The National ‘c’atholic Reporter’s combox travails. Wherein ... (UPDATE: John Allen leaving!)

WDTPRS ^ | 1/7/2014 | Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

[markomalley]

I saw over at Fishwrap (aka National Schismatic Reporter) that the promethean neopelagian powers-that-be have closed the comboxes on all their posts, articles, entries.

“¡Vaya lío!”? Not so much, I guess.

Apparently Fishwrap’s editors didn’t like what people were writing. Things were, I dunno…  getting out of hand?

I have some sympathy with that predicament: wholly anonymous commentators can be authentic jerks.

My solution has been to impose registration and to act like a benevolent dictator.  I want you to have a place to comment, but this is more like my living room than it is Hyde Park.

I have, from my sympathy, begun to think about setting up a special corner for Fishwrappers here at my place.

It would need a name, of course.

Keep your eyes peeled for a possible document from my pen entitled:

Pisciobvolventium coetibus

UPDATE 2117 GMT:

And now it seems that John Allen is leaving the Fishwrap to be an assistant editor for, the horror, The Boston Globe.  HERE  My best wishes to Mr. Allen on his new path.

I predict that, with the closing of the comboxes and the departure of Mr. Allen, Fishwrap is going to be shriller than ever as they flail around.

[markomalley]

Full title: The National ‘c’atholic Reporter’s combox travails. Wherein Fr. Z responds. (UPDATE: John Allen leaving!)

John Allen was the only semi-worthwhile reporter there.

[Alex Murphy]

....it seems that John Allen is leaving the Fishwrap to be an assistant editor for, the horror, The Boston Globe. HERE My best wishes to Mr. Allen on his new path.

The Boston Globe, which is exploring the launch of a free-standing publication devoted to Catholicism, has announced that John L. Allen Jr., a reporter with NCR since 1997, will be joining the newspaper as an associate editor.

Ewwwww.

[Campion]

The Boston Globe, which is exploring the launch of a free-standing publication devoted to Catholicism

Wow, I got an instant headache just reading that phrase.

[Salvation]

**John Allen was the only semi-worthwhile reporter there. **

Ditto!

[Salvation]

Maybe they will name it the Boston CINO.

[RBStealth]

OC Register(Orange County, CA) has with the new year added a weekly insert of the ‘OC Catholic’ the weekly newspaper written by the diocese of OC (under Bishop Vann).

“OC Catholic” markets and promotes to Catholics to buy the OC Register. Good for Catholics , good marketing for the OC Register.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Scratching my head-- I don't know what to make of it. The Globe is a glob of --- can't say it --- but John Allen is good, one of the guys I depend on to know what's really going on. Informed, connected, possessing journalistic wisdom (i.e. a sense of context, a sense of order, priority) and no bullshirk.

I'm gonna watch and wait.

[Mrs. Don-o]

BTW, Fr. Z's always saying “¡Vaya lío!” lately. I can't seem to get a good idiomatic translation.

Is it what Pope Francis said in Rio? Go back to your Dioceses and "Make a mess"? "Shake things up"? "Make you voices heard"? "Kick asterisk"? Something like that?

[Mrs. Don-o]

BTW, Fr. Z's always saying “¡Vaya lío!” lately. I can't seem to get a good idiomatic translation.

Is it what Pope Francis said in Rio? Go back to your Dioceses and "Make a mess"? "Shake things up"? "Make you voices heard"? "Kick asterisk"? Something like that?

And "Pisciobvolventium coetibus"--- "Fishy Possibilities Groups"?

That Fr. Z is too clever for me... :o/

[vladimir998]

Vann - in his own way - is a genius. He is an up-and-coming star in the episcopate.

[Campion]

That’s fine, but the Boston Globe is probably the most venomously anti-Catholic secular daily newspaper in the US. (Anti-Catholic specifically, and anti-Christian generally.)