Is registration a good idea? Help us out
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Sep 04, 2007 
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Readers;
This is blog has been around for 18 months and there have been a number of changes along the way. Now we’re contemplating a big one: registration.
I’ve been against this from the start because I believe newspapers shouldn’t do anything to inhibit freedom of speech. I’m also worried that people who discover this blog for the first time will leave because they don’t want to register to comment.
But as the popularity of the blog has increased, so has the trouble of controlling the comments section. Many people have e-mailed me asking for registration because they’re tired of wading through nonsensical posts.
I have spoken to the people at my paper, including the executive editor, and I can promise you a few things. We would not use anybody’s information for marketing purposes. We also aren’t out to exclude anybody (even Red Sox fans). We just want a little civilization.
Plus, you would be able to “own” the name you post under. This would also stop the people who think it’s funny to post as somebody else.
Before we make any decisions, I wanted to poll everybody to see what you think. Now, this poll isn’t binding by any means. But I want to bring your opinion into the equation.
So please participate in the poll over to the right and/or leave a comment about what you think
Thanks
I’m all for it, though I do believe it will turn off some people. Still, lots of people are happy enough to read a blog without commenting.
Take ONE GOOD LOOK at this post:
Magic Number
September 4th, 2007 at 12:52 am
from the previous thread and tell me if you think registration is a good idea….I am 100% for it…Have a great night Pete and everybody that is NOT a Boston Troll !
you do a great job Pete, and most agree with me and i’m sure pretty much everyone will register if you decide to do that.
Pete, I’m all for the registration. It’s fairly painless and people are already accustomed to doing so in other newsgroup type settings.
Is this to just to comment? Or may I still read it without registration?
i am for registration, i want to own my name, i am sick of the magic number fairies, and i think that it wont turn away any newcomers. i for one will be willing to register as long as it helps establish some order around here, i have been here throught the season and have never seen it this bad (post season push must bring out trolls).
I’m absolutely for registration, especially in this case. While i support any freedom of speech, theres a matter of consideration to examine. For me, and i do not speak for everyone, i would sacrifice very basic personal info for the ability to count on less trolling and nonsense. The troll comments just stoke an unneccesary fire. A game thread that may have 400 comments now has another 100 purely devoted to the defending of one’s team and the insulting of said troll. The game itself is now the second point of interest to the troll, and why are we here in the first place? And as jaspal pointed out, we are for the most part used to registering for newsgroup/discussion forum sites anyway.
Bottom line, i’m here 20 times a day for Yanks baseball and the finest flow of daily info one can garner in NYC, in my opinion, as well as the hours (when not at the stadium) during the games. I would fully support registration for this site.
I’m all for registration to keep the place a little more organized. I’m sure I wouldn’t be the only one here who has registrations on 20+ websites/forums/whatever on the internet. Not a big deal for one more, to keep a little order.
Yes. register everyone. anyone who would really want to comment would most likely have no problem with this, unless they’re just trolling
this poll is weird. there is no option for a plain “no” vote. the only “no” vote possible says no and if you implement it, i’m gone. that’s nuts. who invented this poll?
i wouldnt register to post a comment but id still check out the blog because you have some great info pete. keep up the good work.
absolutely yes. I rarely read the comments anymore cos the nonsense is overwhelming.
if it means less trolls then so be it.
Yes, but at the same time you might want to have a definition of a troll on your about page. A troll is not a red sox fan coming over to disagree, or discuss baseball. A troll is simply here to cause trouble. Since you’re saying red sox fans welcomed, you need to teach those who don’t know, who point at every non-yankee fan as a troll, what a troll really is.
Also, with registration you should really ban idiots who used racist and homophobic language such as this:
“i hate papelbon and all those faggy red sox fans”
Allowing such ignorance show badly on the site and you.
Vote no on registration!
That sounds like a good idea. I would deff comment more often. I cant stand those red sox trolls that like to degrade and name call and so on the Yankees, so ive only been reading and not commenting. Keep up the great work Pete!! I love comming to your blog every day make that many times a day, lol!!
gee thanks for calling me an idiot michael, i loosely use the f word and all of a sudden i am the ann coulter of the blog. just because the word has been reclaimed as offensive to homosexuals does not make it always geared towards them.
Registration is a great idea. It would not inhibit freedom of speech; people still would be able to say whatever they want without having to use their real name. However, it will give some people a sense of personal accountability for their own posts of their posts are attached to a certain “handle” or screen name.
If people are too lazy to register to post, then that’s their problem. It’ll actually improve the quality of the comments section, because although we’ll see a few less posts, we’ll also have less posters, which will make it easier to get to know people/frequent posters.
I’m all for it.
re: my comment above:
it should read, “However, it will give some people a sense of personal accountability for their owns posts IF their posts are attached to a certain handle or screen name.”
Eh, it’s 4:42 am.
the comments section has been out of control for a while, registration is a good move.
Putting a comment in a thread with 962 replies seems kind of futile anyway. Are there people who actually read 962 replies in a thread?
