Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

No Comments Allowed on Smoking Gun, most of Fox News sites. Why Now?
Feb. 19, 2015 | Lee Martell

Posted on 02/19/2015 11:21:25 AM PST by lee martell

One of my greatest online pastimes, other than viewing Free Republic, had been to read the comments left after an unusual or intriguing news event. I've noticed that within the last year, more and more news sites will either not allow for any comments to be posted, or will say leaving comments is contingent on first joining Facebook. I have no intention of getting on Facebook at this time, because I've heard the CEO laugh off any concerns of privacy as an antiquated , even suspicious mindset. I feel the same about twitter too. I've heard of the many instances of folks swarming and attacking anyone who writes something that challenges popular opinion. I've heard of people who delight in ruining one's reputation in their working life, to the point where that person loses their jobs. However, I'm sort of missing the free flow of comments from the average person. Most commenting sites no longer allow you to Vote Down an unpopular idea or statement. I really do miss being able to use my Down Vote every once in a while.


TOPICS: Conspiracy; Society
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-37 last
To: Veggie Todd

I suspect that’s how Baraq Obama got to #3 in Tweater followers. The other 9 are “celebrities” LOL.


21 posted on 02/19/2015 12:01:04 PM PST by nascarnation (Impeach, convict, deport)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: lee martell

I have a bogus facebook page using the name of an ex mafia boss. Any information I put on it such as where I’m from, I put Sicily. That allows me to comment on any newspaper or website that allows you sign in with your Facebook account......Easy Peezy....


22 posted on 02/19/2015 12:09:31 PM PST by Hot Tabasco (Uncle Sy: "Beavers are like Ninjas, they only come out at night and they're hard to find")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Veggie Todd

I could use a fake name, yes, but I would need to jump around physically using one computer in one location, another computer or android in another location. I think that all devices in my home would share the same IP Address.


23 posted on 02/19/2015 12:11:04 PM PST by lee martell (The sa)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: FreeAtlanta
I think it has more to do with the comments being overwhelmingly conservative, thus, showing the country isn’t moderate or leftist.

Exactly!

They don't want a comment or comments successfully debunking clueless reasoning that was used by the author of one of their articles thus exposing the author as the idiot that he is..

24 posted on 02/19/2015 12:15:01 PM PST by JohnG45
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Zhang Fei
People who get involved in these things as anything other than anonymous contributors need to understand that if they say anything controversial, it will be recorded for posterity in Google's cache.

Do you really think that the Obama gang isn't tracking all the "anonymous contributors"?

25 posted on 02/19/2015 12:26:36 PM PST by iowamark (I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Hot Tabasco

Not long ago, Facebook had a great purging of fake accounts. I am glad to see mine wasn’t the only one that made it thru that scrubbing.


26 posted on 02/19/2015 12:29:20 PM PST by GreenAccord (Bacon Akbar)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Zhang Fei
Moderating comments requires the hiring of paid staff. My guess is that they’re testing the waters to see if having comments enabled pays for itself. If traffic drops off significantly, they will probably re-enable them. Bloomberg has disabled comments, presumably for the same reason.

Too much spam ("I make $50,000 an hour at home") combined with too much racism and fake racism and/or vulgarity means that most of these companies will keep comments off.
27 posted on 02/19/2015 12:32:32 PM PST by af_vet_rr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: lee martell

[ I could use a fake name, yes, but I would need to jump around physically using one computer in one location, another computer or android in another location. I think that all devices in my home would share the same IP Address. ]

Just tap into your liberal neighbor’s wi-fi, they are commies they are supposed to like sharing....


28 posted on 02/19/2015 12:44:53 PM PST by GraceG (Protect the Border from Illegal Aliens, Don't Protect Illegal Alien Boarders...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: GreenAccord
Facebook had a great purging of fake accounts.

I didn't know that........

With that being said, there is an email privacy concern that I've noticed. Whenever I actually visit that account, which is almost never, there will be a list of individuals "do you know so and so" and ask me to hook up with them. In many of the cases, they ARE people I know.........

How Facebook was able to match them up with my fake account, I have no idea........The only explanation I can come up with is that these individuals and I are all tied together by past email contact with one another even tho they may not be in my email address book.

29 posted on 02/19/2015 12:56:39 PM PST by Hot Tabasco (Uncle Sy: "Beavers are like Ninjas, they only come out at night and they're hard to find")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Hot Tabasco
How Facebook was able to match them up with my fake account, I have no idea

Well, it is run by an acknowledged hacker.

(One of the many reasons to limit the activity on it, for sure) I actually think I spend more time using my throw away presence than my real one. I am rarely on the real one anymore, and that's mostly just to say happy birthday to friends.

30 posted on 02/19/2015 1:29:15 PM PST by GreenAccord (Bacon Akbar)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: lee martell

Two reasons:
1 - those comment threads have more and more become the land of trolls and dipsticks and managing them is a nightmare
2 - tagging it through your FB account removes the hassle of ID maintenance from them AND puts your comments on FB so your friends see the articles and maybe click through


31 posted on 02/19/2015 1:32:09 PM PST by discostu (The albatross begins with its vengeance A terrible curse a thirst has begun)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

You could store all the comments for FOX news stories for 100 years on a key fob for a few hundred bucks...


32 posted on 02/19/2015 1:47:01 PM PST by Axenolith (Government blows, and that which governs least, blows least...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: All

I think comments removed is more about keeping the low readership number concealed from advertisers.


33 posted on 02/19/2015 1:53:47 PM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lee martell
...more and more news sites will either not allow for any comments to be posted, or will say leaving comments is contingent on first joining Facebook.

Our local Gannett newsrag did the Facebook thing a couple of years ago. The result? Threads which used to get hundreds of posts and responses now get dozens; those which used to get dozens get a few or none.

34 posted on 02/19/2015 1:58:29 PM PST by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed & water the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS NOW & FOREVER!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lee martell
I could use a fake name, yes, but I would need to jump around physically using one computer in one location, another computer or android in another location. I think that all devices in my home would share the same IP Address.

Can I set one up from my public library?

35 posted on 02/19/2015 2:00:55 PM PST by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed & water the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS NOW & FOREVER!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: Axenolith

It ain’t worth it!.............


36 posted on 02/19/2015 2:24:04 PM PST by Red Badger (If you compromise with evil, you just get more evil..........................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: lee martell

TorGuard is your answer.


37 posted on 02/20/2015 12:22:01 AM PST by esoxmagnum (Turtles don't win fights. Victory belongs to the aggressor, not the guy hiding in a bunker.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-37 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson