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    Max ReadMax Read
    8/18/14 11:40am

    Since this seems to be a topic of much concern around here, this is how you get "followed" by Gawker:

    • Post good comments.
    • Don't post shitty comments.
    • Augment the story or add to it. Provide new information or context. Or at least a genuinely funny joke. Don't comment just for the sake of hearing (seeing?) your own voice.
    • Engage with the story or the argument itself. Explain why you disagree. Stay on-topic.
    • Don't post meta bullshit about the writers or the site. There is nothing worse than a comment section that is relevant only to the 2,000 people who read every single Gawker post. Comments like "HamNo is angry today!" or "Caity should've written this" are worse than worthless. If you have ever written or even thought the phrase "slow news day?" you should enter into a period of deep self-reflection.
    • Don't post the obvious joke. If there is an obvious joke, it has already been made in the comments, and in thousands of peoples' heads. Oftentimes the story itself is the joke, and you do not need to explain the joke. Restrain from posting the obvious joke.
    • Read the post before you comment. Think about what the post is saying or arguing. Do not restate the post's premise as though you are adding anything to the story.
    • Do not whine or complain or beg or wheedle. Don't be a prick needlessly.
    • Be funny. Not "funny"; funny.
    • Be smart. Not pedantically or performatively. Show your intelligence; don't tell it.
    • Most importantly: Wanting to be book is not book. This is key.
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      KumichoMax Read
      8/18/14 11:48am

      The problem is that grayed out replies get completely buried by the few people that are "approved". Those people start the conversation, and everyone else gets buried to the 375th comment 4 miles past the bottom of the screen. I commented on a story about this on Friday at 2:30pm. It's still Pending Approval. That's something that's going to drive away any decent poster on here because why bother saying *anything* when nobody is going to be able to read it. If you're not going to be able to approve comments in a timely fashion, then figure out another way to do it. The discourse on here has certainly deteriorated since this policy was reinstated.

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      Max ReadKumicho
      8/18/14 11:53am

      Is this the comment you're talking about? I hate to be blunt, but, why would you expect that comment to be approved? What about that comment makes it worth publishing directly below the post?

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    OMG!PONIES!Max Read
    8/18/14 10:29am

    How to deal with trolls - Gawker Edition:

    If a troll replies to you, don't respond to his nonsense. Instead, just dismiss the offending reply.

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      Max ReadOMG!PONIES!
      8/18/14 10:35am

      This is terrific advice that all writers and commenters should note.

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      benjaminalloverOMG!PONIES!
      8/18/14 10:39am

      Dismissing Koala Rainbows is my new favorite feeling!

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    tnsofkingsqnzMax Read
    8/18/14 10:32am

    I'm still followed by Gawker from the last time this system was used, does that mean I skip the "pending" step?

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      Max Readtnsofkingsqnz
      8/18/14 10:41am

      Well, theoretically, yes, but our follow list was so big and woolly and full of shitty commenters that we're going to nuke it sometime this week and start from scratch.

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      HiMyNameIsJayAgainMax Read
      8/18/14 10:44am

      Who do I have to pay to get fast-track approval?

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    StenchofaburnerMax Read
    8/18/14 10:26am

    Have you (collective Gawker editorial/ management "you") considered eliminating comments altogether to save yourselves the headache and periodic dramas? I would, needless to say, miss them, but I've seen for the past year several blogs and news site do without and was wondering if Gawker is considering such possibility.

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      Exponential GrapeStenchofaburner
      8/18/14 10:28am

      Most of the reason I come here is the comments.

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      VeeKaChuStenchofaburner
      8/18/14 10:29am

      As an Old, turning grey is a sad fact of life that I'm trying my best to accept with some dignity- but you're jut rubbing it in! >_<

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    raincoasterMax Read
    8/18/14 10:40am

    Yeah, but is not everybody pending now? I mean, I've been here longer than most of the staff and my replies are still pending.

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      Island of Misfit Toysraincoaster
      8/18/14 10:46am

      Amen. Remember the days of LOLcait and Karenuhoh and momo and Aaronaltman and Gabriel Snyder and that woman editor who was friends with that Allison person...and Will Leitch at Deadspin and Defamer was it's own site....and Keiferwatch......*sigh*

      And what about that Trixie commenter with that crazy avatar with the woman holding up the bottle...she was funny. and Fawn Leiberman and... that was the Golden Era

      And you guys did that post with 10,000 comments??? smh...

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      Max Readraincoaster
      8/18/14 10:47am

      Yes, everyone is pending until his or her comment is approved. Soon follow lists will allow for automatic approval.

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    Arctic16Max Read
    8/18/14 10:31am

    I don't want to immediately be that guy and "go there," but is there any plan to begin to follow more people who are, perhaps, regulars? Who do I have to blow, is what I'm getting at.

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      Max ReadArctic16
      8/18/14 10:50am

      We're nuking the follow list and starting from scratch. Good commenters will be followed, bad commenters won't.

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      Arctic16Max Read
      8/18/14 11:04am

      So it's you I have to blow. Got it, Max.

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    sugarhilMax Read
    8/18/14 10:30am

    What process are you going to use to approve people? The same auditioning as earning a star or more liberally approving anyone who's not a proven non-troll?

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      KorbenDallasBathroomAsssugarhil
      8/18/14 10:36am

      Do I need to reply to you directly in order to get you out of pending? I would have thought the recommend was sufficient.

      Edit: Yep.

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      sugarhilKorbenDallasBathroomAss
      8/18/14 10:42am

      Really? Well that's unreasonable. Puts quite the onus on the approved commenters if they are required to reply instead of just recommend.

      I assume this is going to result in a lot of "+1" or "reply to bump" comments.

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    OMG!PONIES!Max Read
    8/18/14 10:35am

    Will we get our gold stars back?

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      Max ReadOMG!PONIES!
      8/18/14 10:47am

      No, I don't think so.

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      OMG!PONIES!Max Read
      8/18/14 10:49am

      I choose to pretend that we will and will therefore dismiss your reply.

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    CrewBabyMax Read
    8/18/14 10:36am

    This kind of sucks for us who comment regularly but don't blog. I never did make it out of the greys.

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      EyeHeartPieCrewBaby
      8/18/14 11:02am

      Apparently you're not gray though! And neither am I, being in the same boat as you (lots of comments, no blog posts).

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      CrewBabyEyeHeartPie
      8/18/14 11:03am

      I was, though! Someone elevated me out, I think, by either replying or starring? I honestly have no earthly clue how it works.

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    TheOmbudsmanMax Read
    8/18/14 10:35am

    After our colleagues at Jezebel called attention last week to the overwhelming problem of graphic porn and gore GIFs and images in the comments, and after we ignored the problem until it started hitting Gawker itself,

    Fixed that for you.

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      Max ReadTheOmbudsman
      8/18/14 10:45am

      I was in Budapest last week with the tech team and I can assure you absolutely and unquestionably that they sprang into action as soon as the Jezebel post went up, and were putting together solutions well before the troll hit the other GMG sites.

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      TheOmbudsmanMax Read
      8/18/14 10:50am

      So it took them posting a very public story on their site to get attention?

      Surely someone there had reached out behind the scenes prior to that?

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