Buffalo Rising Online

Huzzah!

Pundit, Oh come on! The comments that BRO is talking about had nothing to do with any conversation or debate. BRO is not scared of debate. The arrogant hateful nonsense that these guys have been posting has been ruining the conversation.

I agree on removing obviously off-topic baiting posts. Dictator will not work, but either does total anarchy in any environment.

You can see the posters that drop in the same childish hot buttons even if they have nothing to do with topic being dicussed. It is true that topics are fluid but someone dumping boulders into the flow just to divert it has gotten out of hand. I wish more people would just ignore the crap so it would 1) go away on its own, or 2) have the same handfull of childish people conversing amongst themselves in every thread. Some of them actually appear rather intelligent and succesful which makes you wonder why they feel the need to act the way they do.

Most of the time, an average joe can see when someone is honeslty trying to add to the conversation and when they are just trying to be an immature bully/trouble maker. There are some others that seem to have some good intentions in their constant hijacking, but hopefully some warnings would help that out.

Of coarse some will see this as the "end of the world". I doubt it will be such. If it is, then BRO will die. Perhaps it will grow? The market will dictate.

Most of the top learning institutions have very open and free forums of discussions in the classroom about the topics at hand. Though I doubt they would allow the free for all that happens here that degrades every conversation.

It sux that it has to come to this but I totally agree that this is the only way to stop these losers...

Adios BTD...Pundit will have you drop your nonsense over at his site for a juicy discussion on race, sex and cars.

It is a shame that BRO must move in this direction.. I don't blame them I guess it just is a shame that some people can't find the patience or tolerance to keep civil.

Better yet I cant wait for this loser to get booted!

Many of your readers have no problem with occasional colorful language such as obscenities or "over-use of the verb in caps" (whatever that verb might've been) as a harmless trade-off for wider diversity of comments brought by BTD, etc.

BTD: You have two strikes today. Both of them were for obscenities. One was over-use of the verb in caps. The other describing a sex act.

MJ hit on the key point here:

some will see this as the "end of the world". I doubt it will be such. If it is, then BRO will die. Perhaps it will grow? The market will dictate.

The policy change you're planning is making a guess that the number of people who avoid the site due to it's current comments exceeds the number who are drawn to the site at least in part because of the more open dialogue and diversity. There's a chance that guess is wrong, in which case your ads will be seen by fewer people over time. What you should want to do from a business perspective of course is to attract both groups.

You might want to consider that a smarter business decision (maximizing clicks and eyeballs) could be to have two versions. Leave this one as-is, and it'd be very easily technically feasible to set up a buffalorising-filtered.com that would automatically output the same content minus any comments not meeting the additional restrictions you described above. Or the other way around - buffalorising.com could be the more restrictive editing policy and buffalorising-unplugged.com would be current way. Either way, I'd bet the non-filtered version would draw a LOT more clicks and eyeballs.

A note at top of each page would inform readers of the other option and provide the other URL with a convenient link to it. Once people know, then they'd just go to version they prefer. Avoid User feature would still be available in both versions, allowing even more customized control. Other than setting up the second URL, it wouldn't be any additional continuing effort beyond what you say you're planning anyway.

very often the articles are poorly written and the prescribed topics are dull when a much more interesting topic emerges out of a few sharp and disruptive comments.

Very often a great conversation is blunted by dull witted off topic comments by a very few commenters who's only aim is to hijack the thread to call attention to themselves.

buffalopundit: "Troll-bation is something of which I've never heard. Also, I have an immunity to iocane powder."

who are you, the comic book store guy from the simpsons?

I think we will see what conversations look like shortly. A dissenting point of view is much different than the kid in the back of the class acting like a clown looking for attention and disrupting everything when the peanut gallery then has to jump in.

I think there is a big distinction bewtween a dissenting opnion and that which is being targeted for editing.

and these, are the days of our lives.

I think that all of this commenting, debating, insulting, and now on to debating about commenting is an unfortunate waste of time. Does anyone here see that history is repeating itself? We are our own worst enemy.

And we wonder why nothing good ever happens in Buffalo.

Kudos to BRO for trying to keep it above the board when others couldn't. I was floored when reading "those" comments that anyone think they were appropriate for this forum. Freedom of speech was inteded to permit discourse or an open exchange of ideas in a free community. It does not give you free reign to say whatever you like and tell others to deal with it. My rights don't give me the "right" to trample on others and put them down.

I would have no problem having my e-mail validated prior to being allowed to post if that meant that this community discussion could be used as a great way for concerned, happy, or frustrated people interested in our city to share ideas openly. That is the purpose of free speach, journalism and our intended Constitutional rights.

I don't pay close attention to BRO anymore, but not just because of the stupid vulgarity of some of the postings. That was annoying but it never ruffled me, even when I was mocked for having a different point of view or for where I live. I found the coarseness and obscenity of a few less worrisome than the herdthink here, and the belittling of different points of view by the non-vulgar posters.

But I understand the decision. At the same time, I respectfully urge better writing and editing (and proofreading), more discernment about the subjects and tone of articles, and a bit more neutrality about certain projects or issues.