I read your blog many times a day, but rarely read the comments because of the “junk” in them. I’m for registration but I’m not sure the people who post the crap will stop. They will just register because thats what they do. They get satisfaction from being jerks, and registration won’t keep them out.
REGISTRATION WONT STOP THE TROLLS ITS JUST A BIG WASTE OF TIME
Registration and owning the name is a great idea. I’m all for it esp. if it improves the board because this is a great blog-deal for me. Thanks and keep up the great work.
If it helps you out, I am all for it!!!!! Best Yankee site in the net!!!!!
Is there a way registering will cut down on the number of posters who claim the world is coming to an end whenever the Yankees go down by a run? If so I’m all for it.
in conjunction with registration, im sure they can find software to ban people by IP. message boards do it all the time. troll? banned. cant post, cant register a new name.
also if the comments section was more message board like, with like 20 comments per page, and the ability to check through the pages, i think the comments would be alot more digestible. as it is now, its unreadable, to me at least. the comments come so fast and many are so nonsensical, its hard to keep track of whats going on.
its a vibrant community here but theres got to be some sort of parameters to keep it organized. i stopped checking the comments on game threads months ago, its just too out of control.
wiki September 4th, 2007 at 5:40 am
REGISTRATION WONT STOP THE TROLLS ITS JUST A BIG WASTE OF TIME
registration may not stop trolls. ip banning will. best feature this site could have. actually probably better than registration if you ask me.
Do I want registration? No. Would I register to continue to comment? Yes.
I’m in favor of registration. Freedom of speech comes with the responsibility to be civil.
100% for it.
I don’t think it’s a free speech thing, this is baseball not a political debate, The only way to really control the situation is ip banning. Registration will cut down on the problem but won’t solve it. Most of my comments get lost in the shuffle so I don’t comment much. I just enjoy reading your thoughts.
I used to run a few blogs, we found the best solution in that scenario was to make registration option. This way people can register their screen name and no one can take it.
But if it really as bad as you say it is, just make the registration process easy. Say part of the process the first time you comment. No long forms with marketing info, short, simple, sweet…
I’m all for registration.. it doesn’t hinder freedom of speech, i think it really just allows for accountability. Sign me up for that!
As long as people respond to trolls (fuel for their existence) you will have a need for registration .
Absolutely!!!
Peter, I already registered for the draft – you have to do so around your 18th birthday.
ooops. nevermind.
Registration is a good idea mainly because it creates an environment of personal responsibility for what is posted and allows you to own your screen name/identity. But, it is only part of the answer.
A clear “authorized use” policy should accompany it, conspicuously linked on every page (bottom?) spelling out among other things the privacy policy, what is appropriate and what’s not, who “owns” the blog, who is responsible for editing and reviewing content of posts and generally who has the right/responsibility to do what.
Banning users by IP address is a final sanction to deal with registered users who break certain rules enough times. How and when it can be used should be spelled out in the authorized use policy and reserved as a right by the host, moderator, etc.
I do not think you should. Not having to register makes this blog feel more open source-like, where its just the general public. I know it would add some structure and control over the comments, but the feeling of being more open and general is very appealing.
Not the worse idea. It would help if a poster declared being a Yankee fan otherwise it keeps the door open for Boston trolls under disguise.
The posting name should be 12 characters or less.
I am 100% for registration. I don’t post comments very often but I read them and I think a little less anonymity would really help this blog. It wouldn’t kill all the trolls – after all, people could just re-register under new emails – but it would help police it better.
Also – if done right, people could get a better sense of who people are. With registration, people could own their identity and then that would build one that could help Yankee fans who read the blog. Lots of VERY popular blogs have registration needed for people to post. It doesn’t hurt them. We live in an age where people are simply used to having to fill out of a form and register online to do things. I think it’s an amazing idea and actually a little over due.
Pete, the bottom line is registration only hurts you during the initial period when subscribers are building up. At that point you don’t want to do anything to discourage posting. Once you reach critical mass and have something worthwhile, most will register because that will allow them to continue something they already want to do.
At some point you have to have some control or you will have anarchy. I vote for control.
You have done a great job here. This is the logical evolution.
Bob
Just keep the format simple Pete. That’s what I like about the blog (aside from your observations of course). Don’t make registration difficult. And don’t start clogging the site with too many stupid ads. Once the blog starts getting cluttered, I’m out!
yes..registration is the way to go!
Im all for registration.
I think you have to move to a registration format. The Blog is a victim of its success
I honestly feel the people who enjoy the discussion on here would have no problem with registration whatsoever.
I’m for registration as well.
I think if everyone here is a loyal reader, then registration shoudld be fine. Is it possible to only have to register to comment and not register if you don’t plan on commenting?
I also like the idea about it being in a message board style as opposed to what it currently is. I know that makes it more tricky, but maybe more readable.
Also, I like the Sox fans that come on here and comment during games, nothing wrong with a little junk talking, but keep it at a sensible level.
