The Slog fails on 15th Ave

It would be ridiculous for this little site to declare The Stranger's online behemoth, The Slog, dead. But some part of what we once called Seattle's best blog definitely bit the big one last week -- and it happened right here on Capitol Hill.

On Friday, Slogger Lindy West posted this photo of a remarkable patron visiting Liberty. The post was a typical Slog job, setting the Segway man up for ridicule. The Slog comment crowd, as usual, went for it: I wonder, if the bartender were to - as one might expect he would do - punch this person in the face repeatedly, would he just keeping popping up for more like a Weeble? Because I would love to see that.

Typical Slog stuff, really. But this time, the nastiness got shoved right back in our Slog-loving faces. Out of the comment cesspool, came the actual story:

i met this guy at cal anderson park a few weeks ago while i was with a quadraplegic friend who uses a wheelchair that untilizes the same technology as this man’s segway. i also thought this man a lazy fool until he explained that he has a condition that makes it difficult and painful for him to walk. he also has very brittle bones that break easily ( remember that otherwise stupid m. nught shaymalan movie unbreakable ?)which is why he wears a helmet and kneepads. he engages in conversation fairly easily and if you had asked he might have explained his condition to you. the man doesn’t reserve your judgement or ridicule. so cut this shit out

Before we get too high and holy, let me say that the post is the kind of thing we might have created here on capitolhillseattle.com. We've seen the Segway man. We very probably would have also set this man up for ridicule. It very easily could have been us.

But of course this post happened on The Slog. There's a high statistical probability that, given something mean, nasty and Seattle, it came from The Stranger's site.

The Slog isn't dead -- after all, the same comment crowd that produces the hate, produces the answers. But it's definitely unhealthy as it enters its fourth year of life. Savage and crew might want to think about starting a new and better discussion. In the meantime, maybe we should start preparing a monument to be erected at Liberty Bar:

Here lies The Slog
Self poisoned
Brilliant
2005-2008