by Lydia (part of the solution) Shelley
Member since:
October 5, 2007

What do you think?

November 09, 2007 05:41 PM EST (Updated: November 09, 2007 05:43 PM EST)
views: 54 | rating: 10/10 (12 votes) | comments: 30

I reserve the right to approve comments before they are posted on my more controversial articles. Those of you who know me have found that I never rejected a comment, and I try to stay on topic.

It annoys me when people insist on making comments that have nothing to do with the subject matter of the article, such as those which are intended to criticize my right to approval prior to posting a comment.

Furthermore, I LOVE Gather. The people here are awesome and this site works in a manner that is completely different (and better in my humble opinion) than ALL of the other "social networking" sites put together. I am a member of most of them, and this article is not intended to malign any - but I prefer to be here.

Glitches and other malfunctions are always going to be in existence with a growing, changing site... and rumors to the contrary notwithstanding, I think Gather is set to be around for many years. The point and cash systems may be discontinued, but I seriously doubt the site will cease to exist.

The feedback we receive here is unparallelled and the format is a vast improvement over bulletin-board style or email list type conversation. I do not receive spam here... perhaps that is because I've only been here for a month... but on all the other sites I was spammed from the day I joined!

Occasionally I run across members who do not seem to like it here. If they don't like it on Gather, why do they insist on sticking around? Is it because they're just bored to death with their lives and have nothing better to do? Do they suffer from ODD? I just don't get it. When I am dissatisfied, I leave, discontinue, say buh-bye.

I am not going to be restricting comments for this thread, despite the probability that it will draw some that are dripping with vitriol... because I truly wish to know what you ALL think.

My love to all...

Peace.

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Comments: 30

JoAnne D. Nov 9, 2007, 5:50pm EST
I have no personal problem with that. I think it's your choice.
Charlotte K. Nov 9, 2007, 5:51pm EST
Very well said Lydia. It really irritates me too when you write an article about, oh lets say a recipe, and someone says something stupid like...oh, I saw a monkey at the zoo today...what does that have to do with the recipe?

If you want everyone to know what you saw at the zoo, or why you've had a bad day, then write an article..don't leave it in someone else's comments.
It is your choice if you want to approve the comments before they are posted. If you feel that you have the time and want to do this, then I do not know why there should be a problem.
As for some comments straying off topic....I get those on occasion and have gone through (when I first got back on here) and tried removing them. I got tired of that so decided to just leave them. Some of the rude comments that I've received in the past has been a pain, but I decided to just ignore those.
Lydia (part of the solution) Shelley Nov 9, 2007, 6:00pm EST
Charlotte, I think I misunderstood what you were trying to say in your comment on the other article... it seemed to me that you were suggesting I should refrain from writing an article unless I am willing to allow any and all comments upon it.
Lydia (part of the solution) Shelley Nov 9, 2007, 6:01pm EST
Renda, I think the rude comments should stay, if only to show other community members what kind of attitude these people have and to be wary of their attention. I have not encountered many nasty, rude or obnoxious people on Gather, but like the world we represent, I know they're here.
Charlotte K. Nov 9, 2007, 6:03pm EST
Lydia no hon, I was saying that it's irritating when people make comments on an article and it has nothing to do with the article. I totally agree with you...if you write an article then the only comments that should be there should pertain to the article.
Nanci B Nov 9, 2007, 6:06pm EST
I am so sorry I annoyed you. You seem to have missed the point of gather which they claim is conversation. Conversation is not possible if you put duct tape over the mouths of the speakers.

Since the point is conversation, you shouldn't post if you don't want to hear what people have to say. Otherwise, there is no reason to attempt to converse.
Susan E. Nov 9, 2007, 6:26pm EST
I completely agree with you. I think this is a great forum, and I'm really enjoying most of the interactions I've had with people here. I also wonder why people respond in non-sequiters. So, did you want to hear about the monkeys or didn't you?
Betty DeRamus Nov 9, 2007, 6:44pm EST
There is nothing wrong with being careful.
penni d. Nov 9, 2007, 7:15pm EST
i think that threads are sometimes the REAL story, lydia....and it is funny when one gets off the topic by accident and it becomes a cool chat......you are right about the choice of love it or leave it,also :)
Michelle W. Nov 9, 2007, 7:21pm EST
I have no problems whatsoever to those who want to approve their comments before they are posted, so long as they are willing to post both sides of a discussion, unlike Hillary Clinton who only allows those comments that are raving about how great she is.
Speaking officially in my role as Patriotic Troll of Gather Freedom, I have to say that comment moderation is a symptom of moral degeneracy.