If this was just someone’s blog and not associated with an actual news site I would say suck it up and deal with it, but I believe you have a responsibility to readers, just as a “readers write” section of a paper. The paper has to take control and edit and print what is acceptable. The blog should be no different.
Thanks Pete, for making a great blog!
I’m all for registration.
I like to think that my occassional contributions are relatively informed and civil. The responses from several of the regulars are not. Anyone who is not one of the Yankee In Crowd is automatically a heinous troll, to be ridiculed and insulted.
That being said, I would be happy to register. Hopefully, this will somehow soften the vitriol from the segment of your participants who begin frothing demonically at the very appearance of a Red Sox fan.
Go ahead and register, if it solves some problems. This is a great site. Keep it up.
all for registration.
Registration will not stop the trolls. These THINGS (trolls) have one purpose, and that is to trash everyone and everything here. To create wreak havoc and create chaos. Having to register will not stop them (might stop the lazy ones). But then you have to look at the reason that they are even here in the first place. The fact that they are here and taking the time to do what they do tells me that they would register without a second thought just so they could continue to do what they do best. Just my opinion, but I think others feel the same way.
It’s beneath my personal self esteem to ever blog on a Boston site so minimizing the amount of Boston envy and obsession of the Yankees and NYC is worth having registration for.
I think I agree with most people here… Register to comment, free to read.
Pete,
There’s more you could do with registration than just attaching people to a handle.
During the registration process, you could have a radial button (just like the poll) that asks whether the user is a Yankees, Sox or other fan. It would be a neat check for you to see what the demographic percentages are for those who read your blog.
I know a lot of registered blogs/message boards allow you to have a registered (user) name and then an editable display name. I would recommend making the display name a one-time selection during registration.
People always act more like normal human beings and treat one another as such more often when there is a level of accountability attached to their words. I prefer an environment without ‘drive-by commenting’ and with an actual sense of community where, after spending time there, you come to know who the more respected members are (SJ44 for example).
It’s not a freedom of speech thing, it’s a personal accountability thing. I can’t think of a single reason why it would be a bad thing to have your words attached to you. If you’re saying something that you don’t want to be accountable for, it’s a pretty safe bet that you probably shouldn’t be saying it in the first place.
Hopefully along with the registration process will come an edit button, or a ignore feature. If someone comes on here for the sole purpose of pushing everyones buttons it won’t work if people just put them on ignore.
I have no problem with registration as long as the cookies work with Firefox on an Intel Mac so I don’t have to sign in every !@#$% time.
Absolutely, Pete!!!
i am all for freedom of speech . weather that speech is ignorant , racist , lude , crude or just plain dumb .
And despite what a lot of people thing, requiring registration for commenting WILL cut out a hefty percentage of people who are just here for the sake of trolling and causing trouble.
I have to imagine that a very small % of them actually want to go through a process just to spout some garbage. Soon after, their email address & username will be banned and they’ll have to register with another address. I assume you will have a database that logs registration email addresses, usernames and also the IP address from which the registration occurred. Multiple banned accounts from the same IP address warrant an IP ban.
But in the meantime, trolls are out for instant gratification by acting like jerks. Trolling is very rarely a drawn-out calculated process. Registration will cut out a great deal of that before it even gets a chance to happen.
I don’t mind either way, this blog is awesome.
Any BBS or forum that matters to me requires registration. It’s just the way the web is now. It is NOT a problem at all and I’d be all for it. We could then keep the same names AND, in fact, a sense of community would increase more than anything. This has nothing to do with freedom of speech.
If the powers that be wanted to do it right, we could each have profile pages, as well. There is standard software for this.
LET’S DO IT!
My vote is “yes.”
Pete–Most of the other sites I frequent require registration. It doesn’t hinder free speech, but it does give the blog writer some more control–like, in on Livejournal community I’m in, some troll thought it would be fun to post pictures of male genitalia. Because of registration, the community owner was able to delete the posts and the troll was suspended.
I’m all for it.
I think the best idea is free to read, and ‘free register’ to comment.
I’m going to try this again:
Pete: Most of the other sites I frequent require registration. It doesn’t hinder free speech, but it does give the blog writer some more control-like, in on Livejournal community I’m in, some troll thought it would be fun to post pictures of male genitalia. Because of registration, the community owner was able to delete the posts and the troll was suspended.
I’m all for it.
Oh, and talking of changes, can we get an edit button? Please? It’d can the need for double posts like this…
I enjoy reading this blog and posting every so often. I would have no problem with registering to comment.
another vote for registration.
I am for registration
I agree with Bardos and a few others that the wording on this poll is totally skewed. Why is there no option for “No, but I would continue to post here”. That would be logical. In fact anyone who does not want to register but would and still post here is influeneced to vote one of the yesses. Peter, get some sleep, then reissue a fairer poll.
The best thing registration does is stop people from posting under the names of other well-known posters. I don’t know how much of a problem that is around here, but it’s good to put a stop to that kind of mischief.
As for trolls in general, I know from long experience on other boards that registration wouldn’t stop them. That said, having read this board a lot (and posted very little), I don’t see the troll problem as particularly bad on this blog. (I know of several discussion boards that were literally shut down because of the inability of moderators to control aggressive trolling.)
