Kitsap Caucus

Story Commenters, You’re Fired!

Oh how many times some of us here have wanted to say what the editor of a college newspaper said to readers:

“Comment privileges for new stories at siuDE.com are revoked until the Daily Egyptian has reason to believe our readers are mature enough to use them.”

Granted, much of this comes because of the anonymity that the Internet enables. And I know I’m not really one to talk. I’m not that mature and they gave me access to two freaking blogs. WTFH?

Ironically, the story was followed by this invitation:

“Be the first to comment on this article!”

Apparently canceling the wedding is easier than pulling back the invitations.

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This entry was posted on Friday, April 24th, 2009 at 1:16 pm and is filed under Random Stuff. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

14 Responses to “Story Commenters, You’re Fired!”

1. Jake Metcalf Says:
   April 24th, 2009 at 1:27 pm

   John Gabriel’s Greater Internet F******** Theory
   http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/

   Editor’s note: Link leads to pretty significant profanity, in case the spelling above didn’t make that clear.

2. Colleen Smidt Says:
   April 24th, 2009 at 1:43 pm

   Steven,

   I am sure the “commenter’s” could take their firing a heck of a lot better that the “reporters” could take theirs. It is the mutual feeding off of each other that keeps things ticking right along.

3. Kathryn Simpson Says:
   April 24th, 2009 at 6:44 pm

   I’m still of the opinion that mainstream media (not that the college paper is mainstream) should keep the same ethical standard for online that it had in the print only days… “if you want to see it in print, you have to be willing to sign your name to it”

   Regards,
   Kathryn Simpson

4. Sharon O'Hara Says:
   April 24th, 2009 at 7:43 pm

   I agree to a point. Too many ’straw puppets’ comments have no value but to attack posters hiding behind anonymity.

   The cowardly posters who spill their visceral hiding behind a phony name should step out from behind the rock and use their own name.
   We’ve gotten great information from people who understandably couldn’t use their name and I prefer that we learn the information and don’t care ‘who’ they are. They are beneficial bloggers under any name.
   Sharon O’Hara

5. James M. Olsen, Shining City Media Says:
   April 25th, 2009 at 7:29 am

   Some people who use blog handles claim they cannot use their name without retribution from the community/work place. Coming from Bainbridge, this is a real concern for some.

   There are others who are too cowardly or scurrilous to use their name and they are afraid to put a potential idiotic premise to the test — the public smell test.

   Of course the papers — the their reporters — also play their unfair share of games with names/sources/agenda.

   Papers are disappointing — blogs are disappointing.

   Let’s not go to another fascist nanny state requirement on blog identities.

6. Sharon O'Hara Says:
   April 25th, 2009 at 5:04 pm

   James M Olsen… you are not disappointing as a blogger. Agree or not, you seem to lay issues straight out.

   And, I don’t see how Christopher Dunagan’s environmental blog could be labeled ‘disappointing’ at any time.
   Most of the comments are informative and the dialog is understood by non science folks.
   I can’t be the only one to learn more online here, than I ever knew about environmental concerns, government and educational idiocies – all thanks to his and other blogs and bloggers here.

   We have an active community willing to inform.
   Sharon O’Hara

7. hannie Says:
   April 26th, 2009 at 2:41 am

   Miss “blog-handle” steps up to the podium.

   hannie = Johanna Baxter = both “Johanna” and “hannie” are names given me since birth and many SK people know me either way.

   I’d get into history of this, but I actually explain it on my own domain. Are we good on that? Sure we are.

8. Registered Voter Says:
   April 27th, 2009 at 7:39 pm

   “We’ve gotten great information from people who understandably couldn’t use their name and I prefer that we learn the information and don’t care ‘who’ they are. They are beneficial bloggers under any name.”

   Completely agree.

9. Jim C. Says:
   April 28th, 2009 at 6:01 pm

   How do you prove you are who you say you are anyway?

10. Kathryn Simpson Says:
    April 28th, 2009 at 6:01 pm

    I could be you.

11. Jake Metcalf Says:
    April 28th, 2009 at 6:03 pm

    or you.

12. Jim C. Says:
    April 28th, 2009 at 6:03 pm

    or just me.

13. Registered Voter Says:
    April 30th, 2009 at 11:14 am

    Or my Mum.

14. Kathryn Simpson Says:
    April 30th, 2009 at 11:29 am

    Um, that wasn’t me on line 10.

    Yes, I know that was the point. But just wanted to clarify.

    Regards,
    Kathryn Simpson