Due to several factors, WEHP is considering closing the comments section under the posts in the blog portion of the business. It has gotten to the point where several posters have been bashing each other and even bashing the contents the blog has to offer. It is not the intention of the blog to create debate in a negative fashion which has been the case lately. Also, the posts we write have been under extreme negativity as of late - mostly due to a select few posters. We do have the option of moderating the posts but due to receiving over 100 per day, it has become a life on its own in terms of an extra full time job that quite frankly I don't have time for. I know many enjoy the conversation though and I hope to come up with something that will satisfy all posters. I will keep this post and the "comment" open for the rest of the day and those of you who may have some ideas, please feel free to forward them. For the detractors of the website, please email me directly at tneisz@hotmail.com , I usually get back to the emails very quickly. For those who feel that parents who "pay" and have their kids ranked highly??? All I have to say is go talk to them and you'll find out very quickly that isn't the case!
Best regards,
Tyler Neisz
Western Elite Hockey Prospects
19 comments:
I have a couple of suggestions:
1) What about a code of conduct for what sort of things are off limits for responses? Making it clear that posts directed at another poster on a personal level are not acceptable. For instance, it's one thing to say "I disagree with that idea, here is what I think". It's another thing to say "You're stupid for thinking that and you must be some kid's dad." One is an attack on the idea, the other is an attack on a person. One is acceptable. The other is not.
2) What about a discussion forum? This way you could have discussion taking place in an area that's easier to moderate, and people would have to be at least partially accountable for what they post because they would have to post using the same username all the time. A big part of the problem with this blog is that there is an option to post anonymously. If that option didn't exist, there would be a lot fewer negative posts. Even if people started posting using unidentifiable aliases, at least you could simply delete everything posted by that user.
Just a couple ideas.
As much as I can understand your frustration about the negativity of some commentators(parents) it would be a diservice to others that post constructive and informative opinions.
That said, I fully agree with 11:22 a discussion forum might be a more viable alternative, because it can be moderated and would eliminate the protection available from the anonimity that many posters hide behind.
Iow, I'm sure many feel as I do that overall this site is a great opportunity to gain insight in to what is happening in others provinces.
Simple fix, make people post their names and e-mails, to many people hide behind anonymous
Just turn it off.
Too bad a couple of bad apples are spoiling the bushel. Hopefully if keep their personal and / or selfish agendas and jealousy off the page the comments section can continue.
Anyone who finds it necessary to bash or put down 14 year old kids has serious issues.
I enjoy reading this blog since it offers insight to teams and players from across the prairies. At times my opinion varies from the blogger, but I find it truly disappointing when comments towards the blogger and other commentatros are so advesarial and demeaning.
If there is a format to monitor and block users who make comments not constructive to good discussion, then I wuld love to see the comment section stay open. Otherwise, I would just as well read the blog and move on.
I fully agree with first 2 posters.
Tyler, I think Discussion forum is the best compromise out there as it does allow much easier moderation, and it is slightly more transparent of course than 'anonymous'. No discussion at all limits the effectiveness of your site, as it certainly generates traffic.
As always, it's a great resource to see and hear what is happening across the four western provinces (and US) at the bantam age.
If people were somehow accountable and weren't able to hide under "anonymous" then that would be better however you could always use a phoney name.
Personally I enjoy the blogs and hearing other's opinions on tournaments, etc. Haters will hate and post usually because they are jealous of the kids who have worked hard and earned their rightful positions in the stats or just don't understand the process.
WEHP is reputable, highly regarded and respected unlike other sites recently started and will remain unmentioned. There are a number of scouts who work together to compile the stats compiled here. Tyler puts a ton of free information on his blogs and does this for the love of the game, not to promote his son(s) or friends' and the rankings are considered thoughtfully.
In short, if possible it would be nice to keep the comment section open and if there are a few rules attached or if you are able to delete posts that are offensive then that would be great.
It is unfortunate that you are considering closing the comments section. However, what is more unfortunate is that it reflects much of what is heard in the rinks. It is usually 5-10% of individuals that chose to behave to the detriment of all others.
I think the anonymity of these comments can be an issue. Perhaps if have registration, where an email or identifier of the poster can be known to you (not published) the comment section could be better moderated.
It would be disappointing if you closed the comment section, as I find it a good way to obtain more detailed information about games and players etc., from those who were in attendance - usually providing a better grasp of the games.
Anyways, thank you for the work you’ve put into this blogsite.
Let me get this straight ... you've got an intensely engaged, sometimes combative audience that posts more daily messages than you can handle and you think that's a problem. Seriously?
Your only real problem is figuring out how to monetize your traffic.
In other words, you've got a problem that other blogs and web sites would LOVE to have.
The blog would be useful info if it was the scouts blogging with some level of professional ethics rather than some overzealous parents falsely pumping up their own kid or cutting down the kid next to them anonymously. Limit the blog to known, professional, ethical scouts and the info posted on the site will become much more useful and impartial, giving all readers a more realistic view of what is happening outside our own region.
For the record my son is now midget and I have no vested interest in the sight other than I am following a few friends kids. I enjoyed following last year ,all the banter... want to eliminate all the idiotic talk... remove the anonymous option and force the email used to register as the signature.... hiding behind an a wall is gone and now some accountability.... good luck
Who cares if you get negative comments. Leave it open. Fun to read disgruntled parents ranting...
I like it the way it is. It is great to follow across Canada and as long as you read it as someone's opinion who cares what others think.
It is great to hear player's successes and the parents that want to pump their kids tires can do it but we know who they are.
I think it is only natural to have positive and negative remarks and quite frankly that is what makes your blog site popular - hearing both prespectives.
Thanks for doing this, we all appreciate the info and banter that goes back and forth. Especially hearing how great the winter clubs are with the players they recruit from all the other Associations...
The articles on this are good and somewhat interesting but the real draw is the trainwreck aspect of the comment section. Traffic will drop if you lose the comments.
I would tend to agree with a couple of other posters here that the comments tend to alternate between adding insight to making me laugh.
Calgary has a program that every parent has to take called Respect in Sport, PCAHA apparently does not!
Tyler, I imagine that you read each comment regardless, so if some idiot decides that he/she wants to bash WEHP because their son isn't the superstar they think he is, you can remove those ones.
Thanks for the site and your time invested!
October 24, 2012 7:43 AM
While it may be FUN for you.
It does not have the same feeling when a 13 year old try's to understand, why people they do not know, inform then they are bad players or do not belong. These comments go further then you think.
You are going down a path that might not end well.
I would go far as some parents even attack other players.
Tyler
It appears that there is enough positive feedback here to continue with the comments section.
As well some good suggestions how to modify.
The blog is a little like Jerry Springer. Entertaining to read but too much negativity. The over the top "nut" parents are the same over the top "nut" parents we all had to deal with in Minor Hockey and will never go away. They are the weirdo haters who are bad influences all the way around. Anyone who verbally beats on a 13/14 year old kid is never going to get better. Make them leave their e-mail and they will bury themselves and then you can ban them from posting on your site. However, having said that, readership will be down because people like to read drama & argue.
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