Bad idea. I usually ascribe to the notion that if I don't care for something I'm reading I move along, the same as is often said with TV or radio stations...change the channel. Granted, a lot of posts devolve into absurdity but a greater number lead to a fecundity that you simply can't get anywhere else. Too often what is perceived as negative points of view are in actuality constructive criticism, ya some are genuinely negative. So if the desrie is to create a legion of BRO Yes Men & Women, I think you'll find readership down. No offense, but many times the responses are better than the articles.

Pundit,

The problem is not the one-off comment here and there. Recently, comment threads have been taken over by malicious posters. One recent WCP comment section was pretty much taken over by one poster writing racist and unsubstantiated drivel. None of the posts being deleted and discussed have been written in the spirit of debate and exchange of information.

Why does everyone always try to miss the point of BRO article posts! Comment if you have a comment to add (about the article - may seems obvious, but oft lost in this crowd). Get your own dern website if you feel the need quit your A.D.D. meds and rant uncontrollably like a cranked-up 12 year-old tourette case study.

Oh, FYI - newspapers (the original land of journalists) get 100s of letters (i.e. "posts" for those of you who have never actually felt the cool damp of newsprint) each day. Those fascists print less than a dozen a day.

My favorite cry is the freedom of speech. You are posting on a privately run site. Where does freedom of speech come into play? You are free to create your own site and state your opinions etc. Double post your BRO responses on your own blog to show what important information big bad BRO is editing.

Where's the crime in asking and then enforcing an on topic conversation? It is their site. Start AnarchyBuffaloSinking.com and watch your servers crash over the massive influx of people looking for perpetual Zuba and Sabres jokes, two sentance generic slams, off topic posts to carry over old post arguments or 15 post long inside jokes. There is a multitude of places to comment on the internet. Why does everyone have to accept every single comment regardless of its relevance or intent?

I've been part of too many forums that start out with a nice core of people interested in the topic at hand. They will never all agree but their passion on the subject shows and thus they are respected. After the site starts to grow you are bound to start to get the attantion whores that are there to stir things up and then start to cry about free speech when you ask them for some behavior that we ask of our grade school children.

I think we all want to see passion here, be it pro or con to the subject at hand. I've had some nice back and forth diasagreements here with some posters without it degrading to name calling or personal attacks. Clean up the crap. There is no reason that a majority of threads need to be filled with the same off topic crap.

What about a grave yard thread where off topic posts can be moved to appease the "freedom of speech protectors"? Then all the debate on "why was this deleted" etc could be in one spot. Or could a jump be created in the thread? As in all off-topic posts would still be in the thread but moved to an area below the "what do you think" and "related articles". Then the "all important information" would still around.

It's a shame that we can not control oursleves, but we are human so it is to be expected.

I also forgot to add that the "moderating police" also emerge to question every single edit or non-edit in the spirit of trying to completely understand the policy. Hence the possible "grave yard thread" for the important debating of such.

BTD - You are 80% of the problem on this site, with your silly verbal attacks and empty threats of violence. You are just a scared little insecure man. What would you do to keep yourself busy at 1:00 in the morning if you couldn't post several dozen comments under several names? You like the reaction, it obviously gives you some sort of enjoyment in your otherwise empty life.

You take your anonymous shots at Elena, Newell, or anyone else who posts here. Do you have the testicular fortitude to put yourself out there like they do? Do you have what it takes to open yourself up to that level of criticism, after all they put their names and reputations on the line for an anonymous worm like you to bash without any recourse. You find it funny, but we see right through you. You couldn't do what they do if you tried, so you mock them for being more successful and more famous than you.

I agree that you aren't anti-buffalo, and you aren't pro-buffalo, in fact you really aren't much of anything. You are the worst type of bully, one who hits, then runs and hides. You wouldn't say a fraction of what you post here if you had to put your name on it, so cut some slack to those who are brave enough to put their names on their articles.

All I can say is Thank You! The obnoxious comments, extreme negativity, personal attacks, etc all seem to be from the same small group. I'll certainly read more often when they are gone. Good riddance.

I'm glad this is finally happening. I've resisted many times the urge to vent my frustrations at what has become a stage for some people to show how clever they are at bashing everyone. At first I must say that I was a bit leary at the thought of censoring any postings but as I read the comments to this story, some of the offenders seem to have made a case against themselves...just look at some of the immaturity abound in these posts. No need to call anyone out by name. It's obvious who the offenders are and have been.

Good riddance. Now let's get back to enjoying the articles (I could care less who they are written by) and enjoying some healthy debate about them and offering constructive criticism and comments.

I've always said about BuffaloRising...you could announce that Microsoft is moving their worldheadquarters to Buffalo, creating 10,000 jobs of $100K or more...and the same old BuffaloRising people would just complain and go off on their own tangents.

Hey JohnMartin...if you say the BRO staff is unsuccessful, then you must throw yourself into the "miserable" category...cause that's all your posts reveal.

This is a very slippery slope as al alo said. This is a self policed community (Avoid User), and people are respected based upon their contributions. Some people here I may not respect due to their empty remarks towards others. But the fact remains, they can post what they wish, knowing full well the consequences. I can understand editing comments with racial slurs or threats, but language and other things is a path that the poster can chose. Most of the people who read BR are anywhere from being in High School or Retirement. I don't think our virgin ears will be pierced by hearing someone shout $*&% that! From a business standpoint, bad move. It's all about the clicks, and you're making an assumption (I believe someone s