Disable the comments section of certain articles bound to cause controversy

This suggestion is probably one of the best ones I have seen. It makes sense, helps the community, seems easy to implement, and reduces the workload of MDL staff members. It is just a suggestion that can be discussed internally for improvements.

I think disabling the comment section for certain articles makes it easier to allow freedom to post on other articles without feeling like it is being restricted by selective deletion of comments. Another thought might be to give the power to disable commenting to the writer of the article. Some comments are clearly okay, some are clearly not, and quite a few might straddle the line. If the need to preserve the ability to share thoughts on all articles is something deemed critical, another avenue could be linking to a thread in the General Discussion forum. Let the discussion happen in an area where a poster knows the discussion is likely to include topics other than Asian dramas directly.

My personal feeling is that if users gets upset because they cannot post deceptive or hateful comments claiming censorship, then those are probably the people that I do not want posting in the first place. This is not my site, so I do my best to follow the rules here.

I tend to have a good idea of how people are going to react to an article, so they could always ask me. I would much rather MDL have a system in place so they would not have to ask me. I would say either disable comments or move the comments to a general discussion thread for articles dealing with legal issues, violence, and infidelity. Without fail, those get combative and negative, usually pretty quick. They also tend to stray from the original article.

The purpose is not to stop users from being able to express themselves, but to lighten the workload on staff, and make users feel that MDL is a place they feel comfortable expressing themselves. Users are very passionate about Asian dramas, so of course there will be disagreements, misunderstandings, and even some unwanted behaviors. That is how most things are. That is okay, and there is a system in place to deal with that. 

I actually think this suggestion would be both a wise decision and fair to the user base. Wise because it saves staff time combing through reports and individual comments that can be used if not on other things, then used on reports and individual comments where it can make a difference. I would consider it fair to the user base because disabling would make it so that no one could comment, or moving comments to a general discussion thread would let all users know what they are possibly walking into. No one says it has to be permanent. And it can be adjusted as needed.

I would offer two additional thoughts. One is that this would not be necessary (or as necessary) if comments that were against the rules here were taken down quickly. People are only capable of so much, and there is only so many  hours in the day. Two, which is related to number one, being that users who make comments also need to be more responsible with the freedom they have on the site. Be nice, kind, give the benefit of the doubt, know everyone has a bad day, and all that stuff.

I think well-placed and respectful passion should be what users strive for here. Of course, that is great in theory, but does not quite work in practice. I think some friction is good though. Sometimes you have to knock on the door to get a response, but does not mean you have to beat the door down to force one. Overall, MDL is a really nice and sorta quiet place given the attention Asian entertainment can generate across the globe. I hope MDL always stays a place where users can communicate their love of dramas versus simply using it as a database. I rarely come across anyone who has seen Asian dramas, and introductions are not as easy since there is a gap that another person has to work to bridge in order to enjoy Asian dramas. Then if you are successful, there is no guarantee they will want to talk about the dramas, and even if they do, be interested in the same dramas as you. it may be selfish, but I am willing to tolerate some negativity in order to enjoy the benefits of a good discussion about the dramas I watch. At the same time, I also am willing to lose that benefit if it means protecting others from certain topics that are sure to generate such negativity.

I do not think that this particular suggestion should be viewed in terms of rights, freedom, or censorship. I think it is better to see it as family matters. MDL should be a family of Asian drama lovers where we can feel comfortable and know even if there are problems, everyone has a shared interest. Sometimes we need to be protected, sometimes we need to be reminded to be nice, sometimes we need to argue, sometimes we need a place to dream, and sometimes we just need to be allowed to be silly. I think MDL is a good place for all of that. MDL is not the only site on the internet, and users should be more than capable of finding other avenues for creative outlet should their interests run counter to the interests of the site. While I do use this site as a database, I will also continue to comment and post, and I hope everyone else feels comfortable enough to as well.

It is easy for me to read names and numbers, but not so easy to know how I should feel about them. While it can be difficult to share how we feel or accept the thoughts of others, it helps to give significance to the names and numbers in the database. I think being more social makes the database better.