Let's Talk About Commenting
We twittered about this a few days ago, but we’d like to open it up for discussion: What can we do to improve the overall the quality of comments on the blog, to encourage lurkers to get involved without alienating some of the more active and, um, spirited commenters? We hear quite often from regular…
We twittered about this a few days ago, but we’d like to open it up for discussion: What can we do to improve the overall the quality of comments on the blog, to encourage lurkers to get involved without alienating some of the more active and, um, spirited commenters? We hear quite often from regular readers who feel uncomfortable, even intimidated, with the prospect of commenting. This isn’t surprising given the verbal beat-down one new commenter received from a gang of regulars a couple of weeks ago. Nor is the level of discussion going on in today’s Open Thread really where we’d like it to be. Short of active comment moderation, which really isn’t a practical option, what do you think we can/should do to elevate the quality of discussion and make newcomers feel more welcome? We’d be particularly interested to hear from some folks who usually hang back on the sidelines. It’s in the best interests of the blog and everyone who reads it to have as many people contributing their knowledge and opinions as possible.
Thanks,
Mr. B
“What?? You mean if you stand on a soap box with the sandwich board someone will listen???!!!!! I thought it was me, LMMFAO!”
I know I know. It’s Saturday and I’m drunk ; ^ P..
The What
Someday this war is gonna end…
“Your words above were nothing short of the baiting that the What accuses you of on a daily basis. I was sad to see you live up to his suspicions and accusations. You claim to have concern about the quality of comments and sniping etc., then you turn right around and put up another Horror Show Friday. Be honest, Mr. B. The point to the HSF thread is to invite folks to sh*t on home designs that you have chosen as particularly hideous and offensive to your sensibilities. What high-brow comments are you expecting to get in such a thread? Seriously? People complained about this very thing to you before and for a short while you did away with that thread. The fact that you brought it back says a lot more about what you want/expect on this site than your request above on how to improve comments here.”
What?? You mean if you stand on a soap box with the sandwich board someone will listen???!!!!! I thought it was me, LMMFAO!
“But please don’t talk out of the side of your mouth, try to find a scapegoat amongst a handful of posters and expect that no one will call you out on it. The very way each of us posters are called out on our bullsh*t, you will get called out on yours.”
Wow it’s a great day Brownstoner! People get tried of that crap and I think you better come with a new approach.
To the whiners if you don’t like it, the door is that way—->
The What (Family size box of Skittles for everyone!)
Someday this war is gonna end…
I’m not avoiding anything. I’m simply disagreeing with you. As I remember it, the old Brownstoner was (somewhat) more civil and focused, with guest commenters playing an invaluable role keeping things on track and keeping some regulars in check. Yes, the site had its problems even then, and I agree with you that the trolls were a nuisance (though one can of course troll by simply creating a new handle for oneself…that’s not a problem). So, my recollections differ from yours, I guess. Fortunately, the archives are there for all to see.
As for handles, I suppose one can “become a personality” on the thread with one handle and thus acquire some sense of responsibility. However, the fact is no one is limited to just one handle. You can have 5 or 20 or 100 handles if you want them, which should give you all the latitude you need for mischief making. I think it’s also important to point out that one can have a sense of responsibility without any handle at all, but simply in virtue of being a person, here, conversing with others!
i meant associated lol
*rob*
i didnt leave to shop yet but there is nothing more stupid than seeing a “guest” comment. over and over and over and over. it is much more fulfilling to see a comment attached to a real name, good or bad. guest comments do nothing but invite hardcore trolls who will post nothing but racist, sexist, worth nuthin-posts just because they can, and that’s that’s the truth. if you really want to say something about an issue it takes 3 seconds and a random yahoo email to say anyway. what’s the big deal? okay im audi. i hope keyfood is still open hahah 🙂
*rob*
u go girl (snappy) i totally agree.. okay i needs to go shopping at keyfood hardcore! cu monday.
