Would you still read faithfully if we disabled comments altogether?
Friday, August 28, 2020 at 11:52AM We're considering our options. We haven't been able to figure out what the impetus is for people pretending to be other commenters or pretending to be writers or editors of this blog. We don't have psychology degrees. Sometimes the perpetators post totally non-offensive non-disagreeable things while pretending to be someone else, but it's still at its core, disgusting and dishonest behavior, intended to mislead even in the times when it isn't intended to offend. The reason we have never forced user registration is we didn't want to set up an obstacle to reader engagement and we hate it, ourselves, when we have to "log in" to our own favourite websites. It's so easy to forget passwords and the like. But perhaps we should do that? Thoughts? Would you register to the site in order to have commenting privileges? Or perhaps a pay wall where only patrons of the site can comment? Maybe that's the solution.
Reader Comments (99)
Life’s not fair.
Hi, frequent reader but infrequent commenter. I tend to like systems like disqus which carry over between various sites and generally let you stay logged in and also give you notifications when someone "likes" or replies to your comments, which often makes conversations easier to follow and gives you more of a feeling that you're not just posting into a void. No idea what technical obstacles there woudld be to incorporating that here.
I would still read even if I couldn't comment. I understand why you're considering all these options, and I think it's a shame that a handful of people are trying to poison the community well.
That said, I probably wouldn't register to comment if that's what you decided. But that's no big loss, really. I don't usually contribute much.
Maybe this has been suggested already, but maybe requiring a subscription to access comments plus occasional “members-only features” would be something to look into. I subscribe to the Atlantic & enjoy being able to access exclusive content like articles read aloud by their authors. I’ve been reading since ... 2002? Is that possible? But I’ve been staying away from the comments lately because they’re such a mess.
I don't think asking people to register is unreasonable at all. I had no idea that this was a problem! I think people will still flock no matter if comments are disabled or not.
I would absolutely register. I know there have been complete trolls screwing this up for everyone, but one of my favorite things about this site is that it isn’t just about reading about film it’s about creating a dialogue about film. I would still read if the comments were gone completely because the articles you and your team create are so amazing and thoughtful.
User registration is fine, especially if it's the kind where we can save the password on our devices. We enter it once and unless we move to a different tablet or computer, we can get it just as easily.
I'd have no problem with registration.
I wouldn't want to see the reader comments disabled as they are a big part of the site. However, having been a reader on here for many years, there's been a change in tone in the comments of the past year that I haven't enjoyed. I'd prefer the drama to be on-screen, not here where we all get to appreciate the movies. There's enough negativity in the real world these days to overwhelm us.
Please do whatever you feel you need to keep this space more positive.
TBH I'm happy you have an active commenting community, but I come for you and your fellow writers, so I'd still be here reading no matter what you decide.
Extra hoops to jump through for commenting won't keep me from reading.
I always think comments should be disabled on most social media sites.
Blogs are trickier.
Starting conversations is great but as we have seen, when people are allowed to comment anonymously then that is where bad behaviour can start.
Comment monitoring or ‘flagging’ could work or just allow people to comment through Facebook. Sure they can set up a fake account but that’s a lot of work to be problematic.
Oh, no, please don't do that! I want to be incognito, and my few comments have been thoughtful, polite (no swearing), and authentic (no faking others' names). They did that at Datalounge, and I can not make comments anymore, but now read it less frequently. I believe there is only one person (2-named female, supposedly) who complains consistently that it is not her (or is it)? A few rotten apples need not be reason to re-vamp a tremendous site. No, don't do it, anonymity is best.
do the right thing, volvagia, anyone claiming we should just "ignore" the troll --- people are silly if they keep trying to blame this on one person or think the problem is a minor annoyance. That just means they haven't targeted you yet.. It starts happening again within 24 hours of turning off comment moderation every time. So whoever it is doing it is a regular reader. Why people like to shit in their own hangout I'll never understand.. Peggy sue is *NOT* the only one who has had imitators or the only one who has complained about them. We've already lost some faithful longtime members of the community because people did this to them. Claudio and I have also been imitated multiple times in attempt to sow discord. And you can imagine for us in particular it's very disheartening since we are speanding so much time
It might be just one person doing it but you never know. Perhaps if we had user registration i could block users who proved hateful to others? I'm not sure. I've been thinking about it for a long time. It used to be such a joy to read the comment section and it was one of the most energizing reasons to keep the site going, seeing a big movie-loving community,
I'm not sure Disqus works with Squarespace. I should probably upgrade to better software but that's a huge time and money issue which are two things i never have.
