Letters to the Editor

Readers' comments are the essence of vibrant community websites, a festival of clever minds, and the icing on an already fine cake. But for most websites they are a depressing affair. In fatalistic anticipation, SheepOverboard regretfully closes article comments. However, in good print magazine spirit we've created a correspondence page. Unlike print cousins, space is no constraint so they all make it. Well, most, it's up to you.

Write us a nice letter any time, any topic, any length
Send to letters@sheepoverboard.com.
Clearly state how you want attribution/signatures to appear.
Email addresses are never published.
Compose letter in email - or, if as attachment ..
- NOT in strange minority document formats - except Microsoft Word.

Articles welcome too. No pay. Any topic. Just be tragic and you'll fit right in.

In Fine S’attire

by Editor in Jan 2012

Dear Sheep Overboard: On your page: http://sheepoverboard.com/olio/testimonials-forgettable/ I noticed this comment: "I was embarrassed. Friends thought it was yet another website I knocked up over the weekend" … TheSatirist.com I thought it was very funny. Kind regards, Dan Geddes The Satirist ...
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What are Smart People Doing?

by The Reader in Jun 2008

This has been puzzling me for quite a while. Considering intelligent people are far more capable, why do they tolerate the rest of us? Why haven’t they become so disgusted with the stupidity surrounding them that they organize to lift themselves out of it? It should take ...
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Liquid page code thanks to Matthew James Taylor

faq

"Really, what are you afraid of with readers' comments? "

Since you insist, additional to the reason above about wet blankets, the establishment is gaining control and in more countries every day privacy and defamation laws affect website content. Sites that allow comments should be protected under original laws for anonymous or defamatory statements made by a third party in a self-serve post (comment).

On the defamation front, increasingly, laws require online publications and websites to publish a correction within 'n' hours of receiving notice of any content that anyone believes is detrimental to their image. A website that allows users to comment on content could face potentially enormous liability risk if the blogger or a third party user expresses an opinion that offends the most thin-skinned - or worse, mischievously malicious - ahole. And we haven't got to worry about anonymous commenters, whose identity gummints increasingly legislate to make website owners reveal.

Say goodye to the little guys on the web.

"Why is SheepOverboard pretending to be a magazine when it's obviously not?"

SheepOverboard is a personal blog in magazine format. I enjoy the design exercise as much as creating content.

"Why do your articles suck?"

Why does the world suck?

"Ok, why are "articles" on SheepOverboard just superficial rants that bend the truth, use facts selectively, and are no more than vehicles for the author's pet peeve?"

Glad you asked. They are not articles, they are essays. Your grievance defines the essay.

"Why is it all about you?"

See previous :0)

"This is one of the oddist websites and not what it seems. It implies grand ideas but has little substance. What is is really all about? "

I ask myself often - which is daily, tending content or tweaking design. And dwell at great length here.