In light of Matt Sheffield's latest post, I found it a bit funny that this article is featured on the front page of USAToday.com this morning (see screenshot to the right).
SAN FRANCISCO — Brooke Brodack remembers her first online "hater."Nearly two years ago, the person posted rude comments about a video she had posted on YouTube, says Brodack, 21, of San Francisco, whose videos show her lip-syncing and creating characters. "It was shocking to me. Why would someone want to be so mean for no reason?"
Why, indeed? Nasty comments, sometimes even death threats, have become ubiquitous on virtually any website that seeks to engage readers in discussion.
"Ur ugly u suk and u should die," says a typical comment beneath one of Brodack's many videos. Such vulgar messages have inspired heated discussions, and video responses, on YouTube.
Reporter Janet Kornblum later brought the topic around to how mainstream media Web sites have taken to banning comments after persistent problems:
Several newspapers, wary of outrageous posts by readers, have banned all comments during major news events. That's what happened in April at The Roanoke Times in Virginia, which shut down a message board it had set up to discuss the deadly shootings at Virginia Tech.
Initial comments were "very civil," says online editor John Jackson, but they quickly turned ugly. "All of a sudden, we started noticing the nastier comments."
He can't recall exactly what they said but remembers they were laced with profanity. "It was really a no-brainer decision to take it down because it really crossed the line so terribly," Jackson says.
At The Orange County Register, editors had to remind readers that the rules of discussion required civil conversation after several nasty and often profane comments were posted in response to a March story about an obese woman who had given birth to a baby she hadn't known she was carrying.
Perhaps this opens up a question for the Web site editors/content managers for prominent blogs. Banning comments altogether doesn't generally serve the interests of bloggers nor help cater to a loyal audience, and it isn't good for traffic numbers. It stifles conversation and puts another barrier between the producers and consumers of the content.
But are comments really ever necessary for posts that simply relay news about the health of a public official or political figure?
Let's face it, there's little if any real policy discussion that is germane to news of a Supreme Court justice suffering a seizure. The comments invariably range from the benign wishful thoughts and prayers to the grossest of death wishes. Neither serve to further legitimate debate, and the former are to be expected of all people of good will, regardless of political stripe.
Or is it likely that some blog editors leave those comments threads open precisely because they are an outlet of rage for the more radical elements of their loyal audience?
—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters















Editor at Large

Comments Policy
Lets face it, rudeness and
July 31, 2007 - 11:18 ET by Chris NormanLets face it, rudeness and cruel remarks are encouraged by the media - even as they decry it. Look at the so-called reality shows. The characters are rude and cruel to each other, way past any normal situations. One can only conclude the producers encourage this, as if it makes for "good televison". This probably translates to other areas of the media, as well.
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
Including media bias blogs
July 31, 2007 - 11:23 ET by sarcasmoIncluding media bias blogs which display blatant double-standards WRT hate...Whines about "hate" when one of the Editor's Picks is "Why I hate libertarians" will be met with charges of "hypocrite" because that's how I am. I call 'em as I see 'em, and I see biased hypocrites right here, in the "anti biased" community. I just decided, on Stevens Criminality Day, that enough's enough, and that elicited a chorus of fine whines.
JMR
all this article means is
July 31, 2007 - 11:45 ET by TruthMongerall this article means is that the web must be leaning rightward
if it leaned left then it would be the "re-emergence of democracy" or something along those lines
this stuff is getting way to easy!
Sarc, Why are you taking
July 31, 2007 - 12:47 ET by Chris NormanSarc,
Why are you taking after me? I don't hate libertarians. I love everybody. :) I think what you're seeing is frustration at the discrepancy in coverage between Dems and Reps. No one likes corruption in either party, but the Dems corruption either is buried on the Hill or by the media. Besides, if you make a snarky comment, you've got to kind of expect the replies to be along the same lines. Remember the addage about honey/vinegar/flies...
