Top tweets, and why blocking tweets from electors is a bad idea

Published: November 10, 2014 at 1:21pm

Luciano Busuttil is blocking tweets from electors whose views and criticism he does not like. While Saviour Balzan’s blocking of critics tells us that he has no sense of humour, a fragile ego and a poor attitude towards freedom of expression – nothing we didn’t know already and traits which make him unsuited to the job he does – he is a newspaper proprietor and columnist and is not accountable to the electorate.

It would be a good idea if he were to hear people’s views because he is in the business of driving up sales of his newspaper and selling advertising to keep it going, and listening to customers and prospective customers is worthwhile.

Luciano Busuttil is, however, a different matter. He was elected to parliament by popular vote. He is accountable to the electorate and to all electors, whether they voted for him or not. In addition to that, he holds other public office and receives remuneration through public funds beyond what he receives for serving as a member of parliament.

However critical or insulting the responses he receives to his tweets, he should neither block them nor respond in kind. As a matter of principle, people should be blocked only for slander involving third parties, really foul language (not commonplace expletives) or serious threats.

Slander involving himself only should be responded to and not blocked. Very often in these cases, the person saying any such thing really believes it and that is an indication that many others do too. Rather than sticking your head in the sand about it, you should just set the record straight.

Bottom line: blocking people looks bad. At the very least, it makes you look like a bad sport. At worst, it is an insult to those whose vote you want. Or are you telling them that you know you can’t get their vote because they’re not suckers?

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14 Comments Comment

  1. Karla says:

    Gvern li jisma’! Seems that like every other promise from this government it hid the tail end of the slogan which is ‘li jaqbillu biss’.

    Now isn’t that just about right?

  2. Karla says:

    And today’s prize for an eyebrow-raising report goes to Times of Malta with:

    ‘Police still investigating report on plot to kill boxer Scott Dixon
    Police think report was false’

    I am not referring to the court case already underway but the investigation, since 2011, for which there allegedly is a video and a witness.

    Have the police brought charges against the alleged perpetrator or is guilt going to be decided by what the police think from now on?

    And by the way, I love the crystal clear way in which the article portrays the connection between the actors in the alleged plot. They ‘efficiently’ go from Marsaxlokk to Mellieha in order to get to Sliema, figuratively speaking of course.

  3. Norman Vella says:

    Here is how much we are forking out for Luciano:
    http://normanvella.blogspot.com/2014/05/950-fil-gimga-gal-luciano.html

  4. observer says:

    ‘A bon rat, bon chat’, goes the French saying.

    I must congratulate the wit shown by way of reply to Conrat, Luciano & Co.

  5. Mr Meritocracy says:

    I was blocked by Saviour Balzan within the hour of making a Twitter account, and Cyrus Engerer has also done the same.

    Chapeau, lads.

  6. Manuel says:

    Balzan is more Mintoffian than Muscat.

  7. chico says:

    Saver, jekk bi hsiebek tinzel sa l-Exiles u tiehu xi drink ma’ Cyrus, hu ktieb ohxon mieghek ta. Halli tkun tista tiehu hafna noti dwar l-ircevuti.

    Imbaghad tkun tista tqabbad lil James jaghmel xi survey dwar ir-rizulati b’xi pie graph jew bar chart halli tidher cool. Alavolja bejnietna, kullhadd gja jaf ir-rizultat, imma insomma b’xi haga trid timlijha il-gazzetta hux? Wara kollox, anki ghar-ricetti tal-Peking Duck hemm limitu.

  8. Tinnat says:

    Herman Grech is blocking comments on Twitter too.

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