You may have noticed that comments on the
recent Storm post have been turned off. If you're wondering why that's the case, it's because a handful of folks posting on that story are being rude, disrespectful, reactionary jerks.
To be clear, we can do that on any and all posts. Commenting on this site is a privilege, not a right -- and this is an exercise to demonstrate that. Lately we've noticed a lot of belligerent commenters acting like they own the place (the place being Engadget). News flash -- you don't. We love the participation and input from our commenters --
the readers of this site are what make it so great -- but when the normally intelligent discussion devolves into nasty, hate-filled rants... well, we have our limits of tolerance. If those commenters who wish to keep up this childish garbage continue, we'll just switch all the comments off. All the comments. Off.
So think before you type, and try to be mindful that the people who work here are human beings trying to do their job, not lightning rods for your bad vibes.
posted December 19th 2008 12:09AM
Ban iEye?
Why? Because he loves Apple. I've never seen him ATTACK any of the other readers like you and the others attack him and clack. I've never seem them attack the writers for writing a story about MS or some other company.
Bottom line is that people like you are hypocrites. You get all riled up and personally attack this website, the writers and commentators like iEye or w/e because they express support for an Apple product or say they don't like another product. Please note we're talking about an item....not a person.
On the other hand if you look at all the Apple posts people who are ANTI APPLE do NOT only attack Apple. They attack the website. They attack the writers. They attack the Apple fanboys or supporters. Making idiotic statements about intelligence. Wishing death or this or that,
Yet that's a okay in your book I'm sure...
@LordVesper: You have got to be kidding me...
If you recall, the Bible was/is an ITEM, not a person, and yet, 2000 years of bloodshed.
Okay, you got me, I don't like the way Engadget handles certain obsessions with certain products. But isn't calling them out on it part of a fair and balanced debate?
We've (mostly) all been calling out to ban the annoying trolls for some time now, and it's only just started happening (or in the case of clak, 20 times over and over and over and...). But one post where people finally get sick of Engadget's obvious bias and it's shit-hits-the-fan time!
Right now, Engadget as a whole (not individuals, obviously some of them are capable of writing an article without making me want to build a giant sarcasm-seeking heat ray) reminds me of a small child having an arguement with other small children; if He's winning he continues to argue and argue as long as he's got majority power behind him. If the tide turns, he'll throw a tantrum and go home.
You know what, I'll take back what I said about banning people, because that would be hypocritical of me. I apologise. We need to hear from ALL spectrums to remain fair and balanced.
What I would like to see in lieu of banning people is for the bloggers on this site to see if they are capable of writing an article that isn't snarky or sarcastic in ANY way. Let me give you some example of article written in the last few days:
"...and it even integrates some leather for that touch of "class" that only a dead animal can bring."
"RIM calls the Storm "Verizon's best-selling device" -- whatever that means"
"In other, more substantiated news, RIM has proclaimed that it sold 6.9 million smartphones between September and November of this year, which -- coincidentally enough -- is exactly how many iPhone 3Gs that Apple sold through in its Q4. So RIM, whenever you feel like dishing out that exact figure that only everyone, everywhere is waiting for, we'll be listening."
"Great googly moogly, we wrote about this very application like fifty weeks ago. Fifty, people!"
"..."OLED Holiday Tree?" Man, we hope those "War on Christmas" people don't catch wind of this one..."
"...which is probably a good thing since capacitive touchscreens will likely continue their assault on resistive touchscreens (cough, Nokia)."
You want I should keep going?
I just vote to ban iEye...going once...twice...?
I think the runners of a site are entitled to show their bias, somewhat.
There's a point where it goes over the top of course but so are the comments pointing out bias, and there is a point that calling bias is becoming an instinctive post on every article, that's annoying too.
Exactly, and that's why I avoid doing it at every possible opportunity.
But sometimes they're so GLARING that it's hard to miss it, and when that happens (which, sadly, seems to be every third article these days), I'm not suprised when people call 'em up on it.
When they use "a pile of anecdotal evidence and hearsay" as the basis of an article, and then paint the article (and attached poll) in the worst possible light, it's so obvious that people probably can't help but mention it.
P.S., Although I'm a frequent visitor I have yet to see a reason to hate iEye as much as half the people here do, the guy can say 'How are you' and people will get nauseous with hate, it's over the top I get the impression.
@CJ
I agree with you on there being some overt bias issues, and I was rather surprised that there really wasn't any positively worded option to select in the poll, but I think that the joke is that it was "anecdotal" and "hearsay" being used as evidence. I think Engadget might have been poking fun at themselves, the blogsphere, etc, and how everyone knows that there is very little "actual" research done for these things.
