Reply to horror forum - to get the "shock porn" threads off of OT

Forum Index » Website Feedback

Reply to "horror forum - to get the "shock porn" threads off of OT"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele]Where is the line between a legitimate news story that belongs in one of the current forums and a "horror" story that would need to be posted in a new forum?
[/quote]

Baby flushed down sewer pipe 
dad rapes children 
grandson rapes grandmother 
pedophilia is a growing problem in our society 
Growing trend of child abuse

Which of these are shock topics? Well, you can tell by the prurient nature of the headline.  [/quote]

I think this illustrates the problem here. I don't see "Baby flushed down sewer pipe" as being in the "horror" category at all. The baby lived and the father claimed it was an accident. It's more of a "News of the Weird" type of story. At least two people mentioned the story to me in real life. What about the grandmother that threw her grandchild off the walkway at Tysons? Is that a horror story or a news story since it happened where many of our posters shop?

I think this is very much an "eye of the beholder" situation. It is different than the distinction between "explicit" and "non-explicit" topics because we have all socialized rules for making that distinction. That distinction exists throughout American culture. I can see this being one big argument about what should go where. And, that doesn't address the "Recent Topics" issue. If I create a horror forum and leave it out of "Recent Topics" I expect there will be resistance to using it.

We can try to get users to be more sensitive about the topics they choose. I doubt it will have much effect, but we can try. But, here is where you can help. I need one line to go in the subject of a sticky post. Can you suggest language for that line?

[/quote]

I'll tell you one thing. I'm a very longtime frequent user of DCUM. I am sure many people make empty threats like this all of the time but increasingly, OT has become a repository for just those types of threads. Yes, the tysons story stayed with me for a long time. And WHY exactly is it relevant to me, just because I shop there I want to hear about some terrible, horrible thing that has nothing to do with me? I avoid the news because I think it is disgusting half the time. I do NOT visit CNN for my news because of all of the prurient threads and graphic pictures. it's one thing to put them there with a warning (warning: graphic photos or graphic materials), and it's another thing altogether to put it in someone's face

The sticky could read "do not post graphic or "shock" material - including news stories - in thread titles. But I agree it won't do much. To the extent that this forum does become a repository for lots of these stories, this long time user will truly be out. I avoid talking to family members or acquaintances who trade in this kind of gossip, and I'll avoid these forums if it continues to be a problem. And I am NOT saying this as an empty threat; I'm sure you won't miss me as one user, but I guarantee others feel similarly. You see the growing backlash. Maybe not all of the complainers will vote with their feet, but do you really want the forums to be turning into places where really sick people go to get off on sick stories about hurting kids? Because that's DEFINITELY a part of this. It's prurient. And like I said, most of us know it when we see it.

:( [/quote]

+1[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics