Serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis. © James Conner.
When should the comments section on a story be closed? That’s the question now confronting the Flathead Beacon regarding Tristan Scott’s report on the 17 November 2014 meeting of the Whitefish City Council. As I began writing this post, the tally had reached 539. I don’t know whether any comments have been deleted, but I do know that in my opinion, many that have remained online do not contribute to a reasoned discussion of the issue.
So why is the thread still open? Is the Beacon collecting comments for future use by its editorial staff and/or other investigators? Is the Beacon just curious to see how many comments will be posted?
In the real world, rallies, demonstrations, and other assemblages, must end. The people involved, having made their point, must disband and move on to something else. But online, the mob disperses much more slowly, if at all. Indeed, it can become larger and increasingly unstable and unhinged as trolls foment trouble. That’s happening now in the comments section on Scott’s story. Whether to close comments is the Beacon’s call, but I hope that call is under consideration.
Closing comments might anger some commenters. If so, their remedy is starting their own website.