Comments on: Let’s get ready to rumble http://strange.corante.com/2007/08/06/lets-get-ready-to-rumble Picking out patterns in the chaos Mon, 21 May 2012 11:58:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Kevin Anderson http://strange.corante.com/2007/08/06/lets-get-ready-to-rumble#comment-2687 Kevin Anderson Thu, 09 Aug 2007 19:07:36 +0000 http://strange.corante.com/2007/08/06/lets-get-ready-to-rumble#comment-2687 Paul, A couple of things, I think that news organisations generally haven't accepted their responsibility in setting the tone of the debates and discussions they create. When things go wrong, they externalise and put all of the responsibility onto the 'users'. They rarely ask themselves if they built a boxing ring for people to fight in. As for RNV, I think there are other solutions that get most of the benefits of real names in terms of responsibility but forego the costs. There are systems that help build identity and trust online that aren't necessarily tied to real names. But you're right, if you help provide people with an online identity that they feel a stake in, it will help curb excessively aggressive behaviour. Paul,

A couple of things, I think that news organisations generally haven’t accepted their responsibility in setting the tone of the debates and discussions they create. When things go wrong, they externalise and put all of the responsibility onto the ‘users’. They rarely ask themselves if they built a boxing ring for people to fight in.

As for RNV, I think there are other solutions that get most of the benefits of real names in terms of responsibility but forego the costs. There are systems that help build identity and trust online that aren’t necessarily tied to real names. But you’re right, if you help provide people with an online identity that they feel a stake in, it will help curb excessively aggressive behaviour.

]]> By: Paul Coletti http://strange.corante.com/2007/08/06/lets-get-ready-to-rumble#comment-2686 Paul Coletti Thu, 09 Aug 2007 16:15:05 +0000 http://strange.corante.com/2007/08/06/lets-get-ready-to-rumble#comment-2686 There's one simple argument to stopping online debates turning into fight club and that's Real Name Verification. Just check out Amazon. Since they introduced this there's been a wonderful 2-phase reversal of trollness: 1) contributions are 'nice' then 2) people start to become proud of their RNV tag which in turn makes others want to do it. the down side to RNV? The hideous, horrendous cost of implementing it. There’s one simple argument to stopping online debates turning into fight club and that’s Real Name Verification. Just check out Amazon. Since they introduced this there’s been a wonderful 2-phase reversal of trollness: 1) contributions are ‘nice’ then 2) people start to become proud of their RNV tag which in turn makes others want to do it.

the down side to RNV? The hideous, horrendous cost of implementing it.

]]> By: Kevin Anderson http://strange.corante.com/2007/08/06/lets-get-ready-to-rumble#comment-2685 Kevin Anderson Mon, 06 Aug 2007 14:34:42 +0000 http://strange.corante.com/2007/08/06/lets-get-ready-to-rumble#comment-2685 Martin, didn't I actually write something for that? No one commented on my post, which I actually took to be a compliment at the time. ;) I think some folks just go for loads of comments because it's dead easy. Little investment. What I don't get is how editors think that generating loads of traffic with highly corrosive shouting matches makes a good commercial strategy. Traffic good. Yes. But advertisers get very nervous around angry discussions. Martin, didn’t I actually write something for that? No one commented on my post, which I actually took to be a compliment at the time. ;)
I think some folks just go for loads of comments because it’s dead easy. Little investment.

What I don’t get is how editors think that generating loads of traffic with highly corrosive shouting matches makes a good commercial strategy. Traffic good. Yes. But advertisers get very nervous around angry discussions.

]]> By: Martin http://strange.corante.com/2007/08/06/lets-get-ready-to-rumble#comment-2684 Martin Mon, 06 Aug 2007 14:09:37 +0000 http://strange.corante.com/2007/08/06/lets-get-ready-to-rumble#comment-2684 When I saw that I had a horrible flashback to AOL's /discuss campaign (which I was rather familiar with at the time). When I saw that I had a horrible flashback to AOL’s /discuss campaign (which I was rather familiar with at the time).

]]> By: Phil http://strange.corante.com/2007/08/06/lets-get-ready-to-rumble#comment-2683 Phil Mon, 06 Aug 2007 13:47:16 +0000 http://strange.corante.com/2007/08/06/lets-get-ready-to-rumble#comment-2683 "I can hear editors saying that I’m advocating bland conversations" Aargh! Make it stop! I was having exactly the same argument on Usenet ten years ago*. All that's changed since then is that the people advocating troll-toleration are actually in charge. I guess some people really aren't bothered about the difference between signal and noise - to them it's all good traffic. *E.g. this post from comp.software.year-2000: http://tinyurl.com/2pbvp8 “I can hear editors saying that I’m advocating bland conversations”

Aargh! Make it stop!

I was having exactly the same argument on Usenet ten years ago*. All that’s changed since then is that the people advocating troll-toleration are actually in charge. I guess some people really aren’t bothered about the difference between signal and noise - to them it’s all good traffic.

*E.g. this post from comp.software.year-2000:
http://tinyurl.com/2pbvp8

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