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
I've given and gotten snark
July 31, 2007 - 12:53 ET by sarcasmoI've given and gotten snark all day, Chris, and it's not about you, but when I take on an entire group, trounce 'em logically, and then it gets deleted, I get annoyed. The good news for fairness-finally around these parts is, my rant about Ace's idiocy made the Editor's Picks too -- probably due to all this vinegar I've spewed -- so I managed to enforce a bit of fairness & balance around immaturity-land, finally. But I'm not thrilled with the bias and cowards today, or with the crooks.
JMR
Obviously, I probably
July 31, 2007 - 12:59 ET by Chris NormanObviously, I probably didn't see any of your deleted comments, but I ask (with a wince) how did you word them exactly?
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
See for yourself, I'll paste
July 31, 2007 - 13:02 ET by sarcasmoSee for yourself, I'll paste the whole thing in now.
JMR
Chris, you have to
July 31, 2007 - 12:55 ET by MightyMouthChris, you have to understand one of Sarc's wild assertions has finally been validated. He's been like a two year old on a sugar high this morning. Next thing you know he will be insisting that NB is anti-libertarian!
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Huh? I've already proved
July 31, 2007 - 12:58 ET by sarcasmoHuh? I've already proved that, long ago, so I don't know what's so "wild" about it. And I've been kickin' enough ass that my stuff got deleted by the coward-element, like it or not, but I've got a copy this time. Wanna see all the foolishness against me in the open thread? I can make that happen pronto, you know...
JMR
See, you are on a sugar
July 31, 2007 - 13:02 ET by MightyMouthSee, you are on a sugar high. Sarcasmo misses obvious sarcasam. Perhaps a nap could help.
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Calling my (now proven, so
July 31, 2007 - 13:06 ET by sarcasmoCalling my (now proven, so it's facts!) "assertions" "wild" deserves the kind of response you just got, dude. Unless "wild" = true, that is...
JMR
I was refering your claim
July 31, 2007 - 13:10 ET by MightyMouthI was refering your claim to have "busted" Steven's, when in fact the DOJ did that.
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
No, I busted the
July 31, 2007 - 13:11 ET by sarcasmoNo, I busted the media/mediabias-buster bias, not Stevens. Stevens was merely another right-on prediction of political criminality.
JMR
No, to you Stevens was a
July 31, 2007 - 13:16 ET by MightyMouthNo, to you Stevens was a big spender, the DOJ is proving him a crook. Of course to you, the terms may be synonymous .
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
No, even the news media were
July 31, 2007 - 13:19 ET by sarcasmoNo, even the news media were way-ahead of the DOJ despite their usual cluelessness, so yes I did call Stevens a crook more than a year ago, right here from Florida even though the story's in Alaska. But even though I was talking about the obvious-even-to-the-media-fer-chrissakes corruption, the terms are synonyms for me because big spending leads to this kind of easily-predictable corruption.
JMR
Ok, so the "media" saw
July 31, 2007 - 13:28 ET by MightyMouthOk, so the "media" saw Stevens corruption well before the DOJ and then Sarcasmo seeing the media report, busted Stevens (somewhere)?
This of course being the same media that will pounce on any Republican scandal no matter how small and ride it to death, along with the same sarcasmo that will do likewise?
I don't think you can back all that up, why are we just hearing about it now?
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Yep, yep, and that
July 31, 2007 - 13:31 ET by sarcasmoYep, yep, and that "somewhere" was right here, hence the I told you so long ago, as others have already said they remember. If it were possible to use this site's search function effectively (and if search were trustworthy, considering the deletion by some of on-topic conversations when NB's credibility is questioned) I'd look it up for you, but for now you'll just have to take my & others word that I called Stevens a crook long before today.
JMR
See Sarc,
July 31, 2007 - 13:13 ET by Chris NormanSee Sarc, calling them "cowards" is hardly the way to win friends and influence people. If you make provocative comments, then you, well, provoke people. Anyhow, as of late, I get very few replies to my comments, telling me I'm off my game and not making very worthy points. So, at least you get replies, for better or worse... :)
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
Ok, maybe it was courage
July 31, 2007 - 13:16 ET by sarcasmoOk, maybe it was courage that somehow caused 'em to get deleted, you make the call, but to me, it looked more than a bit cowardly compared to just debating me if I am actually wrong. Deleting my posts is much easier intellectually, though, I'll certainly give the cowards (there I go, calling a spade a spade again) that! Tell me what it was if it wasn't cowardice, or how I should describe it? I was told it was "off topic," but that excuse would eliminate a substantial number of posts that have way less intellectual content, and we ALL know it, so I call "BS" on that one. As I keep saying around here, I call 'em like I see 'em.
