Hey guys.
A few days have passed since I posted the poll. The results are now in: Option 3 — the option of deleting some comments — seems like the clear winner.
Some of you would’ve rather had me continue to do nothing about the comments, and it seems that even some of the people who did vote for the deletion of certain comments saw it only as the least awful alternative, worried that it might change the comment section to something unrecognizable.
While I totally understand such misgivings, I do want to assure you that that’s neither what I want to happen or what I intend to do. In a way, a big part of me feels that nothing about the comment policy actually changes with this result. If you’ve ever read the site’s FAQ, you will have noticed that for a very long time it has already included this line in it:
“In short, just don’t be an idiot.”
This change will not affect 99% of you in any way. You will continue to never have your comments deleted. Feel free to post your silly, offbeat, questionable and controversial comments just as you have up until now. I’m not going to spell out what is and what isn’t acceptable, because again, 99% of the commenters here have no problem using common sense and figuring that out for themselves.
I pretty much see Tsunku♂ as one of my all-time heroes in life. You think everything he touches is the definition of shit? Go ahead and express that. I think the no-dating rule is nothing less than the cancer of the idol scene. You don’t agree? That’s alright, you can say so. It doesn’t matter how many downvotes your comment may get — I’m not going to delete it just because we disagree.
But from this point on, don’t be surprised when your comments have a tendency of disappearing if you’re in the habit of using my site as a means of telling people to kill themselves.
If anything, I simply wasn’t implementing the “don’t be an idiot” rule appropriately up until now. That’s probably what allowed the comment section to go down the path it has. So let’s see if this time I can’t in turn fix it by being truer to my own words.
Thus, while it’s not exactly new, this rule is effective as of now.
As to how I’m going to implement it? First, I want to try and see if I can keep it simple and just delete the garbage comments manually. If this ever gets to be too tedious, I’m going to look into some of the plugins you suggested — I liked many of your ideas, such as a reporting ability or a “hide downvoted comments” function.
I’m obviously not in front of the computer 24/7, so I won’t get to everything right away. Inevitably, some comments that eventually end up deleted will stay up on the site a while before they go. I don’t mind that, and I hope you try not to, too. I highly suggest that you instead simply ignore those comments — they’ll be gone before long anyway, as will any comments in response to them.
If some comment that you feel very obviously needs to go doesn’t get deleted after a day or two, there is a small possibility I may have missed it. In that case, as there is no actual reporting ability yet, you can just message me about it directly. (Do understand, however, that there is no guarantee I will actually delete the comment in question.)
If all of the above fails, I might take some of your other advice such as bringing in someone else to moderate the comments for me, or ultimately requiring users to sign-in in order to comment.
I do not, however, think the way to go is disabling comments entirely. Let’s find out if we can’t have our cake and eat it too; that is, keep the comment section alive and hopefully make it as enjoyable as it once was before.
Thank you for all your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for improving Wota in Translation.
Cheers,
Henkka
Possibly related posts
Loitering Between the Lines of Hello! Project: Part 11
Listening to idols like Kikkawa You or Up Front Girls that Tsunku isn’t involved with makes you realize just how great his songs are
Miscellaneous episodes regarding H!P members all new fans need to know!
Tsunku Boy’s declaration: “2013 is the year °C-ute strikes”
Niigaki Risa opens up about the extreme bashing she received upon joining Morning Musume
I really don’t like this. Specially seeing what kind of comments you prefer. But anyway, it’s your site (and you do a great job here) and what you think it’s the best for it it will be ok.
Sadly, I’m pretty sure the definition of Idiot is different for everyone.
“Specially seeing what kind of comments you prefer.”
Something I was trying to point out in my post is that it doesn’t matter what my personal preferences are. Simply put: if I happen to disagree with you on something, never will that alone mean that I will delete your comment.
