Yea or nea to off-topic comments in the articles on the main page?

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10-22-2008, 07:50 PM
SiriusBuzz

Yea or nea to off-topic comments in the articles on the main page?

What should we do about off topic comments in the articles? I am inclined to simply delete or not approve moderated off topic comments but, I will listen to the fans.

I want to be clear that I do not mean comments such as "Tyler is an asshole" (we have no problem with that)... what I do mean is, comments about the market in general or a press release from a financial institution on an article about Howard Stern. I mean truly off topic crap.

I personally find the comments section impossible to follow when 10 of the 40 posts have nothing to do with the article at all. I am not saying that you can't draw relationships between things but I think most of you have noticed that the crap being posted is more off topic chatter then anything else.

It really belongs on the forums but we all know that I can't force people to make their own lives easier and come here. For the life of me I can't figure out why people ask completely irrelevant questions in the comment section of the article when they could post the question here and wind up with an easy to follow answer list. The comment section is for just that... comments! It is not called the conversation/question/off-topic/press release posting section.
10-22-2008, 08:01 PM
spanyo

I think there should be two new forums:

1) Conspiracy Corner

2) Waaaahhhhh, the stock price sucks.

But maybe there should always be a forum thread associated with each news item. I think some people just don't understand that there are even forums here.

Maybe comments should be limited so that people can't paste 10,000 word articles.
10-22-2008, 08:07 PM
Demian

Charles,

Thanks for bringing this up. I wish the daily conversation about SIRI would move over to the intraday thread over in the stock talk forums. I'm getting lonely over there! I have been trying to keep the intraday updates and conversation flowing, but I get no company or help. I wish the SIRI intraday discussions were all in one place over there. I have tried to encourage people to post their daily comments about SIRI over there, but I don't know what else I can do...
10-22-2008, 08:17 PM
Demian

Maybe if there was a note above the article comment section directing people to post coments that are not related to the article over in the forums, and a warning that all comments unrelated to the article are subject to being deleted?
10-22-2008, 08:21 PM
doobz26

I actually prefer reading the conversations in the comments section as opposed to the forums. It's pretty easy to scroll past any big copy/paste items. Seems to be more dialogue in the comments sections. Too many categories in the forums.. .need to keep hitting the back button or hitting "next" or whatever... waiting for page to load. And... what is there? about 5 new posts a day in the forums? 4 of them from Demian.
10-22-2008, 08:37 PM
TSavery

off Topic

Tyler is an asshole is fine.....LOL

Now we know what Charles thinks of me....Just kidding.

People can be critical and have a right to their opinion, and if someone feels that I am an asshole, the so be it.
10-22-2008, 08:48 PM
imromo24

belongs in the forums, a lot of good info is being lost because the off topic conversations are hard to find.
10-22-2008, 09:22 PM
SiriusBuzz

Ha... you know what I meant and that was your sentiment from the beginning. We are against censorship so, I wanted to be clear that this isn't about censoring its about making this site better for all.

There are definitely a lot more then 5 posts per day and look how many people chimed in on this one in the first hour or so. I think what we should do is clear but, I will let this thread run for a day or so.

I also agree that we should note above the comments section that off topic comments will be removed and point a link to the forums.
10-22-2008, 09:45 PM
SiriusBuzz

I also want to make it clear that the blogging software captures what it think is spam all the time. It is not Tyler or I, in fact the spam plugin for wordpress tries to decipher a legitimate comment from spam and when a comment is 5 paragraphs long or contains a bunch of off site links those comments are held in moderation.

Since installing the software 30k spam comments have been caught!
10-22-2008, 09:59 PM
homer985

Well that explains why several of my comments have been held in moderation lately -- I'm such a spammer...

Seriously, can you do a registration thing? I know it's a pain in the ass -- but it may cut down on the crap. Those that really want to comment will be registered anyhow -- those that not are more likely to post spam.

---
10-22-2008, 10:19 PM
SiriusBuzz

I don't think any spam is actually getting through... am I wrong? The issue is the stuff that is posted is off topic. Its not fly by night posters... some of the people are "regulars", I just think the point of the comment section is being missed and that the forum section is being wasted.

I want figure out a way to convey this message and point people to the light that is these forums. People would certainly get a much better response to some of their questions/points if they were made in a more focused manner here on the forums.

Like I said, I don't want to shove anything down anyone's throats... I want them to want to do it.
10-23-2008, 05:28 AM
dnay1969

we need a live chat room
10-23-2008, 05:54 AM
Newman

I would agree with dnay on the live chat room sentiment, but the problem with the live chat room is the fact that any conversation there is completely lost to anyone who is not there.