On the whole, I think registration is the way to go.
Great board, by the way, and great job by Pete running things and keeping us informed with regular updates.
Last comment: I am far more irritated by people who complain about “negative” posts than I am by the “negative” posts themselves. I am referring to those who b*tch about, for example, Kasey and SJ44′s posts.
I don’t mind registering, but I do hope having to register doesn’t discourage new readers from offering comments. I started posting during last off-season. I was relatively new to the blogging phenomenon. Those of us past a certain age (30?) might be hesitant to register, and I’m sure that many older (65? 70?) simply won’t register. That would limit the range of the blog’s population and though no one here actually gives their age, you can cull certain information from their posts that gives you an idea of where they’re coming from, so to speak. It brings a certain perspective, for example, when one can talk about the 60′s Yankees.
The out-of-control posts mostly happen during game time, and so I no longer actually read most of those posts — I scroll (and scroll and scroll) looking for specific people whose insights I’ve come to appreciate (positive and negative). I do this generally after a game. If registration means that there will be fewer annoyances, that’s a good thing.
I manage 8 forums and 8 blogs. Registration is a natural progression. So, go for it.
* But I do also agree that there should have been a poll option of “No, but I will continue to post.”
I’m all for registration. I thoroughly enjoy reading this blog on a daily basis. I don’t post too often, but I agree there seems to be more and more “extra” things in the comments.
Thanks for all you do, Pete!
100% for registration.
I actually think it will make the blog even more of a “commununity”. It will raise the level of discussions, lower the amount of namecalling, and make the overall experience for everybody much better.
JMO but, the people who would be against registration aren’t free speech advocates. They are punks who would be upset they can’t use other people’s names, mock people, go off on namecalling rants or write nonsense simply to clog the blog.
Reading a thread with 300+ replies is ok for me, but if you have to spend most of your time just scrolling the page up and down to skip troll comments, it becomes an annoying and frustrating thing.
So if registration will make the place a little more organized, I think one nore registration is not a big deal.
One other thing. Can we also get an edit button, along with registration, please?
An edit button would be like Christmas Day to some of us! lol
I don’t post all the time, but read most of them (I don’t know why sometimes). However, if I do have something to say, add or interject, I will post. I’m all for registration.
Yeah, an edit button would be a godsend — especially for those like me, who tend to get a little wordy!
Well put SJ, I’m all in for an unclogged blog. Unclog the blog!
Your blog is one of the first websites that I turn to everyday as it helps me stay connected with my yanks from Chicago. I think registration is a good thing as it would serve to increase the quality of the posts and improve the overall experience for all the fans. Thanks so much for all your work on the blog Pete. It’s by far and away the best sports blog on the ‘net.
First, let me preface this comment by saying that I am an avid reader, occasionally scan the comments, but seldom post a comment myself.
That said, I am not opposed to the concept of registration. I question how effective it will be.
Yes, owning a name will prevent the impersonators. But, I wonder how much it will help you achieve the civility objective. There is nothing to prevent the troll from registering under a variety of aliases.
I think there are numerous examples of sites where users are required to registration that are littered with troll garbage.
Implement registration and a code of conduct and ban IP addresses that don’t comply. And do it before the playoffs, because the comments will be out of control if the Yankees do anything less than win the World Series.
As a nitpick, I don’t see how “freedom of speech” is an issue here. A newspaper doesn’t have to run a blog at all. A newspaper’s blog doesn’t have to allow comments at all. The amount and type of comments you allow on this site are purely a matter of your discretion. You’ve already exercised that discretion countless times by deleting offensive comments and installing the Bad Behavior filter.
Registration/IP banning is just a more effective way of doing the same thing you’ve already been doing – keeping the forum clear of trolling.
Thumbs up for registration from me.
pete – just do it…
Im all about registration. I dont think it will stop some trolls, buts its an extra step they have to take.
Fine with me, Pete. You’ll still have koo-koo birds registering, but it might deter a few of them.
They could do something with the registration process that allows only one registration per ip. But than you run into a problem who blog from school.
As a blog gets bigger, registration is necessary, in my opinion.
I would also like to see a quoting feature as well.
The blog might need a moderator too.
Registration? As if! How dare you ask me for this? Do you know who I am?
Just kiddind Pete. I’m all for it.
Yes for registration!
As I’ve mentioned in the past, it’s sometimes necessary. And in this case, it is.
On the bright side, that’s a function of how successful the site has become.
As if you needed another reason to implement registration:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19
That’s all that need be said
Unfortunately I think it’s needed.
Every quality blog already has registration.
It’s a must.
Do NOT do paging. It is very slow on this end and taxes the server.
Scrolling is much, much easier.
However, Like Bronx Banter and other, comments should be numbered sequentially.
Post a rules of conduct page and BAN anyone who misbehaves after one public warning.
We need QUALITY comments, not QUANTITY of comments.
