Comments survey
Please take a moment to read and respond to the following.
Debate is raging in the LawsWatch cave as to the value of comments, since the moderation function consumes a lot of busy Watchers' time but, sadly, unmoderated comments are no longer an option since a small number of visitors seem to check their manners at the door when coming here.Some blogs - including high-profile efforts such as Public Address (which includes the excellent Russell Brown's Hard News) - have restricted comments to emails, which the author then occasionally mentions in posts. Whilst others - such as the equally excellent Kiwi Blog run by David Farrar - maintain the comments function. But we know from some of David's post on the blog that it consumes a lot of his time.
So we'd be interested in the completely unscientific results of a small survey, via comments on this post. We'd be especially interested in hearing from people whose visits usually (or solely) consist of reading and not commenting.
Regular commenters - do you want the comments function to continue? Would you continue to visit if it was no longer possible to comment (other than by email)?
Regular readers who don't comment - do you read the comments of others as well as the posts? Would you miss the comments if they didn't appear?
In short, do the comments add to, detract from, or make no difference to your LawsWatch experience?
Please take a moment to let us know your opinion. Thank you.
Note: A new post is below, be sure to check that out too!
Comments on this post are now closed.
23 comments:
Yes, I think we should have comments. It means the mayor can never be sure what's coming.
Like ... did you know his flight from Auckland took off without him, just the other day ... called away to an important phone call, or something else.
1. Without the comments, you don't get debate & discussion;
2. Watchers can inform and sometimes educate each others as to opposing viewpointsl;
3. LawsWatch can correct or amend posts (on factual issues);
4. It's censorship. You'd be as bad as you claim the Chron & RCP to be;
5. You get accused of being one-sided propaganda.
Yes, I think we should have comments. It means the mayor can never be sure what's coming.
Like ... did you know his flight from Auckland took off without him, just the other day ... called away to an important phone call, or something else.
4:39 PM, December 02, 2005
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Yeah, that's exactly the kind of info we need to know! (Not)
You can share info if you allow comments. Besides what's the problem you're seeking to solve, LW? The debate has picked up a thousandfold since the comments were moderated and its good that pro-and anti-views are represented, shared, debated etc.
I'm not anti the mayor but I enjoy the entertainment.
4. It's censorship. You'd be as bad as you claim the Chron & RCP to be;
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true!
As a regular commenter I enjoy it, but I get upset by some of the bullshit too (as I'm sure some of Lawsmob do at what they see as my worst excesses). Restricting us to commenting by email might at least lead to more considered opinions, but wouldn't that just be even more work for the Watchers themselves - you've already got to moderate our remarks. Imagine having to trawl through them for bits and pieces that might make their way into posts?
More hands on deck?
I am disappointed that we're debating this when the council is having meetings, the Chronicle is on strike and no-one knows what's really going on. Wasn't there a strategy meeting or Heart meeting this week? Also I'd like an update on John Martin, LW. Is he in or out?
Why don't you ask John Martin? I think he should wait for the next triennial election - by then Laws' incompetence should be obvious to even Dotty.
I am disappointed that we're debating this...
Sorry, anonymous, your email offering to lend a hand with the several hours a day this takes a small band of volunteers must have got lost. Perhaps you could send it again.
Scrapping anonymity isn't a bad idea, Morgs, except there's no way of doing it. We could force people to enter a name when making a post, but it needn't be their name. Even signing up for a Blogger account does not require proof of identity, it only protects your Blogger ID from hijack. About the only way we'd verify identity is to start asking for credit cards :-)
In any case, given the environment created by the Mayor, where individuals (and not their opinions) are targeted for ridicule, we're not going to impose that burden on people.
Congratulations, though, for being the only commenter remaining who is willing to put their name to their comments.
Dear Laws Watch,
The commentary forum keeps LW fresh and allows debate and that is a good thing because we're not right all the time and neither is the mayor. Sometimes the guy gets it right, sometimes he doesn't and that's what an open forum is about. (And sometimes, just sometimes, you get too negative LW and you deserve a crack yurself but you're right - I'm not busting my arse running this show).
As for the mayor - he doesn't give a sh*t, we know that. But the rest of us have to live in the Wangas he's making and the Chronicle and RCP obviously hate LW so ... keep it going, man. Keep it going and let it be as free as you can make it.
I agree about comments allowed
though some such as
"Like...did you know his flight from Auckland took off without him, just the other day..."
get high pointlessness rating :)
Like I saw him walking on a sunday with his wife and child ...
is that news too ?
I'd be more concerned if he was parked up in Guyton St selling Amway
"Like...did you know his flight from Auckland took off without him, just the other day..."
I don't know about this contribution being pointless. It might help explain the major slagging off he dishes out to airlines and their cabin crew in today's Sunday column.
After that, he may find himself left on the ground more often.
Not sure how to explain, though, the strange mention of how creative types have better sex lives than celebrities, despite being "weird and smelly".
A case of paintbrush envy, perhaps?
i think intelligent comments(probably don`t include mine,m.l?)are essential to judge the general mood of readers-keep them going!!!
joan street-can`t remember my password
anon said ...I'd be more concerned if he was parked up in Guyton St selling Amway
Actually, he's parked up in Guyton St selling Snake Oil.
Actually, he's parked up in Guyton St selling Snake Oil.
8:20 PM, December 04, 2005
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Now, THERE is envy for you!
It might help explain the major slagging off he dishes out to airlines and their cabin crew in today's Sunday column
Major slagging off? Mickey's criticism of the airlines might be entirely justified. On the other hand, I wouldn't want him sitting next to any of my kids.
Perhaps they could run that psychopath test when he next buys a ticket.
:)
Once again Terry Sarten demonstrates that it is possible to write intelligent, funny, relevant op-ed pieces that refrain from abuse or exhibitionism.
He could teach Mickey a lot if Mickey were capable of learning.
At least Mrs Laws had the good grace to stand up and apologise to the rest of the passengers.
"At least Mrs Laws had the good grace to stand up and apologise to the rest of the passengers."
Where's the proof?
I was on that flight - something about an urgent call he had to take. To be fair he told them to take off without him but they tried to remove his luggage only to find out he didn't have any. The flight was delayed about 20 mins before that because of some connecting flight being late. Then they sped up getting here and I was only 10 minutes late in the end - can confirm the mayoress apologised.
Dear LW
Isn't this proven that you need the comments section?
i'm sure that, like me, the rest of us readers have been riveted by the mayor missing a flight to take an urgent phone call. Could we live without kind of information? I don't think so.
Anonymous said...
At least Mrs Laws had the good grace to stand up and apologise to the rest of the passengers.
Wonder if "Mrs Laws" had the good grace to stand up at a Horizons meeting and apologise to her fellow councillors and staff for failing to show and wasting rateypayers' money on that unoccupied Wellington hotel room?
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