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• Nearby: Ballard | Fremont | Magnolia

PhinneyWood Forum » Open Forum

1. 

   gd
   Member

   I'm not a regular commenter or contributor to PhinneyWood, but I'm troubled PhinneyWood has decided to restrict story comments to Facebook users.

   Community management takes work, and PhinneyWood is obviously free to operate the site in any way it sees fit. I'm glad simply browsing PhinneyWood has not been restricted. Nonetheless, it's disappointing a site ostensibly intended to be a local resource is ceding key community components to a global company whose primary business is data-mining users - and that has shown little regard for protecting users' privacy and personal information.

   Some of us turn to PhinneyWood precisely because it is *not* facebook.com/PhinneyWood. It seems that's becoming a distinction without a difference, and I feel PhinneyWood is poorer for it.

   Thanks.

   Posted 5 months ago #
2. 

   Ladybird
   Member

   I agree with gd about the above-- I'm not on Facebook and don't plan to be.
   I love the neighborhoody feel of the Phinneywood forum.

   Why the change? Is it related to the spam problem?

   Posted 5 months ago #
3. 

   dfh
   Member

   I think it's to cut down or stop the mean and inflammatory comments that people felt safe posting anonymously. Sometimes they got carried away and were very much out of line and/or hurtful.
   While I don't relish my facebook information being put there I understand the reason for this. Many news sites also use the facebook requirement and it seems to make people more accountable for their actions.
   I do think I'll go to my facebook page and make everything accessible to only friends and not the general public, in order to keep some privacy.

   Posted 5 months ago #
4. 

   artman51
   Member

   Facebook is great for advertising and promoting your business, but you also expose yourself to loads of ads and junk mail. It's not a cure for the tons of spam found on this forum.

   Posted 5 months ago #
5. 

   john walker
   Member

   Well, I for one will NEVER expose myself to facebook's BS. Our little neighborhood blog has gone world-wide. I see the restaurant reviews are history also. And I WAS using my real name.

   Posted 5 months ago #
6. 

   dfh
   Member

   I just made practically everything on my facebook for "friends only" and had someone who's not a "friend" check out my page and she couldn't see anything other than my profile photo and where I live. All my other photos and information was blocked from public viewing.
   I only have facebook, by the way, to keep up with family and real friends (so my number of facebook friends is only in the 20s). I hardly know how to do anything on it, and still was able to muddle through the limiting of my information to the public.

   Posted 5 months ago #
7. 

   Jon
   Member

   I agree with all of you guys. Facebook is a silo'd user-mining outfit, and I refuse to use it. There are many better commenting platforms which this network of sites should've looked into (some which allow users to authenticate through other networks or email services). Also, I'm not sure if these guys know: you can create a fake Facebook profile.

   What a disappointment. Also, I love the irony in: "Let us know what you think of the change" at the end of the post. Ah, but we can't!

   Posted 5 months ago #
8. 

   Anonymous
   

   Don't use Facebook. Those guys are almost as bad as Microsoft. Several legitimate comments have been CENSORED here recently. One issue began when the Phinneywood editor misused the word gender.

   I guess it makes a lot of sense that the editor would try to cover up their mistake and blame the problem on others.

   As for the "posting under multiple names issue" this probably is happening, but there is no way to verify. Bad idea for the Phinneywood editor to make unsubstantiated charges against members of their own community.

   Posted 5 months ago #
9. 

   dfh
   Member

   You're right about the ability to have fake facebook accounts. Someone told me she has more than one facebook page, all under different names, but only one with her real name. It has her own photo and information. The others she just left a ton of info blank or put in the wrong things. She thought it was fun to see how many "friends" a made up person could get. I was surprised!

   Posted 5 months ago #
10. 

    ZoeDog
    Member

    As another non-Facebook user, I am disappointed about this change. I understand the challenges and the time-consuming monitoring activities. I understand that there was a need to address the problem. I do not agree with the solution, though.

    Bummer.

    Posted 5 months ago #
11. 

    OneGuy
    Member

    I am also disappointed in the decision to require Facebook login. Seems like an extreme overreaction to "mean" comments and I will definitely no longer be commenting on phinneywood because I value my privacy.

    If people are so weak minded that they cannot tolerate (or ignore) troll comments, then by all means let's wrap them in bubble wrap and protect their weak little sensibilities.

    Posted 5 months ago #
12. 

    Anonymous
    

    If fewer people visit the site to post comments it will definitely drive down ad revenue. The Phinneywood editor might get the message if you hit them in the pocketbook. Make this your last post and don't come back again!

    Posted 5 months ago #
13. 

    Anonymous
    

    This is not a good decision. Most people use Facebook (if they even do anymore) to keep in touch with friends and family, not to make public comments for all to see. I like that our forum was for our neighborhood. My friends, etc, on Facebook do not need to see my comments of concern for where I live. There are many people who are not on Facebook anymore due to their poor/ever changing privacy policy. Please reconsider so we are able to keep the conversation going in the forum not via other online profiles.

    Posted 5 months ago #
14. 

    tiktok
    Member

    When you post using the Facebook authentication on other sites, there's a box to check if you don't want your comment to show up on your Facebook page. So, using the FB authentication keeps anonymous trolling down. Plus we get to see what Whopper looks like.

    Posted 5 months ago #
15. 

    Bryan3471
    Member

    Yes, you can uncheck the box that says "Post to Facebook" if you'd like. Because of that and the ability to select one's own privacy settings on Facebook, I don't have a problem with the changes at all.

    This change forces no one to create an unwanted Facebook account, break the law or injure harmless animals. It added a (small) step of authentication in an otherwise completely unauthenticated world.

    Posted 5 months ago #
16. 

    Bryan3471
    Member

    Also a fair point, false Facebook accounts are bound to happen as well.

    Posted 5 months ago #
17. 

    ben
    Member

    Oh well. Here I was thinking I could post comments and discuss things on our community blog's posts. But now, to do so, I have to open myself up to spam about guns, pot, and Obama from the girl who sat by me in high school chemistry.

    Think I'll pass. Anyone feel like jumping ship to ...oh ... Anyone feel like making an alternative neighborhood blog?

    Posted 5 months ago #
18. 

    john walker
    Member

    selective posting (censorship) by the facebook elite. great time for a blog savvy individual to give us normal folk an alternative that's fun, informative, spamless and faster moving. and a mars hill cult ad is the icing on the cake. this little train is off the rails.

    Posted 5 months ago #
19. 

    mom0two
    Member

    I am also unhappy with this decision. Facebook does not need to be involved. I avoid using it and now will not be able to participate.

    Let me know when a new blog is started!

    Posted 5 months ago #
20. 

    Jon
    Member

    John Walker, I live behind your shop, and have never awkwardly introduced myself to you whenever I've seen you around the neighborhood, but I like the cut of your jib, even though we are generations apart. :)

    Posted 5 months ago #

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