You have plenty of traffic and are actually losing more traffic by having to many crappy comments.
As someone suggested, make registering clean and simply.
Screen name, EMail address and password is all that’s needed.
Also, have a ‘review before posting’ screen to give us a change to proof read what we write.
Bronx Banter’s is perfect. Copy it.
Also, make the text width a full 780 pixels, of better yet,
96% of the screen, center justified.
The current format is too ‘vertical’
If you must do ADS, keep them on the MAIN screen, but off the comments screen.
I check this blog out numerous times on a daily basis, if possible. I enjoy the majority of the content. As for registration, it is a painless procedure, and if it helps keep out at least a portion of the riff-raff, I support it.
All for it. What murphydog said at 7:12.
Selective IP banning would be helpful too, but I’d imagine a newspaper sponsor would have to swallow hard several times more than another blog sponsor before implementing that, you’d have to have some very clearcut rules around it.
As a Sox fan and occasional poster, I’m embarrassed by the rampant flaming Sox fans that tend to show up. (I’ll let Yankee fans do the judging on the flaming back). If it makes things a tad more civil that would be a good thing. I’m here because Pete your coverage of the Yankees is superb.
One other thought, most other baseball team blogs I read set up separate game threads — with the wilder comments more tolerated and expected there, and it tends to keep the other threads more oriented to the original subject. Good luck!
Yes for registration, no on proposition 34
Pete,
I have been posting on blogs for a couple of years and regisration is the way to go. This blog has become too popular not to go in that direction IMO.
Pete,
I think registration is a must, and as one who is very attuned to civil liberties issues, I don’t think you have anything about which to be concerned. Unless I don’t understand what it means to “register,” all you have to do is identify yourself via an e-mail address and username, right? If that’s the case, you’re still free to say whatever you want, but you have to be willing to identify yourself and stand behind what you say. If you as the moderator feel, or the general consensus is, that someone is posting comments that are construed as offensive, innane, or whatever, you’re clearly within your right to ban that person from commenting. Think of it as a group of friends having a conversation in person…even though someone may have the right to say whatever he wants, he does NOT have the right to be included in that private conversation among friends. That is a priveledge that comes with mutual respect.
On another note, I second your notion that even Sox fans should be allowed, as long as they have something civil and pertinent to contribute. As much as it sometimes makes my blood boil to read the musings of Sox fans, I must admit to enjoying Sox and joint Yanks/Sox blogs daily. I enjoy the biased, but intelligent, back-and-forth that goes on with that dynamic. So Brian(Sox Fan), POST ON, BROTHER!
As one who occasionally posts but visits and reads the blog daily, I would be 100% in favor of registration.
Registration doesn’t inhibit freedom of speech. Just like voting for elections, you can only participate if you register.
“Reminds me of when he was yelling FU, FU, FU at Varitek …. but never had the b—s to start anything. He was shocked when Varitek came after him thought the ump would stay in the way.
A real wuus ….. and now on the news he’s trying to make it sound like it was real “hardball.â€? ” — this is from a few mionths ago from brian (red sox fan) who today says he a perfectly well behaved reasonable red sox fan and not a troll.
yeah right.
i personally have zero interest in red sox fans comments like the above on the blog. i can honestly say i haven’t learned a single thing from any red sox fan who has posted here . i already know what red sox fans think . they are right outside my front door here on cape cod. why not register only yankee fans?
i personally like it when someone connects a username to a blog with a profile so i know who i’m talking to. i understand that some people, for perfectly good reasons, want anonymity ( like posting at work) , but anonymous posting is what allows troll like or innapproptiate behavior.
i’m on board for a simple minimalist registration, and i encourage anyone who can to voluntarily connect a simple blog and a profile to their username. it only takes 5-10 minutes to throw a blogger blog together.
and as for red sox fans like brian, in another place i might have something in common with them or be interested in their opposing viewpoint, but this isn’t the forum in my opinion. i don’t even like it when peter a. gets too focused on boston like yesterday recommending dan shaunessy’s article. i read it . i didn’t see anything interesting there at all. if i want to go back and forth with red sox fans on a blog i’d look for one like yank fan vs.sox fan.
must win game tonight.
go yanks.
Why not use a digg/bury comments sections. See digg.com.
Edit button, please!
This is my favorite blog on the web, maybe even my favorite site. I’ll register in a second. FOR IT!
I’d like to second what Old Yanks Fan said several posts above. Registration, name-ownership, scrolling over paging for certain!! Edit and ignore buttons, too. I believe that part of free speech is the responsibility to own up to one’s words. Remember, free speech does not include the permission to run into a crowded movie theatre and holler “Fire!!” et cetera. IP banning will help regulate that. SJ44 is correct – registration will foster the sense of community on this board, and of civility. It’s okay to have differing opinions; it’s not okay to call someone names just because you disagree with their opinion, EVEN IF IT SEEMS THAT THEY ARE OBTUSE. Great blog, Pete, and I enjoy it thoroughly. Good info, timely; I wish some other blogs took this much care. Thank you. I am for registration.
