Changes on Maine Today Media (Portland, Augusta: house, live, price)

[Mike Mc]

Main Today Media announced today that the comment section in their on-line newspapers, the Kennebec Journal, the Morning Sentinel, and the Portland Press Herald (kjonline.com, onlinesentinel.com and pressherald.com) can only be accessed by those with Facebook accounts. Needless to same, that change is going over like a lead balloon with their existing commenting members. What say you, is this a reasonable change by MTM to manage their online comments, or have they jumped the shark?

Here is the link to the announcement in the KJ:

On Monday, commenters must log in using Facebook account | The Kennebec Journal, Augusta, ME

[mainebrokerman]

Originally Posted by Mike Mc

Main Today Media announced today that the comment section in their on-line newspapers, the Kennebec Journal, the Morning Sentinel, and the Portland Press Herald (kjonline.com, onlinesentinel.com and pressherald.com) can only be accessed by those with Facebook accounts. Needless to same, that change is going over like a lead balloon with their existing commenting members. What say you, is this a reasonable change by MTM to manage their online comments, or have they jumped the shark?

Here is the link to the announcement in the KJ:

On Monday, commenters must log in using Facebook account | The Kennebec Journal, Augusta, ME

jumped the shark??

is that a reference to happy days when fonzie jumped a shark tank on his motorcycle??

then it became silly??



well,,,there needs to be some screening, if you dont agree ..go on youtube,,and 70% of the comments seem to be made by ignorant teenagers, trying to inflame controversy with profanity.
facebook, at least has a sense of identity, most people have a pic of themselves,,,,

Ive seen some of these newspaper do a feature on a business that expanded,,,and under the story in the comment section, were idiots throwing out nasty accusations of the owners, employees,,,or worse never been there and totally dumping on the place just to stir things up...
again being anonymous
they'll be less of this "crap" with facebook

[jeneric13]

When did facebook become the gold standard for all things web related? It's annoying. I doubt they're making this change for user accountability... if it involves facebook, there's got to be some back end advertising dollars somewhere.

I never ever join a site that requires me to use facebook. And facebook changes their security policies and the site too often for me to feel safe in any dealings with them.

[Maine Writer]

There are no advertising dollars. Making people use their real names pushes accountability. The comments sections of a lot of papers are out of control with nameless bullies.

There is no such thing as privacy on the internet. Everything can be traced. Comments on my blog can be traced back to which computer in the house was used. I'm given that information for every comment.

[jeneric13]

No advertising dollars? Are we talking about the same facebook???

Using real names is one thing. Potentially exposing all my family, friends, photos, likes, recent activity, etc just to comment on a story is quite another. I don't need to be anonymous, I just disagree with the platform they are making their commenters use. But I suppose that any serious troll would use fake credentials on facebook anyway.

And really, did they have that much of a problem with comments on that particular site? If they can see which computer in a house is making all those evil comments, can't they just block that IP address?

[cebdark]

I don't think that facebook should have that much control. It already has too much control IMO. It's tied to almost literally everything now. If I'm logged on to fb and I log on over here, it shows me which of my friends likes City-Data.

I also think it's pointless as anyone can go comment using a pseudonym. Half of my teen-age daughter's friends have multiple accounts under different names.

BDN has Disqus. They filter and block if people flag commentors. It's much better than it used to be. I think it's sufficient. Granted, a few slip through now and again, but usually they're placed under review in short order.

[Maine Writer]

Originally Posted by jeneric13

No advertising dollars? Are we talking about the same facebook???

I thought you meant dollars paid to the paper. I have no idea what the papers pay to use the service. I'll ask if they have to pay.

And really, did they have that much of a problem with comments on that particular site? If they can see which computer in a house is making all those evil comments, can't they just block that IP address?

Yes, comments are that much of a problem. I'm all for personal responsibility. If you want to be an @ss, do it with your real name rather than expect someone to babysit you by blocking an address. Why block an entire household because one person wants to be an anonymous jerk?

[CoastalMaineiac]

I've always used a pseudonym online. From the days I started getting into the 'net, it was always beat into my brain, "don't EVER give out your real name." You know, I don't believe I ever have, and I don't really intend to.

It's not an accountability issue, those who have any need to know who I am have all the ability to find out, it's a safety issue.

The Internet has always had a tolerated more of a level of anarchy than public life -- the feeling of anonymity contributes to it; yes it means more idiots out there -- a small price to pay, I think, in exchange for the liberty to say what's on your mind without any real social repercussion.

Now that more and more people are joining, some are complaining about the anarchy that has otherwise always existed. Anonymity (or at least, the perception thereof) is what creates the open and honest debate. If I smell BS in a discussion, I can say it outright, without fear of any more retaliation than being called a name.

Accountability? Accountability for what? So some guy can go look someone up and punch him over what was posted? Who I am is hardly relevant to the discussion; neither do I care who it is that wrote what I am reading. What matters to the discussion is the content of what is written, not who wrote it.

[beltrams]

Originally Posted by CoastalMaineiac

I've always used a pseudonym online. From the days I started getting into the 'net, it was always beat into my brain, "don't EVER give out your real name." You know, I don't believe I ever have, and I don't really intend to.

It's not an accountability issue, those who have any need to know who I am have all the ability to find out, it's a safety issue.

The Internet has always had a tolerated more of a level of anarchy than public life -- the feeling of anonymity contributes to it; yes it means more idiots out there -- a small price to pay, I think, in exchange for the liberty to say what's on your mind without any real social repercussion.

Now that more and more people are joining, some are complaining about the anarchy that has otherwise always existed. Anonymity (or at least, the perception thereof) is what creates the open and honest debate. If I smell BS in a discussion, I can say it outright, without fear of any more retaliation than being called a name.

Accountability? Accountability for what? So some guy can go look someone up and punch him over what was posted? Who I am is hardly relevant to the discussion; neither do I care who it is that wrote what I am reading. What matters to the discussion is the content of what is written, not who wrote it.

Exactly.

In the early days of the Internet I signed my real name to a bunch of things and have somewhat regretted it ever since because Google finds all. (My real name is a fairly uncommon combination.) Six or seven years ago, however, I came to my senses and started using pseudonyms or initials. I don't need people to to be able to stick a particular view point of mine to my face XX years later. It's not that I say completely outrageous things online, because I don't think I do. Rather, I don't need somebody such as an employer or potential employer giving me grief because I happen to have penned an opinion somewhere that happened to be somewhat critical or supportive of the president, or of recycling my newspapers, of driving a pickup truck, of being for or against wind power, and so on.

That somebody might have looked me up along with my physical address and deliver additional "feedback" on my online comments is certainly a very troubling thought too.

A system such as Discus, using pseudonyms tied to verified emails seems to be enough of a check for me. If it's not, then I'll just have to pass on commenting via a particular venue.

My words are what matter, not what face they are tied to.

I won't be commenting on any Maine Today media sites any further.

[cebdark]

Granted, there are some real @sses who comment out there, but I try to at least keep my comments from being personal. I believe in Karma.

I do keep my pseudonym because of my job. I meet some real...uh..."interesting" people at my job. It's bad enough that some of them know my first name from seeing them on a near-daily basis. The last thing I want them to know is my last name too. Truly.

It's one of the reasons I very rarely comment on any site using fb - even to say something complementary.