General Chat (Non-Music-Related)

Here is something you should consider. This example below depicts a very well planned attack on your freedom of speech on the Internet. In the long run it shall affect both liberals and conservatives. This not the only site that has taken these actions.. the trolls won the "Popular Science" skirmish. There is even a photo of Josh posting some photos under the heading!


http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconside ... or-science


'Popular Science' Shuts Comments, Citing Internet 'Trolls'
September 24, 2013 3:13 PM ET
Steve Mullis
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PopularScience.com says it will no longer accept comments on new stories because of the negative impact of "trolls and spambots."
iStockphoto.com

The online content director for PopularScience.com announced Tuesday that the website will no longer accept comments on new articles, saying a small but vocal minority of "shrill, boorish specimens of the lower Internet phyla" were ruining it for everyone else.

We're all familiar with that deep, dark rabbit hole of Internet comment boards. A negative or critical comment sparks a firestorm of debate until the discussion erodes into a cavalcade of insults and personal attacks. Once you finally snap back to reality, you realize you've often strayed so far from the original story that it's often difficult to find your way back.

This distracting nature of online comments is part of the reason Popular Science, the venerable 141-year-old science and technology publication, declared that it would be shutting its comment boards down.

"Comments can be bad for science," writes Suzanne LaBarre, the online content director of Popular Science. She continues:

"We are as committed to fostering lively, intellectual debate as we are to spreading the word of science far and wide. The problem is when trolls and spambots overwhelm the former, diminishing our ability to do the latter."

LaBarre writes that while PopularScience.com is certainly not the only site that attracts these sorts of commenters, and also praises the many thoughtful ones it does get, she says that "even a fractious minority wields enough power to skew a reader's perception of a story, recent research suggests."

And what would a science magazine be without a little research to back up their reasoning for the decision. LaBarre cites a University of Wisconsin, Madison study that, among other things, found that: "Uncivil comments not only polarized readers, but they often changed a participant's interpretation of the news story itself."

Study authors Dominique Brossard and Dietram A. Scheufele wrote about their research in a New York Times op-ed:

"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."

LaBarre says the often politically motivated debates erode the popular consensus on a wide variety of scientifically validated topics, such as evolution and the origins of climate change. She says that on occasion they will still open the comments section on select articles that "lend themselves to vigorous and intelligent discussion." The windows of communication will also remain open on other platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Google+, and the hope is that readers will still chime in there.

"Don't do it for us. Do it for science," she says.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments — but let's keep it civil.


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what should be the all too clear irony here is that not ONE of the "conversations" that josh/saladin/insert alias of your choice here.... has joined, has come to a grinding and screeching halt!

on the contrary.....w/o exception every conversation has continued on with people expressing their different points of view. is that really a BAD thing for discussion? nah, methinks it's the Amen Chorus Club "flying into a rage" and "going insane" at disagreement.

so, it seems to me that all this whining about "gov't paid internet trolls eradicating our freedom of speech" is just another whiny sideshow distraction.

and Josh has good manners, he is respectful of everybody

Popular Science, of all places, should know to simply tell their readers...

Don't feed the trolls.

A Troll is a disgusting little hollow headed nothing which pretends to be something he is not. "A troll is someone you disagree with " Bullshit, horse sh*t and chicken sh*t all nothing more that waste products. It seems you could say a Troll is a government waste product which makes him worse that the Political filth that defecates him. Hmmm.

This is a hard forum even for trolls. Trolls who proliferate the Forums and Websites of the Internet have trouble when dealing with Artists, Musicians and Creators who do have original thoughts and are not afraid od speaking their minds ... AND DARE I SAY DISAGREEING WITH SOMEONE.

Trolls have serious personal, moral and intellectual defficiencies which can only be addressed in books and white papers ... not properly in Forums where there is a general consensus to be honest, speak truthfully and not be ashamed of what and who you are ... not changing lame avatars etc. That is immature, juvenile and DISHONEST.

They are identified and then either ignored and ridiculed or simply tolerated with a certain amusement. they are like bugs, mosquitoes or a Fart in a closed space...sometimes lingering but always an obvious embarrassment and unwanted.

DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS ... or vote for political filth. Simple Rules in reference to simpletons who lie, misrepresent themselves and have no redeeming qualities. They cry, they look in the mirror and see a failed puss bag and they eventually disappear because they are worthless and of no value.

Trolls are like politicians, they spew others thoughts, not their own and often lie to cause discord. Some are perverts who being impotent masturbate and wank on the Forums , being dishonest and without original thought. they hide and misrepresent themselves ... quite tragic really.

They always leave and always are the laughing stock of the so who endured their idiotic misrepresentations. If i were to feed a Troll I would give them some Viagra and some radioactive shrimp.

Stop whining and shut up or leave as you have no relevance upon this Forum and have taken advantage of all our goodwill with your idiotic little graphic goldfish posts and moronic pseudo intellectual dribble which you think impresses us a certain way but does not. It merely makes us feel sorry at first and then from there we quickly advance to not giving a damn what you think or Post . Shut up and leave.

Oh brother!

Stop feeding the troll, ignore and report. I did already.

Let me state that I support this young fellow fully, in his right to spam US with picture posts. I like the fact he comes in here and turns over the compost heap. No report. Si si puede! Solidarity, troll brother!