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Monday Bulletin: WSR Without Comments? Unthinkable! (Actually, We’re Thinking About It)

July 17, 2023 | 4:49 AM
in COLUMNS, NEWS
181
Courtesy of kindpng.

Monday Bulletin
July 17, 2023
Generally clear. High 88 degrees.

Notices
Two “site-specific public sculptures” will reside for a year in Riverside Park South near the river at West 61st Street, thanks to a collaboration between the Art Students League and the Parks Department, according to releases from both organizations. There will be a brief, public ceremony celebrating the two League artists who created the sculptures (shown here) at the 59th Street entrance to Riverside Park from 4 – 5 p.m., on Tuesday, July 18, followed by a champagne reception at the Pier i Cafe at 500 West 70th Street.

The Comments
By Carol Tannenhauser

Ah, the West Side Rag comments. They are a body — make that a piece of work — unto themselves. They can pile on with a negativity that brings the most seasoned writers to their knees, or lavish praise that elevates the lives of aspirants. Other publications envy us — “How do you get so many?” they ask. Since the start of 2023, we have received more than 12,000 comments, though we aren’t sure how many commenters they represent since a lot of them are anonymous or use fake, and, sometimes, multiple names.

The subject of what to do about the comments came up recently when we saw an entry in an Axios newsletter (item # 5) saying that “comments were a staple of early internet blogging, but professional news websites have reeled them in to prevent spam, abuse and harassment.” They cited another reason as well: MediaNews Group, a local newspaper company with 68 daily and 300-plus weekly publications, “shut down all of its comment sections as of July 1, due to difficulties in moderating them.” Gannett, one of the nation’s largest newspaper chains, “ended comments on most of its news articles earlier this year, citing difficulties in its ability to allocate enough staffers to adequately moderate them.” And the Philadelphia Inquirer removed comments in 2021, arguing, “The comments on far too many Inquirer.com stories are toxic, and have gotten worse as mounting extremism and election denialism pollute our national discourse. Our staff and readers deserve better.”

According to the current WSR comment moderator, many comments that are submitted are “trashed” for one or more of the following reasons: they spew hate; they name call; they’re by someone who has already commented numerous times; they convey blatantly false information; they reflect a repetitive message by the same commenter unrelated to the topic at hand; they curse; they have too many typos and/or misspellings; they’re way too long; they tell us where to go or what to do with ourselves (see cursing).

Every comment is read. It is a never-ending, thankless job that also poses grave psychological dangers. The last moderator….well, we won’t go into that!

Here is a word from the current moderator:

“We’re not going to end the comments. That said, it’s easy to list what we don’t want, but what makes a ‘good’ comment? Our hope is that the comment section will provide a forum for meaningful, respectful, informative, and humorous discussions among neighbors, factual and relevant to the article that is the subject of the comment. We hope that more of our readers will join in and share their opinions, insights, and expertise.”

A final note: Just this weekend, the moderator of The New York Times’ Metropolitan Diary comment section called it “a beacon of warmth that one reader likened to a city stoop, where people weigh in on what they have just read, but also reflect on daily life and trade stories of their own.” Granted, Metropolitan Diary is mainly a collection of human interest anecdotes, many of them heartwarming. It does not generally deal with controversial topics, but, still, wouldn’t it be something if WSR commenters could say, as one MD commenter did after the pandemic: “Our community supported us. Even though we are all faceless, we feel like a family.”

Looking forward to hearing from you all!

Bonus: Another story of women’s friendship, but, in this one, they’re Upper West Siders.

Have a great week!

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181 Comments
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Judy Harris
Judy Harris
1 year ago

I support discontinuing comments.

38
Reply
Randy T
Randy T
1 year ago
Reply to  Judy Harris

I too support discontinuing comments.

2
Reply
Carlos
Carlos
1 year ago
Reply to  Judy Harris

If you don’t like them, don’t read them. They are very easy to ignore. Why should the rest of us miss out?

I’m guessing that the comments draw enough traffic to fund a nominal salary for someone to moderate them. If the owner of the site does not want to do this, hire someone else. I’m sure there are numerous people who would be happy to do this for a small fee (or perhaps even for free!). Your ad revenue is going to go way down without them.

25
Reply
Karen Bruno
Karen Bruno
1 year ago
Reply to  Carlos

I agree, I would quit reading without the comments.

20
Reply
Lisa
Lisa
1 year ago
Reply to  Karen Bruno

Me too.

1
Reply
oldtimer
oldtimer
1 year ago
Reply to  Carlos

Even though comments are important and fun to write and read, I say – eliminate them. Think of all the free time you create by not having them to read and write. It’s not anti democracy. It’s smart.

