Are Jalopnik Admins mass-deleting comments they don't agree with?

"marshknute" (marshknute) 07/08/2020 at 13:54 • Filed to: None

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This morning’s article about the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! is suddenly 80+ comments smaller, and coincidentally, they’re all the comments disagreeing with the article’s conclusion.

And based on which original comments had the most likes, the overwhelming majority of readers disagreed with the article’s conclusion.

Looks like the admins are just deleting entire comment threads. Refusing to have a meaningful conversation is how a movement loses sympathy and support. Don’t disrespect BLM by doing that.

Anyway, here’s a dope 1934 Ford Bus for your time!

Also, this new photo credit “feature” is a real buzzkill. This is my photo. I took it myself. Stop harassing me when I’m trying to post my own photo.

DISCLAIMER: I’m not trying call the admins names, or vilify anyone, or even pick sides. I’m genuinely asking if comments are being deleted. Maybe it’s not even up to the Jalopnik admins and someone else in the Gawkerverse is pulling the strings??? Maybe readers from the Root used the “flag for hate speech” feature too many times and Kinja just automatically deletes comments after a certain threshold is reached??? Idk. Just trying to understand what happened to the earlier comment threads. I thought they were all constructive and didn’t observe anything abusive or hateful, so I’m just surprised to see them gone.

For Sweden > marshknute 07/08/2020 at 13:59

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Probably

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > marshknute 07/08/2020 at 14:03

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I challenge the Jalopnik Admins to delete this comment.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > marshknute 07/08/2020 at 14:05

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I’ve gotten put back to the grays there before. I wouldn’t be surprised.

fintail > marshknute 07/08/2020 at 14:08

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I made the mistake of clicking, and seeing the amount of wanna-Nazi bootli cking comments by glorified burners, they either deleted the wrong material or didn’t delete enough of it.

I’m scared of tornadoes , so I aimed my car for the tornado and drove into it, what could go wrong?

Some brainless lesser mortal in Seattle intentionally drove into a group of protesters several weeks ago, looking for a fight, and shot someone. He’s getting a felony charge, and rightfully so - fingers crossed that it sticks.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > marshknute 07/08/2020 at 14:10

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Nan-fuck-it

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > marshknute 07/08/2020 at 14:10

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I don’t know. I think it’s possible but usually they allow and respond to reality reasonable criticism or the respond of shame.

They may have hit a breaking point. I got pissed off with FP direction many months ago. I check a couple times a week now rather than a few times per day. I comment a handful of times a month.

Yesterday I went into that Raph article and top  comment had 100+ stars and was chirping off about it being clickbait.

It’s not good.

Wacko > marshknute 07/08/2020 at 14:17

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thats some classic ballaban behavior, that or a ban. He is a little man in all the ways possible.  

marshknute > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com 07/08/2020 at 14:18

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I noticed that the comments only got deleted after the article got cross-posted to the rest of the Gawkerverse. So I’m inclined to give Jalopnik admins the pass and blame the c ensorship on G/O Media’s higher-ups.

nermal > marshknute 07/08/2020 at 14:19

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You either comply with the narrative , or wait for a modern day Hooters girl with a hammer.

In other news, you have now been banned from jellopikknik. 

My bird IS the word > marshknute 07/08/2020 at 14:37

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Jalopnik seems to have a bit of a political slant to it. Just a bit. A teensy tiny bit.

But hey, if they want to alienate half or more of their customers, fine by me.

AdamB > marshknute 07/08/2020 at 14:40

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A lot of the comments seem to be gone. I should add that the author did not give enough information in the article. In the actual news report it is 100%clear that the driver did this on purpose, however Orlove did not make it too clear, instead just giving links to other events.  No matter what I don’t think it was right to delete the comments, though I should say most of them were pretty bad opinions. The FP sucks at this point, it’s mostly political articles to gain clicks and stir a huge argument in the comments while the articles do not make it clear exactly what happened.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 07/08/2020 at 14:43

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Maybe because you don’t like VWs

nerd_racing > marshknute 07/08/2020 at 15:11

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Looks like Raph was at it deleting comments and banning accounts.

fintail > nerd_racing 07/08/2020 at 15:18

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For once the actions of “leadership” there aren’t loathsome.

Waiting for whine from the so-called/not “right” about being oppressed.

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > marshknute 07/08/2020 at 15:37

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That’s quite an observation and I’d agree and type quite likely. And that highlights the issue FP is facing with the directive to cross-posting. Jalopnik was always  liberal but this is further. When they’re trying to interest readers from the other sites they have to be decidedly left.