I’d happily register and sign in!
I like reading the comments, but if it's for your peace of mind, it's ok for me, the articles are the best part of this site.
I'll tell you one thing these reader comments show you how popular this site is,some sites I read only have a few comments,so well done Nat and everyone else.
I come for content, not comments! Sad to hear this, do what you will! You won't lose this follower
While I have been reading your work for more than 10 years, I rarely comment and would continue to read regardless. That said, registering to make comments is completely commonplace now. Password managers, which are a function of many browsers now, make this easy. This does not need to be such a laborious decision. Bringing attention to this behavior only invites more of it. Plus, if you could find a registration process that allows for people to pay/donate monthly that would certainly be a boon (as long as it does not negatively impact readers such as those in Iran). Best of luck!
I'd definitely support you having whatever registration you need. There are voices that I absolutely follow on the threads. I always like to hear their reactions on a variety of topics and I would miss them dearly if I couldn't see their input. The commentary is half the writing, in my book! That's why I have loved this site for so long.
Would be fine with registration; wouldn't comment anymore if it were pay-to-play (not that I comment all that often now). Wouldn't comment if ability to do so had to be linked to some other form of social media.
I would also register.
Nathanial
Not sure which Squarespace plan you are currently using. It looks like the "Basic Commerce" plan at $26/month supports "Customer Accounts"; the "Advanced Commerce" plan at $40/month supports both "Customer Accounts" and "Sell Subscriptions". Would subscription revenue be able to cover the extra cost?
I'm fine with any option you choose, as long as the comments section doesn't change into allowing upvoting and downvoting; I find this takes away from thoughtful comments and turns into "point scoring" amongst commentators.
registration is good
I love this site and will continue to read it no matter what. I would happily register if required. I'd also keep reading even if we couldn't comment, although I do love being able to comment here and I think that it's a great community, and it's such a pity a few trolls have been trying to disrupt it in the past year. This is an amazing site and I'll support whatever direction Nathaniel wants to take it in.
I'm on the "do whatever you need" camp. I do love the comments so hope they find a way to stay. I wouldn't mind at all registering / have this be behind a paywall.
I feel semi responsible for the chaos. In the sense that my passionate contrarianism on Streep had me at odds with almost everyone. And while I have calm down immensely on that matter it has stigmatized my username.
Now everything is just weird having imitators not just do lame versions of me but their want to disrupt everyone else. Sorry, Nathaniel for the initial fires I started long ago. No paywall. And a register system would lock everyone into who they're supposed to be.
I am a very faithful reader and only occasional commenter. I have always liked this site because, even as it has grown in its prominence and professionalism, it retains its homespun qualities. And I love that there’s an active group of folks (way more active than I am) who clearly know one another and make up a lovely little community. If adding some commenting restrictions will curb the weird behavior and enable people to feel respected, I’m all for it. Even as a casual commenter, I’d be fine registering.
I don’t comment often but I read daily and would absolutely register. Whatever is needed to maintain safety and integrity, go for it.
Will be happy to pay and/or register.
Do whatever is necessary. I will continue to be a fan.
I actually really like the comment section as I find I learn a lot from them too (recommendations and etc.) But it has been getting very messy and mean spirited these days. I would register, or whatever, because this is my favourite movie website so whatever works best. I do think if they were gone completely I would miss them though.
Whatever you need to do -- fine by me. Enjoy the comments, I think they are worth keeping even if minor annoyance to access.
If I have to register and/or pay I'm outta here. That's all folks!
Well there's obviously no question the comments should stay. IMDb dismantled its commenting system partly because of trolls and it basically destroyed that whole site and the people who relied on it for community and film discourse. Comments stay.
Beyond that, you can make your own determination. A paywall is rather exclusionary however and seems incongruous with the site's spirit.
