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13 Comments
Has interest been better or worse off with the change to an open comment section? I find I visit much less and have been put off commenting with the lack of diverse contributors.
I'd be interested to know that too. I've just doubled my contribution because I really value this website. Have to admit it was more engaging when commenting was open to all.
I also asked that question a few weeks ago, acknowledging that it's a private business.
While the level of overall commentary has dropped off, its also clear that the previous endemic political trolls & personal abuse of people who don't share others world views has now diminished to negligible levels.
I agree. Sometimes there's not enough comments nowadays, but it's usually more polite. I think we just need more sign-ups
I have been a paying supporter for some years and backed the move to restrict comments to those who pay, but now I am less certain. many decent articles attract very few comments.
I value the site and want it to continue, but if the move has not resulted in a significant rise in the number of paying contributors, perhaps it should revert to the previous policy. An alternative strategy might be to restrict the articles which can be accessed by non-contributors.
Yesterday a reader emailed me, also wondering if the transition has backfired. This is how I responded:
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Thanks for the feedback Alex.
But we won't be returning to the open-slather style of commenting.
Many people have said they miss the old style. But for us the new way is more sustainable.
We used to get between 150 and 600 comments per day. Because they were post-moderated, the load on the team to stay on top of them from a liability point of view was just too much. It compromised our ability to research and write. The legal obligation to not publish defamatory content is real. We missed a few, and got tied up in legal/admin reviews that were energy spent generated by abusers of the open system. We don't want to be drawn back into that vortex.
Now we get about +/-75 comments per day. It is far more manageable.
Further, we haven't seen a fall-off in readership since the change. So the commercial basis of operating the site is unchanged. It's always been challenging, but no more so since we limited comments to Supporters. The readers (25,000 to 35,000 most weekdays) are still there.
We don't think the change has backfired.
If you don't wish to be a supporter, shifting comments to Reddit is a good idea. And US-based Reddit ignores NZ laws, so they allow a free-for-all, any defamation permitted. They have a twisted idea of free speech in my view - no care and no responsibility, where people who don't know what they are talking about can say the most irresponsible things. I don't want interest.co.nz to slip back into that [mode].
Good to know that, thanks for your considered response & best wishes for the future of this forum.
There's a forum for the kind of comments and commenters that cause problems: the toxic dumpster fire that is social media, and best for all parties here that they stay there.
I guess it's a shame that so many of those that commented regularly & used the site often, were so stingy that they wouldn't pay...it's often the way unfortuantley.
Good to hear you feel overall it worked out better.
I have seen less edits in the comments - must be a lot easier.
When we lost TTP, this likely cleared up XD
Keep up the good work David et al, the Interest.co.nz subscription is worth the money to me. I find, more often than not, that most mainstream news is drivel to say the least, sewing opinion pieces and with no objectivity. This is why I come here, for knowledge, for reasoned articles without heavy bias, and reasoned and rational discussion to learn, laugh and grow.
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