My one short comment started a discussion with Daphne which I found very interesting. I’d say it was more than successful at serving its intended purpose.

And no, I don’t expect you to have the attention span to read the comment exchange. Not that it matters, after all, the “long and boring” discussion was initiated by a farmer.

Really? You consider reading this blog as filling your brain? I feel sorry for you. Don’t get me wrong, it is entertaining and good fun.

H.P. Baxxter,

Believe what you want to believe, I don’t mind really. I’m a farmer? Sure, let’s go with that. I’m not going to write comments under my real name so forget trying to provoke me to prove to you what I do for a living.

Zeza Ta Bubaqra aka Gerald

(I decided that I like this fake name better and it suits me better, being a farmer and all.)

[Daphne – Zeza ta’ Swansea.]

Are they trying to emulate this blog or have they been given instructions that their readers are giving a bad image of the Labour Party, reminding more moderate readers of what life used to be under Labour regimes.

Bir-ritratti ħalli ma titfixkilx.

I suggest you try filling your brain, not emptying it.

(For readers who can’t be fagged to check it out, here’s what Gerald said above: “What I’m getting at is that I come on here to empty my brain through reading what you write (I enjoy that)”

I wholeheartedly agree with what you have written here.

My only query is why you continue to accept contributions from people writing under pseudonyms.

We no longer live in the 1970s and early 80s where one was afraid to speak out loud.

Allowing the use of pen names allows people to forget that we live in a free society.

The Times (of Malta) stopped allowing contributors to use pen names about 20 years ago.

[Daphne – Only in the print edition. There are very few people commenting under their real name on the online edition. Letters sent in for publication must carry your ID number, full address and telephone number, and the editor’s secretary will ring to check your identity if there are doubts. You will understand that this is not realistic for online comments. I would love it if everyone were to comment under their real name, but there you go.]

It is a pity that The Times allows such comments to be uploaded. I will not bother to give my opinion on MaltaToday. I feel comfortable giving my views on this blog but have never bothered with the others. My views have always been uploaded, even if I did not always agree with Daphne.

To Gerald. I apologise but I did not get to read through all the comments you made. It is so tiring to try and read such long and boring comments after a hard and rewarding day at work.

wow…I don’t think this was a productive day for your manuscript, Gerald. If it’s due on the 23rd, perhaps you should start focusing again on writing your study.
Good luck with it.