Slashdot's Disagree Mail 202
On Wed Sept 6, 2006 ********* wrote:
"I can't help but notice the huge amount of trolls posting comments the past few days. I know you guys work hard to keep them down but it's a losing battle. You should make people post comments in groups to get rid of the trolls. Everyone would have a "comment buddy" that has to agree that your comment is worth posting. You could make it part of the preview process. This way trolls wouldn't be able to post because nobody else would mark their comment as worth posting. Maybe if two trolls got together they would be able to defeat the "buddy" process but that seems unlikely to me as I don't think they work in groups do they? Maybe this isn't as good an idea as I think for working against large groups but it might work for lone trolls."
I love the idea of a comment buddy. It reminds me of "Posture Pals" from the famous MST3K short. The next mail comes from a lady who doesn't mind clicking on things, in fact she loves it. If she had her way, everyone would have carpal tunnel syndrome.
On Mon May 7, 2007 ******* wrote
"Instead of a confusing bunch of numbers and some adjectives that don't mean anything why not just have a list of everyone who has posted a comment that a user can go through. That way you could click on a name and then click on their comments until you decided if you liked what they had to say. You could then click on them again and click on a ACCEPT COMMENTS link. Then you could click on them again and let them know that you like what they write so they will probably like what you write. That way it would save some clicking. After a bit you will have clicked on enough people that you could see a dozen or so comments in a story because you can't read much more than that anywy. You'd just have to click on a dozen people for a dozen or so stories and you will have your own little community with only the people who were worth clicking on. Just a thought."
Finally we have someone who thinks speech should cost something. In this case, a nominal fee on an upsliding scale.
On Fri Jan 5, 2007 ******* wrote:
"I have a suggestion to help solve the flame problem you seem to have here. It's simple and will make you enough money that you can get rid of ads. You charge 1 cent for the first 2 comments in a day 3-10 comments cost 5 cents and anything over 10 comments cost 25 cents (nobody but flamers post more than 10 times in a day). People would probably complain at first but they'd get used to it just like I'm sure people complained about stamps but accept it now. I don't think people would be willing to flame if it cost a couple $. keep up the good work."
For the Non-Mysties (Score:5, Funny)
"I love the idea of a comment buddy. It reminds me of "Posture Pals" from the famous MST3K short. The next mail comes from a lady who doesn't mind clicking on things, in fact she loves it. If she had her way, everyone would have carpal tunnel syndrome."
"Ms. Martin! Tommy drew a bong! [youtube.com]"
Non-Obvious & Novel? (Score:5, Funny)
"Instead of a confusing bunch of numbers and some adjectives that don't mean anything why not just have a list of everyone who has posted a comment that a user can go through. That way you could click on a name and then click on their comments until you decided if you liked what they had to say. You could then click on them again and click on a ACCEPT COMMENTS link. Then you could click on them again and let them know that you like what they write so they will probably like what you write. That way it would save some clicking. After a bit you will have clicked on enough people that you could see a dozen or so comments in a story because you can't read much more than that anywy. You'd just have to click on a dozen people for a dozen or so stories and you will have your own little community with only the people who were worth clicking on. Just a thought."
Has she approached Amazon with a draft for a 9-click patent?
costly words (Score:5, Funny)
Trolls do not work in groups (Score:5, Funny)
Clearly he has not heard of Something Awful. Yes, we^H^H they do work in groups.
Idea for improving Slashdot (Score:5, Funny)
idle comment box wider. One
can barely type more than
half a sentence in it the
way it is set up now.
Re:Ditch under/overrated as mods (Score:0, Funny)
Re:costly words (Score:5, Funny)
The buddy system would bring a tyranny of the majority to slashdot.
Agreed! The letter mentioned that trolls work alone, but...
Imagine the discord if suddenly all Slashdotters were required to have a friend!
re Comment Buddy (Score:5, Funny)
Re:costly words (Score:5, Funny)
Poppycock. Trolls never abuse multiple accounts.
Re:This is horrible (Score:4, Funny)
I used to wonder if a comment could be both flamebait, and 100% correct at the same time.
Now I know.
Re:costly words (Score:1, Funny)
The buddy system would bring a tyranny of the majority to slashdot
Well, I for one, welcome our new tyrannical groupthink overlords!
Re:costly words (Score:3, Funny)
"Charging for comments??! that's one of the worst ideas i have heard in a while. i don't think this comment is worth a penny! and i bet a lot of people would agree with me!"
It could work, but that's just my two cents. ;-)
UID (Score:5, Funny)
I suggest capping the comment abilities of posters with a UID over #56.
another idea: anti-threadjacking (Score:4, Funny)
Amen on the comment box, bro.
One way to improve slashdot and reduce comment clutter would be to have a way for the reader to collapse entire threads which have drifted off topic, without changing the comment threshhold. Does anyone have a greasemonkey script that does this?
The best example I can think of where this would be necessary, are the articles about evolution, fossils and such related stuff. Early in the discussion the evolutionist, creationist, and intelligent design trolls post, stirring up a whole hornets nest of other trolls and genuinely earnest posters, all of which get modded to +5 insightful. Then you have pages of meaningless comments obscurring any real discussion.
If I could collapse entire threads when they veer off topic, I can then see the two or three comments which might have something meaningful to say.
In the meantime, I just skip those articles entirely because other articles go off topic, but nowhere nearly as badly.
Also, sorry for the offtopic/threadjack, Dave.
Re:UID (Score:5, Funny)
No offense, but aren't you the guy who bought his Slashdot account on eBay or somewhere?
Re: it wouldn't work (Score:4, Funny)
Re:UID (Score:3, Funny)
Re:UID (Score:5, Funny)
Good, I made it.