Does anyone participate on the Gawker brand blogs around here? I like Jalopnik and Gizmodo and the content is pretty good. However the user comment feature baffles me entirely. I’m signed up and have an account but it said that I need to “audition” to be a commenter. I’m not sure what this entails. More confusingly I’m allowed to input comments on various articles but my comments are not displayed to me. Other posters apparently see them because I’ve been responded to, but my comments aren’t visible to me. It’s quite a ridiculous system.
My question is this: Is this the way it’s supposed to work? Is there some technical issue going on that’s screwing it up, or do I just not understand it?
I heard they had a new comment interface with byzantine rules. Apparently, as one of the great unwashed, you can make a comment but no one can see it but those already anointed. They can “promote” your comment if they like it so everyone can see it. And now the comments are displayed in reverse chronological order.
This is just what I got from listening to others bitch about the new system, so don’t quote me on any of it. Sounds completely ridiculous to me. I know there is a constant signal/noise ratio problem on the internet, but this sounds like cutting off the signals completely.