Comments on: 10 Ways Newspapers Can Improve Comments http://powazek.com/posts/1063 It's pronounced poe-WAH-zek. Thu, 17 Dec 2009 21:26:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Baylink http://powazek.com/posts/1063/comment-page-1#comment-3326 Baylink Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:16:52 +0000 http://powazek.com/?p=1063#comment-3326 > “When you start moderating you incur legal liability.” That’s a common misconception. If you can find a single piece of written law anywhere that says moderating comments changes your legal standing in any way, I’d love to see it. Stratton Oakmont v Prodigy. Cubby v Compuserve. I gather both have been at least partially overridden by later statute law, but I can't cite. But yes, in fact, it was like that in the US for *quite* some number of years. > “When you start moderating you incur legal liability.” That’s a common misconception. If you can find a single piece of written law anywhere that says moderating comments changes your legal standing in any way, I’d love to see it.

Stratton Oakmont v Prodigy.

Cubby v Compuserve.

I gather both have been at least partially overridden by later statute law, but I can’t cite.

But yes, in fact, it was like that in the US for *quite* some number of years.

]]> By: Richard http://powazek.com/posts/1063/comment-page-1#comment-3323 Richard Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:19:40 +0000 http://powazek.com/?p=1063#comment-3323 Derek: I think you've handled this exchanged with "John" beautifully. As one who has been where you are now (for years) I must ask, at what point do you stop interacting with "John" because his/her aim seems to be to get you involved in a never ending dialog going nowhere? I've had political arguments at my site and at times I've failed to see that the other person's sole purpose was to tie me up in argument, sort of like Rush Limbaugh's Operation Chaos trolls or maybe he/she was one of those. The short of it: at what point to you block John? Derek: I think you’ve handled this exchanged with “John” beautifully. As one who has been where you are now (for years) I must ask, at what point do you stop interacting with “John” because his/her aim seems to be to get you involved in a never ending dialog going nowhere?

I’ve had political arguments at my site and at times I’ve failed to see that the other person’s sole purpose was to tie me up in argument, sort of like Rush Limbaugh’s Operation Chaos trolls or maybe he/she was one of those.

The short of it: at what point to you block John?

]]> By: Derek Powazek http://powazek.com/posts/1063/comment-page-1#comment-3314 Derek Powazek Wed, 30 Jul 2008 22:01:21 +0000 http://powazek.com/?p=1063#comment-3314 John - I humbly suggest you get your own blog, where you're free to say whatever you like. You'll also then be able to manage your commenters in the way that you feel is just and right. You may even be lucky enough to someday have someone posting under a pseudonym call you "evil" and expect to be taken seriously. When that happens, be sure to come back and let us know if your opinion has changed. So long as you're posting words on other people's sites, you're subject to their rules. If you don't like it, you have every right to deprive those sites of your valuable participation. John – I humbly suggest you get your own blog, where you’re free to say whatever you like. You’ll also then be able to manage your commenters in the way that you feel is just and right. You may even be lucky enough to someday have someone posting under a pseudonym call you “evil” and expect to be taken seriously. When that happens, be sure to come back and let us know if your opinion has changed.

So long as you’re posting words on other people’s sites, you’re subject to their rules. If you don’t like it, you have every right to deprive those sites of your valuable participation.

]]> By: john colibry http://powazek.com/posts/1063/comment-page-1#comment-3313 john colibry Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:50:16 +0000 http://powazek.com/?p=1063#comment-3313 Derek - my yesterday's comments (the ones you removed) were actually much calmer and more articulate. They brought specific critics. At this point I have to admit I feel alienated by the tone and substance of this page in general, and arguing (if it was only permitted by your all-powerful comments oversight) would probably not be constructive. It is a matter of principles. I would NOT remove non-offensive comments (mine were not) if I had the power to do so. Never. If I did I would feel guilty, or weak or scared. By the way John is not my name, and this is not my email address. Why would I give my real email address and real name to an abstract entity that I have no reason to trust? Derek – my yesterday’s comments (the ones you removed) were actually much calmer and more articulate. They brought specific critics.
At this point I have to admit I feel alienated by the tone and substance of this page in general, and arguing (if it was only permitted by your all-powerful comments oversight) would probably not be constructive. It is a matter of principles. I would NOT remove non-offensive comments (mine were not) if I had the power to do so. Never. If I did I would feel guilty, or weak or scared.
By the way John is not my name, and this is not my email address. Why would I give my real email address and real name to an abstract entity that I have no reason to trust?

]]> By: Derek Powazek http://powazek.com/posts/1063/comment-page-1#comment-3310 Derek Powazek Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:39:23 +0000 http://powazek.com/?p=1063#comment-3310 I wanted to add: I'm not recommending moderators delete comments that they disagree with - that's a recipe for killing conversation. I'm only recommending they delete comments that <i>suck</i>. (And be sure to define what sucks in your community guidelines.) The Onion's AV Club has a great story on this: <a href="http://www.avclub.com/content/blog/why_we_delete_comments_and_how_you" rel="nofollow">Why we delete comments. (And how you can make us stop.)</a> I wanted to add: I’m not recommending moderators delete comments that they disagree with – that’s a recipe for killing conversation. I’m only recommending they delete comments that suck. (And be sure to define what sucks in your community guidelines.)

The Onion’s AV Club has a great story on this: Why we delete comments. (And how you can make us stop.)