I personally think that all articles should have a link to the forums in them. COMPLETELY off topic comments should be deleted. If I am reading an article on financing, I do not want to here "But they paid stern 500 million!" unless it is also linked to financing with other facts or numbers or opinions.

I don't like the log-in to comment idea. Several times I will read articles on other sites that I would like to comment on, but I have to register. So instead of commenting, I'll just jump over to Siriusbuzz, make a post on the forums, and leave it at that.
10-23-2008, 06:07 AM
dnay1969

THats what the forums are for Newman. If people are on and they are bored they can chat live. It would get rid of alot of the offtopic talk on the blog page. It would give Siriusbuzz a step above all the other Sirius blog sites.
10-23-2008, 10:32 AM
cos1000

I think off topic comments, and I have been guilty of posting a few in my short time here, should be removed. I don't think it has been made clear to newcomers to come here to the forums to post thoughts for discussion. I am only now realizing its benefit because you can have a more focused discussion about related, but off topic items.
10-23-2008, 10:37 AM
frigginsirius

Gimme a break. Brandon writes an article where he is practically doing a "jig" he is so happy for a 1 to 50 reverse split....and YOU want to stop people from VENTING in the comments section?????

Excuse me, but arguing against the company and the RS and the WHOLE damn mess we are in is COMPLETELY VALID.

People are fed up and mad and have a right to vent. Be it in the comments section or the forum.

I for one think ALL comments relating to Brandon's last article are valid, because they ALL are related.

People are pissed. Let them be. I for one think theres been some GREAT debates and questions raised in those comments that not only relate to the articles themselves, but to the entire dire situation we find ourselves now.

I've had NO problem scrolling past a few pointless comments.

Plus the questions raised in the comments section often spawn GREAT forum topics.

Let this flow continue. We've got ENOUGH silence from Mel our CEO right now....don't stop communication at SiriusBuzz too.
10-23-2008, 10:50 AM
SiriusBuzz

Quote:

Originally Posted by frigginsirius

Gimme a break. Brandon writes an article where he is practically doing a "jig" he is so happy for a 1 to 50 reverse split....and YOU want to stop people from VENTING in the comments section?????

We have no issues with venting. We have made that clear so, I am not sure how you are missing that point.

Quote:

Originally Posted by frigginsirius

Excuse me, but arguing against the company and the RS and the WHOLE damn mess we are in is COMPLETELY VALID.

Good, we still agree

Quote:

Originally Posted by frigginsirius

People are fed up and mad and have a right to vent. Be it in the comments section or the forum.

People can vent but no one has the "right" to do anything. Just so happens I let them most of the time. I don't want to sound like an ass but for crying out loud this is our website... when I am at my own house I have the right to piss on the toilet seat... do I have that same right at your house (For the record: If I can come piss on your toilet seat I will let you personally write whatever you like wherever you like all over this site)?

That being said, we do this for the people and the people are voting and it seems that the message is clear. I received a half dozen emails last week from people complaining about the comments section.

Quote:

Originally Posted by frigginsirius

I for one think theres been some GREAT debates and questions raised in those comments that not only relate to the articles themselves, but to the entire dire situation we find ourselves now.

It is not the debate and question section... its the comment section. The software simply wasn't designed for this kind of thing... that is what the forums are for.

Quote:

Originally Posted by frigginsirius

Plus the questions raised in the comments section often spawn GREAT forum topics.

And they probably should more often.

Again... and cos1000 said it well.... it is for your own good. The forums are a perfect environment for what people are trying (yet failing) to do in the comments section. I am being crucified for offering a better solution... people are acting like I have closed the comments section and given no other outlet when in reality I have provided a better solution.
10-23-2008, 11:18 AM
doobz26

No offense, but the layout of the forums (in mel karmazin's words) "sucks." It is more convenient and easier to post in the comments sections, and that is probably why most people do it.
10-23-2008, 12:03 PM
frigginsirius

I agree with Doobz.

And I also agree with SiriusBuzz. It IS there website.

Personally I've become so disillusioned with this stock and now with some of the views of Brandon and Tyler regarding the RS...that I don't even want to come here anymore.

No offense to them. I am just mentally exhausted. There is no safe place anymore in regards to this stock.
10-23-2008, 01:17 PM
SiriusBuzz

The layout of the forums is industry standard and has been adopted across the internet. What is it about the forums that you feels sucks? The information architecture or the actual design? How would you change it? We implement visitor suggestions all the time... speak up people.

BTW, more people post here then in the comments section. Also, who are these people who are voting against the off topic comments and saying that the forums are more conducive to conversation? They certainly don't work for us at SiriusBuzz.

Friggin,

I know exactly how you feel... its my site and I don't even like being here sometimes. That being said, I cant hate my own site because the Sirius management team is sucking wind. Don't project your hatred for Sirius on us!