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Comments Posted By AdLib

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Huffington Post Goes NSA on Its Members

KT, you really nailed it:

You and we have been betrayed and have been attempted to be made the stooges of corporate America.

That really sums it up so concisely.

» Posted By AdLib On December 12, 2013 @ 7:34 pm

Hey SmotPoker, welcome to The Planet!

» Posted By AdLib On December 12, 2013 @ 5:59 pm

FWIW, at this moment, the top post on HP has 140 comments, this post on PlanetPOV has 254 comments. And not one Facebook account has been harmed in the making of any PlanetPOV comments.

» Posted By AdLib On December 12, 2013 @ 5:28 pm

Heh! Good thing you come with a lifetime warranty!

» Posted By AdLib On December 12, 2013 @ 3:41 pm

Hey JustaSlob, welcome to The Planet!

We’ve had HP trolls try to move in here from time to time and it never ends well for them. We have a zero tolerance here for trolls.

Not familiar with the two you mention but our Troll Radar is pretty well tuned.

» Posted By AdLib On December 12, 2013 @ 3:35 pm

Didn’t you major in Malingering in college? And didn’t it take you 14 years to graduate with that major?

» Posted By AdLib On December 12, 2013 @ 3:33 pm

Because the hidden DNA reader on your spacebar seems to be malfunctioning, we can’t see a thing so get it replaced, please.

» Posted By AdLib On December 12, 2013 @ 3:31 pm

Take Katrina and add it to The Black Plague then multiply it by The Civil War and double it. Then you’ll have about one quarter of the severity of Benghazi!

» Posted By AdLib On December 12, 2013 @ 3:23 pm

The Borgington Post?

» Posted By AdLib On December 12, 2013 @ 3:20 pm

Welcome to The Planet, TechYes!

It really did become pointless to seek conversations at HP as each new layer of moderation was added on and the format hid blossoming conversations from view.

And who wouldn’t get tired of investing the time in writing thoughtful comments that are held then just get flushed away? Why should people have to put up with that kind of disrespect?

And the troll problem which they nurtured to whip up greater traffic and ad revenue made any opinionated post a target for nasty attacks. Add to that the racism and hatred that RW trolls poured into every thread and it became a very unsatisfying experience.

I suppose that this was inevitable, they’ve been moving away from respecting the members (who make their site worth anything) for years. Like any other corporation, their path is always a greater taking away from others to profit themselves.

Well…let’s see how they like taking this blowback.

» Posted By AdLib On December 12, 2013 @ 3:05 pm

Hey RF Dude, nice to see you!

Many members gave them a number of chances to turn the corner on their changes that hobbled commenting but now I think many see in this unapologetic combination of dishonesty, deceit, breaking promises and policy to invade members’ privacy as verifying what the mindset really is over there.

It is not one that respects the people they exploit for profits, it’s not one that has any sincere principles and it’s not even one that respects Freedom of Expression.

They may have many attractive bells and whistles over there (that’s what big corporate money can buy) but what they are is just another corporation that only cares about maximize profits at the expense of “the little people”.

» Posted By AdLib On December 12, 2013 @ 2:52 pm

CAdawn, hopefully you’ve received an email after this response to your comment, to let you know someone’s replied to you. It’s automatic and similar to a feature at HP.

There is a checkbox at the bottom of the comment box which is labelled, “Notify me of replies to my comment via e-mail” and is checked by default. So, as long as you don’t do anything, you’ll get notifications by email.

Those who don’t want notifications just need to uncheck that box before clicking the “Submit” button.

We don’t have listings of replies on your account page but we do have our Recent Comments and Recent Posts widgets in the right hand comment that you can click to read the latest comments and posts.

We also have an archives page that gives you many options for seeing posts and comments by date, by member, etc. You can go there by clicking the PlanetPOV Stats menu item under Archive in the menu above.

Another FYI, we have a post titled Time Out for Off Topic which is kind of like our coffee house, it’s where you can go to discuss anything at any time on any topic. There is a link to it in the right hand column, in the 4-square of icons.

Also part of those 4 squares is our Help link, feel free to click there to go to our Help page to post about any issue we can help with.

https://planetpov.com/archive/stats/ can

» Posted By AdLib On December 12, 2013 @ 11:16 am

Wow Julieanne, so sorry that you and your family have been subjected to this horribleness. I hope you’ve had the proper authorities go after and catch this mentally ill stalker. Has he been stopped?

