Commenters on news stories

[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.

[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.