NYT's Look at Blog Commenters
This weekend, the City section of the Sunday Times took a front-page look at the nature of the commenting culture on local blogs.
This weekend, the City section of the Sunday Times took a front-page look at the nature of the commenting culture on local blogs (in addition to a focus on Brownstoner, Curbed, Gowanus Lounge, GerritsenBeach.net, and Roosevelt Island 360 all got ink), something New York City has in greater numbers than other cities. While it didn’t seem like a particularly new issue to us, hopefully it spread the gospel to the uninitiated. “For the past few years, blog comments sections, acting as virtual town squares, have offered residents around the country a forum in which to weigh in — and vent — on a wide spectrum of local issues,” went the article. “But given New York’s size and diversity, not to mention its fabled brashness, political energy and high emotion, its blogosphere is taking a particularly striking shape.” Yours truly was quoted about the no-brainer decision of allowing comments from the get-go of the blog, despite the fact that some of the established blogs at the time blocked comments. The piece wraps with a description of the Brownstoner End of the World party that took place last October and readers’ reaction online:
The next day, online, the partygoers spoke enthusiastically about the experience. Some noted that their virtual friends didn’t look like what they had expected. A poster named Slopefarm was shocked to discover that Montrose Morris was a woman. Ms. Morris got her own surprise, as she commented, tongue firmly in cheek: Slopefarm, good to meet you, too. I’m disappointed you didn’t have a stalk of organic, heritage, artisanal hay harvested by Bhutanese nuns between your teeth. You are in Park Slope, after all.
It’ll be interesting to see how much traffic the article generates—we’ll be able to report back in a few hours. Update: Traffic yesterday was about double the average for Sunday, but still not close to a normal weekday.
You Talkin’ to Me? [Brownstoner]
..that’s succinct, as in brief.
brownstoner has a nice mix of posters, there are the demented ones and the sane ones and the succint amusing ones (my favorites). It isn’t really crass and offensive like Curbed nor censored into a stupor like the Brooklyn Heights blog.
Miss Chiff…clear my name, already…you @#$%^& B*tch!
ITM: You can just jump right in. Don’t be put off by Biff. I looooooves to go one and on.
If you want to expand the views of this blog, don’t let a few people crowd you out. Sometimes I think people go nuts here just so their point of view can be heard. (I’ll own that comment!) Like a holiday dinner with your family.
From a business perspective, I would think this is about traffic to the site and jumps to an advertiser. If we don’t do that, it wouldn’t matter how civil or inclusive the discussion is. Mr. B would have to change the strategy.
Enjoy the soap opera, add your comments, learn a little and have some fun.
You guys crack me up.
You started with me, Biff…should I remind you!
Take your attacks and allegationsto the Open Thread!
Sorry, Mr. B.
No, need to read it Sam…my point was that, Biff’s post about 11233 never having a rapport with me is ridiculous.
You can scan and see clearly that Biff is WRONG!!
No comment from the ever elusive Miss Chiff!
BRG/Miss Chiff, read what ITM just wrote. Please stop wasting everyone’s time hijacking this thread with a joke we’re all tired of. It isn’t all about you. If you don’t have anything useful to say, stop posting, or post your rubbish in the Open Thread.
Oh c’mon!
I begged you not to post a novel.
Some day, after I get my lasik, I will come back and read it.