Looks like I’m not the only one struggling with the idea of “comments”
posted on Web sites.
It’s been quite the week here at Delcotimes.com in terms of comments.
The good news is that more and more people are using our Web site as a community forum to share their ideas and comments.
The bad news is that much of it amounts to little more than racist rants. As you can imagine, it did not take long before the conversation about the issues swirling around the Valley Swim Club descended into the gutter.
The same goes for many of the crime stories we report each day.
We try to police the comments, and remove those we find objectionable as soon as we can. Repeated comments we deem to be over the line can earn a “poster” a ban.
But the fact is that we can’t monitor the site 24 hours a day. We ask people to register, but that does not stop them from posting things that we would never allow in our print edition. Amazing what people are willing to say when their name does not appear beside it. Posters are identified only by their online nickname.
Me? I’ll always put my name next to what I write. That doesn’t mean I’m always right. I make mistakes every day. I’m also willing to admit those.
But that’s just one of the differences we’re encountering as we co-mingle in these two journalistic worlds – print and online.
Readers who find a comment objectionable can send us an e-mail alert and ask us to review the comment and possibly remove it. I will tell you that not every objection results in a comment being removed. In some instances, people simply disagree with what’s being posted. That’s not the same as something that is objectionable.
I will focus on this issue in my print column this coming week. Look for it Monday morning.
In the meantime, some black police officers in Philadelphia are railing against a similar situation. Their target is an Internet discussion forum on which they believe some city police officers are posting racist comments. They have filed suit against the Philadelphia Police Department.
The want the Web site shut down and sanctions against those allegedly involved.
I wish them luck.
There are many things I like about the Internet. Racist comments are not one of them.
posted on Web sites.
It’s been quite the week here at Delcotimes.com in terms of comments.
The good news is that more and more people are using our Web site as a community forum to share their ideas and comments.
The bad news is that much of it amounts to little more than racist rants. As you can imagine, it did not take long before the conversation about the issues swirling around the Valley Swim Club descended into the gutter.
The same goes for many of the crime stories we report each day.
We try to police the comments, and remove those we find objectionable as soon as we can. Repeated comments we deem to be over the line can earn a “poster” a ban.
But the fact is that we can’t monitor the site 24 hours a day. We ask people to register, but that does not stop them from posting things that we would never allow in our print edition. Amazing what people are willing to say when their name does not appear beside it. Posters are identified only by their online nickname.
Me? I’ll always put my name next to what I write. That doesn’t mean I’m always right. I make mistakes every day. I’m also willing to admit those.
But that’s just one of the differences we’re encountering as we co-mingle in these two journalistic worlds – print and online.
Readers who find a comment objectionable can send us an e-mail alert and ask us to review the comment and possibly remove it. I will tell you that not every objection results in a comment being removed. In some instances, people simply disagree with what’s being posted. That’s not the same as something that is objectionable.
I will focus on this issue in my print column this coming week. Look for it Monday morning.
In the meantime, some black police officers in Philadelphia are railing against a similar situation. Their target is an Internet discussion forum on which they believe some city police officers are posting racist comments. They have filed suit against the Philadelphia Police Department.
The want the Web site shut down and sanctions against those allegedly involved.
I wish them luck.
There are many things I like about the Internet. Racist comments are not one of them.
Comments