Internet media is in love with itself and any idea it has. I think once it's played our for a while, rejecting comments sections will become increasingly normal.
If you want to make the Internet civil, you have to remove the people from the Internet or filter out people that aren't in your personal social circle. Failing that you will have assholes online because there are assholes in person.
Paul, you're right. What's the point of maintaining my presence as a talking martini glass? Commenting on this site doesn't enrich my real life in any way. E-goodbye forever.
Old media is finding out their audience isn't the monocle-wearing group of sophisticates they thought and, like parents who find out their kid dropped out of law school to pursue their dream of a career in burlesque theatre, are showing their disappointment by cutting the little ingrates off.
I've been involved with some communities that have been remarkably civil for well over a decade. Mostly technical communities so they don't stray into politics or religion.
Although the absolute most toxic community I ever experienced was a coffee discussion group at Sweet Maria's. The people there were just downright mean. They made most politics boards look polite.
I think it also helps when a blog has a community of sorts. This is also why I don't wade into the comments sections for larger forms of media, such as traditional newspapers or, egads, YouTube. Any asshole with an Internet connection will spew whatever they damn well feel like there.
My favorite blog community example was this UK blog I used to read, where a Holocaust denier suddenly showed up in the comments. The commenters relentlessly reverse-trolled him until he went away.
though it makes me feel like a dork, I love checking in on slog's comments to see what this little cohort is saying. I sincerely enjoy all the regulars: keshmeshi, supreme ruler, ugurtha, vel duray, etc.
I agree with both 19 and 21. I love Slog, and I think that it is the fact that it is a smallish community that makes it work as well as it does. I also think that being able to not see the unregistered, and the IRL meet ups that happen are a big help too. Before the SLOG Happys, as I understand it, things got really ugly, but once you've had a beer with some one face to face, it's harder to be an asshole to them on line.
Fnarf and I have different positions on gun control, for example, but since we've met in real life, we understand each other better, and he no longer accuses me of murder. :)
I agree with @15 and @16. Communities that are focused around common interests have a much more favorable signal to noise ratio than those of newspapers, TV stations or magazines. The more general the site, the more trolls it attracts. The comments section of USA Today is a chamber of horrors.
@16 Yahoo News stories have by far the worst comment sections out there. Especially egregious are any news stories involving race, gender, sexuality and religion. The only thing worse would be reading the Klan's comment section.
Newspapers and other organizations need to monitor their comment sections. And when people are abusive on these comment areas we need take action; write complaints to these organizations and ask to have them remove.
In the aftermath of the murders in Kansas City last month there were people posting hate speech about Jews on the Kansas City Star's video website. I wrote their public editor and got the posts removed.
There is no such thing as an "important piece" relating to anything to do with social/internet issues. Unless you're someone who lives under the delusion that they also are the author of "important pieces". Knowhumsayin', C?
21-year-old meme. That should baffle the kids.
THANKS FOR THAT ADVICE...WE WILL ALL STOP TALKING NOW!!!!!
http://www.thelashop.com/9-50-watt-bullh…
We are all guilty.
Although the absolute most toxic community I ever experienced was a coffee discussion group at Sweet Maria's. The people there were just downright mean. They made most politics boards look polite.
I think it also helps when a blog has a community of sorts. This is also why I don't wade into the comments sections for larger forms of media, such as traditional newspapers or, egads, YouTube. Any asshole with an Internet connection will spew whatever they damn well feel like there.
My favorite blog community example was this UK blog I used to read, where a Holocaust denier suddenly showed up in the comments. The commenters relentlessly reverse-trolled him until he went away.
I'M BEHIND SEVEN PROXIES
Sometimes??
I only read the comments here too since there are (usually) few enough to actually keep my attention but enough to make it interesting.
Fnarf and I have different positions on gun control, for example, but since we've met in real life, we understand each other better, and he no longer accuses me of murder. :)
Newspapers and other organizations need to monitor their comment sections. And when people are abusive on these comment areas we need take action; write complaints to these organizations and ask to have them remove.
In the aftermath of the murders in Kansas City last month there were people posting hate speech about Jews on the Kansas City Star's video website. I wrote their public editor and got the posts removed.
I love even more watching the rest of the world realize the writers at the National Review are fostering colonies of assholes.
Why fucking bother, then?