JMR
why was sarc's stuff deleted
July 31, 2007 - 13:19 ET by TruthMongerwhy was sarc's stuff deleted admin people - WTF is going on here?
Allegedly off-topic, but go
July 31, 2007 - 13:21 ET by sarcasmoAllegedly off-topic, but go read it all for yourself -- the formatting was off and a few messages are still missing, but basically it's me taking on the usual gang and kicking ass as usual, IMO. And the off-topic posts were mainly about media bias...
JMR
who the hell told you it was
July 31, 2007 - 13:23 ET by TruthMongerwho the hell told you it was off topic?
Matthew. I bitch to the top
July 31, 2007 - 13:26 ET by sarcasmoMatthew. I bitch to the top when I bitch around here. (Well, ok, I bitch elsewhere, too, but I bitch about that stuff to the top!) As I said, I did chew him out a bit in a PM early this morn, due to my extreme annoyance with the unReaganlike dimwittedness of "Ace" and the fact that the Editor's Picks had, until today's remedial action, become a haven for repeated immature attacks on libertarians. I let him know what I thought of that immature situation, and presumably he wasn't amused. Neither was I, so we're even.
JMR
ok i see - well done
July 31, 2007 - 13:31 ET by TruthMongerok i see - well done
Thanks. I hope it does not
July 31, 2007 - 13:32 ET by sarcasmoThanks. I hope it does not happen again...
JMR
Yeah, but I go back to the
July 31, 2007 - 13:40 ET by Chris NormanYeah, but I go back to the way you "call them" as you "see them". Your message may get lost in all the personal provocations. If you want replies, you certainly get them, but then again, so does Leon, Wilson, and Waka...
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
}}}----> Yo Chris
July 31, 2007 - 13:16 ET by Cool ArrowDid sarc mention he's for Ron Paul? The secret's out.
Maybe I'll put it in a
July 31, 2007 - 13:20 ET by sarcasmoMaybe I'll put it in a sigfile, like some of the Thompson fans have done!
JMR
Don't listen to the biased media without also listening to this principled man.
}}}----> Let me guess
July 31, 2007 - 13:38 ET by Cool ArrowWould that link be Ron Paul?
I'm stunned.
I thought you said Chef
July 31, 2007 - 13:49 ET by Roger the ShrubberI thought you said Chef Paul.
Not to be confused with his wife.
Jerry Springer got the ball
July 31, 2007 - 11:27 ET by balboaJerry Springer got the ball rolling, not to mention Morton Downey, Jr. Then "reality" shows picked up the ball and ran with it, starting with "The Real World."
I never thought that chefs,
July 31, 2007 - 12:49 ET by Chris NormanI never thought that chefs, interior decorators, personal trainers, and hair stylists could be so ruthless, duplicitous, and cruel... :)
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
Saturday Night Live
July 31, 2007 - 11:38 ET by iveseenitallThe horses are out of the barn and won't ever come back. I remember commenting about this many years ago as Saturday Night Live took "satire" to a new level of mockery for anyone who disliked anyone else. I was told at the time to loosen up and accept it as funny. How long did we believe those being mocked would not begin to fight back? Decades later we live in a world where disrespect is ubiquitous, lying is acceptable, and our immature young peole have are no role models left to emulate. Prepare yourself; it is only going to get worse.
NEVER,NEVER trust a liberal
I KNEW Lorne Michaels was
July 31, 2007 - 11:45 ET by balboaI KNEW Lorne Michaels was the root of all evil. I just knew it.
Deny
July 31, 2007 - 11:54 ET by iveseenitallDeny, Deny, Deny. Close your eyes and deny. BTW, who is Lorne Michaels? LOL
NEVER,NEVER trust a liberal
Fred Garvin, agent of
July 31, 2007 - 12:01 ET by balboaFred Garvin, agent of evil.
Fred?
