Cornwall Ontario – Viewer comments at their best add immensely to the news consuming experience. At their worst…well anyone that’s read a facebook debate knows what I typeth of. Here at CFN we’ve always adhered to our vision and mission statements.
CFN is an online newspaper whose Mission is to give voice to the many who’d never have an opportunity to have a voice whether via op-ed, letters, or comments on stories.
To be non-partisan and allow voices to be heard even though our ownership, editors, staff, sponsors, and viewers may not always agree with them.
For people to have voice, but still do so in a safe manner although they may be challenged strongly for those opinions.
CFN’s vision is to see our community participate in a lively discussion of the issues that matter to them no matter how small or obscure. We want to nourish and help create strong voices.
In these days of spoon fed values and massive societal conformity for people to think about issues and not just follow the pack. Whether it be questioning why decisions are made or confronting people and holding them accountable; CFN’s vision is to help empower people while educating and entertaining.
The news can be a living thing. And one newspaper can be very different than others.
After eight years and over 60,000 comments the bigger question is if there truly is value from and for our viewers? It’s not just CFN of course. The Standard Freeholder no longer allows comments, and other media have limited comments.
Many simply use facebook where it’s very rare, especially locally, to have any intelligent debate without trolls and personal abuse. It’s a scary indictment of society if you think about it in the bigger picture.
Generally the trolls, freaks, and our own Jules, (and yes Bob Peters, Jules is a real live human being – a senior born and bred in Cornwall who now lives in Ottawa) scare away any true form of discussion and most debate. As someone that personally supports true free speech it’s been disappointing. It’s also why I gave up the idea of doing talk radio in the area as our local audience frankly make the old Lowell Green show look coherent and progressive.
There are well spoken, intelligent, and thoughtful people in the area, but they tend to shy away from our unwashed masses, and after the last few years I can’t really blame them.
We would still of course host Letters to the Editor and our CFN Polls.
Loading ...So the question today is whether CFN should either limit comments or eliminate them from our content?
What do you think dear CFN viewers. You can post your comments below. And now would be the time to do so!
Well since you censor any comment that doesn’t fit your narrative. I say yes you might as well get rid of the comments.
lol, a troll proving the point…we don’t censor here on CFN. Either a comment follows our guidelines which are posted below or they don’t.
I enjoy interactive news formats. Often the bigger story is the response by readers. In a desensitized climate of political correctness and extreme liberalism it can be interesting to consider the opinions of others. Too many elect to bury their heads in the sand and say nothing.
Having no comment section is censorship in itself, like the Not-so-Free Freeholder. You could go as far as to editor your Letters to the Editor to fit your world and life view, and than say that it was needed since the managing editor knows best. World of possibilities down here in this small town of Cornwall just imagine.
David you’re the type of viewer that we have a comment section for. It’s not always about agreeing with each other. The best comments sections aren’t about agreement, but interesting and dare I say, thought provoking discussion of an issue.
Shouldn’t the public then support a comments section Pastor Tom? It takes time to moderate and there are other issues as well. Because of the City Hall led conspiratorial boycott it’s limited our resources. The media business is changing. In the old days you’d have to pop some coins into a newsbox or pay for a subscription. Because of eroding revenues content is being scaled back across the board. Because of corruption, not only in Cornwall, but the corporate take over of media and government allowing corporate amalgamation pressures on content are brutal. Stephen Harper’s Canada Action Plan is one example. If you were pro Harper you saw a lot of ads for it. Not pro, not so much if at all. The public ad dollars are being used like weapons. The decision on them should purely be based on results and audience.
I am for voicing my opinion and I don’t back down and most of my comments don’t make it for the sheeple to see. Just this morning while on our walk my husband commented about how Cornwall lost all their businesses because of their backward mentality and that will never change. Jamie you are too good for Cornwall and that is the honest to God’s truth from your wacky Jules.
So many sheeple in Cornwall wonder if I am for real. Now let me check myself out and I will let you know. Yes I am all here in Ottawa South and I have been in this apartment for 13 years and was here back in the mid 70’s era as well with a different landlord – this one is the best. Yes I am me 100% and a senior citizen 66 years old and counting.
Jamie is not as wackie as I am and is a good person and for some mighty strange reason he has been in Cornwall since the time I flew the coup from Cornwall. Why Jamie landed in Cornwall is beyond me. I have longed to leave Cornwall since I was a child and I did just that. It has been quite some years that we didn’t step foot down there and love to read the insanity going on down there. LOL LOL
Jules there’s a certain irony that the Roy Perkins cliquesters, who’ve done their worst to kill CFN have actually lost any potential leverage by taking a hopeless position that only hurts the community. While CFN may have had to struggle the impact to the community has been far greater. History will not look back kindly on he and people like Rick Shaver, Denis Thibault, Jim Brownell, Bob Peters, Maureen Adams, Harry Haramis, Jeanette Despatie, David Murphy, Bernadette Clement, Justin Towndale, and so many others who either led the cliquesters or enabled them.
Cornwall killed itself by the names that you mentioned but there were others before who killed the town as well. The sheeple of Cornwall have always been afraid of their own shadow and they had to belong to a certain family in order to get a job even till today. So many left Cornwall in herds and so much so that the highways couldn’t hold all the ones leaving. There is a great deal more to leav
The number of people who comment on this site looks to be a tenth of what it was a few years ago. And with one person posting about three quarters of the comments, it has gotten a lot less interesting.
And that Furtz is one of the reason I’m considering chopping comments. Our traffic is rising without as many comments. As much as I value viewer input, it has to have overall value. And the days of anonymous posters and pseudonyms are over.
Jamie, I’ve always enjoyed reading the various comments although I don’t comment on many issues, I do read daily. I prefer commenting against city hall issues.
