View Full Version : Question about NewsOK



Roadhawg
12-06-2011, 01:42 PM
Why does NewsOK disabled the comments for many of their articles?

Pete
12-06-2011, 01:47 PM
I'm surprised they allow them at all, as most are complete craziness.

I'm sure they disable on the articles that are likely to bring more than usual controversy.

SoonerDave
12-06-2011, 01:51 PM
I've noticed more and more of their articles no longer allow comments. While I have, at times, tried to offer some constructive comments, the broader result is most that such comments degenerate rather rapidly into absurdity.

MikeOKC
12-06-2011, 02:05 PM
I agree completely, Dave and Pete. The only comments I have ever left have been on Steve's excellent blog, OKC Central. Reading some of the comments on the news articles leave me feeling like I need a shower. Honestly, and this may sound odd, but really, I mostly end up feeling sad and less hopeful for the future. The tone and anger make OKCTalk look like a Disney forum.

Pete
12-06-2011, 02:08 PM
Those comments reflect badly on our city and state and I would rather they completely discontinue that functionality.

OKCTalker
12-06-2011, 02:23 PM
We've discussed this here recently - anonymnity brings out the worst in people. On NewsOK.com last week they ran the story of the McLoud teacher who ::allegedly:: photographed little girls in her house, and conducted Skype conversations with "Uncle G." Comments were mistakenly allowed - briefly - before they cut them off.

Roadhawg
12-06-2011, 02:24 PM
Good points and I see why now.

SoonerDave
12-06-2011, 03:04 PM
I honestly can see both sides of the anonymity coin. I seriously considered going "full name" here a few months ago until I was inundated with some private messages by someone who took issue with a post I had written and all-but threatened me physically. I wondered what kind of nutball gets that worked up about it, and then was immediately glad I did *not* have my full name here.

Some places I will go as far as first name and last initial, but that's about it. I completely understand, and can even attest to a degree, that pulling down the anonymity changes how "brazen" one gets about posting something. But the stuff I see on the article response threads borders on the idiotic. I'm sure the intent is to foster constructive discussion, but that's rarely the real result.

MDot
12-06-2011, 03:29 PM
SoonerDave, that's disgusting that said persons will get so upset over a comment that they will try and intimidate someone because they don't share the exact same view point. Lots of times people on here will post something that I find absolutely inaccurate but never have I gotten so worked up that I even messaged that person, much less threaten them.

Anyhow, to stay on subject, I would have to agree with Pete and Mike that that is the reason they don't allow comments on so many stories. I was just on there earlier and I was reading the comments and I just felt this overall shame in the lack of knowledge/understanding in the news reports they were commenting on. NewsOK has been very lenient with the comments and if I had any voice in whether they allowed comments or not there would be no doubt that they would be disabled, they reflect badly as a whole and it seems as if only the negative people comment.

adaniel
12-06-2011, 03:51 PM
If you want to see what an unmoderated free for all is, look at the Tulsa World. Want to see people's true feelings regarding rapes, murders, etc.? That friendly Green Country facade goes away in heartbeat behind a computer screen. Its honestly enough to make your eyes hurt. I second another poster that reading some of that stuff honestly makes me lose hope in humanity.

I actually don't mind some level of anonymity. But there are certain stories that should not have comments capabilities. What on earth does someone have to add when someone gets killed or molested? Cause in today's messed up world I hardly doubt its condolences. I actually applaud NewsOk for doing such a thing. I have not noticed any other news websites that does the same.

I remember a saying: Opinions are like anuses. Everyone has one, they usually stink, and and not eveyone needs to be made aware of it.

kevinpate
12-06-2011, 04:51 PM
NewsOK comment section is a bit like out politics area. Same core group of 'interesting' characters largely posting the same thing over and over and over and over, and sometimes even tying it in to the article under which it is posted. Or maybe it just seems that way.

venture
12-06-2011, 07:57 PM
NewsOK comment section is a bit like out politics area. Same core group of 'interesting' characters largely posting the same thing over and over and over and over, and sometimes even tying it in to the article under which it is posted. Or maybe it just seems that way.