*rob*
Tesla Coil;
You are still avoiding the hard questions. Perhaps my comparison to Curbed was inappropriate, but my point still remains: what exactly made the pre-registration Brownstoner more compelling? As I remember it, the threads were full of trolls and stalkers who went after some of the regulars like Montrose and Bxgrl, sometimes in a vicious and vile manner. There were alot more racist comments too. Perhaps my memory is wrong, which is why I once again ask you to be more specific about the superior qualities of the old Brownstoner. Please pull up one of these wonderful old threads from the archives, if you would.
I remain in my stand that indentifying yourself with a handle brings a sense of responsibility. You become a personality on this thread, and you take responsibility for what you write, good or bad. As Snappy just wrote, most regulars on this site identified themselves by a handle, even prior to the registration requirement. I have seen many cases here where folks have apologized to others for things that they wrote (including myself), and they did so because of this sense of responsibility for their Brownstoner “persona”.
If your main argument boils down to the inconvenience of typing in your handle and PW in order to post, so be it. I believe that this is a small price to pay for the increase in civility that registration has brought.
I feel the need to add a second comment to this thread. First of all, guest commenting is pointless. I’ll tell you right now that if this site goes back to guest commenting, me and likely other regulars will simply post something that looks like this:
“So what is a fair price for such and such house?
– Snappy”
You can’t stop people from doing that. Allow me to drag other regulars into this for a second (sorry guys!). If we all did that and signed with names we recognize (DIBS, THL, MM, BXgirl, Rob, etc.) that is no different than how we comment now. You can still attribute a particular comment to us.
Second, Mr. B., I want to follow up on my 12:02 post from yesterday. It was my understanding, as well as that of many others, that you created the OT to provide a place for the inane chatter that previously pervaded the other substantive threads. And guess what? That is exactly what goes on in there. So, for you to turn around and start this thread by saying that the level of discussion in the OT isn’t where you wanted it to be is at best disingenuous and at worst out and out hypocritical. Your words above were nothing short of the baiting that the What accuses you of on a daily basis. I was sad to see you live up to his suspicions and accusations. You claim to have concern about the quality of comments and sniping etc., then you turn right around and put up another Horror Show Friday. Be honest, Mr. B. The point to the HSF thread is to invite folks to sh*t on home designs that you have chosen as particularly hideous and offensive to your sensibilities. What high-brow comments are you expecting to get in such a thread? Seriously? People complained about this very thing to you before and for a short while you did away with that thread. The fact that you brought it back says a lot more about what you want/expect on this site than your request above on how to improve comments here.
If you no longer wish for the open thread to be what it is, then when you put up the thread, post a list of topics that you want to see discussed in there. If you don’t like the open thread at all, it’s your site – feel free to delete it all together. But please don’t talk out of the side of your mouth, try to find a scapegoat amongst a handful of posters and expect that no one will call you out on it. The very way each of us posters are called out on our bullsh*t, you will get called out on yours.
I think registration has hurt the site. I base this on pretty much the only thing I can base it on, a frank comparison of the Brownstoner of yore with the Brownstoner of today. I didn’t see the need to repeat what others (including myself) have already said in this thread, though. You can rehash some of it if you wish, but if guest commenting really isn’t an option Mr. B is willing to consider, then it’s all academic. If you and some others don’t agree with my assessments…well, I’m sorry and you are certainly in a position to voice your disagreement. I don’t know what more you can ask for.
I wonder what sort of “minimal responsibility” you think is carried by an anonymous handle that I could make up in less than a single second. What is it, exactly, that you think I want to do? Let’s assume, just for the sake of argument, that you think I secretly want to post four-letter words and then giggle about it. Why would I be deterred from doing this by the requirement that I act under a contrived name like Bob, Jane, Farmer Jim, the Blind Watchmaker? I don’t see what you’re getting at here.
As for Curbed, I’m not sure why you’re so interested in it. It doesn’t seem to me to have much in common with any incarnation of Brownstoner. So, apples and oranges. What works on Brownstoner isn’t necessarily going to worked on Curbed, and vice versa.