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The most important function comments serve is to allow readers to view dissenting opinions and remarks conveniently. Something they would otherwise have to sear

by Snesker 12y ago

The most important function comments serve is to allow readers to view dissenting opinions and remarks conveniently. Something they would otherwise have to search out. To date I have not seen a method of comment moderation on any site that hasn't been used to stifle dissent or unpopular opinions. It's unacceptable to give the illusion of open, free discussion when you have the ability to downvote or delete a post. This is, plain and simple, an article espousing censorship. I'm not qualified intellectually to argue with censorship proponents, especially here.

xexers 12y ago
> To date I have not seen a method of comment moderation on any site that hasn't been used to stifle dissent or unpopular opinions. It's unacceptable to give the illusion of open, free discussion when you have the ability to downvote or delete a post. What are your thoughts on the downvote system? on Reddit, a comment that is badly downvoted sinks to the bottom and becomes collapsed... but if you want, you can still choose to read it.
karmacondon 12y ago
There's a difference between censorship and moderation. If I replied to your comment with vitriolic hate speech that was clearly against the community rules and the mods removed it, that would be moderation. If I merely disagreed with your ideas or expressed an unpopular opinion while staying within the rules and the mods removed it, that would be censorship. The line is admittedly fuzzy, but it's usually an issue of intent and perceived contribution to meaningful discussion. People consciously or unconsciously associate comments with the site where they read them. This can hurt the brand of the site and be a distraction from the useful conversations that its trying to foster. Turning comments off isn't censorship, it's a matter of self-defense. It also isn't censorship by definition, as you can't censor someone without knowing what they are going to say or whether or not they are going to agree with you. It would be nice if there was a technical solution that could separate politically divisive trolling from the informative presentation of opposing views, but that doesn't exist yet. We're left with expensive human moderation that doesn't scale well. So, for now, turning off comments is the best solution for some. Hopefully we can solve the problem by raising the overall level of public discourse, but I'd bet on a getting a technical solution to work long before that happens.
- krapp 12y ago
  I prefer solutions that are local rather than global. For instance - a killfile to let users ignore other users or a keyword filter to block comments they might not want to see, rather than global bans or the fade effect HN has for downvoting. Unfortunately, some people want open discussion, while other people want bubbles. I would rather people censor themselves than censor other people, and create their own bubbles.

by Snesker 12y ago

xexers 12y ago

> To date I have not seen a method of comment moderation on any site that hasn't been used to stifle dissent or unpopular opinions. It's unacceptable to give the illusion of open, free discussion when you have the ability to downvote or delete a post. What are your thoughts on the downvote system? on Reddit, a comment that is badly downvoted sinks to the bottom and becomes collapsed... but if you want, you can still choose to read it.

karmacondon 12y ago

There's a difference between censorship and moderation. If I replied to your comment with vitriolic hate speech that was clearly against the community rules and the mods removed it, that would be moderation. If I merely disagreed with your ideas or expressed an unpopular opinion while staying within the rules and the mods removed it, that would be censorship. The line is admittedly fuzzy, but it's usually an issue of intent and perceived contribution to meaningful discussion. People consciously or unconsciously associate comments with the site where they read them. This can hurt the brand of the site and be a distraction from the useful conversations that its trying to foster. Turning comments off isn't censorship, it's a matter of self-defense. It also isn't censorship by definition, as you can't censor someone without knowing what they are going to say or whether or not they are going to agree with you. It would be nice if there was a technical solution that could separate politically divisive trolling from the informative presentation of opposing views, but that doesn't exist yet. We're left with expensive human moderation that doesn't scale well. So, for now, turning off comments is the best solution for some. Hopefully we can solve the problem by raising the overall level of public discourse, but I'd bet on a getting a technical solution to work long before that happens.

krapp 12y ago
I prefer solutions that are local rather than global. For instance - a killfile to let users ignore other users or a keyword filter to block comments they might not want to see, rather than global bans or the fade effect HN has for downvoting. Unfortunately, some people want open discussion, while other people want bubbles. I would rather people censor themselves than censor other people, and create their own bubbles.