Truemors
Anonymous commentsI'm going to keep this brief. I'm getting more and more irritated by, and despondent about, the anonymous comments I'm seeing around the site. Anonymous commuters can speak without accountability, can 'hit and run', and can offend ad nauseum. And they do.
I can understand the ethos behind the idea, but I think it's becoming detrimental to NP.
I'm asking staff to please reconsider allowing anonymous comments on the site.
Thanks.
Alice
[Edit: in the name of honesty, I want to add that I PMed about a dozen members on the site about this post, and asked them to add their comments (if they had any). My reason for doing this was twofold. First, forum posts get lost very easily before anyone has had a chance to say anything on them. Second, I think anonymous commenting has become a greater issue for members recently and that it should, as such, be disccused properly.]
at 23:53 on March 18th, 2009
I am very bothered by anonymous comments. It is always a problem when people don't want to identify themselves. Here again, members can help by having a function that allows them to point it out anonymous comments and put them on hold until an editor has an opportunity to view it. Since these articles come and go so fast, sometimes this might also not be fast enough to remove it. I don't think the authors should be able to delete them however. Again I go with the fact that if someone doesn't agree with you, you should not be able to block that opinion. However, these people are using this to distort the articles or express their own, sometimes wired point of view and even manipulate the article. I don't feel that anyone should have the right to change the authors content in the first place.
We shouldn't police ourselves, but as members we should be able to participate in controlling content that is not in our or NowPublic's interest. Every publication and website have some form of editing that keeps the site in concert with the integrity and intent of the site. Again even for the editors, a set guidelines has to be developed to make sure that editors can follow when making these decisions. It is not what you like or don't like, but what is offensive.
I think the forum is a good way to discuss these things, but I think NowPublic can make far better use of their members and set up maybe "SKYPE" meetings among a small group of members on each policy decision, in each of the channels to develop some of these ideas. This way the guidelines and policies are user formed and a have world-wide perspective of the issue. Since this takes time and will require some work by members, it has to be lead by a staff member who works with the group, reviews and presents the work of the group to decision makers at NowPublic.
at 09:25 on April 11th, 2009
Here's just one example of what is happening right now! to members expired posts.I have noticed on some of my earlier posts the same sort of garbage and also link spam, there are far to many of these sort of comments on expired posts to inform staff about each one.
I have come to the conclusion that if any of my posts fill up with these sort comments or link spam I will just delete the old post.
Source: my.nowpublic.com
at 08:26 on August 7th, 2009
Quote from #4: generaldecay at 04:23 on August 17th, 2008
Its would be better to have an option called report, that places a copy of the comment on an audit list for the editors so whats thought to be offensive by any member can be judged. I have mentioned in my own forum article about not allowing the outsiders to use links to help stop advertising.
It would be good also to put a report option above or at the bottom of each article seeded or published.
Keeping things simple is always the best option, as an ex-programmer/analyst myself I have learned that that's the best option and my simple solutions I feel will help to stop trolls and advertisers and the members here I am sure will be happy to help on that issue.
at 22:40 on August 11th, 2009
at 07:01 on August 20th, 2009
at 23:32 on September 6th, 2009
I don't dislike that people can post anonymously; but I think that the author of the story (or any media) that the anonymous person is posting on should be deletable. Or at least be able to be hidden -- especially if it is not agreeable, or conducive to a pleasant atmosphere.