Took the words out of my mouth.

Dave I have had the same train of thought. I don't understand people that feel the need to threaten on here. Pete has extremely easy access to IP addresses. If someone gets stupid enough, it isn't hard to find that person.

BG918
12-06-2011, 08:47 PM
I love reading the comments. It's pure craziness. They used to have then for every article. TW still allows them but not sure for how much longer.

BBatesokc
12-06-2011, 09:32 PM
I particularly like when they comment on me. Its not exactly a love fest. Last I looked the article today had 60 comments.

mmonroe
12-06-2011, 09:45 PM
bbates, try google.com/alerts you can set up an email alert whenever something new is said or indexed involving a certain search term you define...

Back on topic, ever tried to read an older article... gotta sign in... and you have to be a paid subscriber... now that's some bull. I have a subscription, but i'd rather not go with the ads if i'm having to pay. I want pure content since i'm paying.

MikeOKC
12-06-2011, 10:16 PM
bbates, try google.com/alerts you can set up an email alert whenever something new is said or indexed involving a certain search term you define...

Back on topic, ever tried to read an older article... gotta sign in... and you have to be a paid subscriber... now that's some bull. I have a subscription, but i'd rather not go with the ads if i'm having to pay. I want pure content since i'm paying.

Anyone with a Metro Library card can get into the exact same archives for free by signing in at the library site and going to 'databases' and 'newspapers'.

okcisok
12-07-2011, 10:21 AM
mmonroe, I pretty sure if you pay for a subscription to The Oklahoman you have access to the newsok archives. You will need to sign in (with your Oklahoman acc't number) and set up an email address and password.

Thunder
12-07-2011, 10:53 AM
I rarely read the comments anywhere. Some I would read the last few posts, but its almost always spam or horrible content. 99% of the time, I read an article and quickly move on without getting to the comments header portion. Most stuff I read is either on AOL or Yahoo.

mmonroe
12-07-2011, 08:42 PM
You guys have misunderstood what I was talking about. I was saying that yes, I do have an account, and I can access the "archives" and by older articles I was not talking about the archives, Im talking about articles that are like a month old. You can read half of the article, then have to sign in. But what if you don't have a subscription. They force you to pay for one just to access older, not archived, articles.

My second argument was that when you're a subscriber, you shouldn't have to see all the ads.

Hawk405359
12-07-2011, 09:49 PM
The policy used to be that they don't allow them for crime articles unless the story was of particular community interest (Like the Ersland trial). It does seem like more of them aren't allowing them, but if you actually read them, you can see why.

Bunty
12-08-2011, 12:33 AM
I particularly like when they comment on me. Its not exactly a love fest. Last I looked the article today had 60 comments.

I bet they basically think you need to mind your own business.

BBatesokc
12-08-2011, 04:50 AM
I bet they basically think you need to mind your own business.

Oh they are far more colorful than that.

Jim Kyle
12-08-2011, 10:12 AM
You guys have misunderstood what I was talking about. I was saying that yes, I do have an account, and I can access the "archives" and by older articles I was not talking about the archives, Im talking about articles that are like a month old. You can read half of the article, then have to sign in. But what if you don't have a subscription. They force you to pay for one just to access older, not archived, articles.I've not tested this, but I'd expect them to have those month-old articles in the archives, which are in turn available through the Metro Library System for free. A year ago or more, we could read the archives but not print copies through the library. It was necessary to go to a branch and use the library computers, to print hard copy. Now I can print hard copy from home when logged in via my library card.

