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Code to block unwanted News Genius annotations

github.com

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Re: Code to block unwanted News Genius annotations

#11

Post by simonw »

In case you were wondering how it works, this library is a rack middleware wrapper around this JavaScript:

      
        var annotated = window.location.href.indexOf("genius.it/") != -1;
        if (annotated) {
          window.location.href = window.location.href.replace("genius.it/", "")
        }

Re: Code to block unwanted News Genius annotations

#12

Post by anoonmoose »

gkop wrote: post #5

Folks blocking, curious your motivations? (I can think of a few but am curious about the specific issues with Genius vs. the platonic ideal of a universal web annotation layer)

I'd have to imagine it's the same as the list of motivations one would provide for disabling comments, which I've seen happen on plenty of sites.

Re: Code to block unwanted News Genius annotations

#13

Post by someone7x »

MaxfordAndSons wrote: post #6

What is the motivation behind this? It strikes me as something like an anti-ad-blocker tool, except instead of serving to protect your sites ad revenue it's just trying to suppress free discourse about your content through a third party tool that happens to be exposed to this kind of suppression, but isn't actually invasive, and is only used by people who opt-in to it anyway. Basically it seems to me like a tool for…

I suppose it's the annotations being presented on your site to give it an undeserved sense of legitimacy; instead of a detractor otherwise of no consequence complaining on their own blog there is a detractor getting real estate alongside your content.

It's a blurry line for sure, but I think the motivation of silencing the 'riff-raff' is understandable.

Re: Code to block unwanted News Genius annotations

#15

Post by MaxfordAndSons »

chimeracoder wrote: post #10
MaxfordAndSons wrote: post #6

What is the motivation behind this? It strikes me as something like an anti-ad-blocker tool, except instead of serving to protect your sites ad revenue it's just trying to suppress free discourse about your content through a third party tool that happens to be exposed to this kind of suppression, but isn't actually invasive, and is only used by people who opt-in to it anyway. Basically it seems to me like a tool for…

> What is the motivation behind this? The README links to the explanation: https://ellacydawson.wordpress.com/2016/03/25/how-news-geniu...

Odd, I don't see the link there.

But anyway, reading Ms. Dawson's post does make me seriously reconsider the ethical motivations for making this tool. I suppose my initial negative reaction was more based on the 'platonic ideal of a universal web annotation layer' as gkop puts it, rather than an actual understanding of how the Genius platform operates.

Here's another article with additional context: http://www.vox.com/2016/3/31/11336852/genius-annotation-cont...

Re: Code to block unwanted News Genius annotations

#16

Post by gkop »

anoonmoose wrote: post #12
gkop wrote: post #5

Folks blocking, curious your motivations? (I can think of a few but am curious about the specific issues with Genius vs. the platonic ideal of a universal web annotation layer)

I'd have to imagine it's the same as the list of motivations one would provide for disabling comments, which I've seen happen on plenty of sites.

Motivations for disabling comments vary widely, for one thing.

For another, Genius is a company with a history of controversy. I can imagine some sites being ok with universal annotations but averse to Genius. It'd be useful to know how Genius is going about things wrong, because I dream of someday having a universal annotation layer that doesn't provoke widespread blocking.

Re: Code to block unwanted News Genius annotations

#17

Post by MaxfordAndSons »

sehr wrote: post #8
MaxfordAndSons wrote: post #6

What is the motivation behind this? It strikes me as something like an anti-ad-blocker tool, except instead of serving to protect your sites ad revenue it's just trying to suppress free discourse about your content through a third party tool that happens to be exposed to this kind of suppression, but isn't actually invasive, and is only used by people who opt-in to it anyway. Basically it seems to me like a tool for…

You'd be able to make a blog post without annotations accusing you of disseminating misinformation and suppressing free thought, for one. I think you're severely overrating the quality of Internet comments too, and with these annotations there isn't even a report feature available to help clean them up. Genius.

> I think you're severely overrating the quality of Internet comments

Maybe so, but I think perhaps you're underrating the desire by state and corporate actors for tools to suppress free discourse.

