Deadspin
To keep the comments as fresh and outstanding as they've been up to this point, we've commissioned Commenting Guru Rob Iracane, co-editor of Walk Off Walk, to write a bi-weekly Comment Ombudsman column. It runs every other week. This is that week.
Mr. Iracane is the guy who approves and deletes comments around here, and the fellow to whom you should address any comment account requests, and he will explore issues involved in commenting, what makes a great comment thread, what's working, what isn't, answer your questions, so on. We want the place to continue to be as much fun as it is every day, and it's not an execution thread like our friends at Gawker do. We like to be inclusive here, because if we're not, we'd be forced to rely on our own wit and knowledge, and that's a scary thought indeed.
So here's this week's column, on putting images in the comments, after the jump. Of course, don't be afraid to let him have it in the comments.
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The super awesome Gawker tech folks have been giving us commenters a couple new toys to fool around with over the past few months. First, they gave us the power to embed YouTube clips in our comments. I'm happy to say that the Deadspin commentariat has not abused this privilege! Congratulations, everyone, for not posting anything disturbing or entirely off-topic in the comment section.
The Gawker tech folks then decided to grant us the ability to embed images in comments. What could possibly go wrong? One of our crudest commenters (who actually collected a Commenter of the Fortnight award last week ... what was I thinking?) posted a huge and very nasty image in a comment last week. Don't go looking for it because it's since been purged from the Internets. I'm not 100% sure what it was but it looked very similar to the inside of Katie Couric's colon. Gross. This commenter has since been banned from Deadspin but his contribution lives on, etched into our collective retinas.
Folks, if you are going to post an image in your comment, please make it either (a) relevant or (b) hilarious. Unlike embedded YouTube videos, images require a ton of policing for inappropriateness. YouTube videos are about 99% safe for work; they usually don't contain pornography, obscenity or the Mike Schmidt crying clip (seriously, can anyone find video of this? Email me.) Images, however, can exist on any network location so there is no other source we can rely on to censor clips. Instead, we have to police ourselves and narc out anyone who posts pictures of gaping. Be my little Stasi: if you see something, say something.
These commenters, however, don't need to lean on the crutch of images because they made the Comments of the Fortnight:
•Re: Timberwolves' Clever New Ticket Price Policy
Gourmet Spud: Not to be outdone, the Nuggets have announced they will base next year's prices on a multiple of Carmelo Anthony's blood-alcohol level.
•Re: The Pope's Visit to Nationals Park
Balls State Explorer: Another freakin' post about a former Cardinal.
•Re: The Padres-Rockies marathon 22-inning game
RachelRayIsTheDevil: Gargantuan next day peanut dump
Comments
Okay, but how about the editors ability to embed images onto the site? Did they disable that or something? Anyone else getting a lot of white space?
Wait, so images can't be relevant, hilarious AND gross?
Well said, Mr. I. Some people can be so inconsiderate.
but are we allowed to get Iracane in a bicep ripping headlock?
+ Watch video
It's all fun and games until someone embeds a horrific image
Rickroll in 5, 4, 3 ...
I will continue to head into work each day with one goal and one goal only: to one day be a commenter of the fortnight. But if it takes a giant picture of a hymen to get me there, you can just keep your award, spaceman.
So John Daly shirtless is allowed in the posts, but not the comments. I got it now
FREE DOUG LLEWELYN! FREE DOUG LLEWELYN!!
@44 in a Row: a lot of white space
THAT'S NOT RACIAL TRANSCENDENCE!
Feel free to use this post as a playground for images.
"if you are going to post an image in your comment, please make it either (a) relevant or (b) hilarious."
M'kay.
@Suss--: Didn't think Hitler lip-synching "Dust in the Wind" could be topped. I was wrong.
Carey Price manages to maintain an air of smugness even with a bitch screaming in his ear.
There's someone out there with the balls to post that heart surgery picture again, but that person certainly ain't me!
[video.google.com]
Mike Schmidt crying
@Rob Iracane: Mike Schmidt crying:
+ Watch video
@Rob Iracane: As you wish.
@Rob Iracane: Feel free to use this playground as a post-up to slang rocks.
-Wire'd
+ Watch video
You're right, Rob... no mike schmidt crying on youtube.
Given that hilarity and relevance are hallmarks of the "appropriate" image, I can only assume that UN-hilarity and IR-relevance mark the "IN-appropriate" image. To that end, I would like to request that commenter Coors Light be summarily banned, as I find his/her images to be distracting, irritating, and not at all hilarious. Thank you.
You can take away our right to post disgusting pictures but you can never take away our Weintraub shitty stories!!!
@muggsybogues: I can't believe "The Giants are TEH Awesomest" hasn't won COTF yet.
But how do we post images of delicious, vented Coors Light?!?!?!
Rob,
[mydogshavefleas.com]
[farm1.static.flickr.com]
wait, what?
Yet, somehow 2girls1cup is appropriate.
All we need is some smart, crisp comments about the NBA and we'll have our own Free Darko Mad Libs.
@Brazil Thrill - Hawks Aficionado: Dominique isn't walking through that door!
@Camp Tiger Claw: Scoreboard.
my link to Schmidt crying also includes a PSA he did in 1986 about not doing cocaine. I wonder why nobody from the Mets did a similar PSA?
Rob...
@Doyle McPoyle: That someone would be me, of course.
@Weed Against Speed: What an attractive gentleman.
and so did Arkansas Fred's. I'm an idiot.
@Weed Against Speed: This is one UGLY dude.
Let's switch it up a bit. This is PG rated, at least.
[theinternetisterrible.com]
@ASox: Awesome job!!!!
@Weed Against Speed:
Kill it!!! Kill it!!!
@Brazil Thrill - Hawks Aficionado: Clearly the manufacturer thought that a rod through Nique's foot wouldn't be as distracting as a backboard and pole for the hoop that he is about to tear down.
Forget it. I fail at this.
@Rob Iracane:That's why I put it up. I did a google image search for "handsome Italian guy" and this was the first one that came up.
Someone should post the pregnant man pictures. Not me, but someone should.
and here I was hoping for the "Posting Images for Dummies" tutorial
Yostal - al = Yost.
[www.umich.edu]
Are images of Our Dear Leader ever appropriate?
+ Watch video
@Weed Against Speed: was my picture the second one that came up?
@Camp Tiger Claw: I thought Heathcliff lacked the opposable thumbs necessary to endorse his own film.
[lonestartimes.com]
i saw katie couric's colon once, but there was a lot of ecstacy involved
How about this one?
[engrish.com]
[www.chroniclebooks.com]
I don't think he makes it....
@UkraineNotWeak: Is this another call to bring back the Oddsmaker?