HARBESON: Finding solutions for the forum fiasco

By DEBBIE HARBESON

Last week, this newspaper’s online forum section was suddenly shut down with no advance warning or notification. This frustrated and irritated those who enjoyed visiting those pages regularly.

Some of them directed their anger at newspaper staff, but from what I’ve seen, both local papers worked hard to promote the forums as a place for readers to congregate and discuss news and current events. Therefore, I can only assume this was not a choice the papers wanted to make.

The newspaper said it was difficult to moderate the forum and noted that some users consistently broke forum rules. The paper has no direct obligation to provide an online forum, and as a business, it naturally needs to watch over something that it sponsors. It’s too bad the service it tried to offer became unmanageable; however, it has added the option to submit comments below individual articles and columns which I suppose is easier to moderate.

Forums can be wild places. A forum is kind of like an online bar or coffee shop where people congregate and talk, with one big difference — in forums you can put a bag over your head and hide your identity. You can even pretend to be someone else.

This anonymity can be a seductive attraction to the immature. You have to be extra skeptical of what’s posted, and if you choose to participate, you have to have a thick skin and learn who is worthy of engaging in an interesting discussion and who is only out to cause trouble.

I don’t believe in anonymity myself. If I’m going to say something stupid, I want everyone to know about it. Others prefer to remain unknown and it’s usually not a problem. However, there are always some who are not very free and happy in their real life and so they use the anonymity of forums to act out their frustrations.

This turns off a lot of people interested in community interaction. They become disgusted with forums and never return. They see no need to wade through dirt and fight with immature people online when they can go down to the nearest playground and find the 3-year-olds.

Even with this problem, the forum did attract a group of people who enjoyed the online interaction and discussion and found the information and varied perspectives to be valuable. So when it was shut down, most of them got mad and complained at first.

But then something interesting happened. A few posters decided it would be a good idea to start their own independent forum. One they could control. It appears to be off and running and those who like the idea are even voluntarily donating funds.

It will be interesting to see how it grows, particularly in relation to moderating those who only want to cause trouble. The supporters now will likely feel the responsibility that comes with ownership and, as a result, will probably work together to find mutually agreeable solutions for such issues.

The link to this new forum is www.clarkcountychatter.com/. Go check it out for yourself and see if it’s something you find valuable. If it is, then you’re welcome to participate; if not, then go on your way and leave them alone. Or start your own forum.

I think it’s great that these forum users took action to solve their problem. They’re in charge now and can decide how they want to run it.

They proved that we have choices when someone stops giving us something for free. We can just go do it ourselves through voluntary cooperation with others who want the same things.



Sellersburg resident Debbie Harbeson discovered the hard way that paper bags are better than transparent plastic when she wants to speak her mind and remain anonymous. Write her at Debbie@debbieharbeson.com