> there isn't even a report feature available

No, there definitely is a "Report Abuse" button. But, there clearly isn't much in the way of a global reputation/meta-moderation system, except what's carried over from the original Genius site, which doesn't exactly share the same editorial values as an (my) ideal annotation platform. The managing editor being from Gawker and going around posting snarky/superficially critical comments on serious pieces of writing is pretty emblematic of this. Which is a shame.

Since it's related, and I'm a fan of their work, here's another annotation platform, https://hypothes.is/, whose developers seem much more serious about creating a robust reputation system.

Re: Code to block unwanted News Genius annotations

#18

Post by MichaelGG »

MaxfordAndSons wrote: post #15
chimeracoder wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What is the motivation behind this? The README links to the explanation: https://ellacydawson.wordpress.com/2016/03/25/how-news-geniu...

Odd, I don't see the link there. But anyway, reading Ms. Dawson's post does make me seriously reconsider the ethical motivations for making this tool. I suppose my initial negative reaction was more based on the 'platonic ideal of a universal web annotation layer' as gkop puts it, rather than an actual understanding of how the Genius platform operates. Here's another article with additional context: http://www.vox.co…

First, there's been tools like this for a while. MS had an annotations tool built into IE in the 90s. (Though I think it required some sort of Office server or something.)

Second, her reasoning seems to revolve around not having comments on her site. Isn't this literally what every link aggregator from HN to reddit does?

She mentions reddit and others, but doesn't explain how they're different. Apparently it's because people can "scribble" "on her website". This makes News Genius "worse than Twitter". I guess if reddit created a browser plugin she'd hate it too?

>pasted in links to my tweets—which theoretically they should not have had access to, as I had blocked them both on Twitter

How can you block anyone on Twitter and think it'll work? Just sign out and block's gone?

>No one likes being questioned

I think that sums up her attitude. Note I think her work is fine, but she's literally complaining about people discussing her work on other sites.

Re: Code to block unwanted News Genius annotations

#19

Post by ultramancool »

chimeracoder wrote: post #10
MaxfordAndSons wrote: post #6

What is the motivation behind this? It strikes me as something like an anti-ad-blocker tool, except instead of serving to protect your sites ad revenue it's just trying to suppress free discourse about your content through a third party tool that happens to be exposed to this kind of suppression, but isn't actually invasive, and is only used by people who opt-in to it anyway. Basically it seems to me like a tool for…

> What is the motivation behind this? The README links to the explanation: https://ellacydawson.wordpress.com/2016/03/25/how-news-geniu...

What a crock of shit. People installing an addon to comment on your content "silences writers" by making their readers actually think about the crap they write? God forbid people actually think. I'm so sick of this anti-commenting drivel promoting mindless belief. If you can't stand being questioned, please stop posting on the internet.

Re: Code to block unwanted News Genius annotations

#20

Post by welanes »

MaxfordAndSons wrote: post #15
chimeracoder wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What is the motivation behind this? The README links to the explanation: https://ellacydawson.wordpress.com/2016/03/25/how-news-geniu...

Odd, I don't see the link there. But anyway, reading Ms. Dawson's post does make me seriously reconsider the ethical motivations for making this tool. I suppose my initial negative reaction was more based on the 'platonic ideal of a universal web annotation layer' as gkop puts it, rather than an actual understanding of how the Genius platform operates. Here's another article with additional context: http://www.vox.co…

Thanks for the link. The protestations are a little silly from what I gather.

So this is the crux of it: Genius allows people to comment on stuff that people write - like an improved comment section. Occasionally these comments suck and are offensive.

From the blog post: "News Genius adds one more way for people on the Internet to be made unsafe." and "A tool that allows my abusive ex-boyfriend to interact with me and my content is a tool that should not exist."

The solipsism is laughable. The Internet will forever provide an infinite supply of trolls but when you publish on a public platform as opposed to behind a password protected blog or via email, people will talk about what you write (if you're lucky. many people publish in obscurity) and it just so happens that you may not always agree with what they say.

The reflex to shut down rather than, say, ignore dissenting opinion is an odd but increasingly more common one.

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