As I mentioned in the post, I do know of others, especially women, who have been stalked by mentally ill men after posting at HP. And like you, that was before it was mandatory to expose your FB account there.

This is a serious matter, to hear what you’ve gone through should drive that point home to others and make clear why those who accept this policy that it is far from a trivial decision.

And what kind of corporate mentality would be unconcerned about the havoc they could wreak in people’s as long as it made their job in hosting those people, cheaper and easier?

These are not people who care about people.

» Posted By AdLib On December 12, 2013 @ 10:59 am

Hi julieanne, welcome to The Planet!

That’s quite true, the focus on celebrity and trivial entertainment news at HP has dragged the quality of the site closer to Weekly World News and Bat Boy stories.

I wonder if all of this, the change in comment format and this killing of anonymity wasn’t about putting a stake in the heart of conversation over there. Maybe they want all the traffic with none of the work involved with hosting conversations? Well, as my parents taught me, you can’t always have everything you want.

As for that feeling of a weight being off your shoulders, I know that feeling and had the same experience when I left HP. There is an unnecessary stress that is thrust on people, sometimes without their really recognizing.

Conversations about issues that matter don’t have to be mortal combat, one need not always brace oneself for a personal attack just for expressing their opinions.

Here, that’s the case. Real and substantial conversations, agreements and disagreements with none of the garbage.

Glad you’re here!

» Posted By AdLib On December 12, 2013 @ 10:49 am

Hey escribacat! Long time no see, hope everything is great with you!

Excellent metaphor, posting at HP is like driving through a bad neighborhood and requiring people to walk through it unprotected is kind of crazy.

As to the level of “journalism” at the site, I am often amused by the trends they follow after having popular posts. Like the “(Celebrity) doesn’t look like this anymore!” and the dumb and vague one word headlines, “OH NO!” and “HE DID WHAT?!”.

They copy the Rupert Murdoch tabloid mentality and treat their readers like morons, using exploitative headlines and articles about sex to lure more clicks from “the rubes”.

As to the importance of keeping one’s political opinions from spilling over into threatening one’s career or relationships, how dare HP demand people risk that just to post on their website (and be harassed by a RW troll)?

There have been some potential last straws in the past but I think this could be the one that breaks the camels back for those who kept giving Arianna and HP one more chance after another.

Sure hope to see more of you around now, Escrib! Maybe even at Vox this Friday night?

» Posted By AdLib On December 12, 2013 @ 10:42 am

Hey Nomadic View, nice to see you!

Your rundown on the true identity of Arianna (ironic that it comes as a result of HP demanding all of its members reveal their true identity) is on target and damning.

She has cruised along, especially after the AOL sale, as the phony “politically and socially serious” person she wants to appear to be but at her core, she remains greedy and self-serving, in a manipulative and mercenary way.

This overreach is in keeping with her following the lead of RW Republicans (remember, she set up HP with Andrew Breitbart?).

As you and others here have mentioned, real conversation was smothered over there quite a while ago. The combination of the new comment format and the destruction of anonymity cements the death of conversation there. And it does serve them in allowing them to firmly control the “public opinion” they want to present.

Their loss is our gain, glad to see you here!

» Posted By AdLib On December 12, 2013 @ 10:32 am

S-Man, it’s like Mussolini getting the trains to run on time. Yep, oppression does wonders for controlling situations but the cost is not worth it.

We have civil conversations here every day because the community sets that example as to what reasonable behavior should be, because they feel respected and do something so simple as treating others as they expect to be treated. And we have a zero tolerance for trolls or anyone else being hostile to a member.

HP could do it but they would have to carve out a fraction of their profits to hire enough staff…and neither the reduction of profits nor putting the members first makes sense to them.

Other Progressive sites with whom we’re on the same page do it right as well, it isn’t some unrealistic fantasy, it’s very doable if there is the will to make it happen.

» Posted By AdLib On December 12, 2013 @ 12:48 am

Fergie1, that’s quite a huge drop out number and sure seems to indicate what a major fail this is for the corporate masterminds at HP!

Do you think it will continue?

