Commenters on news stories

[Melalvai]

This explains so much.
Recently the local tv news station switched to a facebook commenting system. They were having a really bad problem with trolls. The trolls were so awful that after my daughter's wreck I wouldn't visit that news site anymore. (We don't have tv.)

Since they switched to the facebook system, I check out a story now and then (the newspaper does a better, more accurate, and more informative job of reporting though). Yesterday another cyclist was hit and so I wanted to see what the comments on that story were like, compared to the horrible things they posted about my daughter.

Because of the facebook system I can see the name and employer of the people who post. Of the 5 who posted before I did, 3 are high school students. Here's the story.

That explains so much.

[lph]

You mean that there are a lot of trolls because a lot of people who comment on news stories are high school students?

I've suspected something of the sort reading comments under Norwegian news stories too. The spelling and choice of words reminds me of the mindless retorts on my sons Facebook page. I don't know why kids are so eager to comment. You'd think they didn't really have an opinion on a lot of news stories, but they seem to have a lot lower threshold than adults for saying something, anything, on any subject.

[Reesha]

Oh man, St. Louis is the worst when it comes to those commenting on news (even on Facebook). I've never seen a more racist, ridiculous bunch. That said, I don't look at the comments anymore, particularly since a lot of them are fully grown adults.

I can only imagine how bad it must have been when you daughter was in a wreck! Everyone seems to think they have to mouth off about something unfortunately.

[Melalvai]

Yeah, my favorite one was "Where was her mother??" Right behind her, lady. Grrr.

Someone else said one of the commenters on his blog who always made him cringe was featured in a story somewhere, and from that story he learned that the guy has a history of drug abuse, has served time, is on disability, obese, can't leave the house, and this is what he does all day. Spends his time trolling news stories and leaving comments.

When he learned that it really took the bite out of the guy's comments. We assume a certain degree of credibility until we learn something like the statement came from a high school kid, or a druggie.

It might be an issue of time. Both those categories seem to have a lot of time on their hands, nothing better to do than make trouble. Which is funny because my high school daughter is busier than just about anyone I know. But she's not hanging around on the computer leaving comments on stories either.

[Biciclista]

I quit reading my fav local paper because of the nasty commenters. It was just too too nasty.

[shootingstar]

Yesterday at an information session on comparative use of social media tools for conducting research surveys of citizen attitudes/opinions, there were 4 speakers each from private polling, research firms. 1 of them was international, a big one.

There was over and over the need to validate online poll results and online opinions, by supplementing with more traditional face-to-face survey tools with focus groups, telephone surveys, etc.

I find myself just not responding to ongoing stream of nasty comments.

[bmccasland]

I get my newspaper delivered daily, on paper. I can make all the comments I want, and the cats are the only witnesses.

That said, I do look on-line at my former city's newspaper website, but I generally don't look at the comments. I like their format where you have to click a button to see the comments. So you can read an article without having the comments visable on the bottom.

[Becky]

That said, I do look on-line at my former city's newspaper website, but I generally don't look at the comments. I like their format where you have to click a button to see the comments. So you can read an article without having the comments visable on the bottom.

Agreed! I am so happy that our local paper has switched to this view format and the Facebook commenting system. I'd like it even more if they'd disable the comments altogether, but I'll take what I can get.

[luv2climb]

+1 to what everyone else said here. Since I no longer read or watch things that upset me, one of my personal rules is that I shall not read any comments attached to news stories. Heck, I don't even read the stories themselves anymore! I am sick and tired of bad news and negativity, and the hate displayed by some of the commenters on local TV news station websites reminds me of Nazi Germany.

[Reesha]

Frankly I think allowing the general public to mouth off about everything in a forum that requires little forethought is doing humankind a disservice. It's nurturing the worst kind of social behaviors.

[luv2climb]

+1,000! The comments section is like CB radio-full of trolls and agitators whose only purpose is to upset others.

[lph]

I have registered with a couple of newspapers, and occasionally when I read something that is just too inflammatory and stupid I join in with a witty but precise comment detailing where they went wrong The truth is they're easy targets, and if I don't someone else will, but I like to think that every little bit helps.

I don't really think the problem is so much people's attitudes as it is their attitude to posting comments. To some it seems like the keyboard equivalent of spontaneous cursing or griping, not stating opinions they're willing to discuss.

[Owlie]

Frankly I think allowing the general public to mouth off about everything in a forum that requires little forethought is doing humankind a disservice. It's nurturing the worst kind of social behaviors.

This.