Press Herald changing online comment system

I'm not sure requiring posters to open a FB account is a good idea. But at least it will make the moderator's job easier if contributors have to use their real names. It doesn't affect me personally, since I'm already on FB.

On the other hand, the BDN requires posters to register, but still allows screen names.

I adopted AMG's registration policy years ago, modeling it after Lucianne.com's registration policy at that time. In an email exchange with Lucianne Goldberg she told me, "You don't need everyone posting, you just need the best."

Best,
skf

Well, that should solve all kinds of problems, since it's a fact that everyone who has a facebook account is truthful about who they are. Not! My cat has a facebook account, with friends, where he went to school, his religion (catolic) etc. I could open a facebook account and call myself Scott Fish. As long as I have an email address to go with the name I'm all set. This is a feel-good change that really doesn't amount to anything.

lucky, that makes me wonder what would happen if you did create the Scott Fish persona on FB and started posting on PPH leaving the reader with the impression you were him? Would this be some form of identify theft? Or would this be allowed?

I went to fb, typed in "Scott Fish" to search, and got at least 12 returns with that name. Also, there are many people on fb who share my first and last names. If someone with the same name as mine posts on a site, I can't say they are guilty of identity theft. And as I said before, plenty of people have fake fb accounts. Facebook doesn't have the FBI doing background checks on accounts to see if the person is really who they say they are.

Never, never, never say never.

That said, I will never join facebook to become a TPTSNBN poster.

Deleted all related accounts as soon as Sussman took over.

About 1.5 years ago, the LSJ went to real names only. The result was a precipitous drop in the number of posters, especially in the opinion section, down to a couple dozen hard-core types. Maybe TPTSNBN noticed and is trying for the same thing.

Well, Scott, now we've heard everything. Who knew that AMG had this much power? Single-handedly, it seems that AMG has forced the PPH and the MTM newspapers to abandon their old commenting format. What should we do next, create a vaccine for the common cold?
lol

*********************************

Roxieow • 19 minutes ago

Dear PPH,
By doing this you have given moderates no place to voice their opinions anywhere in Maine with this much exposure. You have given intoothe ultra conservative NRS people et al on limiting opinion outside of AMG and the Maine wire. It must be time for a spin off from the PPH. They are so excited that this has happened not only for their self service of attacking those with opposing opinions but of the majority of voters in Maine who are undeclared such as myself. This will not survive. You will have less followers for discussion/debate of the issues. For those who declare they are the martyrs using their real names: so what. For those who use akas or aliases, their opinions are no less deserving. Facebook is ridiculous. You lose a great discussion forum. Moderate the commenst or just plain do not exist.
ROXIEOW

roflmao - I mean, really?

**************

I mean, I am just shocked to find out that Sussman and his pals would bow to the "wishes" of AMG.

lololololol

"About 1.5 years ago, the LSJ went to real names only. The result was a precipitous drop in the number of posters..."

The Press Herald is not requiring real names.
They are making it easy to post anonymously by using fake Facebook names.

My alter self is already registered with the Me. Dem. Party.

I'm a shoe in for a PPH account.

This PPH policy is disingenuous. If they wanted more "civilized" discussion they would have been deleting the personal attacks by the leftist trolls reported for abuse. Instead they leave them and delete serious but politically incorrect posts they don't like as 'disrespectful' of their own ideology. To the extent a Facebook account would reveal people's identities it would only open them up to harassment and abuse by the trolls in other ways. A lot of intelligent people do not use Facebook at all because of the notorious reputation for abuse of personal information.

Ugenetoo Sun, 10/21/2012 - #11: "My alter self is already registered with the Me. Dem. Party. I'm a shoe in for a PPH account."

May they have mercy on your 'soul'.

That paper would be a memory but for the $4 million that $ussman dropped in it a year ago. The union begged him to get involved and save all their jobs, and the union rep writes political stories about Pingree... but they don't FEEL there's any bias. (But WHAT are the odds they will have the nerve to endorse Courtney over Pingree - - - the same way they endorsed Dean Scontras in 2010???)

So am I worked up about the comment portion of that bought-and-paid-for liberal rag???

Nope!!!

.
.
.
.
.

PS: IF you have to wonder about how far gone this paper is, have you seen the dope they have writing as a "Republican" columnist??? He was the communications guy for Gov LePage for a few weeks. He has written at least two columns supporting gay marriage, basically endorsed Angus King a few Sundays ago, and wrote his post-convention column on the reasons that he doesn't like Mitt Romney...

Yup - exactly the kind of "Republican" old $ussman would try to pass off as speaking for the party.

I don't have a facebook, myspace, youtube, twitter, or (no longer) google account. Since the cleansings and the purgings I've heard too many bad things about how they aggregate and how my info could be abused. I have had an anonymous Yahoo account since the dawn of the internet and have never suffered the abuses we hear so much about . . that I know of. I used to use it to access Disqus which, for awhile, got me access to PPH/BDN comments. No longer. I figure they're going to miss me more than I'll miss them. In the age of shrinking numbers, like subscribers, they have to have some numbers with which to seduce advertisers and I will no longer be counted among them.

If a tree falls in the woods................... ?

If commnet/s are posted and it changes nothing .......................?