I haven’t been updating this blog as much as I said I would, and apologize. The good news is that commenting guidelines have remained prominent, which is good as we still have a lot of users violating those guidelines.
Today I’ll answer a few commonly asked questions:
Why is commenting sometimes disabled on stories at the time they are posted?
There are two reasons for this. One, there might be a legal issue that makes commenting inappropriate, such in a case where a trial or legal proceeding is pending and might be impacted by user comments. (Alleging criminal action where none has been proven is an example.) Two, there are certain types of stories we know will attract comments that violate guidelines, and sometimes act proactively to close commenting. We prefer not to do that, but do it from time to time.
Are comments moderated?
Technically, they are posted before moderation. But all comments are reviewed after they are posted, and we remove comments that violate stated guidelines. Given the growth in users commenting, we sometimes fall behind, but do react as quickly as possible, and delete comments where appropriate. We do not inform commenters when a comment has been deleted.
Why do we allow trolls?
We don’t, but there are a few that keep cropping up with alternate identities, and using other technology tricks to hang around. It’s best not to engage trolls, but simply report them by emailing me (helliott@thespec.com).
Why can’t I vote to agree or disagree?
You can, but you need to refresh the page in order to see your vote added to the total. There is some sort of issue with the commenting platform causing this problem, and our digital division is working on it.
Why are there so many stories about Justin Bieber?
Because traffic measurement tells us they’re popular. We don’t always use traditional news judgment to decide what goes on the page, or where it goes. Sometimes we let user popularity be the driver, which means that sometimes pop culture stories get prominent placement. The online product is not the same as the print product, and different rules and standards sometimes apply.
Festival of Friends.
Wake up Artists, Canadians and people in Hamilton!! Our once all Canadian family event has disappeared. First bringing in a beer tent. Only Canadian musicians and artist..not any more!! Now a move from Gage Park to Ancaster Fair Grounds. As a past participant with this amazing event I have slowly watched it's self destruction. Do the members on the Board of Directors really care what we think?? I don't think so! When you become a member of Creative Arts you are given a vote and are welcome to come to any open meetings. Most people i.e. Artists and the general public trust the general manager and board to do what's right for the event and it's members. Most of these members don't attend these meetings and give their proxy to the general manager or a board member. BIG MISTAKE!!! If Gage Park is preserving it's greenery, then why did they not move to the Harbor Front Park? this Park was intended for all Festivals in the city of Hamilton. I an tired of Corporations destroying what was once a fantastic city. We all have a voice, lets start getting involved and get off our butts. Lets once again start attracting people to our city instead of watching it become a ghost town.
Posted by: judy johnston | January 09, 2011 at 09:55 AM