I also think that sometimes, writers and comment makers misjudge exactly how much people may actually have the same feelings about things as they do. Sometimes you read an article or a comment and you think it's dead on, hysterically funny and accurate. But then the same person (perhaps, in hopes of making their own fan-base show support or find someone to relate to) tries to expound upon something else they feel people might feel strongly about, but this time they have misjudged it all and it backfires.
I laughed when I read the article on the storm, but the poll made me rethink how strongly the author thought the distaste for the product to be. I think therein lies the error. The poll seems more loaded than the article itself.
Glad to see you guys taking a stand for the quality of your site.
Uhh...why don't you guys just figure out how to use the ban-stick? Banning people like iEye, Flashpoint, etc would cut at least 50% of the comments problems.
I really didn't see anything wrong with the posts. Engadget can criticize everyone else, but we they don't want to here any criticism of themselves? Unless the really bad comments were erased, which they may have been, there is really no reason to get worked up. If this is how Engadget is going to be from no on then I guess I need to find somewhere else.
I'd have to agree with a fair number of people here by saying that the post about the storm was ignorant and very biased. i love to read tech writeups with a good zinger here and there, but a post "Based on a pile of anecdotal evidence and hearsay" seems way too opinionated. Even crapgadget posts get some tiny glimpse of positive, nothing good was said about the Storm. and the Poll, "Considering Punting it back to Canada"... not helping you keep us Canucks as readers, thats for sure.
That's what I don't understand about this. Rather than admit that they're just guessing about the situation, they take every chance to put in a dig at Verzion/RIM despite the fact that they don't have any hard numbers, and when they get called on it they turn off comments? That doesn't seem mature to me at all.
Well now there is a common mistake, that all site-owners and/or moderators are mature, that's so far from the truth, really.
That's like thinking politicians are wise :)
Engadget FTW!!!!
Yeah, right. The comments aren't disrespectful. You're just thin-skinned.
Let me put it to you this way: if you can't take the heat, turn off the comment system. Do the internet equivalent of putting your hands over your ears and going "blahblahblahblahblahicantheeeeeeeearyoublahblahblahblah!"
Yes, I'm calling your bluff. If a lack of a comment system really doesn't impact your readership, then why bother having it at all, Engadget? You obviously aren't man enough to handle it.
Aren't. Man. Enough.
Yeah, I agree. Saying that comments are not going to hurt traffic is not being entirely true IMO. Everytime I visit Engadget from Google Reader is because I want to see the comments w.r.t the article. If GR can do some AJAX voodoo and pull comments that would probably cut down my visits considerable.
C'mon guys, Engadget makes a great point here. If you're going to debate about something in the comments, just don't act like a ten year old. Argue with valid points instead of calling the other guy a whiney-face stupidhead. I applaud you, Engadget, for finally bringing this up.
Sure engadget is super biased towards apple products. But guess what? If you dont like it go start your own gadget blog and stop whining about it here. Its their site they can write whatever they want. I for one am sick of all the whining and off topic chatter. They should really implement some sort of age restriction on posting. It seems like all the genuinely interested readers posts get lost in a sea of immature babble. I think most of these people have mistaken the comments for facebook or the like. Oh well. Cest la Vie.
Yes, because we ALL have the power of AOL behind us.
My question is:
What comments were made in the Storm post that they had to close it and why were said comments made? I think it's funny because they didn't shut down any of the election posts and I would think that there would have been more hate filled comments during that than some Blackberry story....
I don't think it's appropriate to scold your readership. Think about it Engadget - Would NYTimes or CNN scold its readers for their comments?! Don't think so.
If you think the comments are running out of control - turn them off or institute a filter/moderating system. No need to make us feel like we're in kindergarten.
CNN and such have super censoring and you can be sure nothing that is too.. problematic will ever reach the visitor eyes.
It isn't appropriate. I agree. Offending readership isn't something to take lightly.
This is why user-level interactions make more sense. They've only created an even more epic sh*tstorm out of the whole thing by making a post about it. Don't post angry stories, and we won't post angry comments. It's as simple as that.
Your ego is quite impressive Engadget.
When people comment on your biased articles you don't make a post to repudiate them but instead threaten to turn off the comments.
Brilliant!
Seriously, I don't understand this at all. I don't see any hate in that thread, I just see people saying that Engadget is making things up about the Blackberry that no one else would corroborate. That article was dripping with so much sarcasm it was ridiculous, as if RIM couldn't do anything right and was clearly lying about sales figures of their own device. I just don't understand how Engadget can presume to know more about RIM's sales numbers than RIM itself, and at the same time take Apple's sales numbers as fact. And I quote from the previous article about the Storm:
"Based on a pile of ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE AND HEARSAY, numbers as high as a 50% return rate have been bandied about"
And after that, they dismiss anyone who's not Apple despite the fact that all they have is hearsay and Verizon actually has sales numbers of their device.
