Comments Sections

[Northern Light]

Interesting announcement out recently from one of the world's biggest science news sites: Popular Science - Why We're Shutting Off Our Comments

Basically, research is suggesting that when people read comments on a science article, they stop accepting information and start focusing on which side they're going to take of the increasingly polarized debates. Public opinion influences public funding and policy making, and we can't even talk about topics like global climate change or evolution without taking into account the feelings of millions of people who want to weigh in with their emotions rather than read up on the science.

Uncivil comments not only polarized readers, but they often changed a participant's interpretation of the news story itself.

In the civil group, those who initially did or did not support the technology — whom we identified with preliminary survey questions — continued to feel the same way after reading the comments. Those exposed to rude comments, however, ended up with a much more polarized understanding of the risks connected with the technology.

Simply including an ad hominem attack in a reader comment was enough to make study participants think the downside of the reported technology was greater than they'd previously thought.

This tells us that even if the content is worthwhile or groundbreaking, rude or trolling comments can damage the discussion. I think that this research has wider implications. Almost everyone in our country is now tied to the internet in some way, and social media. If people's comments are having such an impact, then how is this affecting the way we are understanding our politics, our current events, our social movements, and the world?

I'm curious what people at DP think about the comments sections on the various websites they have visited over the years. Everyone here is familiar with opinions by now, but do you feel that letting people comment on important discoveries, news sites, and other sources of potentially important information can actually detract from the civil discussion?

Over the years I've come across many people who simply refuse to read the comments sections on any website because they inevitably find vitriol. Do you ever take this approach?

Do you find comments sections useful or no?

 

[ThePlayDrive]

A couple points:

1. There is also a study out there that says when a comment gets a "voted up" once, more people are likely vote it up than if it is not. I think both studies just demonstrate how group think exists in new forms of communications. People tend to be influenced by other people whether it's in a classroom, in a bar or on the comment sections of the internet. In fact, I find the way that people are influenced by others to be one of the most frustrating things about debating people because it means that there is element in their decision-making process that hinders their ability to be honest and accept truth.

2. As far as vitriol and other non-productive elements of online discourse, I will say that my reaction to it varies. While I used to participate in it fully, I'm growing more tired of it. I didn't realize until recently how much negative energy participating in it puts on you. However, when it comes to reading that kind of stuff, I can find it entertaining just because the vitriol and ignorance are usually so absurd and I also like seeing people stick up for the truth in the face of people who vehemently deny it. Sometimes, however, I just find it annoying if nothing productive is happening.

Ultimately, vitriol and things like it can be useful in online discourse, but they can also be used to freely and destroy any semblance of a valuable discussion.

 

[Fiddytree]

Distracting, hard to police, and usually useless. Most of the time, I think that they should remove commentary options to spend time elsewhere.

 

[trfjr]

Interesting announcement out recently from one of the world's biggest science news sites: Popular Science - Why We're Shutting Off Our Comments

Basically, research is suggesting that when people read comments on a science article, they stop accepting information and start focusing on which side they're going to take of the increasingly polarized debates. Public opinion influences public funding and policy making, and we can't even talk about topics like global climate change or evolution without taking into account the feelings of millions of people who want to weigh in with their emotions rather than read up on the science.



This tells us that even if the content is worthwhile or groundbreaking, rude or trolling comments can damage the discussion. I think that this research has wider implications. Almost everyone in our country is now tied to the internet in some way, and social media. If people's comments are having such an impact, then how is this affecting the way we are understanding our politics, our current events, our social movements, and the world?

I'm curious what people at DP think about the comments sections on the various websites they have visited over the years. Everyone here is familiar with opinions by now, but do you feel that letting people comment on important discoveries, news sites, and other sources of potentially important information can actually detract from the civil discussion?

Over the years I've come across many people who simply refuse to read the comments sections on any website because they inevitably find vitriol. Do you ever take this approach?

Do you find comments sections useful or no?

yes I do many times posts in the comment section expose the hacks that write articles some of the websites use

just the other day Mediate posted numbers showing MSNBC was beating Fox news on some of the time slots. It took a comment post to expose that Mediate was lying about the numbers by posting the real numbers directly from Nielsen ratings and now they have removed the article from its web site

I feel comment post keep the web site honest by the threat of being exposed as false