Tuesday, June 5, 2012

MKMOT (June 5, 2012)

Changes have come and passed over there, and the commenters, for the most part, have kept doing what they do. Sometimes, I've felt that the apocalyptic reaction to the proposed changes has been a tad overblown. After getting a glimpse at the implementation on Gawker, this is not one of those times. It's an absolute disaster.

I don't follow Gawker, but I'm big into that other site over there. This really may be a game-changer. It looks that bad. I hope I'm wrong. I thought I was once, but I was mistaken. (1!1!!1!)

Love me or hate me, I make no bones about one thing- this balog exists strictly for the commenters. We promise not to change the archaic system that IMG set up, where you can only reply to half the comments, apostrophes turn into numbers, and hyperlinks never work. He went through two Commodores devising that system. I would never disrespect him by downplaying it.

Enjoy every day over there with your stars, curmudgeonly ninjas, and chronological comments with easy to follow replies. You never know when it might be your last. And balog about it, or anything else, right here. I'm going to go ahead and open it up for you. Last one out, please flip the panic switch.


28 comments:

  1. I've viewed Hammers made out of Bronze,
    I have played games with Echo and Newell.
    I undeciphered tricks during DUAN!,
    But now it’s gone, I haven't figured out why.

    I've come up with riddles and jokes about porn,
    I've figured out [+1s] and what they're for.
    I've hurt some feelings and I've used some curse words,
    But how could you be taken away?

    And wherever you've gone,
    And wherever we might go…
    It don't seem fair... the threads just disappeared.
    Your light's reflected now, reflected from a bar.
    We have no home, ‘cause Deadspin took our stars.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Ghost of Notorious B.A.L.O.G.June 5, 2012 at 9:45 AM

      +1

      All of this balog's musical artists need to come together at Star Aid. A festival to raise awareness for the destruction of stars.

      Delete
    2. Binaural/Pinks Jumped Up To Get Beat DownJune 5, 2012 at 9:59 AM

      Thanks. I'm a big fan, and would be honored to write at your side. How many of us are there?

      Delete
    3. The Ghost of Notorious B.A.L.O.G.June 5, 2012 at 10:52 AM

      Sadly, not many at all. I may or may not be responsible for everything that has been done The Notorious B.A.L.O.G, Tubalog Shakur, Puff Baloggy and the Family, The Beastie Balogs, Snoop Baloggy Balog and Balogs Traveler.

      I have no affiliation to the Baloggins brothers, however.

      Delete
    4. New Kids On The BalogJune 5, 2012 at 12:20 PM

      We're still here!

      Delete
  2. If Deadspin had Powwow, this would have been the featured comment.

    And if we had the new abortion that Denton is currently gang-raping the Gawker commentariat with, you'd have to click through two OTHER comments by TheREALMiami in addition to the usual spread of one-liners to get to the joke with all the +1s.

    Progress!

    ReplyDelete
  3. OK, can someone tell me one thing? How do you view a "discussion" or comment that isn't a reply to the original comment?

    Take the Catholic Post that Dubai mentioned. Here's the link to the story. As of 11 am EST, "Ken Wheaton's" comment is the "Featured Discussion." The only comments that I seem to be able to see are direct replies to "Ken Wheaton" or replies to those replies. I'm probably missing something here, but in a Deadspin context, this would mean only one thread would be visible.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As I understand it, the small grey box next to the featured comment that says "XX more replies" and shows the first few lines (19 as of now, with b.la as the next one) links to the next comment (or "reply to the article" in PowWow nomenclature).

      Everything below the featured comment (Ken Wheaton's here) is a reply to his comment, not to the article.

      So, you get one featured comment and read down to see replies to it. You then read "over" to get to the next comment (then down again for its replies, etc.).

      The other nuance is that replies to replies are placed to the right. So, if someone ("Bob") replies to "Ken" and someone else ("Jim") replies to Bob, then Jim's comment would be to the right of Bob's, which will be below Ken's. If "Paul" starts a new thread, it will be somewhere to the right of Ken's in whatever order PowWow deems best.

      At least, that's the best I can explain it.

      Delete
    2. OK this helps a lot. I thought the "Replies" to right of the first comment were in fact replies to that specific comment, and that the Featured Discussion (where you can read down) were just the best rated replies.

      So clicking to the right of the first comment is just like scrolling down Deadspin. In a Deadspin context, this means you would click to the right of the first comment and hope that the next one is any good in some twisted form of Deadspin Commenting Russian Roulette. Although, if +1's can be counted in the algorithm, the good comments should pop up sooner? Essentially, it takes away the power to scroll down, and immediately read the joke by your favorite commenter, or the one with "10 replies" that you just know is going to be hilarious.