I'm gonna be honest with my relation with this page. I don´t remember how but I discovered it in 2005 when I used to be an Oscar obsessed (wich I'm not anymore) and I found the choices of the Film Bitch Awards more interesting than the Oscars. The first years I just visited the page annually for the awards but my interest in keep learning english was a good excuse to read the articles and I started to appreciate the writting and the content of this page.
So, answering the question: Would you still read faithfully if we disabled comments altogether? Absolutely yes. I visit this page literally EVERY single day.
However that decission authomatically will kill some posts like "Would you rather?", "Yes No Maybe So:...", "What did you see this weekend" etc. that are made for an interaction between readers and writers, and even when I'm not comment constantly I appreciate to read the comments of other people.
The idea of a previous registration is fine for me, in that way if someone detect an impostor could report it to erase the comments and even the account. If i were some knowledge in design of web pages I would like to help you but unfortunately I'm not. :(
I'm gonna accept any decision that you make that doesn't cause more trouble to all of you and I trust that the constant readers will keep following the page and that is the most important.
I would still read if there were no comments, and would sign in to comment as well.
When you have a website that is about movies or music, it's expected that there would be some people with mental issues who are interested in those forms of art, since movies/music are ways for them to have a connection with the world. Someone who suffers from psychopathologies such as antisocial personality disorder could fit into the profile of whoever is disrupting the comment sectio. They thrive in making people uncomfortable, manipulating their feelings, which gives them a sense of power.
It seems as though most people seem to be in agreement that they wouldn't be opposed to registering in order to comment. I wouldn't myself. I do comment once in a while but I like to change names, because I want it to be about the comment and not about myself.
But I hope you find a solution that satisfies most readers and I'll still be visiting and reading the articles and comments for sure.
I support RV on this: "Although it has grown in its prominence and professionalism, it retains its home qualities."
Please never change that.
While I don't comment often, I frequent this site daily. For the longest time, it was the only site where I would read the comments section! There are so many great users on here who contribute immensely to the site through the comments section. To lose that would be unfortunate.
Lately, though, I have found the comments section to be insufferable. I have no idea what motivates certain people to troll the comments, but it has ruined a part of the site which used to be so fun and insightful.
If you can do anything to get rid of them, and get back to what the comments section used to be, I'm on board!
Registration using Google email is the way to go.
Do what needs to be done Nathaniel. It isn't just about your peace of mind, but simply what is necessary and right. The degree of something wrong doesn't make it less or more wrong.
I've been a reader of this site since 2004. As an Indian, it was what opened me to the world of Oscar races. It encouraged me to write on film even... albeit on another Bollywood focused blog. I commented every now and then here as well. I'd hate for that opportunity to not exist.
I'm fine with registration or a paywall. The latter is also a nice way of giving back to this site that has nurtured us all so well. I'm not so sure about the Twitter idea, as I've principally refrained from having a Twitter account and never will. It has created far too much nonsense and vitriol in the social and communal space in my country and this is the least I can do. A single person choosing not to be on Twitter may not mean much, but then again the degree doesn't determine how right or wrong something is.
Yes, I would absolutely continue to read if you disabled comments. I think this is a very mature thing to consider. I've been reading your site for over ten years because of the thoughtful and passionate writing you and your team puts out. Was never in it for the comments.
I've been reading TFE forever. I'm for registration.
I have only had one instance of someone posing as me and since then have not really been back to the site since today. Not sure what the solution is exactly? I think moving forward I would register? But not sure of an easy solution for the comments on this site. Yes- it sucks that some are pretending to be others but even before that the comment section was filled with hateful diatribes aimed at anyone with a difference of opinion. Just was no longer enjoyable.
I'd continue reading the site if the comments were disabled, but maybe read more periodically than daily. Registration is fine as long as it's not too intrusive of our personal information. I wouldn't participate with a paywall situation.
Maybe if you stop referring to yourself with the royal "we" readers would be less likely to troll.
I would register but NOT use a paywall.
everyone -- i really value your input. It's given me a lot to think about. and so have the more obnoxious comments (some of which I've chosen not to publish) that have proven to me that there's a lot of rationalizations for bad and abusive behavior out there. and that the offenders will definitely be continuing unless we make this change.
so i'll look into how to implement registration this week so we can get back to the fun and civil and movie-focused conversations we use to have with such regularity.