Although undoubtedly time consuming and vexing for the Lancaster Newspapers, Inc., the re-introduction of LancasterOnLine’s “Talk Back” is an important contribution to the community.
Since the introduction of our own “talk back” feature, we at NewsLanc have come to appreciate the efforts it takes to screen as many as a hundred ‘spam’ items in order to locate a legitimate communication.
Although new rules to discourage inappropriate postings will apply, the newspapers will not pre-screen items nor do they edit them. NewsLanc does in order to improve grammar and spelling, to clarify meaning, or, rarely, to delete a portion or all with an inappropriate personal attack.
Nor does LancasterOnLine permit totally anonymous postings, since the editors require the registration of all participants and obtain the names they will use. While an understandable precaution, this is inhibiting. Postings at NewsLanc can be made in a manner that they are totally anonymous, even to the editor.
Immediate comment on articles and discussions of matters of common interests are important for a community. It also provides the newspapers with valuable feedback concerning the opinions of its readers.
So welcome back “Talk back” …. We need you!
“Although undoubtedly time consuming and vexing for the Lancaster Newspapers, Inc., the re-introduction of LancasterOnLine’s ‘Talk Back’ is an important contribution to the community.”
Robert, this is about money!!! $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Money!!!
In the meantime, over at LancTalk.com they have worked very hard and set up a wonderful replacement forum. A lot of your “friends” are on that forum. Maybe you should rethink this whole thing.
LNP did a very foolish thing by yanking the forum down suddenly because their moderators didn’t have a clue as to what is acceptable. Now they realize they’ve lost at least 10% of their traffic and thus $$$$$$$$$$$$$ by taking it down.
I don’t wish them any luck at all.
Robert, I find it curious that you would be so eager to welcome LNP’s talkback back, when you have completely ignored the birth and growth of lanctalk.com over nearly four months.
LancTalk has provided a free, anonymous forum environment to a local audience of hundreds of members and tens of thousands of viewers, with no corporate control and all “policing” carried out by fellow community members. Based on what LNP reported as their “pageviews”, LancTalk has achieved nearly half the viewership that took them ten years to build in just a few months.
I would think that before acting like the closing of talkback left our area devoid of a viable community forum, you might have bothered to notice that one sprouted and is thriving without any need for corporate control.
Feel free to link to us.
EDITOR’S RESONSE: Until mentioned in a comment yesterday, we were not aware of http://www.LancTalks.com .
Let’s be honest about Lanctalk for a moment. They didn’t just pop up when Talkback shut down. No. It took months for them to get up and running and instead Talkpa.net welcomed everyone to come and post. Hell, Talkpa.net even created a Lancaster section for the former Talkback members.
TalkPa was there to take in everyone when they were suddenly dumped and continues to provide the community a forum. A forum that also allows an anonymous environment. TalkPa is a forum that has survived for years also with many of your friends.
If LancTalk is going to come on and try to proclaim theirselves as the replacement to Talkback then TalkPa.net should also be afforded the same consideration.
http://www.talkpa.net
It is www. lanctalk.com, not lanctalkS.com by the way!!!
Thanks