, for example, Prime Ministers, Ministers of State, etc etc? And just who is making these judgements as to the nature of commenters, then? Is there some sort of secret panel of judges who decide whether a commenter is 'genuine'? Star Chamber stuff, this...

"There is no suggestion at all of stopping Tories reading or commenting on Labour Home."

Stopping people reading? Now there's a thought... Blindfolds all round.

And how do you identify these "Tories"?