To give you some context: I just did a quick search and looked through all your previous comments you’ve left on the site, all 56 of them, some dating back to 2013, and I wouldn’t delete a single one of them if you were to make them again today — including the ones with more downvotes than upvotes. Do I agree with them all? No. Would I delete those comments if you made them now? Absolutely not. You’re entitled to your opinions and you’re free to share them here in the future as well.
I might also add that, judging solely by the comments you’ve left on the site, you wouldn’t fit my definition of an idiot. We simply don’t agree on a number of topics. That’s all.
Thank you for all your comments throughout the years!
I like it.
Henkka,
I too regard Tsunku-san as a hero f mine…I also consider you one. You are one of the shining lights of this fandom and for those of us who don’t have the access or can’t speak/read the language, you do us all a GREAT service of keeping us in the mix of the H!P fandom worldwide. I thank you for you hard work and dedication from the bottom of my heart. No irony or jokes here just the truth.
While I don’t deserve to be even mentioned in the same sentence as The Boy, I appreciate the kind words. I think I better get away from all this comment drama and get to actually translating something for the rest of the evening.
I’m gonna test this.
I hate Tsunku.
Idols should never date. Unless it’s me.
:D
Test
The guy in the Taguchi Natsumi pictures is me.
Fucking lucky dude..
Another test.
I’m the person leaking the Kobushi photographs!
Eh? You are Rio? :P
Where are my royalties?
That’s fair enough.
I like AKB48
Now, that’s what I call looking for trouble.
Nah, this is looking for trouble.
AKB48 > Hello Project
Akimoto > Tsunku
You DIDN’T
I’ve seen this hands off administrator deciding to moderate at the behest of a membership faction play out a number of times and it never ends well. In due course the moderator either full out throws in his/her lot with the subgroup or simply does their bidding because they are so vocal and is perceived to be partisan.
I suspect this time next year Wota In Translation will be a bland place where the discussions are limited to the kawaii-ness of the various idols, critiques of costumes worn in MVs, etc. Although I think Henkka is sincere in his claim to allow controversy, I think the faction prodding this move will direct matters to the point topics like support of the “no dating rules” and the slightest heterosexual innuendo will be verboten.
But as Xacur notes, it’s you website, Henkka. Have at it!
That whole seems a bit of an over-analyzation of the situation and misconception of what he wrote. It’s like people who disagree are totally missing the point of what he wrote.
In my understanding, he will just delete comments that go waaay off the board, i.e., telling someone to kill themselves or make death threats for no reason or whatever.
Opinions and discussions, regardless of which side you stand in, will remain the same.
He seems 100% not interested in making this site a representation of his own personal beliefs with only things he agree with. And you also can’t really predict how things will be like, as long as he does what he compromised to.
Don’t see the “over” part. Off the top of my head I’ve seen this event play out on 5 different websites. One site is thoroughly repressive and three went out of business due to lack of interest after the better contributors left after too many controversial moderation decisions. The one where it actually worked well was run by a large corporation (Monster.com) and the administrators were experts on payroll.
Yes, deleting comments about killing are no brainers. But from my experience it never ends there.
I’m glad we’ve got a fucking expert over here.
^
Hmmmmm, this could fall under the “don’t be an idiot” category.
Again, there’s only so many ways I can try and say the same thing, but Luna’s comment above sums up what I think quite nicely.
I’d like to believe there’s a middle ground somewhere between what you’re describing and what the comment section has been like for these past few months. Or rather, I know there’s a middle ground — it’s what we had for the first couple of years of the site’s existence.
But I suppose we’ll find out in a year, right?
Over analyzing and suspicious use of “heterosexual innuendo”. No idea what that even means but I think “the faction prodding this move” just wants to stop the dirtbags that comment on here ruining it for everyone with rudeness, creepiness about kids, and rudeness toward female posters and even men that they determine to be “cucks”. Seeing 4chan words on this site as well as the mentality is way worse than the exaggerated so-called “bland” comment section you seem to think it will become.