July 31, 2007 - 12:06 ET by iveseenitallWho is Fred Garvin? LOL
NEVER,NEVER trust a liberal
ISIA, Forget it, don't go
July 31, 2007 - 13:15 ET by Chris NormanISIA,
Forget it, don't go up against Balboa. When it comes to pop culture, he rules both Trivial Pursuit and Scene It... :)
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
i can handle
July 31, 2007 - 13:18 ET by TruthMongeri can handle bal...
balboa, male prostitute that is
Thx for the laugh, Bal.
July 31, 2007 - 13:30 ET by Roger the ShrubberThx for the laugh, Bal.
Something tells me
July 31, 2007 - 12:05 ET by danboSomething tells me rudeness, etc are a excuse for their sham.
Heck. They've been rude to me for years. They insult my intellegence.
I suspect the real reason; is they don't want anyone pointing out their BS, hype and bias.
Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of truth and knowledge will be shipwrecked by the laughter of the Gods. Albert Einstein
Right on
July 31, 2007 - 12:11 ET by iveseenitallRight on, Danbo. They can dish it out, but they can't take it. And you hit it on the head, the idiots insult your intelligence. Liberals are pathetic.
NEVER,NEVER trust a liberal
Brooke Brodack
July 31, 2007 - 12:09 ET by Lame CherryWhere to begin in the psychopathy of sheltered little Brooke Brodack's fairytale life among the clouds.......
Perhaps Brooke should look to her own species first in she is the one who creates "haters". Having never seen Brooke, but seeing she posts on YouTube equates she is an attention seeking cutie looking for her own stage to feed her ego. This translates in 3rd grade to her walking by Diego Ganza "that dark skinned kid" letting him know in silence he is not good enough to talk to her and Julie Frumper being excluded because she is a poor fat girl.
These excluded kids then end up online where they can hide and not be hurt anymore, but they remember Brooke and the millions of them like her on glam sites with their tats and half naked pictures all ignoring "lesser people" and only talking to the "cute" people again. So the outcasts get ticked off again and end up venting on poor little Brooke from Cloud 9.
Personally, I have had death threats, been cursed literally........hey even got spit on in an email which I found hillarious as my God inspired words rock people's world with the Truth. You just have to realize mean little demonic influenced people have no character and are very weak, so you are going to get that type of reaction.
In studying this, you will find that people who are nice and know how to present themselves INCLUDING others do quite well on the internet stage. Study the main blogs on Huffington sometime. You will notice the hate venting blogs get hundreds of comments, but the few blogs which deal with an issue and actually provide an answer.........well they get less than 50 comments, because people are not on Huffington for ideals but for venting their hatred based in their weakness.
Brooke should really learn what the real world is, not having money to buy necessities like sports cars and trips to the Bahamas and dealing with not sleeping for weeks because your child is sick and then having to still go to work because bills still come in.
Her poor little feelings got hurt........and yet she never equates how many people she hurt and helped create........and are now spewing things at George Bush, his daughters, at Noel Shepherd and the rest of us.......but then Brooke thinks that is alright as the "right wing" deserves it.
*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS
Analysis
July 31, 2007 - 12:22 ET by iveseenitallGood analysis, LC. So many of the people you describe are in the MSM. Bill Maher comes to mind. This sad fellow has been given a national pulpit to air his personal demons.
NEVER,NEVER trust a liberal
LOL! And the 180 degree
July 31, 2007 - 12:26 ET by tracheostomyLOL! And the 180 degree back-of-the head slam-dunk goes to Lame Cherry.
I think that now the hate is out in the open (instead of being whispered behind people's backs like it has been for thousands of years) we can all get a tangible sense of the genuine bile and resentment that permeates the human soul.
On the other hand, it also serves to strengthen my sense of gratitude when someone shows a genuinely kind word or deed to well. . .anyone really.
-PJ
"Trake: Your lofty convictions are another blemish on the rump of congregational sectarianism." -Tumbler 5/15/07
Good post Trach...just showing my gratitude!
July 31, 2007 - 12:39 ET by vrwc13Good post Trach...just showing my gratitude! : )
btw: don't you miss ol' Tumbler?
The reason that Christianity is the best friend of government is because Christianity is the only religion that changes the heart.
Thomas Jefferson