I miss when I could bring up FP to escape drama that seemingly plagues every platform and just learn something, even if it’s the difference between Bug tail lights or some odd car built in Malaysia that is not useful to me in anyway.

Now I get articles on how to watch people get run over, who is the bigger criminal and everyone has the grande ideology mud slinging fest a few times per week. No one changes anyone’s mind and everyone gets pissed off at each other. I can find this on Fox or CNN or Facebook or Twitter. Now it infests FP too, for the clicks.

Mercedes Streeter > fintail 07/08/2020 at 15:41

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My favourite is the guy using incredible 4D chess mental gymnastics to claim that being stopped by a protest is the same thing as being kidnapped. Therefore - I suppose - go ahead and run down that crowd!

You know what I did the last time I ran into a protest blocking a road ? I turned around. Oh no, a minor inconvenience.

Mercedes Streeter > marshknute 07/08/2020 at 15:49

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Jalopnik has acquired many of the trolls from shuttered parts of the Gizmodo universe. They’ve been getting worse and worse. Seems starting around June they’ve begun actively moderating the comments section on sensitive topics. Last time I saw it they cleaned out a bunch of homophobes from an article about cars and LGBT+ people.  

Considering a lot of these people intentionally make bad faith arguments (definitely talking about that “Dr Emilio” there) I’ve no problem with it. Jalopnik doesn’t need to be the free-for-all shit sandwich that you’ll find in the comments section of say, Breitbart . A lot of the critical comments are still up so it’s not like they’re just nuking every comment that disagrees.

fintail > Mercedes Streeter 07/08/2020 at 16:03

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I saw that one. I have to wonder if they are really making the argument, or just trying to stir up shit from their fellow racists/deplorables or trigger people with functioning brains.

I’ve had no problem simply not needing to drive in areas with active protests. No inconvenience at all. People choose to start the car and turn the steering wheel, and just might reap what they sow (if the local authorities handle it appropriately, which definitely isn’t a guarantee in NYC) .

fintail > Mercedes Streeter 07/08/2020 at 16:05

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I question his legal credentials.

And 53 mindless drones clicked on the star, lol.

Oh, the poor repressed right.

The Snowman > marshknute 07/08/2020 at 16:48

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Pretty sure admins are deleting per Raphael’s comment. Also here’s the video of events leading up to it and the reason no charges will be filled.

A Boy and His Longtail > marshknute 07/08/2020 at 19:18

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We must keep Oppo a safe, neutral haven for us fine folks of the cariverse. Because everything else is going to crap

Dusty Ventures > Wacko 07/08/2020 at 21:08

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Ballaban left Jalopnik like a month ago

zipfuel > marshknute 07/08/2020 at 23:20

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Its certainly possible but Hanlon’s razor would suggest they all just got Kinja'd...

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > Mercedes Streeter 07/09/2020 at 05:44

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I think they found the critical mass of Kinja. If mass bans are needed on Kinja then someone royally screwed up [hello Deadspin]. Even with all the bugs it’s supposed to guard against the spam and the assholes, so what gave?

I think it’s like what happened with my work, they handed out so many keys to people, they had to change the lock and start re-issuing. Not only that, but both yourself and I (and many fellow oppos) are followed and can unleash the hellscape that is the grey to do our bidding without actually even typing. One from the left and one from the right and suddenly FP comments are no different those on CNN, Fox, Twitter, 4chan etc.

FP insists on continuing with the societal and political divisive injections to drive clicks and cross-posting then they’ll always have a shit show below the article.

It’s a shit show I have zero interest in because I wasn’t on Jalop or here on Oppo to warmonger peoples developed ideologies or shape their political compass using vehicles as a vector. I think all of us who’ve been clicking before 2019 contributed to have meaningful discourse in celebrating our odd commonality that in that we like machines and vehicles. So yeah, I’m a StIcK tO cArS person the hot minutes like to chide about. They’re never going to convince me the Jalop mud slinging pit is virtuous, necessary, and productive over any of the others.

It meant something to me to be followed by FP, contribute and engage with other Jalops and lead topics. Looking at the comments of many of the articles now it merits as much gives as a winged wiener in the stratosphere.

Stef Schrader > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com 07/09/2020 at 07:50

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If you don’t like the comments, the easiest way to change them is to start posting again. Encourage other old posters to come back. Flag and d ismiss butt-awful replies.

Stef Schrader > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com 07/09/2020 at 07:52

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Ugh. I hate the misuse of the word “clickbait.” That’s the garbage I usually dismissed. It adds nothing. Raph’s piece covered what it said on the title. If you disagree with his conclusions, don’t be a dick and explain why like a damn grown-up. 