5
Reply
Wijmlet
Wijmlet
1 year ago
Reply to  Judy Harris

I don’t.

24
Reply
Bill Bowler
Bill Bowler
1 year ago
Reply to  Judy Harris

A comment itself. The irony is rich.

34
Reply
I drive a car in NYC
I drive a car in NYC
1 year ago

I suspect your readership and visitor time-spent statistics would drop sharply without the comments section. This is a convenient space for people to sound off about what is bothering them, whether or not those concerns are reasonable (or even topical).

79
Reply
Eugene Nickerson
Eugene Nickerson
1 year ago
Reply to  I drive a car in NYC

Best place to engage Upper West Siders without having face to face acrimonious disputes.

13
Reply
Roxy
Roxy
1 year ago
Reply to  I drive a car in NYC

I have to admit I’m amused by the rapidly escalating negatively that can arise from even non-controversial content, however I agree with this reader about the value of a sounding board for the many frustrating issues that continue to plague our neighborhood. A few months ago there was a much read and commented on article about the amount of garbage on the UWS and the comments were informative and integral to the topic.

10
Reply
Jerry
Jerry
1 year ago

The current comment moderator says you’re not going to end the comments, but the headline says you’re thinking about it. That mirrors my thinking: the comments section is a compelling aspect of WSR, but often in the same way one can’t help looking at an accident on the side of the highway. I would completely understand if you did away with it.

What’s the solution? Something you probably don’t have the manpower for: increased moderation, and a concerted effort to meaningfully reduce the misinformation, negativity and repetitiveness. I’d start with “verified” commenters only.

24
Reply
AdMan78
AdMan78
1 year ago

My thanks to the comments moderator. I can only imagine the bile and unproductive lunacy you must have to deal with daily.

41
Reply
UWS-er of 25 years
UWS-er of 25 years
1 year ago

I gather quite a lot of insight and info from the comments. I don’t think WSR will be my local go-to without comments.

You should drop politically biased censorship, not the comments themselves.

66
Reply
UWS-er
UWS-er
1 year ago
Reply to  UWS-er of 25 years

What makes you think they HAVE politically biased censorship?

9
Reply
Jerry
Jerry
1 year ago
Reply to  UWS-er of 25 years

“Politically biased censorship” is a very loaded term, and one that’s used all too frequently these days.

19
Reply
Joe
Joe
1 year ago
Reply to  Jerry

If you agree with it, it isn’t politically biased. If you disagree, it is.

That is the problem, particularly on the upper west side, where only a single kind of voice gets any recognition.

30
Reply
Josh
Josh
1 year ago
Reply to  Joe

I agree with you that “political bias” is simply a euphemism for not agreeing with you.

I disagree that only one voice gets recognition in these comments. While one political party does have a plurality on the UWS, it just means that the debate is in the primary rather than the general election. It is not a political travesty if the fringes of the political spectrum do not get air time. And what makes the fringes is definitely different depending on where you are. In some upstate areas of NY, for example, a somewhat moderate democrat will be on the fringes of politics. Think about the standard bell curve. Nothing says that the center of a bell curve must be in the dead center of the political spectrum. Although it would make politics across the board much easier as compromise would be so much easier.

5
Reply
Raj S
Raj S
1 year ago
Reply to  Jerry

Not more often than misinformation “, WSR is referring to.

7
Reply
72RSD
72RSD
1 year ago

It sounds like a tough job!

Not sure what systems you use, but my hunch is having one person read every comment could be helped by automation a bit? Maybe combined with registered accounts to prevent duplication/establish a trusted tier of commenters?

7
Reply
Dana
Dana
1 year ago

WSR doesn’t censor comments that contain name calling if they come from the left.

Negative comments about subjects like migrants are always censored because we are supposed to praise all of them. Unlike regular people, they are all wonderful.

49
Reply
Sarah
Sarah
1 year ago
Reply to  Dana

It’s still name-calling even if you don’t perceive the people being insulted to be “in the room” with you, you know.

3
Reply
UWS-er
UWS-er
1 year ago
Reply to  Dana

How do you know? Do you see the comments that are “censored”?

13
Reply
Sam Katz
Sam Katz
1 year ago
Reply to  UWS-er

LOL!

1
Reply
Best side?
Best side?
1 year ago
Reply to  Dana

Very true. I get censored all the time if I post something more conservative or disagreeing with the left. Shocked at what gets through sometimes

32
Reply
Tom
Tom
1 year ago
Reply to  Best side?

Wow Best Side?, I sincerely congratulate you on your perseverance. I gave up posting here for the reasons you described. The censorship here is obvious, except to those whose group-think agrees with each other.