]]> By: Derek Powazek http://powazek.com/posts/1063/comment-page-1#comment-3309 Derek Powazek Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:33:56 +0000 http://powazek.com/?p=1063#comment-3309 John - Thanks for coming back and posting your comment in a more calm way. I deleted your posts yesterday because they were way inappropriate (calling your host "evil" is a lousy way to make your point) and posted with a fake email address. If you read what I wrote here, you had to know I was going to do that. To be clear, websites aren't governments, so they cannot practice censorship. You have no right to free speech on someone else's website. You have every right to post whatever you want to <i>your own site</i>, and I encourage you to do so. Participating in other people's communities means adhering to their community rules, and I believe I made my approach pretty clear above. If you're so offended by the idea that your comments will be screened and deleted if inappropriate, then my advice is to not post comments at all. You're sure to be disappointed. John – Thanks for coming back and posting your comment in a more calm way. I deleted your posts yesterday because they were way inappropriate (calling your host “evil” is a lousy way to make your point) and posted with a fake email address. If you read what I wrote here, you had to know I was going to do that.

To be clear, websites aren’t governments, so they cannot practice censorship. You have no right to free speech on someone else’s website. You have every right to post whatever you want to your own site, and I encourage you to do so.

Participating in other people’s communities means adhering to their community rules, and I believe I made my approach pretty clear above. If you’re so offended by the idea that your comments will be screened and deleted if inappropriate, then my advice is to not post comments at all. You’re sure to be disappointed.

]]> By: rekha http://powazek.com/posts/1063/comment-page-1#comment-3308 rekha Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:56:11 +0000 http://powazek.com/?p=1063#comment-3308 I disagree with the recommendation that people create an account in order to comment. This assumes that commenters are focused enough on a particular newspaper community to bother registering and remembering their logins (cookies do get cleaned out occasionally). Articles are received as forwards or found in RSS feeds; someone might be passionate about a particular article without caring to register for the publication that put it out. Sure, requiring registration might 'remove 80% of your comment problems', but why throw the baby out with the bathwater? It's a pretty old-fashioned way to weed out bad comments... and can result in an echo chamber of the regulars while everyone else decides not to bother. By the way, I wouldn't have commented on this if I had had to register. But maybe that's not such a bad thing. ;-) I disagree with the recommendation that people create an account in order to comment. This assumes that commenters are focused enough on a particular newspaper community to bother registering and remembering their logins (cookies do get cleaned out occasionally). Articles are received as forwards or found in RSS feeds; someone might be passionate about a particular article without caring to register for the publication that put it out. Sure, requiring registration might ‘remove 80% of your comment problems’, but why throw the baby out with the bathwater? It’s a pretty old-fashioned way to weed out bad comments… and can result in an echo chamber of the regulars while everyone else decides not to bother.

By the way, I wouldn’t have commented on this if I had had to register. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing. ;-)

]]> By: Dawn Foster http://powazek.com/posts/1063/comment-page-1#comment-3307 Dawn Foster Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:50:18 +0000 http://powazek.com/?p=1063#comment-3307 I've worked with a number of corporate blogs, and I think these rules apply equally well to other types of blogs in addition to newspapers. How you moderate comments is also an important element. Corporate blogs in particular tend to struggle with negative comments. The first instinct for too many companies is to delete the negative comments. I think this comes from the perception that the company "controls" their messaging, and comments take the control away from the company. I say perception because no company can control what people say. If they don't voice their opinion in the comments, they will discuss it on other blogs and online forums. When I work with companies on blogging, I try to keep them focused on responding appropriately to the negative comments, instead of trying to hide them. I’ve worked with a number of corporate blogs, and I think these rules apply equally well to other types of blogs in addition to newspapers.

How you moderate comments is also an important element. Corporate blogs in particular tend to struggle with negative comments. The first instinct for too many companies is to delete the negative comments. I think this comes from the perception that the company “controls” their messaging, and comments take the control away from the company. I say perception because no company can control what people say. If they don’t voice their opinion in the comments, they will discuss it on other blogs and online forums. When I work with companies on blogging, I try to keep them focused on responding appropriately to the negative comments, instead of trying to hide them.

]]> By: john colibry http://powazek.com/posts/1063/comment-page-1#comment-3306 john colibry Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:57:58 +0000 http://powazek.com/?p=1063#comment-3306 I posted two comments yesterday, criticizing this list, and they have been censored, which is in line with the very practices this list recommends in order to "improve" comments. The author of this list is evil. I know this very comment will be censored too. You have no idea how offensive this kind of censorship is. It seriously makes me want to avenge myself anyway I can. Do you realize that? Censorship never made any dictator safer, eventually it comes back to hit him. I posted two comments yesterday, criticizing this list, and they have been censored, which is in line with the very practices this list recommends in order to “improve” comments. The author of this list is evil. I know this very comment will be censored too.
You have no idea how offensive this kind of censorship is. It seriously makes me want to avenge myself anyway I can. Do you realize that? Censorship never made any dictator safer, eventually it comes back to hit him.

]]> By: Matt Clarke http://powazek.com/posts/1063/comment-page-1#comment-3301 Matt Clarke Wed, 30 Jul 2008 06:35:34 +0000 http://powazek.com/?p=1063#comment-3301 I love how PressDisplay.com has integrated the comments into the newspapers displayed there. They have moderating for offensive or vulgar comments I guess, but otherwise they have good comments about latest news stories from around the world. It's an interesting dynamic. I love how PressDisplay.com has integrated the comments into the newspapers displayed there. They have moderating for offensive or vulgar comments I guess, but otherwise they have good comments about latest news stories from around the world. It’s an interesting dynamic.

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