Thanks Pete. I think if we had more people commenting like yourself we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
Jamie I am being blamed for why some other people dropped out of posting. Well the sheeple can keep on thinking that way it doesn’t disturb me at all but if you think that I should drop off completely please let me know. I know that Furtz is one person who has complained and I don’t go behind someone’s back to say something I say in in front of their faces and everyone. Tell me honestly Jamie.
Jules I have always been honest with you. I’ve warned you about certain types of posts. As long as our viewers follow our rules and guidelines everyone is treated fairly and equally; yourself included. You can be a total pain in the butt, but you contribute in your own wacky way to this community still.
If people don’t post because they don’t like someone that’s really their call. Some people just need to grow up and focus on the subject instead of the personalities. I allow Pastor Tom his free speech as well. I don’t practice his religion or agree with some of his positions, but he’s entitled to his beliefs. As long as he doesn’t break the rules or laws of the land he’s entitled to his voice as we all should be.
Jamie if we were all to agree on the same things then why post. I am an RC and I agree with Pastor Newton and when he isn’t on I say that there is a lot missing. Jamie speak honestly here “did I ever complain about other people to you in private?” I have always spoken honestly whether wacky or not and I am one who would rather say it to the face and not hide it.
Jamie if I am not wanted here please dear man tell me straight. I am not one to bring down your paper at all and want it to thrive but please tell me honestly because I can take it and I don’t come on if I am not wanted. Be honest and you are a good man and one of the best in the world and that is my honesty. No matter what my feelings are honest.
Jules you’ve never complained about another CFN viewer to me.
Jules I answered your question before 🙂
Jamie out of the toilet papers of record the not so free freeloader as well as Seaway News yours is the best. The mainstream/lamestream news is going downhill but your paper is a great deal more honest. My family and I were talking about this just this morning at breakfast and the big corporations do not tell the truth and all news is from AP and if truth is told they are taken down.
Jamie I love being what you call “wacky” and I am like that at home as well so what else is new. I am laughing to beat the band here as usual and better to laugh than cry. Life is too short and the sheeple don’t know what is going on and they would go crazy to know what I know. “Laugh and the world laughs with you and cry you cry alone.” I might as well as laugh away and your paper is the best
Jules, Futtz. I enjoyed in the past and still now, both of your individual posts. All people are entitled to agree and disagree with various topics and comments. This is what makes this enjoyable. Let’s get on and have some fun. Life’s just too short.
Jamie Pastor Tom and I are of two very different faiths but we are both Christians. I agree with everything that Pastor Tom writes and some people might take offence but I don’t. I am hard lined and that is what people don’t know about me. I am to the extreme right Conservative but I am not lashing out on people like they do to me behind my back. Thank you Pete Wallabe.
Thank you Pete Walabee and I enjoy your posts and I read everyone’s posts as well. I have never gone behind anybody’s back and I swear on my life and that of my family and when I want to say something I will say it here to the people and not have to complain to Jamie or anyone else. We all have our ideas and we are all different boy I sure am different. LOL LOL. I have a lot of fun over myself
I do remember one person and I won’t reveal who that was who said that he/she was being bullied and didn’t come on anymore and I told the person here on CFN to come on and at least read the paper. I am one who holds people in trust and won’t mention any names. I knew this person from way way way back when. My word means a great deal and people have to be mature we are not children I hope.
Jamie: admin. -I did think about the money issue, and man power to moderate. Nothing is free. “The public ad dollars are being used like weapons. The decision on them should purely be based on results and audience” – sounds like what is happening already in many Evangelical churches. Change the message and methods of worship in order to fill the offering plates. The ends justify the means is ok..
What Mr. Oldham said is right that people prefer to dig their heads in the sand and won’t comment and they join the “ostrich brigade” well I sure am not an ostrich and I don’t bury my head in the sand and come out with my opinion whether someone agrees or not. You cannot spend your life hiding and you have to live with others and have respect for others opinions even if it isn’t your own.
Now here it goes Jamie. Wouldn’t it be best to keep the “fake names” so as people can comment. You know Cornwall as well as I do and for those who wish to remain in that weird town and want to comment don’t you think that you would attract more commentators besides myself by keeping those fake names. This is a suggestion from me dear man. We all have our reasons for using soudonyms.
Jules that’s why you, furtz, Hugger, and a few others were “grand fathered”.
Jamie I was thinking about other people who may like to post but don’t want to use their real names because of the evils of Cornwall going against them. Maybe there would be more postings and some people would not jump on the band wagon about me posting 3/4 of the comments like what Furts refers to. You always have our real identities and IP addresses as well as our home addresses, etc.
Jules while I understand your point I think people should honestly stand for what they say. Also, it cost time. Time = cash. Moderation takes time. Speaking of which perhaps you can wait for someone to respond in a thread before making multiple comments? 🙂
Jamie my problem is that four lines are not enough for me to answer and I wind up taking up more space. Furtz said that he cannot read more than 4 lines – my God Furtz how did you succeed through engineering in university? The studies are well beyond imagination and one had to have brains to succeed. I am for other people wanting to participate and like I said Jamie four lines are not enough.
Well Jules I had to put that in place because you’re write comments that would take me ages to read through. 🙂
I’m sure you can simply state a thought in one or two lines. Just like I have just done. lol
ARE YOU SERIOUS? For your wacky Jules to put a thought down in one or two lines? That would be a definite miracle. It may only be done by the Grace of God.
Um, you just did it Jules.
Oh Jules you wacky old gal you pulled off a miracle in three sentences. I knew that God was alive out there somewhere looking after me somehow. Who knows how long I have left. Enjoy it while I can.