19
Reply
StephanUWS
StephanUWS
1 year ago
Reply to  Tom

Tom and Best Side: That has been my experience as well. I have never cursed, used hateful language or shown disrespect towards any person or group. Yet, comments submitted that criticized the status quo on a give political subject and my submission would go into the either. Limiting speech and debate is the very definition of censorship, and sadly seems to come more from the left than the right. Intelligent people can hear a contrarian voice and make up their own minds. Critical thinking used to be taught in universities and there were no “safe spaces.” If this gets through, it may begin to restore my faith in the WSR.

17
Reply
Best side?
Best side?
1 year ago
Reply to  Tom

Why thank you!

12
Reply
Brad
Brad
1 year ago

90% of the comments are about crime and quality of life issues and the sense that the community is changing for the worse with little indication of help from our elected representatives. The comments give people a place to express their frustration and worries. To remove them is to pretend the upper west side is doing just fine.

66
Reply
Will
Will
1 year ago
Reply to  Brad

The Upper West Side is doing just fine

17
Reply
Vera
Vera
1 year ago
Reply to  Brad

@Brad, I think the UWS is finally slowly changing as more open minded individuals and families choose to live here. It’s tiring to keep reading about quality of life issues being rehashed as if this area is some sort of a gated community with a 1950s mindset.
I’d be for comments if I could see more interesting content. Constant mud slinging doesn’t necessarily represent the majority here yet appears like it does. Ditch the comments!

8
Reply
Sue Timms
Sue Timms
1 year ago
Reply to  Vera

LOL “As more open minded individuals and families choose to live here.” The UWS was long been the home to many many creatives, including many of New York’s best writers. Learn some history.

10
Reply
Boris
Boris
1 year ago
Reply to  Sue Timms

Creativity and writing don’t necessarily equate with being open-minded. I can point to numerous individuals who have been creatives and writers that are abhorrent people.

2
Reply
Diziet Sma
Diziet Sma
1 year ago

I also support discontinuing comments. Too many toxic people with opinions.

18
Reply
Mary
Mary
1 year ago
Reply to  Diziet Sma

Thanks for leaving your opinion in the comments.

22
Reply
Boris
Boris
1 year ago
Reply to  Diziet Sma

No one is forcing anyone to read the comments.

24
Reply
Mandy W
Mandy W
1 year ago
Reply to  Boris

Well actually the poor moderator is forced to read the comments. I love when WSR readers provide expertise, insights, humor and kindness. But the sour negative stuff goes on and on. I can skip it, but I do feel for the mod who cannot, and who reads even more than we see!

5
Reply
Nila R. Perez
Nila R. Perez
1 year ago
Reply to  Mandy W

But he or she is being paid to do so. It’s the more unpleasant part of the job. If you accept doing the job, you take the bad with the good. Personally, I love reading the comments. I get a lot of information from them sometimes and even insights into the opposing side of an opinion. I understand that commentators can sometimes be vile/cruel/insensitive (or worse), but I find other publications that have stopped taking comments no longer have the depth or flavor to their stories that the comments add. If possible, please don’t stop the comments!

2
Reply
neighbor785
neighbor785
1 year ago

While I think that many comments on here do tend to promote an atmosphere of negativity, many are positive and useful. My suspicion is that fewer people will visit the site regularly if there are no comments.

I would like a more precise list of rules of engagement. A good number of my comments have not been printed, and I have never known why. As far as I could tell, they did not fall into the categories mentioned above in the article.

34
Reply
George Grumbach
George Grumbach
1 year ago

Three suggestions: (1) abolish anonymous comments (2) abolish irrelevant comments (3) continue to abolish hateful comments.

31
Reply
Mikey Gee
Mikey Gee
1 year ago
Reply to  George Grumbach

What does “anonymous” even mean in this sense? I assume george grumbach is your government name, but you can literally type anything in…

13
Reply
Bobby
Bobby
1 year ago
Reply to  George Grumbach

What’s the world without wackadoos. Everyone’s nuts except you and the one you happen to be talking to at the moment. However, as illustration of a bland comment: It’s very hot and getting hotter. Many people take busses. Shade is a good thing when it is hot. Trees are a good thing. There is a policy NOT to replace trees at bus stops. This is stupid. Thank you and yes keep comments

9
Reply
Brandon
Brandon
1 year ago
Reply to  George Grumbach

Define anonymous. Can I just post as Brandon or do I have to give my whole name? I agree it’s a problem if I try to post as George Grumbach and refute everything that you just said or make.posters believe George is crazy and discount anything he says. I think there will be a lot fewer comments if people have to use their real names. Some might see that as a good thing but I can understand why a person might have a valid point to make but he afraid of what their neighbors might think about their comment.

