Comments disabled 🤔

[supremedesigner]

Is there a reason why some posts have comments disabled? I get it; some may have to do with politics but sometimes, it's disabled for no reason. I feel like it's more of censoring. For example, this post disabled the comments with no explaination. https://www.macrumors.com/2023/02/20/apple-communication-safety-new-countries/

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

MacRumors cannot trust the audience it has nurtured to speak about certain topics. It would be too much work for the mods and so they don't allow anyone to discuss it.

 

[Weaselboy]

Is there a reason why some posts have comments disabled?

It is done on article topics experience has shown tend to create a lot of work for the moderators.

 

[I7guy]

MacRumors cannot trust the audience it has nurtured to speak about certain topics. It would be too much work for the mods and so they don't allow anyone to discuss it.

Said another way, the it has been shown by experience that (some) MR forums posters can't behave in a civil enough way and stick to the TOS of the site thus creating additional workload for the moderators.

 

[icanhazmac]

MacRumors cannot trust the audience it has nurtured

🙄

A far more likely reason for "comments disabled" is that moderating at scale is difficult at best, impossible at worst. At the time of this post MR has 1,096,755 registered users, certainly not all of these are active but when dealing with this many users any topic has the capability to go off the rails. I find that MR is usually very quick to reign in bad actors or threads gone awry but again at scale I am sure they cannot meet everyone's moderation expectations, nor should they.

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

🙄

A far more likely reason for "comments disabled" is that moderating at scale is difficult at best, impossible at worst. At the time of this post MR has 1,096,755 registered users, certainly not all of these are active but when dealing with this many users any topic has the capability to go off the rails. I find that MR is usually very quick to reign in bad actors or threads gone awry but again at scale I am sure they cannot meet everyone's moderation expectations, nor should they.

It doesn’t surprise me at all that you would say this.

 

[maflynn]

A far more likely reason for "comments disabled" is that moderating at scale is difficult at best, impossible at worst. At the time of this post MR has 1,096,755 registered users,

Perhaps the structure and organization of the staff is inadequate and instead of shutting down threads, they address the root cause?

If this happened in the business world, where a core functionality had to be curtailed, you can bet your bottom dollar that it would only happen once and then management would reorganize and restructure to ensure the teams could scale. MacRumors is being run like its a small site, and using that excuse year in and year out without doing anything seems disingenuous

 

[smirking]

It doesn’t surprise me at all that you would say this.

Try running an online forum sometime. It's exhausting.

I've been suspended a time or two. I'd be lying if I said I didn't take it personally at the time, but I've been in their shoes before. Nobody ever thinks they're doing anything wrong no matter how toxic they're acting.

 

[laptech]

It is done on article topics experience has shown tend to create a lot of work for the moderators.

We hear that excuse time and time again. Maybe it is time for the site owner to invest in proper moderation rather than turn out the same excuse 'it was disabled because it creates too much work for the moderators'.

 

[icanhazmac]

Interesting, some who complain about moderation want more moderation.

 

[laptech]

Interesting, some who complain about moderation want more moderation.

There is a difference between more moderation and better moderation.

 

[icanhazmac]

There is a difference between more moderation and better moderation.

My point exactly, some want MR moderated to their personal standards and are seemingly never pleased.

 

[annk]

Is there a reason why some posts have comments disabled? I get it; some may have to do with politics but sometimes, it's disabled for no reason. I feel like it's more of censoring. For example, this post disabled the comments with no explaination. https://www.macrumors.com/2023/02/20/apple-communication-safety-new-countries/

I have no trouble understanding that users will sometimes disagree with decisions made by the editors. It's inevitable on such a big site with so many users, who all of course have opinions about how things should be done.

The editors always have a reason for disabling comments, it's not done "for no reason". You can invite the editors to discuss their choices here in this forum section, but to call it censorship is incorrect. Censorship has to do with a government's ability to interfere with the expression of its citizens. It doesn't apply to a private online site, and this is a private site.

The reason given by @Weaselboy explains why some posts have comments disabled. @I7guy's comment is unfortunately also true. If users all followed the rules, all stories could be opened for comments and there could be fewer restrictions on what can be discussed. Editorial decisions are influenced by user behavior. And the OP wonders about an editorial decision in his post.

I'm sure @WildCowboy (editor in chief) can say something about whether or not there are other reasons for disabling comments.

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

Try running an online forum sometime. It's exhausting.

I've been suspended a time or two. I'd be lying if I said I didn't take it personally at the time, but I've been in their shoes before. Nobody ever thinks they're doing anything wrong no matter how toxic they're acting.

I hear you, but running any business is exhausting. That doesn't excuse MR from creating an atmosphere where "it is too much work" to allow your users to discuss Apple things related to International Women's Day, for goodness sake. 🤣 I've been here a long, long time and have watched the moderation go downhill as the site got bigger and bigger. I think @maflynn has it right when he says that he believes the site is still being run like a small business instead of what it is now. And he is in a better position than both of us to know that.