I say no to registration because it doesn’t stop what you don’t want. If you ban someone, he/she’ll only come back with a new handle. It slows down their ability to post, but it could also create people who want to get in at all costs.
What would it take to register 10 Yahoo addresses and use them up, only to create another 10? Trolls make it their mission in life to always get on the board, literally.
What’s with “No, because I would stop coming here” as a poll answer? How ’bout another option “No, because the blog comments would be less interesting to read” or “No, because it doesn’t stop trolls” or “No, I like the chaos of the blog comments even though alot of it is silly to meanspirited?” I I think blog comments would be incredibily pedestrian thus boring. It’d be Jennifer x 1,000 with all dissenting views shot down.
Define “nonsensical posts” because from your attitude, that’s anyone who doesn’t like Torre and Cashman and/ or wants either or both fired. Anything you disagree with is “nonsensical”? I think it’s pretty nonsensical that Jennifer constantly comes off like she’s the queen of the blog comments and thinks anything she writes is gold cux quite frankly, the only thing she adds to the table is being a Yankee cheerleader and belitting anyone who doesn’t ascribe to her views. I often see her make comments like “There are so many idiots to wade through” which quite frankly is trollish because some people who have a legitimate gripe about the Yanks’ play will think she’s talking about them. Warn her and anyone else to stop antagonizing fellow posters and making comments about posters in general that’s a reasonable rule. When you call other posters this and that you are inviting their wrath.
Take a look at the messageboard at the Yanks’ official website. That is 1,000X worse than this one. What makes you think a troll wouldn’t register with a yahoo, hotmail, etc.
address or perhaps even 2 or more to post as much as possible? If anything you encourage them to post more because now you’re being antagonistic with commenters.
What you should do is create a messageboard with current topics you set e.g.
The Status Of Roger Clemens’
Game Thread Yanks-Seattle 9/4/07
etc.
then people can comment there as well as blog entries, or just kill blog entries and go with a board where only you create the topics. Make that registration only and if you want to really take it to the limit, ban common curse words and their variations from there.
Lastly, you, Peter, ever heard of “don’t read what you don’t like to read”? Also YOU provide the forum for posts you deem nonsensical thus are responsible for whatever mess the blog comments are, so get off your high horse.
If the blog could be read without registering, I would be in favor of requiring registration to post. I am a great believer in free speach, however, I think is important that one be accountable for one’s speach. The anonmimity that the internet allows should not be a license to say/post irresponsibly.
The internet has encouraged boorish behavior and irresponsible commentary in all areas of our lives. For the most part, the posters on this blog are intelligent, thoughtful individuals. One would hope that they would have no problem attaching their identity to their comments.
If the inability to remain anonymous impedes their willingness to post, then the post probably isn’t worth reading in the first place.
Thanks for allowing us the venue.
Whew, most people seem to be alright with registration. Take a look at that poll, it’s a blow out.
I really think most of us will take the 30 seconds to register. This is a great blog and a great place to discuss and debate all matter of Yankee and baseball news.
I agree with everything OldYanksFan said. Use Bronx Banter as your guide for site design.
Registration solves more problems than there are created by not having it, IMO I understand the freedom of speech issue, but I think those who value that freedom will have no issues with registering to be able to do it. Most likely the only ones that will be “alienated” by this are trolls. Besides, many newspapers require registration just to be able to read full articles on their websites these days.
I’m in favor of registration (as long as the paper doesn’t use it for marketing purposes). It’s easy enough to get an anonymous email account anyway.
Registration?
Trolls will still show up but as some have mentioned above, selective IP address banning may be necessary if the trolls or imposters get out of hand. Could this be done without registering? Is it already?
Good natured Sox fans being free to comment is OK I suppose. Heck, I have some friends who are Sox fans & we have lots of fun with the rivalry. But the hostile ones should be banned.
At least with registration nobody (Sox fan or otherwise) could post as someone else and be offensive. I’d be for registration AND selective banning.
Please give a warning before banning any of us for flaming back at a deserving Sox flamer. Let them get reamed out first then you can ban them.
One of the nice things about when Phil Rizzuto was announcing is that sometimes he’d weave in some non-baseball anectdotes or humor (within reason) to lighten it or make it interesting during a lull. That some of the regulars here aren’t 100% baseball all the time is a similar quality you should allow (again, within reason) to continue.
This has absolutely nothing to do with ‘freedom of speech.’ I think making people register would greatly improve the quality of commentary on this blog.
I guess it boils down to what the goals are for this blog. Do you just want a ton of comments? Then no registration is fine, if you want to elevate the quality of discourse, I’d implement registration.
Baseball Toaster is the best baseball blog site out there, and they require registration, and it doesn’t stop people from commenting.
But seriously, stop talking about “Freedom of Speech” because that has nothing to do with requiring registration on a freaking blog, and you should know better.
I guess if the Yankees started to win more consistently, we wouldn’t have to worry about trolls.
Would registration help? I don’t know, everyone would just input false data and I don’t know if just the added registration steps alone would prevent a troll who really wanted in. We’d also only have comments from the same people all the time. Boring.