14
Reply
neighbor785
neighbor785
1 year ago
Reply to  Brandon

On certain other boards, some people post under screen names not their given name, like Ye Olde Teadrinker or whatever. But if the person uses the same profile consistently, others after a while get a sense of that person’s views. Those who reply can reply to someone with a stable profile name. It gets confusing if the software allows people to identify themselves literally as “Anonymous,” because then several “Anonymi” can infest one thread.

3
Reply
UWS is a safe space
UWS is a safe space
1 year ago
Reply to  George Grumbach

Agree with abolishing anonymous comments.

6
Reply
Best side?
Best side?
1 year ago
Reply to  UWS is a safe space

….but you just commented anonymously

18
Reply
Robert Spire
Robert Spire
1 year ago
Reply to  UWS is a safe space

Anonymous comments give room for bad people to troll the internet. But also at the same time people can speak more freely about issues they can’t talk freely about otherwise. Like the people who are against the loss of parking in the area.

5
Reply
Harriet F.
Harriet F.
1 year ago

End the comments. They rarely add to the dialogue. I sometimes comment, but certainly don’t “need” to add my 2 cents (and my ego) to overall excellent new reporting.

10
Reply
Sue Timms
Sue Timms
1 year ago
Reply to  Harriet F.

So don’t read them.

4
Reply
UWS Person
UWS Person
1 year ago
Reply to  Harriet F.

Actually, I find the comments add tremendously to the content. They often provide additional details and context to the topic. I would find WSR much less useful without comments.

25
Reply
Bob
Bob
1 year ago

I commend the moderator on the thankless job of moderating the comments (I’ve run an email list for 28 years – I know what it’s like). Though some comments are negative, I have benefitted from the knowledgeable among us. More than that, the comments section forms part of the Upper West Side virtual community. Sure there are plenty of depressed and angry people who vent their emotions through comments. But there are others from whom we benefit.

For those who want to discontinue the comments, I urge them to skip the comments. Those of us who find benefit will continue to do so.

18
Reply
Ethan
Ethan
1 year ago

Simply outrageous! (Just kidding…) Very nice comments about comments. Which makes this comment a comment about comments about comments.

7
Reply
Regular Reader
Regular Reader
1 year ago

I often read the comments to gauge the local sentiment and/or to understand both sides of an issue. Some people even add more info to the story. Healthy debates are informative yet like any respectable forum, it’s ok to request respectful behavior. Taking away comments altogether would be the ultimate form of censorship.

20
Reply
NewYorkerUWS
NewYorkerUWS
1 year ago

I think it’s really important to continue comments, because many local politicians (and what they tell WSR) are out-of-sync with their constituents.

26
Reply
Bruce E. Bernstein
Bruce E. Bernstein
1 year ago
Reply to  NewYorkerUWS

“many local politicians are out of sync with their constituents”: actually, it’s just the opposite. Comments on WSR are dominated by right-wing grievance-shouters. it you took a count of the WSR comments you would think that people like Jerry Nadler and Gale Brewer are vastly unpopular in the community.

In reality, they are tremendously popular, and that is proven in election after election. Why, the haters couldn’t even find anyone to run in the Dem primary against Gale this year.

The Republican and MAGA West Siders make up about 25% or less of the community, as they have for years. But the WSR “comment” section gives them morale support, and allows them to believe they are a majority

The WSR comments are not a random or scientific sample.

7
Reply
Leon
Leon
1 year ago
Reply to  Bruce E. Bernstein

Bruce – please leave your woke, progressive liberal bubble. Most of these people you refer to as “right-wing grievance-shouters” are your fellow Democrats. They are just much more moderate than you. I am a lifelong Democrat and have never voted Republican in my life. I despise Trump and MAGA. I am well to the left of more than half of America. But I would fit your categorization.

A trip across the Hudson to see how the rest of America lives might give you a better appreciation of the dissenting voices here. Attitudes like yours are why the rest of America hates us. Many of them have truly warped beliefs, but a number of them are reasonable people who would engage intelligently with you if you stopped the generalizations, name-calling and condescending attitude.

To the point of many other comments, I assume this will get censored, but I needed to get it off my chest.

10
Reply
Bruce Bernstein
Bruce Bernstein
1 year ago
Reply to  Leon

Leon’s comment should have been censored, not because of the views he expressed, but because it had numerous personal attacks again me: I live in a bubble, i have no appreciation of America outside of the UWS, I engage in name-calling, am condescending, and so on. Personal attacks violate the rules of the WSR comments section.

