Although this topic may not seem to immediately affect the streets of our fair city, it does affect a related aspect: community.
The Grand Forks Herald, after several months of allowing fewer and fewer articles to be commented upon, has finally removed all functionality on streets, etc.)?
And now that this particular community has been removed, how and where to rebuild a bigger and more inclusive one?
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*Since I have no information on the reasons for the change, I’m forced to speculate. Obviously, if comments are hurting the company financially (paying someone to moderate, hosting fees, etc.), then there is no reason for Forum to keep them on at the Herald. I’m not asking for the Herald to keep free comments up if it is not helping them make money. Based on other AreaVoices comment sections remaining active, however, that doesn’t seem to be the reason.
**I have a theory that by allowing people to show off what they know through comment systems or message boards, we could get a better “oral history” of the area than we would if we relied only on people who want to edit Wikipedia. Wikipedia requires citations, comments do not.
**I have a theory that by allowing people to show off what they know through comment systems or message boards, we could get a better “oral history” of the area than we would if we relied only on people who want to edit Wikipedia. Wikipedia requires citations, comments do not.