 

[icanhazmac]

While it is reasonable to assume that you would be able to comment on articles here at MR you are not entitled to do so.

 

[antiprotest]

It's because that's a settled issue and everybody already knows I am right so there is no need to beat a dead horse.

 

[laptech]

Censorship has to do with a government's ability to interfere with the expression of its citizens. It doesn't apply to a private online site, and this is a private site.

I respectively disagree with that line of yours because every private online site has censorship but instead of being referred to as censorship, it's more common use name is 'rules'. MR is no different, you have rules that prevent members from discussing certain topics or use certain words. It does not matter how bad the words are, you do not allow them to be used, hence censorship. I totally understand why certain words or certain topics are not allowed to be used in here but at the end of the day it's still comes under censorship. You have decided what is and is not allowed and that's censorship. Call it what ever you will, rules, terms and conditions but it is still censorship.

 

[I7guy]

I respectively disagree with that line of yours because every private online site has censorship but instead of being referred to as censorship, it's more common use name is 'rules'. MR is no different, you have rules that prevent members from discussing certain topics or use certain words. It does not matter how bad the words are, you do not allow them to be used, hence censorship. I totally understand why certain words or certain topics are not allowed to be used in here but at the end of the day it's still comes under censorship. You have decided what is and is not allowed and that's censorship. Call it what ever you will, rules, terms and conditions but it is still censorship.

Yes, article 10 protects free speech but the definition censorship is usually associated with words or pictures deemed offensive although everybody may have their own unique definition.

And to me MR does censor according to the definition above but they do have rules.

When one walks into someone’s house rules are usually in effect. Take the shoes off, no running etc. No different here in MR we are in someone’s house and we have to abide by their rules. And while we all know that and it doesn’t need to be said nobody who is criticizing and wanting change in moderation is offering to pay the bills.

It’s a great attribute of the site that comments, critiques and even harsh comments are allowed and responded to.

 

[laptech]

Yes, censorship does exist within MR but is used in the guise of 'Forum rules and Guide lines'.

 

[maflynn]

censorship does exist within MR

Yes, you are correct. No matter how you slice it, its censorship - I posted the definition since people seem hung up on what is and isn't censorship. MacRumors is suppressing and prohibiting content they find unacceptable. They define specifics on various content and when that is violated the post is removed.

They also choose to suppress content that is not expressed in the rules

And to me MR does censor according to the definition above but they do have rules.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there's no rules being violated with the news story Apple's Communication Safety Feature for Children Expanding to 6 New Countries

 

[icanhazmac]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there's no rules being violated with the news story Apple's Communication Safety Feature for Children Expanding to 6 New Countries

Please see post #15, rules don't need to be broken, MR simply decided not to open that particular article up for comments. No member here is entitled to the opportunity to comment on articles. Commenting on articles is an opportunity provided by MR at their discretion.

Locking that particular article down was a head scratcher for me as well but it was their decision so I shrug and move on. If any company I interact with begins doing too many things that negatively impact my experience I move on, lots of choices out there. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of energy individuals will put into complaining about the same things over and over and over and over and over again. Life is too short, if you don't get results the first time or two you make suggestions, move on as it is obvious you won't get your way.

Suggestion for MR: Is there a way to remove the "comments disabled" text and just leave it blank? Perhaps the word "disabled" is triggering and causing the reaction more than any genuine desire to discuss the topic of the article.

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

Equally amazing are those who spend their energy constantly defending an organization over and over and over and over again when that organization wouldn't even notice if they were left. I guess they think that MR is perfect and cannot improve at all. In fact, why should there even be a Site and Forum Feedback section?

 

[Madhatter32]

What amazes me are people thinking they can go into someone else's house and say literally anything they want whenever they want. Well, you can't.

 

[icanhazmac]

Equally amazing are those who spend their energy constantly defending an organization over and over and over and over again when that organization wouldn't even notice if they were left. I guess they think that MR is perfect and cannot improve at all. In fact, why should there even be a Site and Forum Feedback section?

So differing opinions are not welcome? Typical. 🙄

I'm rather sure the Site and Forum Feedback section is intended for suggestions/complaints as well as supportive posts or discussions regarding either.

 

[JayAgostino]

What’s even more amazing is that people can be so complacent and are completely willing to let themselves be crushed. As far as I’m concerned, very few of us here actually have a vested interest in the operations of this forum, so why go to such great lengths in order to defend it from constructive criticism? When the Titanic was sinking, nobody was bootlicking the captain, trying to suppress the panic, and act like everything is fine.

For example, imagine being so shallow about your own beliefs that you’re not willing to protest for what you believe in (along with the best interests of most other people).