Leon knows nothing about me and where i spend my time, and with whom. I don’t know why he thinks he can make so many assumptions.

Leon did not bother to address the main point I made: views like mine are a majority on the UWS, and that has been proven in election after election. For example, I believe Leon’s candidate for City Council in 2021 was Maria Danzila. She got about 15% in a Dem primary. Gale Brewer, a mainstream progressive, won in a landslide.

The comments section of the WSR is way to the right of the mainstream opinions in the neighborhood. That seems indisputable, given election returns.

0
Reply
Boris
Boris
1 year ago
Reply to  Leon

Yours is exactly the type of comment that shouldn’t get censored. People should be allowed to challenge others who make such assertions. They, and others who are possibly influenced by the content, should have to hear rebuttals. It’s how adults act when they debate civilly, and comments be allowed to flow freely.

5
Reply
Jerry
Jerry
1 year ago
Reply to  Bruce E. Bernstein

Based on election results, it’s way less than 25%, Bruce. Biden captured 86.8% of the vote in Manhattan overall; in most Upper West Side election districts that percentage was even higher.

6
Reply
Janice
Janice
1 year ago

I support discontinuing comments and don’t think it will have a major impact on readership. It won’t for me. I come for the articles. Not the toxic, fact-less diatribes from people.

7
Reply
Cato
Cato
1 year ago
Reply to  Janice

— “I come for the articles. Not the toxic, fact-less diatribes from people.”

Then read the articles and don’t read the comments. Why do you want to deny people who *do* want to read the comments the opportunity to do so?

19
Reply
Ruby in Manhattan
Ruby in Manhattan
1 year ago

I can live without all the unproductive blame-gaming. Would prefer to see people post how they could improve a situation or create a positive new potential for our nabe. These ideas might attract like-minded others to start a new community effort, form new friendships, inspire more creative thinking.

7
Reply
Quan
Quan
1 year ago

Who’s kidding whom?
A judge issued an order (more than 100 pages) explaining all the repression on Facebook, Twitter, etc. to hide the Biden crime schemes and slant political views.
Might even have changed election results.
It’s the United States of America. We have a right to freedom of speech.
NO SUPPRESSION.
PRINT IT ALL

21
Reply
Jerry
Jerry
1 year ago
Reply to  Quan

Sorry, Quan, but your comment is a perfect example of why the comments section might have to be discontinued. Your statement about the judge’s order is so far from accurate as to qualify as misinformation. Anyone who knows better can just ignore it, but as an affront to truth, reality and civil discourse it undermines polity and WSR’s very mission.

18
Reply
Josh
Josh
1 year ago
Reply to  Quan

The order was a preliminary injunction, and that injunction was overturned by the appeals court.

Freedom of Speech means that the GOVERNMENT cannot restrict your speech, but the Supreme Court has also specified several exceptions.

Last time I checked, WSR was a private entity and not a part of any governmental organization.

18
Reply
westside neighbor
westside neighbor
1 year ago
Reply to  Quan

Can you give details on when this order occurred and where can be found ? Thank you.

0
Reply
UWS-er
UWS-er
1 year ago
Reply to  Quan

This is misinformation, plain and simple. “Biden crime schemes”? Facebook and Twitter are full of right-wing conspiracy theories. To suggest they’re “repressed” is untrue.

11
Reply
Boris
Boris
1 year ago
Reply to  Quan

You don’t have a constitutional right to make comments on a news blog if the site doesn’t have a commenting section.

5
Reply
Josh
Josh
1 year ago
Reply to  Boris

You don’t have a RIGHT to post a comment on a news blog even if it does have a commenting section!

0
Reply
Boris
Boris
1 year ago
Reply to  Josh

You missed my point entirely. The poster is screaming that he has a right to freedom of speech. He suggests that a news blog MUST have a comment section so he can have his right.

0
Reply
Josh
Josh
1 year ago
Reply to  Boris

No, I was adding to your point. There is no right to comment – period.

0
Reply
uwser
uwser
1 year ago
Reply to  Quan

You don’t have a right to post a comment on a website.

5
Reply
Eric Siegel
Eric Siegel
1 year ago

Although I have been lucky enough to have several comments posted I fully support ending them and would consider the site much improved without them. Too often the section is just a space for people to sarcastically sound off or express frustration. A comments section is not an accurate cross-section of neighborhood views … it’s merely the views of those who bother to post. Let’s face it … no one is changing anyone’s mind in a comments section. I feel that if readers have meaningful information or corrections to contribute they can still submit them and the author can update the article.