      (Am I doing this right?)

      Delete
  4. [reads Barry's Mets post]

    [scans pink comments]

    [contemplates PowWow]

    [weeps]

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is going to be a shit show.

      Delete
    2. The obvious problem is this: there is no way - none - that the featured, #1 thread in that post will be anything other than an obnoxious argument between Mets homers and Mets haters and generally combative morons - exactly the kinds of schmucks who aren't normally approved to comment because of those exact tendencies.

      It's one thing to extend an open invitation to these goofballs, but now we're including a format that will highlight and encourage exactly their particular brand of humorless, edgeless, insight-free commentary.

      What a fucking disaster.

      Delete
  5. So this might have been brought up yesterday, but maybe not. Either way, I really don't give a fuck. So Denton has stated that comment sections have become a joke. (Sorry in advance for the copy / paste links)

    http://articles.cnn.com/2012-03-11/tech/tech_web_online-comments-sxsw_1_comments-dov-charney-sites?_s=PM:TECH

    So why does he keep fucking with the comments sections? Oh, right, to make money. So basically he has insulted all the people who enjoy commenting on his sites, but now he wants them to keep doing it because he's (supposedly) figured out a way to monetize the comments. I don't know if someone posted this one...

    http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2012/05/22/how-gawker-wants-to-monetize-comments/

    Here's the part of that one that stands out to me....

    Denton’s vision for Gawker Media’s editorial product is very much moving towards comments and away from posts, and he reckons that advertisers will follow him in that direction if he blazes the trail. Expect Gawker’s blog posts to get shorter, in future, and sometimes just be a headline, at least in the first instance, so that the conversation can get going before a pretty post can be put together. And if Denton’s scheme goes according to plan, when you follow a link to a Gawker website, it will often — or maybe even usually — be a link to a comment, rather than to an original post. Eventually, it’s possible to envisage a world where the distinction between the two is erased completely.

    Why the hell would I (or any of you) want to provide Denton with thoughtful, insightful, or just plain funny comments so he can make money and you don't see a dime? What's the point? Fuck Denton with a fat with guy mutton chops' dick.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey guys, I'm going to blog on your little chat board here now. OK.

      Look, all Denton is doing is advancing the standard media formula of getting-something-for-nothing. "Oh sure kid, you want to break into the field of journalism/radio/television/stripper DJing? Here's an unpaid internship and a list of assignments." It's like blogging in general, but with more acne and less college credit. It's worked before, and it'll work again, just in a different medium.

      Denton is not a dummy when it comes to business. His uniques will still be high. He WILL make money - and rubes like us will make it for him. I think the idea is that comments will become simply an extension of the article, rather than an addition to it - consider it unedited content. Granted, that will take a cultural shift in the case of his properties in order to make them worthy of his vision - Gawker must shift from snark, Deadspin from dick jokes, and Jezebel from being on their periods.

      But hey, if you need a cultural shift, what's the first step? Destroy the village.

      Delete
    2. But a kid who is doing an unpaid internship is trying to break into that field. I don't think anyone here is looking to break into the profitable world of internet commenting.

      Delete
    3. Oh gee Polk, thanks for coming down from on high to drop a note. How delightful.

      Delete
    4. @ Guy being played

      I don't know about that...first cheese mac, then tulos mullet...maybe pandering panda next??

      Delete
    5. @ Anonym

      Those guys got hired as writers. I'm talking about strictly commenting for those of us who aren't looking to change jobs.

      Delete
    6. Which one is Tulos Mullet?

      Delete
    7. Hey, it wasn't easy coming over here to talk with you people. I think I got crabs in my ascot. And I sat in mayonnaise. Oh god, I hope that's mayonnaise.

      Delete
    8. @Ray -

      It's Tom Ley. New intern.

      Delete
  6. The sad part is that there is a lot of great discussion going on in there that is being obscured and disconnected thanks to the exceedingly awful layout. I have no idea who's replying to whom or where I am in the conversation at any given time.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Guys. Up and to the right. Miserable Showoff is bringing back roundups. You don't have to come over anymore, it's cool. He's got the sweet crib with the Sunny D and all that. I get it. I could use the extra time to get reacquainted with my clarinet, anyway. Please say hi to me in school, if you could be so kind. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have nowhere else to turn. So, how the fuck do you read the new style of comments on Gawker?! Please remember that I have misplaced my decoder ring. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  9. New roundup's up over on MBA, people.

    ReplyDelete