Is there a consensus opinion on posting “shocker” links with little other redeeming value besides outrage? E.g., the “father rapes and kills daughter” kind of link that is just sad and disgusting. I know for awhile people were posting these with great regularity in The Pit but I haven’t been reading the board very much the last few months, and was just wondering what the status quo is.
(I guess that sort of ghastly link also has rubbernecker / gawker appeal, but that’s about it.)
I don’t think there is a consensus opinion on it, apart from “If you don’t like it, don’t click.”
My view of what I think you are talking about was articulately addressed by the wise and distinguished Dr. CrankyAsAnOldMan in this earlier Pit Thread.
Our guidelines are something like these:
If it’s a link to something visual that’s really disgusting or that someone might think is pornographic, try to make it a two-link process.
Be reasonably explicit in describing where the link goes or what it’s all about.
Try NOT to link to something that is patently false. Providing a link to an obviously phony “news” story and trying to get people riled about it is a form of trolling. Don’t do that.
Lots of our members read the Message Board while in a location where others might see what’s on their screen – like at work, like at home with the kids playing under your legs, etc. Hence, the rules about double-click and explicit descriptions.