 |
| (CC0 Public Domain) |
Wading through online comments is a notorious part of the Internet experience. They are a guilty pleasure for those of us who get a rise out of reading unfiltered opinions and a cruel torment for anyone who has felt sharp barbs from offensive digital foes. Online comments, however, are increasingly rare as media companies seek new ways to engage with their user base.
Once a key part of any website worth its salt, comments sections are being abandoned at a particularly rapid pace by news organizations that refuse to devote any space or resources to unsolicited and destructive diatribes from unknown sources. It seems like Internet "trolls" are losing a lot of their old turf - those who are amused by disruptive online communications and who specialize in hurling online harassment or abuse will have to find new places to ply their trade.
In the last year, NPR and VICE have joined a long list of media outlets to ban online comments altogether. Sites no longer want to be responsible for monitoring venomous rants or stopping the latest spam about how to make easy money in five minutes or less. Too often, comments became a distraction from the central tasks of journalism like news reporting and storytelling. Many news sites would rather stick to the fundamentals.
Online comments, though, descend from another era of digital history. They hearken back to the bulletin boards and newsgroups and forums that have largely been replaced by social media. I have been using the Internet long enough to have used some of these ancient forms of communication; this experience makes me somewhat sympathetic to the contradictory world of online comments.
While they can empower quacks and bullies, online comments can occasionally provide some illumination and actually serve the purpose they were designed for - especially on sites with small and informed audiences. I have discovered a lot of relevant contextual and historical information buried in the much-maligned comments section that greatly enhanced my understanding of the article or issue at hand.
As someone who likes to hear all sides of a story, I also appreciate how comments can sometimes bring countless perspectives together in one place. This "voice of the people" factor is occasionally rewarding if commentators can maintain a basic level of civility. Personal connections can be made, new insights can be shared and sometimes humour can be enjoyed. In such an environment, even opinions riddled with conspiracy theories and logical fallacies can be worth reading for the valid points peppered throughout.
With that said, I recognize that there is a breaking point. When the sheer volume of online comments on a single story stretches into the thousands, then their individual worth is obscured. When comments are made with a certain level of vitriol and malice, then their subtle value is completely wiped out. After being a major medium of online discourse for many years, comments sections are an easy target for sites looking to make cutbacks and redefine their operations.
Still, I hate to see the Internet clamp down on individual expression and lose its old "Wild West" ways. Something is lost when comments sections shut down and websites abandon part of what distinguished them from the sanitized, top-down world of broadcasting and publishing. The ability to comment freely on stories was almost revolutionary at one time. Losing one more venue to express our thoughts will feel a little bit like corporate censorship simply because we had so much leeway before.
Online trolls have already adapted to the changes that are afoot. No strangers to social media themselves, trolls have thoroughly colonized Facebook and Twitter where many news organizations have redirected their community building efforts.
Turning off online comments is a simple solution to a complex problem. It isn't perfect, but it momentarily silences some of the most vocal trolls who might've been given too much prominence. Still, the Internet will continue to evolve and harmful behaviour will find a new home even if comments sections are all disabled.
While I won't miss the trolls, I will be more than a little sad to see online comments disappear completely. I hope I'm not the only one. Drop me a line and let me know what you think...
No comments:
Post a Comment