Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Getting Rid of Comments on Vice.com

vice.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 233 posts

Re: Getting Rid of Comments on Vice.com

#81

Post by newswriter99 »

leavingreddit wrote: post #71
newswriter99 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I think that's a fair point. I've seen reddit change over the years into a place where people no longer debate in the comments section, they just find the thread they agree with and comment on that. It's part of why I'm looking for somewhere else.

Can you find it though? Or, like a string of trees in a rainstorm, will it too become saturated?

I'm no longer looking for an alternative. Wishing for the good old days of dial-up BBS like Totse is useless as well. However, there's still hope this will all turn out to be a narcissism fad which will eventually give way.

Re: Getting Rid of Comments on Vice.com

#82

Post by dba7dba »

swalsh wrote: post #60

Hacker News after all these years has managed to maintain a pretty high standard when it comes to comment quality (my comments excluded, of course, they are of much lower quality). A large part of that is it was started with a pretty small group that set the tone and quality, and it has always been very aggressive towards new commenters in the form of limiting down-votes, and chastising lower quality comments. That b…

Would Ycombinator be willing to start a separate product with its ranking/reputation system to allow other sites to host comments section?

Comments section allows discussion and debates, which is what Democracy is built on.

Re: Getting Rid of Comments on Vice.com

#83

Post by newswriter99 »

djtriptych wrote: post #46
newswriter99 wrote: post #11

Considering Vice is run by upper-class WASPs who write as if they grew up underprivileged, it shouldn't be a surprise that most of its readers (actually working-class types) habitually call them out on their flawed, bias-filled stance. I'm not trying to be contrarian here. The biggest issue with VICE is that it pretends to be alternative the same way Lady GaGa pretends to be alternative.

So, who's allowed to be 'alternative'?

Anyone can be "alternative" but it's impossible for a well-off Canadian who hires writes specifically from upper-class NYC and LA to be legit alternative.

My point is, this is just like when Starbucks tried to copy indie coffee shops, or when record labels tried to produce "underground" bands, or when Walmart attempted to sell "hand-crafted" and "artisan" products. The premise makes the end result impossible.

Re: Getting Rid of Comments on Vice.com

#84

Post by ilugaslifg »

tonyedgecombe wrote: post #78
caseysoftware wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Considering how much of the media was shocked SHOCKED by Brexit, the election of Trump, Sarkozy's loss, the fall of Merkel, and the rise of Le Pen, maybe they should pay more attention to the comments..

The media were not SHOCKED, they expressed shock in an attempt to get more attention/views.

As much as I would normally support this kind of cynicism, in the particular case of Trump's election, the media were as genuinely shocked as everyone else. Opponents and supporters, informed and not.

Almost nobody thought that was seriously going to happen. To claim otherwise is edgy revisionism.

Can't comment on the others, as I was not following closely enough beforehand to get any reading on the public zeitgiest.

Re: Getting Rid of Comments on Vice.com

#85

Post by tormeh »

sbarre wrote: post #79
burger_moon wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article that appeared below the OP article was about an internet feud between Nikki minaj and Meek Mill. So you're right, I am surprised but not in a good way.

Meh, Vice covers a wide spectrum of topics, all aimed at youth.. Some is heavy, some is not.. Find a mainstream (non-topic-specialized) publication that doesn't do that, and I'll be surprised.

The Economist?

Re: Getting Rid of Comments on Vice.com

#86

Post by rezashirazian »

seanalltogether wrote: post #62
AbrahamParangi wrote: post #39

I think many people have realized that the costs (filtering & moderation) vs. benefits (community engagement) of comment sections just don't make sense for most websites. I suspect that for comment sections to be good the users need to actually be invested in the 'forum' they're posting in. Without any skin in the game (reputation or fear of moderation) there is little incentive for most users to add value and the sy…

This actually a good argument toward shifting commenting into a paid subscription offering. Give access to the site free of ads and allow you to comment on articles.

I disagree, if people pay for the privilege of commenting, they will feel entitled and less likely to self-moderate.

It would make more sense to grant commenting privileges to individuals who have engaged with the site previously and are in good standing. Much like the Product Hunt.

Re: Getting Rid of Comments on Vice.com

#87

Post by vic-traill »

I can't comment on what might be the best technique(s) for retaining a high level commentary on news sites - I don't have the expertise.

But I do know where I stand on my own digital interactions; if there appears to be the possibility of having a critical, constructive dialogue, I'll try it out.

Everything else just encourages the mob. Walk away, don't let my ego or emotion convince me to reply to non-constructive comments.

Non-constructive comments are, as the old chestnut goes, like love. Tough to define but you know them when you see them.

Re: Getting Rid of Comments on Vice.com

#89

Post by weewooweewoo »

There's something to the idea that comments are "letters to the editor", as I believe that the biggest incentive for people to comment is when they feel that they have something to contribute. The problem, of course, is that hateful reasoning is usually something to 'novel' to contribute. It is especially easy to contribute something novel when you skim an article and you don't see any indication that the article is going to where your thinking.

I've been playing with this on a small side project (a literary journal, so the worst medium to try it out with), but it would be my dream to see a major publication try this out: Making commenting only available after correctly answering a quiz question that demonstrates that the reader has read the article. Initial questions have the ability to frame discussions, clarify controversial details, and discourage lines of thought - and on the other side, it requires little effort for an editor to implement.

Re: Getting Rid of Comments on Vice.com

#90

Post by monksy »

danso wrote: post #15
duaneb wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

They also expend significant resources in moderating it: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/09/20/insider/approv... (a comically high amount of resources, IMHO; a good part of what their human editors do could be triaged through automated systems)

I took that quiz. They have some terrible opinions on what should and shouldn't be deleted. They supported side tracking of the conversation, injection of baiting morals (for a comment on gay marriage they said they'd allow someone to preach about their religious views on gay behavior and marriage).

You can have r/the_donald supporters, "Not my President", and apathetic individuals in the same place... but only if you have strong rules to keep the peace.

Post reply on HN