The news today that the Mail Online is to stop checking user comments before they go live could not only make it the most visited website in the UK, but possibly the one with the largest and most active community. A potentially very powerful combination.New Media Age is reporting that Associated Newspapers plans to end its long standing policy of pre-moderation. It is, I think, concerns aside, a smart move.The Mail Online has already stolen the crown of the UK's most visited newspaper website after it boosted traffic in June by 19% and in doing so, attracted over 29m users.This saw it leapfrogging the Telegraph.co.uk and the Guardian.co.uk to become the most popular UK national newspaper site.Its stories already attract a large amount of comments (this considering that some - we don't know how many - never get published for various reasons) and it is not uncommon to see articles on its homepage with several hundred comments.The NMA article looks at some of the problems that ending pre-moderation could pose. There's the issue of what it could do to advertisers who suddenly find themselves next to offensive or legally problematic comments.It is definitely a cause for concern, but it should be one that a well-funded newspaper website with an active loyal readership should be able to deal with. One of the problems with pre-moderation is the wait. It can kill debate or the desire to debate. If people don't see their comment go up pretty swiftly they are more likely to be deterred from further interaction. That can hit traffic as well.The only other title of note out there doing post moderation is the Guardian and it can get many hundreds of comments on its news and blogs posts. The Daily Express and Daily Star also post moderate, but there are so few comments on these sites that it is hardly any kind of comparison. It's lead story had eight comments and a quick look around did not uncover a vast amount of interaction.A quick tally of this morning's homepages shows, even with moderation still in place, the Mail Online has the most comments. Its lead Baby P story had 113 comments; The Guardian with its jump in unemployment story had 60; the lead story on The Times Online (also unemployment) had one; and the Telegraph doesn't have comments on any of its stories. Not exactly scientific, and to be fair Times Online has plenty of older stories with a high number of comments (its most commented from yesterday had 106). All that said it will be very interesting to see what switching to a post moderation system does for the Mail Online. If the number of comments it is receiving with moderation is already high, with post moderation like the Guardian it could rocket. This will have interesting implications for its traffic, which could also receive a boost and perhaps helping to cement its position as the most visited on and commented upon website.
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I can't wait to start commentating on the hateful rubbish they bung up there and see it published in its unexpurgated glory
That would entail spending time on the website and really there are only so many "travellers live in big house paid for by tax payers" that you can read.
The Mail is comedy gold - I have a quick visit when in need fo a something to laugh at
I love it for that reason too - the Mail on Sunday's website is the second I look at after News of the Screws. Love to make sure there is at least one BBC story, a Gypsy story, a Jonathan Ross story, something about bins and something complaining about Prince Andrew's kids
Don't forget immigrant benefit scroungers as well. If you get a laugh out of the Mail give fox news a go. Bill O'Reilly is the most underated comedian in the world.
There should be media twinning like towns. Daily Mail and Fox News are natural bedfellows. I'm suggesting any hanky panky. Heaven forbid.
Gordon Macmillan
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