"So Verizon has hit up Boy Genius Report to clarify (well, maybe clarify) the situation: "The Storm has the lowest return rate of any of our PDAs and at this point in its life cycle, it has the lowest return rate of any PDA we currently sell. That kinda sounds like doublespeak to us""
Seriously, a little logic would go a long way in writing some of these posts. When Apple gives sales figures they're facts and can't be wrong, but when Verizon or RIM does it they must be lying based on your anecdotal evidence?
@iofthestorm
You might want to take a reading comprehension course...
The article's "Anecdotal Evidence and Hearsay" was discussing the 50% return rate. Not sales figures. Return rates are not published.
Also, the comment Verizon made to BGR about return rates on the Storm does not give a return rate figure, nor does it deny a 50% return rate. It makes qualifying statements about the Storm's return rates. It does sound like marketing speak, and that is what the editor was pointing out.
You are allowed to read, and form your own opinion, but making statements that show you don't comprehend the basic facts versus the opinion portions of the text don't help your argument...
You can't turn comments off... that's for certain. Stop trying to 'scare' people because it won't work; if anything, the very people you speak of will only get worse in their behavior. Let the people police themselves... free speech is a good thing.
I'm calling your bluff Engadget... I DARE YOU TO TURN OFF ALL COMMENTING, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU CAN"T! Go ahead and punish the masses for the stupid behavior of a select few. What a joke!
Is the comment system still working? just making sure.
Thanks to Engadget to saying what certainly needed to be mentioned. This is one of my favorite sites to go to on a daily bases but the degrading and unneeded comments take away from the excellent experience provided.
have you ever read some of the posts at gizmodo? those are legitimate nerds there, who in their right mind would want to go there?
Sure turn off the comments, and we leave, and you can read your 'blog' yourself.
I'm sure you'll have a barrel of laughs.
In case my point isn't clear: It's a symbiotic thing, you 'need' visitors,. visitors 'need' a reason to visit.
reminds me of the teacher who punishes the whole class when a couple students act out. Only this is the principal threatening the whole school over some students in a class.
I thought the internets was sophisticated enough to block accounts and ips, rather than pee on the people who aren't doing anything.
Worst article i have ever read on this site. This isn't china. Find the culprit and waterboard them, just leave me out of it.
DinoRiders are awesome
what can be greater than lasers? i dont know lasers with dinosaurs!?? yup thats pretty much how that show was created, im sure of it
I would like to steer the topic to this comment.
Was it Lasers with dinosaurs
Or
Dinosaurs with Lasers.
This is 'hate filled' imo.
Welll...now you removed the 'hate filled' comment and my comment is totally out of place!
To recap...I was responding to a post of nothing but the word F**K over and over....
The fuck-filled post was merely a rebellious youth, that's not hate as such surely? There are better words to describe it.
I was using 'hate filled' with as loose a definition as Engadget seems to be using.
touché
i applaud this. im sick of the comments turning into flame wars. if you dont like the iphone or apple fine but it seems like every article blackberry or apple related turns into engadget and iphone bash fest.
ok as much as id hate to have the comments turned off you gotta admit its there party and if they want to cut off the boozes so be it. You dont have to drink to have all the fun
Even I, an iPhone "fanboi" that thinks the Storm is crap, would have to agree that the article in question was blatantly biased against the Storm. Users called Engadget out on it and they react by closing comments.
Did Engadget just cry like a little girl?
you gotta love anonymous internet thugs. so confident and talk so much shit ANONYMOUSLY. ON THE INTERNET. I bet you there will not be a single hater like the ones that (still) come to this site to bitch and whine at the Reader Meet-up on Friday. I would like to see some of them there talking the shit they do here.
go this site but only if u own iphone or touch.,ifap.to.................bberry u can try
well put , I am going to paraphrase you on my site
Crackberry fans are not to be underestimated.
As far as engadget goes, I really want to give you guy some props for easing up of Snark and Apple RDF. More so now that Josh is at the helm which I though at the time would take engadget more towards iVerse.
Anyways, having been a long time reader I'd like to thank you guys for the work you do, have a safe and happy holidays and if you need a reminder of what not to devolve into...check out your "competition" at Giz.
Over there commenter's get personally insulted by the Editor and the status of Jobs BM's are monitored hour to hour.
Ban people like this tool if you want to better your comments. And if you dont want people calling you out on your bias...stop writing clearly bias articles!
All I have to say is rude, disrespectful jerkiness begets rude, disrespectful jerkiness. Don't dish it out if you can't take it.