Policing the blogs: Why DU is sooooo much better

[Scuba]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/16/most-comments-are-horrible-sites-look-for-ways-to-make-them-better.html


Most Comments Are Horrible—Sites Look for Ways to Make Them Better

So how should community managers tamp down the vitriol yet keep the discussion alive? Most larger online-news outlets realized long ago that you can have a fully open, democratic commenting space, or you can have intelligent conversations—but, generally speaking, you can’t have both.

...

In general, though, it’s become clear that the old model of anonymous free-for-all commenting is on its way out. News sites both large and small are requiring online commenters to post an identity, often by connecting them to a Facebook profile.

...

This all sounds very nice, but maintaining that safe space isn’t cheap. The New York Times, for instance, also employs a raft of moderators—three full-time and 10 part-time. One of the full-timers is Erin Wright, who has been a moderator for the Times for the past five years. Based in Philadelphia, she works from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. The job, she said, is “sort of like coming in and being a referee in the middle of the game.”

...

“The good news is there really are people out there—readers, consumers—who don’t want the sort of propaganda scream-match flame wars of large amounts of the partisan blogosphere,” Sullivan said. “And if you give them a space to really bring their expertise or their stories or their lives, and make sure that it’s a safe space—you don’t abuse them, you don’t set them up for mockery, you respect each and every one—then I think we basically got an unpaid staff of about 1.3 million people.”

[hlthe2b]

1. I will simply say, thank gawd we don't let most of the "outside world" see Meta.

The decision to let "anything" go in Meta is depressing to me, but the best decision the admins made was to at least make it available only to paid donors.

[tridim]

2. 2007 was a pretty bad year for DU. I almost left.

But you're right, in general DU is pretty unique. I think it's because our members have always cared about the quality of the forums.