Community has always been an integral part of the Huffington Post - and comments are a big part of community. They make the site a two-way experience.
As Arianna has written: "People no longer want to just passively sit back and be served up information. We now engage with news, react to news, and share news. News has become something around which we gather, connect, and converse. We can all become part of the evolution of a story now - expanding it with comments and links to relevant information, adding facts and differing points of view."
In fostering a conversation around the news, we have always strived to make this exchange as open, transparent, and civil as possible - something we have worked hard to ensure through comment moderation, using both human moderators and tech tools we have developed.
Today, we're unrolling a new and improved set of commenting guidelines to encourage an even more engaging conversation. In recommitting ourselves to an open conversation around the news, we have taken a few steps to make moderation more efficient.Check out the new guidelines here.
As part of this effort, we are encouraging our users to help out, and recognizing those who do so with our HuffPost Community Moderator badge. You'll soon see new levels of this badge that make the moderation process even more collaborative.
The new guidelines we're unveiling today depend on members of the HuffPost community continuing to engage in the moderation process. We trust you to help us increase our openness by helping rid the site of spam and also by flagging abusive or otherwise inappropriate comments.
One final note I'd like to make is about the role of anonymity. At HuffPost, anonymity is an option for those commenters who feel it allows them to express themselves more fully. While anonymity is sometimes identified as a door through which abusive or inappropriate comments can pass, we believe it's possible for civil conversations to take place with anonymous commenting, so long as we're moderating the discussion.
At the same time, a growing number of commenters are choosing to post using their real names. Either way, we have no doubt that comments will have a big role to play in the evolution of journalism, as informed and knowledgeable commenters provide new information to a story. Civil debate is central to our society and our democracy. And the Huffington Post is committed to being a place where people can go for these kinds of discussions.
Follow Adam Clark Estes on Twitter: www.twitter.com/adamclarkestes
I think this should be discouraged most emphatically but I see no mention of it in the guidelines. Have I missed something?
lff
What happened to the "permalink" feature on posts?
Fairness is an attribute liberals always espouse, I just want to see if it will be practiced.
I personally think ReThug is an inelegant and course word and I don't use it.
Until today, i thought teabaggers were people who wear funny hats (stifling my snicker).
Is it o.k. to say "baggers"?
It is all a slippery slope the Huffpo is on.
All the words we can't use- now tha'd be fun, eh?
Or, reveal the list in the algorithm.
i certainly agree with the following included in huffpo's comment policy.
"We do not allow comments that criticize others based on physical appearances or mental
characteristics. We do not allow comments that celebrate the death, illness, or personal appearance"
loss of any person.
Likewise, threats of violence or threats to anyone or any group's
personal safety are not acceptable."
it is done arbitrarily and capriciously.
the best of HP , is the enhancement of coverage of major issues,
(election,health care, economy, foreign policy)
by informed , thought provoking input.
not badge quest.
i can find no way to contact him.
RE: COMMENT POLICY, section III below.
"other intolerance" is a phrase so vague as to offer NO PROTECTION to those who are accused of being "anti-semitic" by others,
to object to actions of any government based on moral grounds is not "anti-semitic" ,
in failing to recognize this, HP allows our right to speech to be limited and discussion shut down.
this is truly an abuse .
we are a diverse group afforded no descriptive definition .
we are marginalized so casually.
all must enjoy the equal protection accorded to those who who suffer the abuse of racism, sexism, homophobia, anti-Semitism
again, "other intolerance" is a phrase so vague as to offer NO PROTECTION "
------------------------
''(III) We are also committed to maintaining a non-toxic atmosphere.
As such, we do not allow hate speech, nor do we allow speech that advocates or supports hatred or
unlawful violence. We do not allow racism, sexism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, or other intolerance.
Likewise, threats of violence or threats to anyone or any group's personal safety are not acceptable.
We also do not allow false claims or misleading implications that any individual or group perpetuates hate or unlawful violence.
We do not allow comments that criticize others based on physical appearances or mental characteristics.
We do not allow comments that celebrate the death, illness, or personal loss of any person.
We also do not allow the promotion and propagation of conspiracy theories, including those about 9/11. "
Maybe that is the point.
I mean, really, if bloggers can use disgusting sexual acts to describe conservatives, what's the point of having any policy at all?
many groups are marginalized in that their diversity has not provided them with a name or label that enables them to protest comments by others as "anti-_____".
as an example, i and so many others are branded as an "anti-semite" because i object to some of israel's actions on a moral basis.
however, i am unable/not permitted to protest such comments as abusive because the huffpo comment guidelines fail to protect me.
this is a clever means to limit free speech.but it is wrong.
your thoughts, suggestions on my recent post?
Successful forums are community driven, and it is my opinion that the comment section falls far short of the community ideal- though i understand the market driven decisions being made.
There is this idea-
I think it was gmb007 who had the idea of "Huffington Raw!"
Marketed something like:
"Un-moderated troll hunting!
Pick your troll or spin the Winger wheel to do battle in the Rhetorical Cage!"
something like that.
.Catch you and AY elsewhere..
And, what about anti-wasp comments or other groups not protected. Does this mean you are favoring specific groups of people? This sounds a little vague as well.
as an example, i and so many others are branded as an "anti-semite" because i object to some of israel's actions on a moral basis.
however, i am unable/not permitted to protest such comments as abusive because the huffpo comment guidelines fail to protect me.
this is a clever means to limit free speech.but it is wrong.
if only....
your observation(s) are correct, and we as users are left to milque-toast comments on these hot button issues- unless we are all ragging on some conservative in the news or a troll that wanders into the fray- which i do myself on occasion.
That is maybe one reason i don't comment on those fast moving 10,000 comment type stories. I have more to say in the Green or Business sections where it isn't usually so hyper or censored.
These questions might then lead us to believe that, WE are all concerned about our LIVES,HOMES and OUR CHILDREN ! We, are here because interaction is a BASIC NEED of all human beings, We all need to feel that we have a purpose in our life's.
During my time here not only as a member but as a follower, I had found that there are quite alot of people who think like I do, Who challenge others to think outside the box and many of these people have the ability to help others use there God's gift, BRAINS !
What's very strange here is that YOU can be the smartest person in real life but because of a single word out of context, YOU can literally become the STUPIDEST and TODAY'S LAUGHING STOCK here at HP ! Just 1 single word, mis-spelled or otherwise can bring a shit-load of unwanted criticism .