On Friday, the LA Times launched an experiment in reader interactivity with the paper: a wikitorial feature allowing readers to express collaborative opinion about an LAT editorial. The focus for this launch could not have been more devisive: it was an editorial critical of US military action in Iraq.
Today, they closed the wiki due to defacement.
The sad thing is that anonymity coupled with a lack of personal accountability provides too many individuals -- on the right and the left -- with the excuse to exhibit excessive anti-social behavior.
The LAT editorial was critical of the US military action in Iraq, but the Times set up a counter-point wikitorial expressly for those who disagreed. Since I saw no defacement of the anti-LAT editorial in my many visits to the site Friday and Saturday -- and I removed defacement from the wikitorial supporting the LAT opinion -- I think it's reasonable to assume that those "on the right" were responsible for the Times closing this interactive feature.
One of the suggestions made Saturday was that the Times require a valid e-mail address to establish an account and a 24-hour delay between establishing an account and edit privileges on the wiki. I think both of those are prudent. We have implemented a 48-hour wait between registering for the US Politics Forum and write privileges for the same reason.
I hope that the experiment is not a solo volley but the first step in a new form of interaction between mainstream media and readers/citizens.
Today, they closed the wiki due to defacement.
The sad thing is that anonymity coupled with a lack of personal accountability provides too many individuals -- on the right and the left -- with the excuse to exhibit excessive anti-social behavior.
The LAT editorial was critical of the US military action in Iraq, but the Times set up a counter-point wikitorial expressly for those who disagreed. Since I saw no defacement of the anti-LAT editorial in my many visits to the site Friday and Saturday -- and I removed defacement from the wikitorial supporting the LAT opinion -- I think it's reasonable to assume that those "on the right" were responsible for the Times closing this interactive feature.
One of the suggestions made Saturday was that the Times require a valid e-mail address to establish an account and a 24-hour delay between establishing an account and edit privileges on the wiki. I think both of those are prudent. We have implemented a 48-hour wait between registering for the US Politics Forum and write privileges for the same reason.
I hope that the experiment is not a solo volley but the first step in a new form of interaction between mainstream media and readers/citizens.
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