RadicalModerate
12-08-2011, 12:23 PM
My only experience with posting to something like the NewZOK site was in the middle of the terrible flooding a couple of years ago. The gist of my "message" was why they didn't get off of The Panic Mode and inform folks--like, with a map, like, onscreen, duh--of exactly where the FLOODED areas/intersections were so I could figure out how to make it to work after nearly being washed away both to and from dropping my wife off at her workplace.

Footnote: I called in that day. Watched the near drowning of the girl over there by Frontier City. Never once saw a map of flooded intersections on the screen one time.

Lesson: There are other message boards on which to vent or seek information.

Thunder
12-08-2011, 11:57 PM
Can someone send me the story, please?

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-school-for-the-deaf-football-where-friday-night-lights-never-shine/article/3610910

Pete
12-09-2011, 12:16 PM
The Gazette is reporting that Wimgo, the Oklahoman's on-line event calendar, is being discontinued.

Not surprising because I never really understood what it was supposed to be and others must have felt the same.

I think it was a simple case of trying to do too many things and not being sufficiently focused.

HewenttoJared
12-09-2011, 12:52 PM
I'm all for Facebook-linked comments here and at newsok. It would diffuse the rhetoric.

SoonerDave
12-09-2011, 01:26 PM
The Gazette is reporting that Wimgo, the Oklahoman's on-line event calendar, is being discontinued.

Not surprising because I never really understood what it was supposed to be and others must have felt the same.

I think it was a simple case of trying to do too many things and not being sufficiently focused.

I think in retrospect that OPUBCO has taken a massive "throw everything at the wall and see what sticks" approach to migrating their product into an Internet-aware age, and is starting to see which of its ventures is or isn't working. I think WIMGO is just one of the things that didn't work.

Larry OKC
12-09-2011, 09:13 PM
bbates, try google.com/alerts you can set up an email alert whenever something new is said or indexed involving a certain search term you define...

Back on topic, ever tried to read an older article... gotta sign in... and you have to be a paid subscriber... now that's some bull. I have a subscription, but i'd rather not go with the ads if i'm having to pay. I want pure content since i'm paying.

It used to be free for all, then they went to a pay to view (after a certain period), then they struck a compromise of sorts...free to all for a limited time...free access to paid subscribers of the printed paper...or you can pay ala cart or time defined (think that is the way the Journal Record is). that said, I think there is free access to older/archived stories for schools and public libraries.

They seem to limit comments on crime stories and stories about the paper itself (like where the NewsOK.com got an AP award for the Sports section or something).

demoman
12-11-2011, 11:23 AM
We've discussed this here recently - anonymnity brings out the worst in people. On NewsOK.com last week they ran the story of the McLoud teacher who ::allegedly:: photographed little girls in her house, and conducted Skype conversations with "Uncle G." Comments were mistakenly allowed - briefly - before they cut them off.


Note those that think Anonymity exists on the internet are mistaken. Each most websites with a salt that allow forums or comments also track IP addresses for those that comment incase there is something illegal discussed or posted. Many assume even that being with an ISP that gives you a RANDOM IP keeps you anonymous but they are required to KEEP records that can be found as well. Admins that don't keep track of the comments as asking for issues, these days most have to worry alot about SPAMMERS.

BBatesokc
12-11-2011, 11:32 AM
Note those that think Anonymity exists on the internet are mistaken. Each most websites with a salt that allow forums or comments also track IP addresses for those that comment incase there is something illegal discussed or posted. Many assume even that being with an ISP that gives you a RANDOM IP keeps you anonymous but they are required to KEEP records that can be found as well. Admins that don't keep track of the comments as asking for issues, these days most have to worry alot about SPAMMERS.

While ultimately a person could be identified, a person commenting on an online forum (whether it be NewsOK or even this forum) still has a huge amount of anonymity. It is no easy task to positively identify someone simply with their IP address as most Internet Service Providers do not give this information up without a court order - and they don't just go around handing those out to just anyone.

Unless your comments rise to the point of being a crime, and some takes time to actually contact authorities, you're not going to be identified and thus do have anonymity.