angela_the golo editor: blog 
golo editor's blog
change is coming to our comments area
Published Jan 11, 2008Views: 615
Major change is on the way to the WRAL.com comments area.
The first change is that we are opening all of our news stories for comment beginning Wednesday, January 16.
From local and national news to strange news, political news and even local news briefs, every news story will be open for discussion.
We’ve received lots of feedback about stories being closed for comments, particularly when many others are open, and it has become increasingly clear that the community wants the opportunity to discuss it all. We want to provide that opportunity.
With a change of this magnitude, we have also made the decision to moderate all comments before they appear on the site, with the intent of weeding out the few who try to derail a conversation with off topic or abusive comments.
It is important to note that these changes will NOT apply to GOLO.
We will continue to rely on the GOLO community to bring questionable content to our attention.
GOLO members will have the ability to create their own profiles and blogs, post comments, upload and share image galleries and sound off on community issues 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We do, however, expect GOLO content to fall within our community guidelines and terms of use.
We recognize that full moderation is a tall task and for that reason we have hired a dedicated team of online community moderators.
Our moderators will work to provide consistency, objectivity and fairness while ensuring that comments promote productive community conversation and do not violate our terms of use.
We are also incorporating a voting tool that will let you decide the important stories of the day. In addition to voting on news stories, you will also be able to e-mail friends and encourage them to vote as well.
Story votes will be reset daily, in conjunction with comments, which will open at 7am and close at 7pm, Monday through Friday.
We believe this change will allow room for more opinions and encourage participation.
As always, we welcome your feedback about these changes and remain committed to providing a quality online experience.
-Angela
Click here to read my follow up blog and read comments.
Filed under: Human Interest
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GOLO member since July 3, 2007
January 11, 2008 2:57 p.m.
I guess we get the good with the bad. I like that all stories will be open to commenting. But I DESPISE it when articles require comments to be previewed before being posted. More often than not, I don't post on those articles. They do not flow well at all. Sometimes I post a reply to someone, and it appears an hour later, and 10 other people have posted similar replies. You cannot go back and forth with people. This monitoring ruins the blog, IMO.
Speaking for myself, this change will result in me not posting any more. I will post on personal Golo blogs, but that's pretty much all.
GOLO member since January 2, 2008
January 11, 2008 3:01 p.m.
PLEASE do not moderate all comments before they appear on this site!
That ruins the flow of debate. Sometimes you want things posted timely. Sometimes you want to give a timely reply.
I beg of you, please only closely moderate "hot topic" articles! You will ruin the WRAL blogs if you do this.
I'm not kidding, I will stop posting on WRAL public articles if you proceed with this rule.
GOLO member since January 2, 2008
January 11, 2008 3:04 p.m.
January 11, 2008 3:06 p.m.
GOLO member since November 7, 2007
January 11, 2008 3:07 p.m.
GOLO member since December 15, 2007
January 11, 2008 3:09 p.m.
As Golo matures, I see this site becoming a favorite among many residents.
GOLO member since September 11, 2007
January 11, 2008 3:11 p.m.
January 11, 2008 3:13 p.m.
GOLO member since July 2, 2007
January 11, 2008 3:13 p.m.
January 11, 2008 3:15 p.m.
Response from GOLO:
We have hired moderators who will be on the job from 7am-7pm. They will be devoted "solely" to moderating comments, with no additional duties and we believe this will maintain the flow of discussion. The fact that this is their "only" duty, is an important one. This will decrease the amount of time you may be used to waiting to see your comments on moderated stories.
Angela
January 11, 2008 3:16 p.m.
GOLO member since July 2, 2007
January 11, 2008 3:17 p.m.
GOLO member since August 20, 2007
January 11, 2008 3:18 p.m.
GOLO member since November 27, 2007
January 11, 2008 3:20 p.m.
GOLO member since August 20, 2007
January 11, 2008 3:22 p.m.
GOLO member since July 5, 2007
January 11, 2008 3:22 p.m.
GOLO member since July 2, 2007
January 11, 2008 3:23 p.m.
January 11, 2008 3:24 p.m.
GOLO member since September 11, 2007
January 11, 2008 3:29 p.m.
GOLO member since July 2, 2007
January 11, 2008 3:34 p.m.
I have had comments "weeded out" when I thought they were neither out of line, nor too far off topic. Sometimes it seems that someone just didn't like my opinion and didn't let it pass.
I would prefer someone moderating full time, and DELETING inappropriate comments. I think that would make it the best of both worlds. We get the fastest possible posting time, and you get the super moderation that you want.