» Posted By AdLib On December 12, 2013 @ 12:08 am

S-Man, you can embed any YouTube video in a comment by just adding the letter “v” after the “http” in the YouTube URL (so it starts off “https”) which is all I did in your comment.

BTW, nice pick! You’re going to like Killgore Trout’s Weekend Music Thread!

» Posted By AdLib On December 11, 2013 @ 11:43 pm

Thanks confuseddemocrat and welcome to The Planet!

The audacity of HP to demand people sign up for Facebook in order to have permission to visit and post on their site is stunning.

As far as corporate miscalculations go, this one ranks up there with New Coke and the Edsel.

» Posted By AdLib On December 11, 2013 @ 11:37 pm

Well said, Dbos! But I think the concept is lost on the greedy and indifferent so we move on to those who get it.

» Posted By AdLib On December 11, 2013 @ 11:34 pm

Killgore, indeed, I’m really pleased to see so many quality folk joining us here at The Planet from HP.

The way I found out about the situation at HP and was inspired to write about it was by popping by there (and other sites) this morning as I usually do and I saw the strange sight of people’s names appearing on comments and their username appearing far less prominently (and hard to read) beside it. Then I read the comments and it all clicked since I remembered (and previously wrote about) Arianna’s threat to do this.

I think you may be giving me far too much credit but I have been walking around the house in my Moses costume, parting the water in the bathtub…by opening the drain.

» Posted By AdLib On December 11, 2013 @ 11:32 pm

Night HLL!

There are pluses to megasites like HP, the pace of comments is fast and furious. However, what they offer in activity they lack in respect for individuals. Here, there is a real community of thoughtful people with a variety of views and opinions.

Those of us who Admin here are fellow bloggers and we see The Planet as the sum total of its members. So we do value individuals here along with their right to freedom of expression. Our primary rule is no personal attacks and due to that, we have some pretty enlightening but civil disagreements here.

I think I can speak for my fellow Admins and many Planeteers here when I say we’re very pleased to have you and many other new and old friends here from HP.

» Posted By AdLib On December 11, 2013 @ 11:25 pm

Nice to see you, Dbos!

» Posted By AdLib On December 11, 2013 @ 11:01 pm

Beatlex, apparently she didn’t fool herself either since she came out after the AOL deal to declare that she never was a Progressive. She’s flipped flopped politically again and again, in whichever direction she felt was most expedient.

But I think a lot of people have caught on to the mercenary reality of HP and Arianna.

» Posted By AdLib On December 11, 2013 @ 11:00 pm

Hey Fergie1, I do remember you from HP. And thanks for the kind words.

I wouldn’t be surprised by whatever they do now. I could imagine them deciding to stay the course and take the hit in the short term for the gains in the long term. I could also imagine them pandering to members and reversing the decision temporarily…just to sucker people back so they can slowly re-implement this at a later date.

When someones proven they’re untrustworthy, take their word for it that they are (irony intended).

» Posted By AdLib On December 11, 2013 @ 10:43 pm

Hi Fergie, nice to see you here!

To add your avatar, you can set up any username at wordpress.com, you only need to match the email address you registered here on your account and Gravatar will do its magic!

Again, welcome to The Planet!

» Posted By AdLib On December 11, 2013 @ 10:38 pm

That’s high recommendation in my book.

» Posted By AdLib On December 11, 2013 @ 7:25 pm

rambot02, I’ve found a principle of critical mass in situations like this. Once a certain number of people come together on something, the switch flips and it brings many more to follow.

Think about how gay marriage hit that critical mass and went from being a divisive issue to a steamroller that no one wants to stand up to.

It can take time but if enough people want more sites where their privacy and freedom of speech are respected, congregating at such sites will bring that about.

» Posted By AdLib On December 11, 2013 @ 7:22 pm

Hi pinkpantheroz and welcome to The Planet!

They may relent and agree to grandfather some users’ privacy but a site that has a class system where some have no anonymity and others do would seem to be a recipe for disaster.

We have a Facebook page for The Planet but I don’t have a personal page either, I have always valued my privacy and that’s an ethos we practice here at The Planet.

Glad to have you at the party, pass the champagne around!

» Posted By AdLib On December 11, 2013 @ 7:16 pm