8
Reply
A Pathy
A Pathy
1 year ago

I have no comment.

14
Reply
S G
S G
1 year ago

I strongly oppose eliminating comments except for those that are a direct threat or break the law…not just because someone doesn’t share the opinion expressed or might be offended. The reasons given in the article are subjective and arbitrary, so can’t be enforced without prejudicing someone’s thoughts or beliefs.

17
Reply
UWS resident
UWS resident
1 year ago

if people don’t want comments they don’t’ have to look at them! Leave them alone. Allows for community engagement. I’ll be too bored to even use this website anymore if you discontinue them

25
Reply
Diana
Diana
1 year ago

The comments offered within a publication are like the footnotes in an annual report: they’re a wonderful insight for those who understand how the machinery works. I LOVE the WSR comments, even if I don’t agree with some of them! They’re so NYC specific, in fact so UWS specific, so “I’m a New Yorker and I know it all” in their tone and content- please do not ever even think of taking the comments away. The UWS is a rich and fascinating stew of all that makes NYC, and it’s part of the personality of NYC. Long may it wave.

19
Reply
Ed M
Ed M
1 year ago

Actually it is Pier i Cafe, not pier 1 Cafe. Unfortunately, a capital I looks a lot like number 1. Use the lower case i.

I think comments in the WSR should be eliminated. Most people who submit a comment do not know what they are talking about.

5
Reply
Merr
Merr
1 year ago

I’m a born and raised UWSer who LOVES the West Side Rag. I rarely comment here myself, but I LOVE the comment section. Many of the comments madden me, but that’s why it’s so important to keep this space for them— I think it exemplifies the rambunctious, curmudgeonly spirit of debate that makes the UWS so special. The overprotective urge to clean spaces of “toxicity” can sometimes wipe away something more important: spirit. Especially with actual, real life public forums so limited, the West Side Rag comment section is our own, local, quirky public square. And, yes, I admit to clicking on articles just to see what the cranks in the comment section have to say, and am always charmed to find my fellow UWSers reliably sounding off, even about surprisingly positive or innocuous topics such as cherry blossoms— anecdotal evidence that comments drive readership.

For what it’s worth, do you need help moderating? If so, I’d love to help give time to keep this forum alive.

22
Reply
Barbara Goldman
Barbara Goldman
1 year ago

I think WSR does a great job ands keeps the neighborhood as a real caring neighborhood. The comments can be illuminating and a kind of pulse.

16
Reply
West End Al
West End Al
1 year ago

Keep ’em.
I rarely read them; the value of WSR for me is in the reportage and commissioned commentary. But if some folks turn to your web site to spout, there’s no real harm done, plus, it can give me an occasional glimpse at what the crazies are saying, and it probably makes the spouters feel better. And even, once in a while, a comment proves worth the few seconds it took to read.

7
Reply
J.L. Rivers
J.L. Rivers
1 year ago

I like the comments section of this site but must admit that it makes me sad sometimes when I see the negativity, raw feelings, NIMBY-ism and the me-first angle from which a lot of them are made.

9
Reply
RCP
RCP
1 year ago

Commentators are ombudsman. To cancel them is a form of censorship. I know because many of my comments to this site have been ignored for reasons that I can suspect are based solely on bias.

16
Reply
Cathie Lyons
Cathie Lyons
1 year ago

I support discontinuing comments. I read West Side Rag for the reporting and will continue reading it. With appreciation for the staff and writers of WSR.

6
Reply
Cato
Cato
1 year ago
Reply to  Cathie Lyons

— “I support discontinuing comments. I read West Side Rag for the reporting and will continue reading it.”

What about those people who read West Side Rag for the comments? Why would you bar them? You can always just skip the comments if they don’t interest you.

22
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Matt B
Matt B
1 year ago

Highly suggest removing the comments. There are some level headed commentators but a lot are extremely bizarre right wingers.

At best, it’s the same regurgitated conservative sensationalist bad faith talking points about how our neighborhood has “gone to hell” and at worst it’s (extremely) thinly veiled racism about homeless, migrants, [insert anyone deemed an ‘other’] . It’s embarrassing to read. If this is supposed to be the “city stoop” I would assume it was at the entrance to the Fox News building.

20
Reply
Frank Kenna
Frank Kenna
1 year ago
Reply to  Matt B

The UWS being gentrified did attract more moderate and conservative voices.

5
Reply
D M
D M
1 year ago
Reply to  Matt B

In other words print progressive comments only. God forbid someone might disagree. Then it “Fox!”, “Trump!”, “Racism!”.