This community is great because its the largest gathering of Yankee fans – in any case like that, you’ll always have a few bad apples, but the good ones totally outweigh the bad ones. Keep it like it is.
I think we should all be issued uniforms as well.
Oh yeah … ditto Bobcat’s comment that it might be a good idea if the blog could still be read without registering. Good one B-cat. That would allow someone to casually observe first, see that it’s an interesting blog, and then they’d register. Some people might not want to bother registering without knowing what’s going on inside first.
Pete I also appreciate that registration wouldn’t be used for marketing purposes.
I am for registration. it will reduce the knuckleheads a bunch..
I think its a great idea, for those of us who regularly use I think it would be a great idea. However I think that it may slow down new users, as new people coming to the site would not want to go through registering and have more fear(less trust) that their names wouldn’t be used for marketing.
Raise both ahnds abd both legs to erase the BS trolls. Please go ahead immediately.
With 500 votes in so far we have a consensus.
So far 75% of the people would still post here with registration….that, in itself, says it all.
I’m not sure now many unique posters we have here but I wouldn’t suspect that there are that many more who haven’t voted.
I used to go to the MLB Yankees site to read the message boards. They are categorized (helpful) and you have to register to post.
I left there to come here because the site is filled with trolls, and grade schoolers who can’t remain civil.
If you want to have registration go right ahead but I can tell you from experience it doesn’t make any difference.
A “Don’t feed the trolls” policy would do a lot more good and a Respect your fellow poster.” one would help as well.
This is a very good site with knowledgeable
fans. It’s really up to us to set the level of discourse and to not take the bait when offered. Registration will not matter in this regard.
Now as to “owning” your own screen name. That’s good. Categorized threds. Also good.
So go ahead and do it.
Registration is a good idea, and I think it will deter people from posting nonsense or worse. I’m all for it.
Many sites require registration in order to post comments, for many of the same reasons you cite. I don’t think it will deter many people; they will still be able to read your posts.
With registration, they could actually grab hold of your IP address and BAN those trolls.
I’m not ‘for’ registration as much as I think it’s necessary, if only to prevent others from posting under other users’ names.
Also if it deters others from posting nonsense because they would have to register to do so then I suppose that’s what is needed.
BTW, rough weekend. But I this is what this team is. For games at a time, you can count on the offense to just disappear. It’s been that way for a couple of years now. Just goes to show that there is nothing more important, especially to this Yankee team, than starting pitching.
Sadly, registration is necessary as a site gets a following. It’s a small price to pay for an increase in the level of discourse. I am all for it.
Thanks for a great blog.
good idea. gets rid of some trolls.
I’d vote No. I don’t comment on this site (except for this one) and I view the site via RSS feed. The only thing this would do is aggravate me when I couldn’t get the feed to download properly because I would need to remember some random username and password.
Thanks!
No
To quote a great person of logic
“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one”
With all the comments on this blog, I am for registration. It should keep out the people who just want to be a troll or be a jerk.
No more magic number, “Gay-Rod and Jeter are lovers” type crap.
Pavano also complained of a “grabbing sensation” and he ended up “you know where”…I am not hopeful of a Rocket Return this year, BUT welcome the fact that I am totally wrong here….
I really like the idea.
Enough people love this blog enough to register.
It’s a good idea
Yes to registration. Quite a few blogs I read require that you register to comment and it really isn’t a big deal. And the whole point of registration is to disallow trolls access. I’m entirely in favor of THAT.
Pete –
As others have said, if registration is going to be a successful way to keep the trolls of this board and allow us all to have an intelligent discourse about the Yankees, then I’m all for it!
Of course, I meant “keep the trolls OFF this board”! Going to get some more coffee now to wake my brain cells up again. Returning to work after a long holiday weekend is the worst!!!
I voted Yes to registration, but it is highly important that you may still be able to *READ* Blog Posts and their comments without being registered or logged in.
So basically make it so you would only have to register to comment, which is probably obvious to everybody anyway.
I’m all for registration. IP banning is a wonderful thing
Peter – you run the best Yankee blog on the web. If people want to be a part of it, they can register.
I think it is a necessary step.
Yes to registration.
Pete, you’ve got the best Yankees blog on the web. Get the registration plan active.
I vote yes to registration.
I am Pro-Registration for the blog, but I would like to see if it is possible to reserve the usernames of the regular visitors by matching them with the e-mails we use here. Thoughts?
Yes to registration. I would post here again if registration was required (to the disgust of some people I imagine).
“I left there to come here because the site is filled with trolls, and grade schoolers who can’t remain civil.”
Ditto the MLB Yankees board, and I’d stopped posting in comments here – even though I still read what Pete writes in the blog section.
