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Rob Ford's Toronto

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A comment from the Toronto Life comments section. (that made me lol)


I don’t know why Calgarians are so proud that they elected the first Muslim mayor in Canada. Big deal. In Toronto we are so broad minded that we elected the first mentally disabled mayor in Canada. Now that’s tolerance!

April 21, 2012 at 10:39 pm | by Alison
 
Wow I laughed out loud and forwarded that to a bunch of friends, can we make a shirt out of it ?
 
In all seriousness I'm so sick of the Star ... now I've ranted about the absurd comments that get posted (and they still do, in vast quantities) but its the writers themselves that I can't stand.

So lets see, at least 3 or 4 times a week there has to be some article about Ford regarding:
1) He'd dumb.
2) He can't lose weight like he said he would.
3) He has family problems.
4) Talking and driving ...
5) Issues with women ...

Take for example the article they published that his ratings went up (Yes there's some sillyness regarding how the poll was taken), simple article based on facts. One day later they release an article about he sucks as a Mayor.

It's just too much, granted I understand they're quest to ensure he doesn't get elected again but I think such articles will only increase the odds he'll get elected again.

They need to back off and let him take the helm and dig his own grave as they're only helping him.


Having said that:
I'm very surprised Tory didn't come out on top in the poll they did.
 
I've read reader comments in all three of the major dailies. No one paper has a lock on over the top, frothing-at-the-mouth readers.

Sometimes it all feels like a shabby, cynical game of would-be manipulation; each paper has carved out its ideological territory and grimly, dully sets out each and every day to engage in yet more bloodletting via rounds of plodding, brutal trench warfare. Pretty absurd stuff, really. I can't say I'm a fan of the Scar but I just don't see the Scum or the Gloat being any essentially different.
 
Lenser said:
I've read reader comments in all three of the major dailies. No one paper has a lock on over the top, frothing-at-the-mouth readers.

Sometimes it all feels like a shabby, cynical game of would-be manipulation; each paper has carved out its ideological territory and grimly, dully sets out each and every day to engage in yet more bloodletting via rounds of plodding, brutal trench warfare. Pretty absurd stuff, really. I can't say I'm a fan of the Scar but I just don't see the Scum or the Gloat being any essentially different.
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Don't they just infuriate you ? I've decided if I ever needed to leave Toronto for some reason or another and needed to get over the regret all I'd do is read the comment section of the star for a couple days; Assuming I don't shoot my self, I'd likely be more then happy to move.

Okay okay, I know it probably doesn't reflect the average citizen but still.
 
denfromoakvillemilton said:
The most useless of society show up in newspaper comment sections. It was a bad idea in 2009 and it was a bad idea now. This should have been left to the forums. The star should shut theirs down as well.
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Names such as Lefty Fluff and socialismisevil (yes they are regulars on the Toronto Star comments sections) should signal that the moderators allow people with views so extreme that they make it obvious that their views are extreme and unconductive of constructive commenting. I agree that either the comments boards were to be shut down or that moderators be much stricter in moderating. Who cares of the likes of Lefty Fluff and socialismisevil complain of censorship? Many more people disagree about the views of conservative trolls on left-of-centre news sites than they agree.
 
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Johnny Au said:
Names such as Lefty Fluff and socialismisevil (yes they are regulars on the Toronto Star comments sections) should signal that the moderators allow people with views so extreme that they make it obvious that their views are extreme and unconductive of constructive commenting. I agree that either the comments boards were to be shut down or that moderators be much stricter in moderating. Who cares of the likes of Lefty Fluff and socialismisevil complain of censorship? Many more people disagree about the views of conservative trolls on left-of-centre news sites than they agree.
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And a lot of these people complain about lazy people, why are you on the star comment board at 11:00am? Why aren't you at work? I first saw comment boards pop up in the late 2000's, I like that NYT does not have any. Why visit a site if you hate their liberal point so much. You are just given them more money. The Star and maybe the globe should shut it down.
 
They can be entertaining alright, but I'm often appalled at the sheer viciousness, arrogance and antipathy I run across in reader comments. Part of the problem is unverified identities - in my experience people hiding behind avatars will say more outrageous things than if readers can call them to account. Not that I am advocating that we all unmask ourselves and do away with privacy altogether. But all too often I see people abusing these comment boards simply because they can. It's sickening. It goes well beyond mere partisan bickering - it's almost pathological behaviour.
 
Lenser said:
They can be entertaining alright, but I'm often appalled at the sheer viciousness, arrogance and antipathy I run across in reader comments. Part of the problem is unverified identities - in my experience people hiding behind avatars will say more outrageous things than if readers can call them to account. Not that I am advocating that we all unmask ourselves and do away with privacy altogether. But all too often I see people abusing these comment boards simply because they can. It's sickening. It goes well beyond mere partisan bickering - it's almost pathological behaviour.
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It's has become a window into sociopathy. Sad and it just shows how greedy and selfish we have all become.
 
Yep. I think it's a product of the internet age. Just one of the uglier aspects of it. So many great things have arisen as well - but the aspect of civility, of respectful decorum, of listening to others, has taken a drastic hit. Now it's just a battle of loudmouths and who has the greatest persistence. It's sordid. Nothing to be proud of. I keep thinking we'll be reaping what we sow today and it sure won't be pretty. When you can't have a serious, mature discourse about the issues of the day, the louts have won.
 
denfromoakvillemilton said:
And a lot of these people complain about lazy people, why are you on the star comment board at 11:00am? Why aren't you at work? I first saw comment boards pop up in the late 2000's, I like that NYT does not have any. Why visit a site if you hate their liberal point so much. You are just given them more money. The Star and maybe the globe should shut it down.
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I love the hypocrisy of "conservative" posters (especially those of Ford Nation) on left-of-centre news websites. They ought to read this: Bright Minds and Dark Attitudes: Lower Cognitive Ability Predicts Greater Prejudice Through Right-Wing Ideology and Low Intergroup Contact (or is it too "intelligent" for them)

Here is the New York Times article (and yes, it has comments): http://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/study-suggests-the-right-is-wrong

I will become extremely blissful the day news websites no longer offer commenting. This way, people who want to comment on the news would go to the forums, where moderation is more effective in weeding out the trolls and those with extreme views.
 
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Lenser said:
It goes well beyond mere partisan bickering - it's almost pathological behaviour.
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And yet a large proportion of it is clearly actual partisan bickering ... it would be interesting to know the ratio of political communication staff workers (and pr people) vs. "average readers" posting.
 
That would be good to know, too - again however, with assumed handles, anything goes and people can indulge in whatever cynical trickery they wish. But I'm guessing it would be a pretty high percentage these days.
 
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