Don’t worry Anonymous, if this spools out like I think it will you’ll have your safe space.
This!
“I think “the faction prodding this move” just wants to stop the dirtbags that comment on here ruining it for everyone with rudeness, creepiness about kids, and rudeness toward female posters and even men that they determine to be “cucks”. Seeing 4chan words on this site as well as the mentality is way worse than the exaggerated so-called “bland” comment section”
RANDOM (and not related to the post): I created a GIF because it’s so funny
https://media.giphy.com/media/3oFzm5cvsYinWsuBxu/giphy.gif
Thanks for your work Henkka, I really appreciate it.
So basically, it’s ok to have a different opinion, just don’t be a dick about it.
Speaking of dick, I still believe that Matenrou Show is a song about dicks.
Do it to me baby, matenrou show <- Dick song. The rest of it is more of a first love feeling kanjiru doki doki kira kira song.
just don’t spread cancer like a person (read: nakadashi-kun and such) sexual fantasy towards our idol or trolling (saying hate speech without REASON)… in simpler term please be a decent human being…
Are u implying I am not a decent human being because im harbouring fantasies about idols? If this is the case u might as well lock up over half of all male fans of idols.
Well said, brother!
I’m incredibly in favour of these changes. There have been some incredibly insightful, interesting, or just plain fun comments on this site, and having more of those and less dickishness can only improve the experience.
Incoming different opinion:
I support the dating ban, the main reason being that I’m lesbian and I can ship the girls with each other and theorize who is gay
On that note, I’m sad to have lost Tagu, who can I ship Sako with now…?
Good question! I was very fond of WadaGuchi.
You might have to go outside of Kobushi Factory.
Are you that lesbian from haro pro confessions? The one who was scared that people are disgusted because of her shipping?
Nah, that’s someone else
Haven’t seen the one you mentioned, but Pro Confessions sure can be cringey sometimes lol
Lol, ok. It’s because she also posted at dirty haropro confessions. That’s why I thought it was you.
Test: I find one girl prettier than Sayumi.
You’re safe. Being blind is not offensive. Just tragic.
No, he’s not safe. Even blind people know that Sayumi is the fairest of all. It’s the article 1 of the Haropro Constitution.
Lol, I actually know a guy who said Sayumi is ugly and I just thought wtf dude, better don’t tell that the fandom or you’ll be dead. Lol.
It’s easier on the heart to imagine her as an ugly woman. When she got married, he won’t be as devastated. He’ll just stare into the sunset with a teary eye.
You make a pretty compelling case for self-deception.
I also find one girl prettier than her. It’s Sayumi from the past.
Aneshige is the only person prettier than Sayumi
Aneshige is just Michishige’s alter ego. She’s trollin’ hard.
I guess when it comes to it, would you rather see Nakadashi-kun’s filthy comments or Baskervil’s hateful and overly negative ones? The way I see it, the former does not really hurt as much as the latter tends to incite hatred towards idols. Its all about you point of view.
I don’t think either will be allowed. But we can chat about how cute Duu’s graduation outfit was. If one wants to take a risk mentioning how Kasahara Momona uses the wrong shade of lipstick may be allowable (so long as it doesn’t upset the Gestapo).
When it comes to it? What is that? I mean they’re not the admin of this site nor are they a necessity to this site. I rather not see both of them if it comes to it.
Meh, some comments made recently still suck (as in, the language used is just gratuitously insulting) so I don’t think this “new policy” is working. It’s a shame because I’ve enjoyed quite a few of the translations here and I also enjoy reading the comments of normal fans so when I read this I thought “oh, good!” but then I read some recent posts and it was almost the same crap again with some people.
I dunno if I’ll keep visiting this place, I just get really upset at some people’s 5-year-old-w/a-filthy mouth excuse of maturity.
I’m not going to do anything about comments that were made prior to this post. If you see stupid shit on posts published prior to December 19, I suggest ignoring it.