To be fair though, the reason the Yankees MLB board is the disgrace it is (I’ve only been there once this year though), was partly because the lack of moderation. It was ineffective, due to being inconsistent and sporadic. None of their TOS were enforced consistently. Their bannings when they happened seemed arbitrary and seemed based a lot more on political views etc. and soap operas than what a person contributed overall. If moderation was consistently and fairly I think it would have made more of a difference to that messageboard
As a Sox fan who has posted on here some I would support some kind of registration. I would be one of the first to admit that there have been some pretty ignorant posts on here by Sox fans but I might add that occasionally there are some Yankee posts that rival the Sox posts in stupidity. I read the blog because I find it interesting and informative. I am a Sox fan but I am also a general baseball fan and so the topics and even the discussions are of interest to me as long as it does not simply become the typical exchange of Red Sux suck or Jeter sucks. That kind of exchange adds nothing to the discussion and is just a reflection on whoever posted it. That is my two cents worth.
NEWSFLASH: IP BANNING DOESNT WORK. TROLLS WILL USE PROXIES.
Pete,
I’ve never particpated in a blog till I found this one. I truly enjoy the experience. I can only imagine the headaches involved with running it.
It’s sad that registration may be neccessary, but if that’s what it takes to keep the blog successful I’ll register. What assurances do we have that our IP addresses remain as secure as possible? Keep up the good work.
now, it wouldn’t bother me either way, registration or not. i’d stay here and register.
but when i came here the first time, the lack of registration was a big reason i started and continued commenting here. i probably would have read an entry or two and never came back if there was registration at the time.
also, i find trolls annoying like anyone would, but also find it funny when someone puts them in their place.
Plus Pete, think of the opportunities, perhaps you can get Gannett to spring for a “LoHud Yankees Blog” Happy Hour somewhere centrally located as an opportunity to reach your readership in ways that a newspaper can’t. With registration, you will have a grasp of the core readership and can figure out more ways to broaden the audience.
Just a suggestion.
Bad poll, question was framed horribly… but I think registration is the way to go.
Registration- no way
As for the trolls, when I read what they have to say it makes me glad to be a Yankee fan. Trolls are like stray cats- feed’em they keep coming back, igore them and they’ll go away.
Yes on registration
I say yes on registration
wiki: it’s true that there are creative ways around everything but if it cuts down the trolls by 75%, than it is worth it. I’m reasonably sure most of the trolls are still using WebTv
We’ve needed registration from Day One.
There’s a huge difference between freedom of speech and being a jerk.
If registration gets rid of the jerks I’m all for it.
Because a lot of times I don’t want to post or even look at the comments section because of them.
I’m here for fun. Not to “fight” or “argue” with strangers who only want to cause trouble.
I’m a little torn on it, but overall giving it a try is probably a good idea.
I think your poll options are terrible though and the lack of a simple no, or no I’d stick around but probably not post, option will make more people vote yes and so your results are going to be very skewed.
I wonder if a forum is a good idea for the future to channel sensible discussions into more focused areas and save them getting lost in the in-game chatter.
The blog is a victim of its own success so if I was you I’d start a 2nd little blog that only a few of us diehards know about.
It’ll be our little secret.
I vote yes for registration.I read this blog daily but don’t post. I don’t read during a game, but afterwards so most of my observations and reponses would be irrelevant.
I’m not strictly against registration but as some here have said, I fail to see how it helps the problem. Trolls can just use various e-mail addresses to register different user-names.I think IP banning with a moderator (be it a blog regular or someone who is paid) would be a much better solution. Any trollish or offensive comments should be deleted, whether it’s a magic number countdown or stupid one liners. Spirited debate should still be encouraged. Unless you can explain how registration stops the trolls, I remain unsure.
I do agree it would stop the posing that goes on which is good.
I also agree that the poll is framed poorly. There should be a “No, but I’d still visit” option. The blog needs to be free to view one way or the other or you won’t attract new visitors.
I would vote for a moderator that monitors comments and deletes worthless comments intended to be malicious or registration.
The moderator should have the power to ban people and block their IP address if it is serious enough. If you decide to go this route, you will NEED to make a list of rules that everyone here can get behind to make it fair to everyone. Maybe have everyone vote on them?
And yes, while trolls can use proxies, most of the idiots probably don’t know how to do that, don’t feel like putting that much effort into it anyways, and probably just want to make a quick comment to irritate people.
The BIGGEST thing that needs to happen is when a troll does come, just ignore them! They are only doing it to get a rise out of you and a reaction, so don’t give them that luxury.
I really don’t think that registering will help anything. Trolls come to annoy people, and I don’t think they will not post because they don’t want to do a two minute registration. I don’t comment often, so as long as I can read the blog, I don’t mind. But yeah, IP banning would be the only way to really get rid of the trolls. Making people register is pointless unless with it comes IP banning.
The poll didn’t have the answer I wanted really. I have mixed feelings about registration. Your 24/7 updates are what keep me coming back not so much being able to comment. Most people who post are solid Yankee fans and then there are a few troublemakers. Registration would kinda take away that spontaneous reaction from fans kinda thing. Honestly trolls exist on message boards that require registration. I just ignore most of it. It’s up to you Pete I will still read your blog whether I comment or not.
Absolutely NO!