Learn to accept other people’s point of view without putting down half a country.

18
Reply
Stef Lev
Stef Lev
1 year ago

Many comments have gotten negative and nasty, so in the spirit of keeping the heat down, maybe it’s unfortunately the way to go. How sad.

9
Reply
Na'ama
Na'ama
1 year ago

I personally like comment sections, and occasionally participate. It is a way to hear from neighbors, offer input, be a member of this community of Upper West Side lovers. However, I also think that the owners and operators of a blog/website/newsreel should do what works for THEM (that means, you too, WSR peeps!). Your health and well-being comes way before anyone’s need to comment, and absolutely no one deserves to have to slog through icky, mean comments. Disagreements? Fine. Abuse? Nope. Never. So, I’ll be delighted if you keep the comments, but will totally understand if you decided not to. Here’s to civil, humane discourse! Thanks for all you do!

10
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chrigid
chrigid
1 year ago

i depend on comments–in all publications–to raise questions and fill in the gaps in the originals story. i’ve learned to scan comments in order to skip time-wasting agendaistas, of which there are suddenly an awful lot on wsr.

14
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Ron Slusky
Ron Slusky
1 year ago

I wonder if someone has developed a software tool for sites like the WSR that automatically scans for and tags/eliminates clearly objectionable comments, .e.g curses, repetitive posts, etc.. You would still have to vet the comments to screen out other objectionable posts but it might reduce the burden on the moderator.

5
Reply
Best side?
Best side?
1 year ago
Reply to  Ron Slusky

Yes, there are softwares you can program with key word searches. It’s how many employers monitor their staff emails for concerning content

6
Reply
UWS40
UWS40
1 year ago

I can’t read the comments anymore.
Just state facts.
Form a club where you can b_t_h, moan, and groan all you want to each other.

1
Reply
Lee
Lee
1 year ago
Reply to  UWS40

For those who find the Comments section so objectionable there is a very simple solution: just skip this section! Do you think you are required to read the Comments? When you read a newspaper, you don’t have to read every article, you can read whatever interests you! Those in favor of doing away with Comments seem to feel that if they don’t like/agree with the comments then the answer is to just do away with people’s ability to comment at all. I do agree that threats, profanity, or endless repetition should be removed, but otherwise let people express themselves. Let’s skip the “cancel culture” attitude. (I hope that doesn’t offend anyone!)

14
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Joe Rappaport
Joe Rappaport
1 year ago

Some sites disable comments for articles that are likely to elicit racist, sexist or other hateful comments. That might be an approach WSR could experiment with.

2
Reply
charles
charles
1 year ago
Reply to  Joe Rappaport

That is a slippery road to support the politics of the moderators . Should people who support the reversal ofe.g. roe vs. wade be banned.?

5
Reply
Ellen S.
Ellen S.
1 year ago

Revisiting the comment rules and process may be warranted but I do feel there is value in a forum that captures dissenting viewpoints or dissatisfaction with decisions made, especially by city council or elected officials. The way many things get announced it often appears more widespread and unquestioned support from residents than I suspect reflect what is really there. I have seen, as a result of comments that surfaced in your paper, modifications for the good of the community. It’s unfortunate that some politicians or agencies aren’t as open to direct resident feedback as you would want and the comment section fosters a feedback loop that promotes transparency and accountability, all cornerstones of democracy. Certainly not an easy job to be a moderator but your readership has really grown and hopefully you benefit in terms of ad dollars to support your endeavors.

17
Reply
Dani
Dani
1 year ago

The comments can be informative if someone has a question about something. I hope they don’t go away.

18
Reply
Uwsmom
Uwsmom
1 year ago

Oh no! The comments make WSR feel like a neighborhood, which is otherwise hard to come by these days. It had not crossed my mind that people are submitting nasty things that need to be moderated out so I do feel badly for the moderators, but don’t let that limit the rest of us to connect through a local news source.
A local comedy show even does a live reading of the comments, with love and humor!

13
Reply
TJ Betts
TJ Betts
1 year ago
Reply to  Uwsmom

The thing about the UWS is that many UWS residents dislike people who aren’t exactly like them. Some feel compassion towards the homeless, but this isn’t about making their lives better or making them their equal, it’s the soft bigotry of low expectations. Look at how UWS residents treat those who cannot afford to live on the UWS but work here and either drive or make multiple transfers to access the UWS. That’s what they really think about people not exactly like them.

I know brokers on the UWS who show apartments, even the “cheap” ones, and the brokers themselves live in places like NJ cannot afford the rent on the UWS, yet most clients assume their brokers live on the UWS or some in demand neighborhood just like the clients do.

