[OPLIN 4cast] OPLIN 4Cast #776: Are comment sections still cesspools of evil?

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OPLIN 4Cast #776: Are comment sections still cesspools of evil?
November 10th, 2021

[image: Link to comments section] An internet axiom you've probably heard
multiple times is "Don't read the comments!" There's good reason for this.
The comment sections of many sites, blogs and platforms have become hotbeds
of controversy and uncivil arguments that often devolve into the worst
humanity might have to offer.

Most news sites turned off their comment sections more than a decade ago,
in an attempt to avoid the morass these online areas might become. Some new
research is now making that decision perhaps somewhat regrettable...but the
war over whether or not to open comments to the public is still being
waged, and now its making headlines.

   -
   - Killing Website Comment Sections Wasn't The Brilliant Move Many
   Newsroom Leaders Assumed
   <https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20211105/06380247879/killing-website-comment-sections-wasnt-brilliant-move-many-newsroom-leaders-assumed.shtml>
   [Techdirt] "While yes, many readers are often incoherent trolls, many other
   readers actually (gasp!) *know what they're talking about*, and their
   input and conversations can actually improve journalism."
   - Mega commenters are the best part of TikTok
   <https://mashable.com/article/best-part-of-tiktok-is-the-comment-section>
   [Mashable] "For users, each video has the potential to host a chatroom's
   worth of dialogue and exchanges. It's where people share praise, fight,
   criticize, harass, share context, make requests, tag friends, and show just
   how funny they can be. There is no TikTok without comments."
   - CBC is keeping Facebook comments closed on news posts
   <https://www.cbc.ca/news/editorsblog/facebook-comments-ed-blog-1.6230921>
   [CBC] "We did so because we were seeing an inordinate amount of hate,
   abuse, misogyny and threats in the comments under our stories. Our story
   subjects were attacked. Other commenters were attacked. Our journalists
   were attacked. Misinformation and disinformation were rife. "
   - “We disagree on what the space should be”: Editors discuss the future
   of comment sections
   <https://www.niemanlab.org/2021/07/we-disagree-on-what-the-space-should-be-editors-discuss-the-future-of-comment-sections/>
   [Nieman Lab] "Dealing with bad-faith actors in the space also proved
   time-consuming. One panelist described problems with racial issues in the
   comments, “It kind of became a game of ‘whack-a-troll.’ Any time we even
   just moderated a comment, a new account would pop up to pick up where that
   conversation left off and it became very abundantly clear that it was the
   same person doing this.” As the newsroom worked on handling the situation,
   other commenters reached out, demanding that the troll problem be
   addressed. The situation resonated with research showing that uncivil
   comments can hurt a newsroom’s overall brand."

*From the Ohio Web Library <http://ohioweblibrary.org>:*

   - Anonymous internet posters successfully sued for defamatory comments
   <https://search-ebscohost-com.proxy.oplin.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=MYO299218265920&site=ehost-live>
   (COLIN PERKEL. (n.d.). Anonymous internet posters successfully sued for
   defamatory comments. *Canadian Press, The*.)
   - How Not to Feed the Trolls
   <https://search-ebscohost-com.proxy.oplin.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=prh&AN=136697772&site=ehost-live>(Radovanović,
   D. (2019). How Not to Feed the Trolls. *ChildArt*, *19*(1), 7–8.)
   - Drawing a Line Between Internet Trolls and the First Amendment
   <https://search-ebscohost-com.proxy.oplin.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=2W62800360521&site=ehost-live>
   (Edinger, J. (2021, March 26). Drawing a Line Between Internet Trolls and
   the First Amendment. *Government Technology*.)

------------------------------
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