The Clarion-Ledger introduced a confusing new online forum format today called StoryChat, seemingly requiring some members to re-register, but not others. Most interestingly, they only transferred some of the old chats over—basically deleting from the public domain some threads that we suspect they prefer forgotten (like discussions about their controversial TDN strategy, the one about the JFP breaking the Ridgeway Street story, the one where the Georgia woman revealed that their food columnist had plagiarized another writer, and son on). In addition, they seem to have trashed the threads about Mayor Melton over the past months. Many of their regular posters are not happy about this, er, fresh start, as you can imagine.

Bump. I think this is SO Clarion-Ledger to do this.

Well, since they were using PHPBB as a forum, I can easily understand why they changed... I think the change may be more based on the spam, bots, and easy hack-ability of the PHPBB forum system. I know of three that were completely hacked in the last two months.

**Clue to all developers/site owners: DO NO USE PHPBB UNLESS YOU COMPLETELY CUSTOMIZE THE SCRIPTS!

Still, it wouldn't surprise me if there was an alternate reason for changing. ;-)

Looks like it's still phpBB.

Thankfully the obsessed Burton and his anti-JFP discussion thread also got wiped out. I don't think it's a bad change, but they should have let the regulars know ahead of time.

Didn't look, todds. Well, they may have POORLY executed an upgrade the forum but now I'm leaning more towards the conspiracy theory. ;-)

Being the nice person that I am, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt on all the bells and whistles- they just converted early this morning, and probably have a few bugs to work out. But I don't see why the old posts aren't at least archived somewhere- but they weren't really archived before either. Once a post wasn't responded to within a few days, it would be "pushed" of the board, never to be seen again, as far as I could tell...

But, speaking of all that, when is JFP going to unveil the upgrade to *this* board that was promised many months ago? I've seen that at least one person now has the ability to post pictures and video- will that ever be available to the masses?

Stop your whinin', Rico. Just kiddin'. You can whine all you want.

Actually, the iTodd has much in store. Of course, it's all classified top-secret, but I hear a rumor that we get a little preview of his big plan here any time. Keep an eye out. ;-D

It seems like the C-L's upgrade was to allow them to link to individual stories for comments...kudos on allowing comments on stories, but bad-os (don't know what to call them...rasberries?) for making people comment on stories in forums. It means the comment is that much lower in "priority" than the story.

But, moving from phpBB to, er, phpBB means they probably should have been able to hold onto the archives. ;-)

I kinda liked the Burton anti-JFP thread. ;-)

Agreed with Todd. If a newspaper site is not allowing comments right under the stories, they're stuck in the past.

When I inherited my About.com Civil Liberties forum, I moved virtually all of the posts--all 230,000 of them--to a private archive pending review because I found some nasty stuff in there that I couldn't approve of that had come up while the site was unmoderated. What folks accused me of doing, ironically enough, was sweeping out the liberal contributions and turning it into a Bush-friendly forum. (No, I'm not joking.)

So part of me wants to give the CL the benefit of the doubt, because their forum unquestionably sucked before. But if the mysterious disappearing threads seem to only or primarily be ones that were critical of the CL or those whom it favors and/or that mention the JFP, then I think we've established even more proof that posting to the CL forums is a total waste of time.


Cheers,

TH

Actually, I've been wanting to start a thread that opens up the floor to ideas for upgrading our forums and/or our entire site. So, I did. Click here and let 'er rip, if you've got feature ideas, content ideas, pet peeves, or any thoughts on what we could do to improve the site. Thanks!

But if the mysterious disappearing threads seem to only or primarily be ones that were critical of the CL or those whom it favors and/or that mention the JFP, then I think we've established even more proof that posting to the CL forums is a total waste of time.

Nope, I think everything would disappear over time- and that is something to their credit. There have been some pretty trashy comments made on there about the C-L (some made by me), that were allowed to stay up until there was no more interest being shown.

Can't wait for the first peak at the ITodd based board here!

Looks like the C-L forum is slowly moving in the right direction, with the addition of a moderator/site monitor as of last week who claims to be one of the people who will be responsible for reporting inappropriate comments and posts and deleting spam (which is a real problem there). But until they can get the quoting/image uploading issues straightened out and come up with a better *look* for the site, I'd say they still have a ways to go.

Well, right now "Liberty Dog" is on there posting with the regulars about starting a site at www.metrojackson.net that is completely independent of any media.

Sounds like its going to happen.