13
Reply
EricaC
EricaC
1 year ago
Reply to  TJ Betts

I don’t think this impulse is limited to the UWS.

1
Reply
Tom Fedorek
Tom Fedorek
1 year ago

Looking over the comments posted so far, there are 11 different commenters but only two who’ve posted under their first and last names. I’d suggest that requiring commenters to include their first and last names, and thereby take personal responsibility for their comments, might encourage dialogue that is more even-tempered and less acrimonious. Of course, some people might use fake names, but I’d suspect that people who did that would be posting comments that would be objectionable for other reasons.

4
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EricaC
EricaC
1 year ago
Reply to  Tom Fedorek

Requiring a consistent username associated with an email that the moderator can see but others can’t might be a reasonable middle ground.

1
Reply
Lenore
Lenore
1 year ago
Reply to  Tom Fedorek

I support the comments. I do not support requiring first and last names–too risky in this toxic environment.

15
Reply
Best side?
Best side?
1 year ago
Reply to  Tom Fedorek

People use aliases for a lot of reasons. Their employers might include media screenings in background checks, or they may have valid safety concerns. I for one think WSR should only permit aliases when the article pertains to gang related violence. Far too risky

5
Reply
Carmella Ombrella
Carmella Ombrella
1 year ago
Reply to  Tom Fedorek

Unfortunately, privacy has become a concern in the current online environment, where disagreeing with a random stranger can elicit harassment to the point of actual danger to a person who uses his or (especially) her given name.

11
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Maria
Maria
1 year ago

I always enjoy reading the comments on articles about current political topics. I tend to skip them on the human interest stories. Didn’t there used to be a rule that no comment could be longer than 100 words? Maybe consider going back to that standard?

3
Reply
Norman Klature
Norman Klature
1 year ago

I whole-heartedly support the continuation of comments. I have learned a considerable amount of important information about the UWS and its citizens, both good and bad, from the comments section, and I would be much less likely to read the Rag without the comments.

Moderation continues to mystify. Some of my most considered comments have not been published; some of my most whimsical make it through.

Readers frequent the comments to find information and a sense of community.

As an ambivalent progressive myself, I have an uncomfortable intuition that the sentiment to discontinue comments is from censorially-minded capital ‘P’ Progressives who prefer to stifle viewpoints and opinions different from their own. I hope that the Rag staff will not succumb.

Let the people speak.

31
Reply
Cato
Cato
1 year ago
Reply to  Norman Klature

**So** well said. Thank you.

8
Reply
Carol
Carol
1 year ago

I comment frequently but would be fine with removing or limiting comments. I agree that they can devolve rather quickly.

7
Reply
Kathleen R.
Kathleen R.
1 year ago

I love the comments. I don’t comment often, and I also don’t always read them. Why would you want to go down the path of dying newspapers? I read this BECAUSE it reflects the community — so it’s important to give the community a voice. An alternative, would be to have an opinion section — reader editorials, letters to the editor.

14
Reply
Chrispy
Chrispy
1 year ago

I can understand large, carefully edited publications doing away with comments as they should be reviewed by several people before publishing. They also make it easy to personally contact through their website or email the author and/or publication to communicate a factual error or add something the writer missed or should be aware of. I have found neither to be the case here. No biggy, since WSR is great to get local news you can’t get anywhere else. But comments should be allowed with editing. However, if you do away with public comments you should at least make it much easier for readers to contact the author or WSR personally to relay missing or factual errors.

3
Reply
Z Perez
Z Perez
1 year ago

I love reading the WSR as it gives me an opportunity to learn about my neighbors and what is affecting my neighborhood. When I read comments, I evaluate whether the negative feedback is a personal attack, whether the feedback is constructive or destructive, and realize people may make negative comments as a way to release their pent-up emotions, so I read them with a grain of salt, or last but not least, skip right over them and move on to the next. I am sure this may receive comments😇❤️

9
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Lisa Ortiz
Lisa Ortiz
1 year ago

I also support discontinuing comments. It is quite a negative community.

7
Reply
Amy
Amy
1 year ago

I feel for the put-upon moderator, and wish the responsibilities and nerve-wracking challenges didn’t amount to a “never-ending, thankless job.” I for one am grateful to the moderator and appreciate the special skills and conscientiousness involved. For me, the invitation to comment is an opportunity to respond to articles and express my gratitude to and admiration for individual contributors (as well as WSR’s stellar editorial team!). I just skip past the cantankerous and off-topic comments and focus on those that are respectful, community-oriented, constructive, and good-natured!

8
Reply

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