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comments moderation or censorship?

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  1. eulampios

    comments moderation or censorship?

    Just found out that one of my posts I left for A. Orlowski's article was removed 3 days later after it was accepted by a moderator.

    Well, perhaps a few folks (like me) were noticing their comments to require moderation specifically when left for Orlowski's articles, while no comments pre-moderation is required on ElReg elsewhere.

    Now, the trend is changing. You get moderated twice, and can get rejected in the second run a few days later after the comment was accepted by the original moderator.

    The reason of all this commotion is that a commenter's opinion doesn't agree with that of the original article's author. A number of other comments were also removed apparently after first moderation in the same forum. Do the guidelines change somehow? Or the moderation is becoming pretty immoderate having turned into some sort of censorship?

    I tried leaving another comment in that forum, no surprise, it was also rejected. I put it below:

    It's unacceptable, ElReg!!!

    Comments now are being censored?

    Whenever I leave a comment to an article written by A. Orlowski, I got moderated. It is okay with me. However, when a comment gets originally accepted by a moderator and subsequently rejected 3 days later by apparently another moderator, it's not nice in my book. Moreover, I can claim, that the comment in question was totally within the rules of ElReg's guidelines . The only problem was that it contradicted the article's findings and points.

    There are a few other comments that were accepted and subsequently shut up due to the same reasons.

    This is a pure censorship. Shame on ElReg!

    2 1 Reply
    1. eulampios
      Reply Icon

      Re: comments moderation or censorship?

      In a previous forum a some sort of explanation why Andew's article require a pre-moderation came up: No, you were posting on one of Andrew's articles, so you went into a queue. Nothing personal; all of Andrew's stories require pre-mod to keep away the anti-Andrew brigade.

      And the later : Let's clarify this. Anti-Andrew viewpoint- whatever. Ad homs, often vicious - they're not getting through.

      Well, however strange it could sound, I can still accept that, but... The rejected comment in question was nowhere ad-hominem. It didn't even talk about Andrew at all and never even mentioned that article!!!

      Another point is that it did go through and got rejected only 3 days later after receiving some votes (and downvotes).

      So let's indeed clarify this, don't we? Here it is:

      That might be true if the said DA (the Mississippi AG, to be precise ) would try at least to compile the letters to Google by him/herself when communicating with the evil entity, not by using the MPAA's own template as it surfaced after the Sony hack.

      This clearly shows that the Attorney General is anything but independent in his pursuit of justice and public well being, but just a corrupted tool in the hands of an organization with the certain agenda which is in conflict with Google's business. This very agenda BTW is also very much in conflict with the key principles of free speech and innovation. (Hint: SOPA)

      0 1 Reply
    2. diodesign (Written by Reg staff) Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: comments moderation or censorship?

      "It's unacceptable, ElReg!!! Comments now are being censored?"

      It's absolutely acceptable. Our house, our rules. We see nothing wrong with curating comments that appear under our articles.

      You're always welcome to email our writers if you feel your opinion isn't being heard.

      C.

      1 1 Reply
      1. eulampios
        Reply Icon

        Re: comments moderation or censorship?

        >>Our house, our rules.

        Of course, of course. It's nice to learn though finally the way these comments are being curated to get an idea about the house.

        >>You're always welcome to email our writers if you feel your opinion isn't being heard.

        No need for this. I wasn't welcomed by the second moderator. Thanks to the fist moderator it was heard and read by a few people.

        0 0 Reply
    3. diodesign (Written by Reg staff) Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: comments moderation or censorship?

      "This is a pure censorship. Shame on ElReg!"

      PS: You don't understand what censorship means. Read this.

      C.

      2 0 Reply
  2. clean_state

    Censored too

    I juste posted a rather informative and detailed comment on Andrew's latest article "Europe could be drowned in 'worthless pop culture' thanks to EU copyright plans". I was calling him out, in an argumented way, for supporting big business against consumers.

    I was censored. The comment does not even appear in my Register history.

    I read The Register because it is an unconventional rag with a variety of opinions. Publishing rigidly conservative articles that border on misinformation AND censoring dissenting comments on them raises questions on how "unconventional" El Reg really is.

    2 0 Reply
    1. clean_state
      Reply Icon

      Re: Censored too

      small correction: the post does appear in my Register history, under "My Posts", but not under "Posts by XXX" and is not visible in the comments of the article.

      0 0 Reply
    2. Ian K
      Reply Icon

      Re: Censored too

      "Publishing rigidly conservative articles that border on misinformation AND censoring dissenting comments on them raises questions on how "unconventional" El Reg really is."

      Yeah, on a related note I've had comments pointing out factual inaccuracies in Lewis's articles blocked. Combine that with the blocking of posts that were deeming to be too uncomplimentary to Andrew (for a guy that's not shy about dishing insults out, he does seem to have a rather thin skin) and I've pretty much stopped even trying to comment on articles. Too likely to be a wasted effort.

      "Their house, their rules", of course, but for me it's started feeling a bit too much like the sort of house where you get glared at if you don't immediately take your shoes off on the doormat, or you get a snippy comment if you leave a towel crooked in the bathroom.

      1 0 Reply
      1. diodesign (Written by Reg staff) Silver badge
        Reply Icon

        Re: Re: Censored too

        Email corrections @ theregister.co.uk if you spot any issues with stories, ta.

        C.

        0 0 Reply
  3. Lusty

    I thought it was well known that El Reg delete comments they don't like. It's in the Ts and Cs after all, along with their policy of publishing literally any story if it gets delivered in a wheelbarrow full of cash. There's no standards around here, only the moneys!

    0 0 Reply

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