Of course, just saw that "prospero" is a moderator...so I'm assuming that means I'm "out". Damn.

Ali...you are, of course, welcome (as are the rest of you) to join and participate. There will be no "revenge" moderation on my site and it is not setup as an anti-anything site.

Its sole purpose is as a community portal for the Metro area. It will be a place where people can not only discuss issues on the forum, but also make use of the classifieds, the events calender, the Google Maps business directory, and other future features.

There will also be some community interest articles such as interviews with local politicians, information about development projects, etc.

I had been considering doing this when I move back to Mississippi, but the problems at the C-L prompted me to move on it sooner. I can't physically be in Jackson now, but I can at least provide this service as one more useful and much needed resource for the area.

Hopefully many of you will come and help us achieve that goal.

PS...thank you for the link.

BTW, for future reference, my real name is S Michael Moore. Donna and this site's webmaster, along with most of the posters on the Ledge know it, so I see know reason the rest of you good people shouldn't as well.

Dog, I think it's kinda funny how some of the main organizers of your site trash-talked people so badly on the Ledge forums—and now you're over here trying to lure those very same folks to your new site. If we suck here, wouldn't we suck over there?

Just sayin'.

Donna...first of all, the use of the word "lure" is incorrect. I posted an honest invitation to contribute to the site. It was not some kind of bait-and-switch to get posters from here to post over there so they could be attacked. As I said, my site is not an anti-anything site, including anti-JFP posters.

As for the site organizers, that is only myself and Mudbug. I have never badly trash talked anyone from this site on any other site. I have openly criticized your personal moderation style, but certainly never in a way that could be considered "trash talk." To my knowledge, Mudbug has never mentioned you on any board (though I obviously am not aware of all his posts).

The same is true of Rud E Bum, a moderator. That leaves Prospero. I know that she left this site on bad terms, though I do not know the exact details of what transpired. As I said, there will be no revenge moderation on my site.

So, if some people at metroJackson think some people here suck, that is their opinion and not the opinion of the site. We are all grownups here capable of defending our positions and I have no intention of letting it turn into some flame war like you have going with another site. As I mentioned in the email I sent you, I am not part of that war and have no desire to be.

So again, all are welcome at my site.

Dog, don't take it so seriously. I just think it's funny that the same folks who storm out and diss us then want us to help build the traffic at your new site. And I know the history of who has posted under what names here—and I don't care whether you "revenge moderate" or not. It's your site; do what you want.

As far as a "flame war" with another site, yeah, right. There is another site out there that is obsessed with me and the JFP and the bloggers here. This the the third site they've posted to obsess about us. That is their flame war, much as the one some of y'all ran about us on threads that have now disappeared at the Ledger. We make the occasional joke when they get really out of hand with their insults, but to try to equate that with their constant drone of insults and lies about people here is really silly, and I'm sure you know it.

Dog, read my lips: I. Don't. Care. And I hope y'all gets lots of good conversation going and raise the level of what went down the memory hole.

But I still think it's damn funny that you're here trying to get people to post. ;-D

All are welcome...

Okay, who besides me just had flashbacks to that scary preacher on Poltergiest II who made all those people move into a cave because the end of the world was coming?

And, um, who here besides me actually knows a tasty little bit of trivia about said preacher? That he was actually a SHE?

Yes, yes, we all know I need another job...or something.

Where did you learn this interesting bit of trivia? My Internet search says the preacher is Julian Beck, a male artist/actor/playwright.

Apparently you feel like the injured party in this feud with the big local newspaper. I have to wonder why you haven't taken legal action against them if it's true. Now there's this beautiful new site to provide an alternative to your provincial clannishness, Mississippi Politics' crazy Republican wingnut slant and the CL's unsatisfactory new format, and you're more threatened and snarky than ever. Gives me the creeps.

For someone who has been obsessively following every move the CL makes for longer than anyone I talk to seems to be able to remember, I just have to laugh when I hear you say some other other blog is obsessed with you. You spend by far more time on them than they do on you. That Ali person who thinks she's helping you is just gross too. You should shorten that leash.

I'm having a hard time finding too many posts that inspire much thought or analysis here. I wish you'd do something to actually compete with them instead of all this other mess.

UW, feel free to raise the level of intellectualism to whatever makes you comfortable. It's easier than insulting.

uwascalu, why don't you post under your original account? You weren't suspended, although both accounts will be now if you continue to troll. No one cares.

Good luck with your site Liberty Dog. I'll drop in sometime.