The thing is, even bad posts can be ignored. It's just not usually a big problem, IMO.
GOLO member since January 2, 2008
January 11, 2008 3:41 p.m.
http://www.wral.com/golo/blogpost/2290378
GOLO member since January 2, 2008
January 11, 2008 3:42 p.m.
GOLO member since January 30, 2008
January 11, 2008 3:51 p.m.
GOLO member since January 30, 2008
January 11, 2008 3:55 p.m.
GOLO member since July 3, 2007
January 11, 2008 3:55 p.m.
All I know is any time I open an article, and see those red sentences that informs me the comments are being reviewed before being posted, I usually just close the article and don't bother. That's the worst thing about the WRAL blogs IMO. And now they're going to make EVERY article work that way.
If it is truly going to be faster, I might be ok with it. If not, I'll just find something else to do with my time. That's just the truth of it. I like it here. I just hope they decide not to go through with this particular change. It will stifle opinions I think.
GOLO member since January 2, 2008
January 11, 2008 3:57 p.m.
Meaning, THIS page:
http://www.wral.com/golo/blogpost/2290378
GOLO member since January 2, 2008
January 11, 2008 3:58 p.m.
Well, that makes sense in that it is when the paid workers who will read and "moderate" the posts are working.......However, it is also when most people are working!! So, are we then encouraging people to post at work since they can't at home?? I thought most employers frown upon work time being used for personal things (such as posting of message boards).
For some reason, WRAL seems to want to shut down converstation, since these new rules will logically bring things in that direction.....
Oh, well, I guess we all have better uses for our time anyway...
January 11, 2008 3:58 p.m.
Maybe I can get one of these moderator jobs and do it while I am at work, too.
January 11, 2008 4:20 p.m.
GOLO member since November 27, 2007
January 11, 2008 4:21 p.m.
Is this a sign of things to come? Perhaps TBK-R is spot on!! I can easily punch the "log out" button and just be outta here.
January 11, 2008 4:22 p.m.
http://cbc-raleigh.com/employ/view_job.asp?id=07-195
January 11, 2008 4:26 p.m.
GOLO member since January 2, 2008
January 11, 2008 4:32 p.m.
They're still present on this other site: http://www.wral.com/golo/blogpost/2290378?d_full_comments=1&d_comments_page=2#comments_block
I think this problem of multiple posts/boards on the same topic CAN generate problems, as TBK-R mentioned.
January 11, 2008 4:32 p.m.
GOLO member since November 27, 2007
January 11, 2008 4:33 p.m.
GOLO member since January 2, 2008
January 11, 2008 4:42 p.m.
GOLO member since August 22, 2007
January 11, 2008 4:57 p.m.
GOLO member since August 16, 2007
January 11, 2008 4:59 p.m.
GOLO member since December 22, 2007
January 11, 2008 5:05 p.m.
Have a great weekend.
January 11, 2008 5:36 p.m.
I wonder how many people feel like us, Lightfoot. I'm telling you, if it's still slow after the changes are implemented, you're going to see a dropoff in comments I believe.
GOLO member since January 2, 2008
January 11, 2008 5:41 p.m.
I agree with lightfoot 100%.
GOLO member since July 17, 2007
January 11, 2008 5:42 p.m.
I don't consider moderated comments censorship when it is performed by a private company versus a government entity. We are guaranteed freedom of speech by the government but just as places of business are allowed to "Reserve the Right to Refuse Service to Anyone", a private social media site has the right (and IMO responsibility) to ensure that any written content that represents them in any form is not vulgar, racist or extremely offensive to their audience. I agree with this and think that now that they have full time moderators this will ensure the same standards across the board ALL the time - I welcome that!!! I think we need to give it a chance and see what it is like before making presumptions, it may turn out to be one of the best things yet.
January 11, 2008 5:45 p.m.
Point being, a lot of us DON'T want this PRE moderation of our posts, and we will stop posting, and there will be a loss of some opinions. If that's what WRAL wants, go for it.
GOLO member since January 2, 2008
January 11, 2008 5:54 p.m.
GOLO member since July 14, 2007
January 11, 2008 5:56 p.m.
GOLO member since October 31, 2007
January 11, 2008 5:58 p.m.
Be honest.
GOLO member since January 2, 2008
January 11, 2008 6:03 p.m.
It's a monumental waste of time. If I see red letters at the bottom, I move on.
GOLO member since July 17, 2007
January 11, 2008 6:07 p.m.
GOLO member since January 23, 2008
January 11, 2008 6:38 p.m.
GOLO member since January 23, 2008
January 11, 2008 6:39 p.m.
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