Comments on: Commenting on the commenters http://www.popandpolitics.com/2008/07/24/commenting-on-the-commenters/ Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:11:58 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Brian http://www.popandpolitics.com/2008/07/24/commenting-on-the-commenters/comment-page-1/#comment-8139 Brian Sat, 26 Jul 2008 01:46:51 +0000 http://www.popandpolitics.com/?p=2755#comment-8139 Justified or not, the situation isn't likely to endure, or dominoes will start falling. A professor of mine once left me with this open-ended question: In the future, where's the money to pay journalists going to come from? A lot of content is simply re-posted material or comments on someone else's original reporting. With a source of free content, commercial blogs suddenly think they don't have to pay their writers, and when mainstream media follow suit, there won't be anyone getting paid to report. And when everything's free, there are no professionals. Justified or not, the situation isn’t likely to endure, or dominoes will start falling. A professor of mine once left me with this open-ended question: In the future, where’s the money to pay journalists going to come from? A lot of content is simply re-posted material or comments on someone else’s original reporting. With a source of free content, commercial blogs suddenly think they don’t have to pay their writers, and when mainstream media follow suit, there won’t be anyone getting paid to report. And when everything’s free, there are no professionals.

]]> By: chris nelson http://www.popandpolitics.com/2008/07/24/commenting-on-the-commenters/comment-page-1/#comment-8138 chris nelson Sat, 26 Jul 2008 00:11:19 +0000 http://www.popandpolitics.com/?p=2755#comment-8138 Interestingly, there are also legal ramifications to moderating vs. not moderating. Sites that moderate are held liable for commenters in certain defamation lawsuits, whereas those that have free-posting are not. I'm just playing devil's advocate, but maybe another reason commenters make some cheese at HuffPo - they could decide the sites fate in a lawsuit. Interestingly, there are also legal ramifications to moderating vs. not moderating. Sites that moderate are held liable for commenters in certain defamation lawsuits, whereas those that have free-posting are not. I’m just playing devil’s advocate, but maybe another reason commenters make some cheese at HuffPo – they could decide the sites fate in a lawsuit.

]]> By: Alex http://www.popandpolitics.com/2008/07/24/commenting-on-the-commenters/comment-page-1/#comment-8137 Alex Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:59:59 +0000 http://www.popandpolitics.com/?p=2755#comment-8137 I bet you see this start to change, though. As the culture begins to accept the fact that comments are the responsibility of the poster and not the Web site, attacks in the vein of "OMG, this comment I read on Huffington Post proves without a doubt that it's full of racists/leftists/communists" will start to lose traction. We don't ask the police to go around telling crazy people on the street corners to shut up, and I wouldn't form an opinion of a city based on what some nutcase had to say about it. Kinda funny that Wonkette is comparing itself to Meet the Press, too. C'mon, it's Wonkette. I bet you see this start to change, though. As the culture begins to accept the fact that comments are the responsibility of the poster and not the Web site, attacks in the vein of “OMG, this comment I read on Huffington Post proves without a doubt that it’s full of racists/leftists/communists” will start to lose traction.

We don’t ask the police to go around telling crazy people on the street corners to shut up, and I wouldn’t form an opinion of a city based on what some nutcase had to say about it.

Kinda funny that Wonkette is comparing itself to Meet the Press, too. C’mon, it’s Wonkette.

]]> By: Bronze Trinity http://www.popandpolitics.com/2008/07/24/commenting-on-the-commenters/comment-page-1/#comment-8136 Bronze Trinity Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:17:33 +0000 http://www.popandpolitics.com/?p=2755#comment-8136 I agree Chris. After reading all that abusive hate someone might need therapy! It would probably be a strain on the eyes too. I agree Chris. After reading all that abusive hate someone might need therapy! It would probably be a strain on the eyes too.

]]> By: chris nelson http://www.popandpolitics.com/2008/07/24/commenting-on-the-commenters/comment-page-1/#comment-8135 chris nelson Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:51:06 +0000 http://www.popandpolitics.com/?p=2755#comment-8135 I think it's also because the bloggers are getting the exposure of being published on a site that gets something like 16 million unique visitors a month while commenters have the unenviable job of sifting through the rants and raves of the entire left-leaning internet populace. I think it’s also because the bloggers are getting the exposure of being published on a site that gets something like 16 million unique visitors a month while commenters have the unenviable job of sifting through the rants and raves of the entire left-leaning internet populace.

]]> By: Bronze Trinity http://www.popandpolitics.com/2008/07/24/commenting-on-the-commenters/comment-page-1/#comment-8134 Bronze Trinity Fri, 25 Jul 2008 04:41:07 +0000 http://www.popandpolitics.com/?p=2755#comment-8134 Wow, thats weird that the bloggers are not paid but the moderators are. Maybe thats fair though because the moderators have a tedious job and maybe the bloggers are writing because they want to. Wow, thats weird that the bloggers are not paid but the moderators are. Maybe thats fair though because the moderators have a tedious job and maybe the bloggers are writing because they want to.

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