Why Do Media Websites Allow Goons to Control Their Comments Section?

[Chung Tran]

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2014/...aternity-ward/

read the comments posted for this story.. just one example of what I see regularly on these types of sites.. why do they allow this? doesn't somebody think it just might reflect on the Company? why not dispose of the comments section?

I don't get it.. and this is not recent internet behavior, it's been going on for many years

[Roger.Smith]

CNN recently stopped allowing comments on their website. FOX News and the Dallas Morning News blocked comments for a while too. The problem is that comments brings traffic to websites and boost revenues, so even after removing the comment sections, the websites usually bring them them back. A lot use Facebook. Facebook helps cut down the crazy, because people's real names are on display.

Conservative, Liberal, or Independent, most people turn in to tribal idiots in comment sections. There's always a never ending supply of people offering poorly thought-out and overly simplistic solutions to complex problems. Other times people put down others to feel better about themselves.

Like George Carlin said: “Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.”

[Chung Tran]

good for those that stopped the comments.. is the extra traffic worth it? I guess it is, I have to think studies have been done, and hard decisions made.

obvious question.. why not have one person on Staff constantly monitoring, and deleting the crass remarks? I'm sure there's a good answer why not, I just don't know what it is..

[TexTushHog]

Originally Posted by Chung Tran

good for those that stopped the comments.. is the extra traffic worth it? I guess it is, I have to think studies have been done, and hard decisions made.

obvious question.. why not have one person on Staff constantly monitoring, and deleting the crass remarks? I'm sure there's a good answer why not, I just don't know what it is..

Of course it's worth it to the media. First, they love the extra clicks. Increases web advertising revenues. Plus, media thrives on controversy. Mainstream corporate media barely even bothers to concern itself with the truth these days. All they care about it drama, controversy, and fear. Anything to keep people watching and coming back to the web site.

[LazurusLong]

They allow it for the same reason ECCIE allows so many threads to run on and on.

Page hits increase profits.

The more people who click pages to see the next stupid comment posted, the more advertising revenue a site generates.

Follow the money. ALWAYS the true root cause.

EDIT TO ADD: TTH and I were posting roughly the same answer at the same time.

[Chung Tran]

ok, thanks for your replies.. so nobody cares enough to call out these sites, and the vile material they allow? the sites accept no responsibility, but collect the ensuing profits.. I get it.. Capitalism... hide behind Capitalism..

[Chainsaw Anthropologist]

It's to allow the self-important to feel involved. Just as TV stations have allowed viewers to make comments during their newscasts that add nothing to the newscast except more self aggrandizing viewers watching for the appearance of their comment.