The Anniversary Party presents Commentary on the Commentary
Have we been celebrating the fifth anniversary of The Secret Base of the Rebel Black Dot Society for over a month now? Yes, we have. Do I plan on stopping anytime soon? I've still got a couple more topics I'd like to cover before putting "The Anniversary Party" up in the attic until next February. Keep your shirt on, we'll be back to our regularly scheduled crumminess soon enough.

The commenting feature, a free service courtesy of Haloscan, was added to The Secret Base on 12 September 2004, a full two and a half years after the blog itself was unleashed upon an unsuspecting world, in a post titled "Complaint Dept." I was extremely hesitant to add comments even after virtually all other members of the once-thriving blogging community had done so for the twin reasons of egomania and obsessiveness. On ego, The Secret Base is MY blog, cholk-full of MY thoughts and MY opinions, and I didn't want other people's brain droppings, to use George Carlin's charming phrase, mucking up the joint. Also, I did not want my views, which are invariably correct, to be challenged. In retrospect, I am very glad that my opinions were, and still are, repeated challenged, as argument is the crucible wherein undesirable elements are burned away. My contradictory and idiosyncratic views on many subjects have been challanged, and I think I have emerged with stronger, clearer arguments in favor of those views because you, my darling readers, were kind enough to challenge those things with which you disagreed. You were wrong to disagree, of course, but such are the perils of a free society.

My worst fears about obsessiveness have been realized, but I've no recourse but to shrug and continue being obsessive. I check The Secret Base innumerable times throughout the day, scouring each post to see if any new comments have been left. My fickle heart rises and falls; when no one comments, no one loves me. Hyperbole! But I do check my blog for new comments throughout the day, and seeing a fat number of comments below a post does bring a smile to my face... at least until I read them. The audacity of you people! (Notice how the paragraph on obsessiveness brings us right back to ego?) Always questioning! Always pointing out flaws in logic! *insert sound of inarticulate rage*

I have never seriously entertained the idea of removing the comments, but everyone likes to have options. I have only banned one person, Captain Malice, after he wrote something particularly obnoxious involving the U of M-MSU rivalry, but I cannot remember specifically what it was he wrote and I have since reversed the ban (at least I think I have, we'll only know for sure if he comments). Despite my initial hesitance, the comments have proven to be one of the very best things about The Secret Base; the comments provide the comforting illusion of a community and allow me to feel a modicum of involvement in the lives of my far-flung friends. And now for a bit of public broadcasting schmaltz: the comments mean that though The Secret Base is my blog, it's a forum that really belongs to all of us. Volunteers are standing by to take your pledge.

And always remember: Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.