Recently, I started leaving comments at the ABCnews National website. This morning, I noticed a couple of my comments were missing, so I checked my Discus log and found two had been removed with no explanation.
I can’t share a screenshot of the posts because they were removed and I never thought I would have a need to do so beforehand. Both were responses to blatant misinformation being spread by Trump supporters. I countered their posts with cites from recognized legitimate sources. I didn’t call anyone any names, or offer any other commentary other than to say that the original information posted was incorrect. I followed the rules.
And yet, both posts removed. The blatant lies are still posted for all to see, just not a legitimate rebuttal.
I don’t pretend to know their reasoning. What I do know is that we live in dangerous times, when fact and fiction are getting confused too damn often. Facts, in my opinion, are the only hope we have. A subsection of the country has been brainwashed into believing something called “alternate facts” and they must be combated at every opportunity if we are to progress as a society.
That a news organization wouldn’t see the importance of factual information being used to counter lies is a disgrace.
I wrote to ABC, letting them know that I will never click on one of their websites again and that their actions were deplorable. I’ll let you know if I get a response.
I thank the heavens for the Straight Dope, one of the only places I’ve found online where legitimate civil debate exists.
And since it’s the pit and there are standards to uphold. Fuck ABC.
In what way were your comments on an Internet news site “legitimate rebuttals”? Did you have sources for your information, or links to other factual information? Did you list your credentials in your comments?
It may well be that the original comments (which you characterized as blatant misinformation) were deleted - and as a direct result of that, all of the responses to them.
Do other comments on the site include external links? (Either the posts you were responding to, or other comments.) I’m just wondering if ABC News has some (possibly semi-automated or even fully automated) system for killing spam that deletes comments with external links.
I didn’t post a URL. I just cited my source, similar to the following:
“blah blah blah”
source: CDC Report titled “blah, blah, blah” - October, 2015
I hadn’t considered the idea that the deletions were the result of a bot, rather than a human. Still, without the URL, I’m not sure what I did to trigger that response.
Honestly, I just would like (and hope I get) an explanation. Of course, as the owners, they can yank any post they like without explanation.
My guess is that they tend to delete any posts that are reported. So the lying liar reported your post, and it got pulled without anyone looking at it. Possibly an automated process even - I imagine that it would two or three peoples full time job to actually judge reported posts for validity.
It’s this kind of shite which is killing off message boards and comment lists left and right-very few people want to spend a lot of their time and effort as mods policing discussions when they are chock full of inanity and spew, so the site overlords simply decide to kill off the posting capability instead.
This makes the most sense to me. It’s not hard to imaging someone reporting it just to get the facts removed.
Meanwhile, ABC sent me this nifty form letter:
Hi ABC Viewer,
Thank you for writing the ABC Television Network.
We highly value your feedback and appreciate you reaching out to us! As you can imagine, we receive many messages a day from our viewers and while we review each one, we may not be able to respond to each message directly.
Precisely. They allow trolls and sock puppets full reign simply by not taking responsibility. Then when it inevitably gets out of control, they shut it down completely.
Hard to fight ignorance, when the ignorant can silence opposing views.