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 Posté le: Lun Sep 02, 2013 5:36 pm Sujet du message: The problem with ugly web comments isn’t theanony |
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{The problem with ugly web comments isn’t theanonymity}
While the puzzle of how to incorporate reader comments into news sites isn’t a new one, there is renewed interest in cleaning up the gutter that currently constitutes much of what passes for “discussion” online, thanks to Arianna Huffington’s recent pledge to force trolls into the sunlight.The media mogul let slip last week that her eponymous news empire will soon phase out anonymous commenting, spurred by comments that “have become more and more aggressive and uglier.”“I feel that freedom of expression is given to people who stand up for what they say and not hiding behind anonymity,” she told a Boston audience Aug. 21. “We need to evolve a platform to meet the needs of the grown-up Internet.”Ah, the grown-up Internet — a mythical place where everyone is thoughtful and courteous instead of violently abusive, sexist,Michael Kors Purses, racist, homophobic and a whole range of other ugly things. It’s a nice thought, but how to clean up web comments is maybe the wrong question. What media sites should be asking themselves is why they let readers post comments at all. Online discussions are increasingly taking place away from media sites. Instead, people talk about news items with their Facebook friends, Twitter followers, fellow Redditors or whatever other online community they have. It’s not hard to understand this trend. Take a look at the comments on any large news site and you will be appalled at the vitriol and idiocy on display. The poor quality of online discussion is so well-known that comedians have bits about hateful YouTube comments, and there’s even a Twitter account that sends out nothing but reminders about avoiding comment sections.Pssssst. Hey,michael kors canada, kid. You. Hey. Don't read the comments.— Don't Read Comments (@AvoidComments) August 21, 2013No journalist has ever said,Michael Kors Outlet, "Good thing that guy left that vitriolic comment — now I know how much I suck."— Don't Read Comments (@AvoidComments) August 26, 2013Of course, it’s not all bad. There are some blogs and news sites that have worthwhile comment sections. Ta-Nehisi Coates, for example, is well-known for meticulously moderating the responses on his blog at the Atlantic, even deputizing trusted readers to help police the tenor of the discussion. Many niche blogs covering science,michael kors canada, economics or technology also have committed and thoughtful readers who frequently improve the conversation. Gawker and its various offshoots have some of the wittiest readers around, and their contributions are frequently as fun to read as the posts. The magic ingredient for good comments in all these cases is a sense of community or at least a guiding hand from the journalists whose work is, after all, the subject of the discussion. On the other hand, whether people attach real names to their posts is ultimately unimportant. But if there is no rhyme or reason for having the comments to begin with, many will simply have the conversation in their own social networks — and leave behind only the trolls and their unfortunate victims.Don't read the comments.— Don't Read Comments (@AvoidComments) June 12, 2013 |
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