Some people are rude. Sometimes people say things that show a great deal of insight and are incredibly rudely phrased.
Elaine B. Nov 9, 2007, 7:27pm EST
If you want to approve comments then that's fine. There's nothing wrong with that.
Carole S. Nov 9, 2007, 7:45pm EST
I don't care to approve comments. I guess I feel if you put it out there then you need to willing to get all kinds of responses...but that is just me.
Danielle P. Nov 9, 2007, 7:50pm EST
I think live and let live. If you post articles it's your prerogative to do as you wish with your articles.
Larry M. Nov 9, 2007, 9:03pm EST
I think the person who wrote the article should have control of the comments that appear on that page. If one wants a respectful, polite conversational environment then one should be able to have one.

On the other hand, I personally think the off topic posts, especially those with profanity and insults, merely reveal the personality and failings of the poster. So I am also accepting of those who choose to allow all comments to remain.

I like this free market aspect of Gather.
Suze P. Nov 9, 2007, 9:04pm EST
i think it's your right to restrict comments if you choose, that's why the option is there. I, personally, choose not to restrict them, but if someone was being rude or a complete troll about something i wrote, I'd have no qualms about deleting them, and anyone who has a problem with that can play with the trolls in their own articles...I don't deal with them in person, certainly not doing it on here LOL
Lydia (part of the solution) Shelley Nov 9, 2007, 9:08pm EST
The only comments I have deleted thus far have been my own, and only when I made a mistake and wanted to edit them, such as a misspelling etc. since I tend to be really anal about such things...
Joe T. Nov 9, 2007, 9:11pm EST
You are perfectly correct. If comments are off topic and you don't like it - then delete them.
Erin P. Nov 10, 2007, 12:36am EST
Well said. Great article. Can't argue at all. The ones that don't like Gather can't leave because they either haven't had the last word in their arguments OR their cronies aren't ready to leave yet. They don't want to go somewhere new when they have friends here that have already accepted them and their "eccentricities".
Col. George W. Nov 10, 2007, 12:36am EST
Some articles are written to inform sone are written to discuss a topic usually. When the conversation goes off topic it disrupts the entire conversation an/or flow of information.

It is your article - You run it the way you want and don't worry about some irritating parrot.
necee t. Nov 10, 2007, 1:02am EST
i feel it's okay to run your article as you please... good job here...
good night... Blessings to all...
Lori F. Nov 10, 2007, 1:06am EST
To each his own. And I do completely agree with the people running around here saying how bad gather is and how much they hate it...well no one is getting their arms twisted to stay here.
Edward W. Nov 10, 2007, 7:16am EST
There are a few aspects I don't like about the comment approval process. First, the comments don't show up right away, so one doesn't know what recent visitors have said. The requirement that the author must review the postings before they show up means spending time going through them expeditiously, rather than returning at a more convenient time to read the responses. (Perhaps this works for others, but not for me.)
Second, this does allow an author of a controversial issue to remove any remarks that are in opposition to his or her position, thus skewing the conversation and giving a false perception of the views of the other Gather members. I'm under the impression that you wouldn't do that, but others certainly could.
Lydia (part of the solution) Shelley Nov 10, 2007, 7:21am EST
Edward, I think you gave the most persuasive argument of all, and I appreciate your taking the time to stop by and share this opinion with us. You are absolutely right... it does not truly serve a good purpose. I can always delete comments if I find them to be particularly off-topic or offensively vile. Therefore I will no longer require comments to be approved on any of my future articles. However, I'm not going back to change it on any previously written articles because it's time-consuming.
Tad Auty Nov 10, 2007, 7:43am EST
Well......
I CANT stay on the subject if i try!!! one thing leads to another to another.....
Lydia (part of the solution) Shelley Nov 10, 2007, 8:07am EST
Tad, sweetie, you don't change the subject MALICIOUSLY. This all started in a Ron Paul thread.
Elsie Duggan Nov 10, 2007, 7:06pm EST
I think you should do as you like on your own site Lydia, I have had a lot of comments that go off subject, and people make a conversation there, but I don't do what you are doing, ask questions and expect and answer. I guess if I did, I would be looking out more for what the answers are. I have never removed a comment either, except if it is one of my own, that I have made an error in or mispelled something and noticed it, and then might copy and edit it, I like that new feature, no more having to go and rewrite the whole thing again, I may be off topic here, I don't know, but that is what I think.
Lydia (part of the solution) Shelley Nov 10, 2007, 7:14pm EST
No, Elsie. You're not off-topic at all. But I find the contention that some make that Gather exists for the sole purpose of generating conversation to be inaccurate. (I'm not saying that's YOUR contention...)

Anyone who reads the "About Gather" page will see clearly that conversation is a side effect, not the primary driving force.

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