Bloggers' comments to news stories need to be edited because they degrade legitimate newspapers. The link below is to a story about a Senior All Night Party in Marshfield, MA. It is titled: Breath tests, pat-downs at Marshfield’s Grad Nite party. The story is pretty straightforward, it is about breathalyzing seniors this year for the first time at their graduation party. The previous year a drunken student was arrested and twelve others had to be taken home by parents. The planners struggled with whether to breathalyze fearing attendance would be affected. Graduation night is one of two high risk nights for drinking and driving incidents by teens (the other is Prom night). The All-Night party is an important event that keeps grads safe.
While most of the comments to the story are legitimate and offer thoughtful opinions both pro and con regarding whether to breathalyze, several comments are inappropriate: One respondent wrote, "would like to volunteer for pat dons on the girl students." Another said, "After hours at my place! keg stands and funnels." A third comment mentions someone by name, "What this school needs is Dan Tarpey from Arch Bishop Williams."
The Patriot Ledger is a legitimate daily newspaper that has been around for over 100 years, how can they allow these comments to stay posted on their site? The story and comments are over two years old! I commend their "report abuse" flag which sends a message to an editor to remove the comments, but why allow the comments at all? If they forced those responding to attach a name and address to their remarks, the rude comments would surely disappear. Why should the Internet be an excuse for allowing this? It is like allowing anonymous graffiti all over your home.
Like the story that casts suspicion on Monique Fulgham's mother and grandmother, these web stories and comments seem destined to live in cyberspace forever.
