What a big day for Shmarya (and such a bad day for Matzav)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Matzav supposed to be the moderate among blogs who make their living ripping off stories reported first in the legitimate newspapers? I do seem to recall hearing something like that, back when the site launched in competition with the very good VIN and the god-awful YWN. Well, that's out the window. Today Matzav greeted an approving NYT profile on Shmarya of Failed Messiah with a furious, red-in-the-face screed that can only be understood as anger over the fact that Shmarya does such a great job bringing light to the dark corners of Orthodoxy. Attack the messenger, and all that.

And if that's not enought, the comment moderators at Matzav have apparently been deleting pro-Shmarya comments while allowing this death threat to stand:

Nice, right? So much for moderation. Its not Matzav's fault this comment appeared, of course, and I don't like deleting comments, but (a) if you're going to delete the pro-Shamrya remarks how can you let this stand, and (b) what kind of "moderate" post attracted such an evil response?

Anyway, my spider sense suggests that perhaps someone connected with Matzav is the author of this obscene little comment. Who else would congratulate Matzav for identifying Shmarya? Shmarya's blog Failed Messiah is older, more popular, and more successful then Matzav. If anyone should get credit for bringing Shamrya to the world's attention its the New York Times. All Matzav did is what the news aggregating websites always do. They traded on someone else's work -- this time even while insulting it.

Hat-tip: Kvetcher

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Search for more information about vicious name calling by so-called Torah blogs at 4torah.com.

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