Censorship at Irish Times?

Bichon Lover

The Irish Times now restricts readers' comments on its articles to those using Facebook or LinkedIn. The Twitter facility has been removed.

Meanwhile over at the Examiner and Indo one can use Facebook, Gmail, Twitter, or Disqus to comment.

I have the impression that the IT is steadily reducing the ability of its readers to engage with it, matched by the increasing feebleness of its editorials. Basically, it is going downhill.

Anyone else share this view?

BurnsCarpenter

I don't know, the standard of debate seems marginally better in the Times than the Independent, say.

Maybe having people use their FB profiles reins in some of the ranting that comment sections seem to invite.

_Kaiser_

BurnsCarpenter wrote: »

I don't know, the standard of debate seems marginally better in the Times than the Independent, say.

Maybe having people use their FB profiles reins in some of the ranting that comment sections seem to invite.

So using perhaps the biggest waste of bandwidth currently available (Facebook) is meant to encourage better debate? Or the slightly posher back-slapping version (LinkedIn).

Not having a go at you but if that's their thinking it doesn't make sense to me, but then I have very little time for these social media sites in general.

I do have accounts on both of the above networks that I almost never even log in to, but I certainly wouldn't link them to a 3rd party site either so I just refrain from commenting even though some stuff just begs a rebuke.

BurnsCarpenter

My point was more that a Facebook profile is very public so people might be a little more restrained - generally it's your actual name and photo being put out there, so it might require less moderation.

For the Independent you do need to submit your google profile but you can use an anonymous username.

That said, I posted comments to the Times website a few times prior to their overhaul of the comments system but I will be unlikely to do so again. I generally don't want to post publicly using my real name.

mike65

I did this thread a while back,

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=79395411

I haven't contributed to the IT since the changes as I do not FB/Twitter or Linkedin. I do Disqus though as many use that platform, one which doesn't try to reel me in to its web.

windowcleaner

mike65 wrote: »

I did this thread a while back,

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=79395411

I haven't contributed to the IT since the changes as I do not FB/Twitter or Linkedin. I do Disqus though as many use that platform, one which doesn't try to reel me in to its web.

"Contributed"

What, as a journalist?

Or did you mean "comment"? As in, a comment below the line on a piece which you didn't get paid for?

Big difference - and the sooner people cop this on, the better. This new fondness for reader interaction is confusing a lot of people

mike65

A posted comment is a contribution, sorry to annoy!

/bows and tugs forelock as I back away though the door.

IRE60

windowcleaner wrote: »

This new fondness for reader interaction is confusing a lot of people

Yea - reader interaction, who want's that.

I mean the internet is not about interaction. You won't find me 'interacting' (air quotes)

You won't find me posting 74 comments on a forum like this and "interacting" with punters...........no.

:rolleyes:

windowcleaner

IRE60 wrote: »

Yea - reader interaction, who want's that.

I mean the internet is not about interaction. You won't find me 'interacting' (air quotes)

You won't find me posting 74 comments on a forum like this and "interacting" with punters...........no.

:rolleyes:

Bit of a difference here - I'm not claiming to "contribute" to a national newspaper like our friend above.

expectationlost

they'll change it back soon enough like everything else

expectationlost

and.... its back

Bichon Lover

So it is, contradicting the explanation I (finally) received from the IT.

Still, do not look a gift horse in the mouth. :cool:

expectationlost

what explaination did you get?, they are just trying out different things to see what works, who cares what the user wants

coylemj

I frankly doubt if any of the newspaper staff read the comments, it's pretty much a graveyard and I wouldn't bother posting anything.