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Getting Rid of Comments on Vice.com

vice.com

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Re: Getting Rid of Comments on Vice.com

#21
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Vice doesn't shy away from taking a position that might be controversial or even extreme. A lot of their content borders on editorial which is fine if that's what you're looking for, but it's also full of fodder for those who want to argue about things. Honestly the comment on most news sites are absolutely atrocious and there'd be little lost if they were shut off completely.

The comments on the New York Times seem to be high quality.

[deleted]

Re: Getting Rid of Comments on Vice.com

#22
When I see comment sections, on YouTube or elsewhere, disabled it makes me really sad because in my opinion people should have the ability to share their opinion on stuff. The argument that those comments turn ugly is really nonsense (to me). If you don't like a comment just don't bother reading it again, just forget about it. However when a youtube video on 10 ways to keep me from being productive" has its comments disabled I can live with that. In the case of Vice it is a whole new dimension. Guys, you are journalists. The comment section often is a direct indicator on the quality of your stuff. These days there are so many BS-articles written even by you guys that I can't keep up and I really like how someone in the comment section can just point out wrong statements for everyone. I can read through the BS of trolls, just give the people a choice! If you want your comment section to be clean just implement a HN-like upvote system.

Re: Getting Rid of Comments on Vice.com

#23
A healthy comment section needs active moderation. Consider getting your readership involved. You could, for example, follow the Stack Exchange model by giving frequent contributors more editorial powers in the comments section.

Re: Getting Rid of Comments on Vice.com

#24
post #7

I think if you're getting mostly garbage comments, it should give you pause for thought. Yes, the format of the internet doesn't encourage thoughtful, polite comments. But equally there might be a problem with what you're writing if you're attracting trolls. This is certainly true of Vice.

But equally there might be a problem with what you're writing if you're attracting trolls. I very much disagree with that. Let's just take the CBC as an example. It's an excellent news organization that writes top notch journalism. And for any topic even remotely controversial (e.g., anything related to the indigenous population in Canada), they've had to disable the comment section because it's such a godawful cessp…

Vice is nowhere remotely close to journalistic professionalism. I'd argue they bait trolls.

Re: Getting Rid of Comments on Vice.com

#25

Hopefully the biker bar analogy* is correct. Every year it feels more and more like the bikers are actually the majority . * https://chuqui.com/2015/07/the-death-of-reddit/

The saddest thing about the fact that Reddit hasn't been disrupted is what that says about the collective tolerance of what it is.

Re: Getting Rid of Comments on Vice.com

#26

I think if you're getting mostly garbage comments, it should give you pause for thought. Yes, the format of the internet doesn't encourage thoughtful, polite comments. But equally there might be a problem with what you're writing if you're attracting trolls. This is certainly true of Vice.

Vice doesn't shy away from taking a position that might be controversial or even extreme. A lot of their content borders on editorial which is fine if that's what you're looking for, but it's also full of fodder for those who want to argue about things. Honestly the comment on most news sites are absolutely atrocious and there'd be little lost if they were shut off completely.

Vice does nothing BUT write editorials and tries to pawn them off as objective journalism.

Hence, trolling.

Re: Getting Rid of Comments on Vice.com

#28

In my humble opinion perhaps websites might benefit simply from more sorting filters on comments. Reddit allows sorting by most upvoted and most controversial which is cool. However I wonder if sorting by the reading age of the comment for example might work. Perhaps creating a set of words which are inflammatory and sorting by most negative comments to most positive comments. Perhaps combining filters could be const…

The problem with the internet is it allows people to wall themselves off from information and people who contradict their view. Even if they're in need of said contradiction.

What you're describing is part of the problem, not the solution.

Re: Getting Rid of Comments on Vice.com

#29

Many sites have been closing their comments section. It seems to me that the purpose is to further constrict dissent and control the message. Rather than finding a technical solution or one that involves moderation, these sites just shut the community out and become a broadcast medium once again. A notable removal of a comments section was NPR's shutdown right around the time of the Democratic National Convention. Th…

> It seems to me that the purpose is to further constrict dissent and control the message.

Insofar as "control the message" means "we are tired of anonymous people in our comments section doxxing our authors and other people, and vile, racist attacks on our authors and groups of people", then yes, this is an attempt to "control the message."

> Since NPR clearly had a pro-Hillary agenda, the comments section had to go.

There's no evidence for this, and it's unrelated to the topic.

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