Stef Schrader > marshknute 07/09/2020 at 07:54

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Having been on that side before, the other sites’ staffs have no access to banning or dismissing trolls in the comment section. That’s all Jalopnik. I don’t think anyone above editorial has that access, either, but then again, I completely Got/Out a while ago and have no idea anymore. 

Stef Schrader > nerd_racing 07/09/2020 at 07:55

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Honestly? Good. No. 1 and No. 3 have absolutely no place in a reasonable discussion. 

Stef Schrader > marshknute 07/09/2020 at 08:01

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The new image thing is a pain, especially with how it’s treating thumbnails right now.

Discerning a majority based on which comments appear might like a leap there. A lot of folks (self included) avoid comments once they turn toxic. I f you have chuds saying that running people over is OK or posting a bunch of racist BS as Raph noted on the page , I wouldn’t wade into that, either.

Usually, disagreement isn’t what gets a comment nuked—it’s something far worse. I’m honestly glad to see them wade into the comments and take out the trash. Unfortunately, if the original comment was some racist turd who needs a bannin’, that gets rid of the whole thread.

Stef Schrader > fintail 07/09/2020 at 08:02

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I t’s as if there are multiple ways to get around a city or something where you don’t have to drive into a crowd ! GASP.

marshknute > Stef Schrader 07/09/2020 at 12:39

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Are you still a moderator on Jalopnik?

Just curious b/c I think I was just shadow banned. My comments on the FP now show up in gray after I hit “publish ,” BUT they don’t actually show up when you reload the page and click “show pending.” There are other grayed comments there, but mine aren’t visible .

Derpwagon > A Boy and His Longtail 07/09/2020 at 12:41

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Oppo is absolutely not neutral. 

A Boy and His Longtail > Derpwagon 07/09/2020 at 13:02

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What are we? First gear? Second? Reverse?

fintail > Stef Schrader 07/09/2020 at 13:05

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My general area had a lot more protests than much of the nation, and I had no close calls at all. I must be lucky!

Idiot in Seattle intentionally turned onto a street with a protest, then accelerated - and had his window down. Of course he tried to say he “felt threatened” - and these pieces of shit are armed in this decaying society.  I sincerely hope he receives the maximum punishment and then some.

Derpwagon > A Boy and His Longtail 07/09/2020 at 13:16

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Depends on your point of view, either WOT in 4th off a cliff, or reverse from where we should be. 

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > Stef Schrader 07/09/2020 at 15:18

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I appreciate the reply Stef.

Just on the user side I’ve flagged people before that were in violation of the terms of use and nothing was done about the comments (that I know of and saw ). There’s a particular user that still types curses and attacks other Jalops and Kinja members specifically with ad hominem to belittle. This is despite multiple flags from me.

I’m not really big on censorship, I believe people are entitled to voice their concerns and all of us have different lines drawn in the sand with regards to what we are willing to tolerate.

And as much as I would like to have civil discourse on articles, members have run into issues with dog piling by expressing reasonable but contrary conclusions . Some a uthors and various commenters have made it clear : If you don’t agree with the articles, don’t comment on them. I’m one step further in that I stopped reading the majority of the daily publishing . I’m not the only member or viewer that has made this choice .

I really appreciated the work you published when you were on Jalopnik. I sneak over to The Drive from time to time to view your stuff too! Keep up the good work.

Stef Schrader > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com 07/09/2020 at 19:18

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Heh, thanks for following me around the internets!

Anyway, man. There’s a reasonable expectation that people behave like friggin’ grown-ups in the comment section, else they get the boot. This seems like an issue I’d raise with the current EIC directly ad an out-of-control comment section really nukes users’ willingness to stick around and “engage with the content,” in corny site metrics-ese : rcarroll@jalopnik.com

Definitely call out and link to the guy who flies off the handle at other users all the time, too . That shouldn’t be a thing.

Stef Schrader > marshknute 07/09/2020 at 19:29

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Nopes. No idea what’s going on there nowadays. We always used to hate it when people begged to be ungreyed (Roberto/Autovox/etc. of a thousand usernames is a good example of that), so maybe don’t demaaaaaand that as it sets off a billion alarm bells, but politely asking what’s up would be a good question for the current staff.

[ Fun aside: Autovox didn’t even bother changing email addresses when he begged Jalopnik’s front page staff to be reinstated on yet another username. Like, c’mon, doofus. At least try before we have to ban you for being a butthole again.]