.
UPDATE, June 28, 11:20pm: Shortly after this article broke at BigJournalism, HuffPost began scrubbing its Cheney comment thread --- with an electronic machete. It still hasn't banned its most outrageous offenders, though. Read the whole update here.
SUMMARY: This is another instance in which HuffPost deliberately violated its own "rules" in order to cater to the most unhinged of the radical leftist users that it attracts, emboldens and protects. In this incident, it reviewed, approved and decided to publish comment after comment that:Most of these comments weren't submitted by new users. They were, rather, from long-term, pathological violators of HuffPost's "rules" whom it has protected for months, or years --- some of whom it has allowed to amass more than 25,000 comments. Shockingly, some are even HuffPost "Community Moderators." HuffPost even banned a non-violating users who dared to stand up to these egregious violators of its "comment policy" --- but left all of them active.
- Celebrate the recent illness of Vice President Cheney
- Openly wish for his death
- Openly ask that he be murdered
Previously:
======================
On June 25, HuffPost featured this story, just beneath the top headline of the day:
Dick Cheney Hospitalized
Note: Nice to see Dell is supporting the activities documented in this article. Related: Bank of America and Sprint.Excerpt from the story (AP):
"Former Vice President Dick Cheney was admitted to the hospital Friday after experiencing discomfort, the latest health scare for the 69-year-old Republican leader who has a long history of heart disease. Cheney was expected to remain at George Washington University Hospital over the weekend, said spokesman Peter Long."
Five things to keep in mind, before we take a look at the user comments that HuffPost reviewed, approved and decided to publish on this thread.
1) In its Comment Policy and Terms of Service, HuffPost claims it prohibits:2) HuffPost has been pre-moderating user comments on all its news threads since early 2008. This means that the only comments that appear on its threads are those that it has reviewed, approved and decided to publish. This is documented in detail here.
- Comments that contain “ad-hominem attacks”
- Comments that “celebrate the death or illness of any person, public figure or otherwise”
.- "(M)aterial that is unlawful... threatening... hateful... or encourages conduct that would be considered a criminal offense... violate any law, or is otherwise inappropriate" (Ed.: We're pretty sure that it's a criminal offense, if not "inappropriate," to publicly advocate the murder of a former Vice President --- see 18 U.S.C. 871. What about a website that knowingly "approves" and decides to publish such "comments?")
3) In early 2007, and again in early 2008, HuffPost was publicly exposed for allowing its radical leftist users to openly express wishes for the death and/or murder of Vice President Cheney, and Nancy Reagan. Ms. Huffington and HuffPost then were exposed for repeatedly making false public statements about what actually occurred. Ms.Huffington actually lashed out at her critics, and even insinuated that it was all a conspiracy by one (Bill O'Reilly) to embarrass her. This is all documented in detail in Sections 1, 5 and 6, here.
4) As shown below, HuffPost made it very clear that it was pre-moderating user comments on this thread. In this case, more than 200 comments were waiting for its review, shortly after the story was published:5) For years, contrary to its public statements, HuffPost has been enabling, protecting and emboldening the worst-of-the-worst abusers of its policies. This even includes one user who openly admits to being interviewed in his home by the U.S. Secret Service for his threats against President Bush on HuffPost "comment" threads. At the same time, it has been censoring and ejecting non-violating users who dare to speak up against or mock these users. This is all documented in detail here. Also, see here for documentation of the fact that HuffPost even made some of these users "Community Moderators."
======================
So what kinds of user comments do you think HuffPost reviewed, approved and decided to publish on this thread?
Here are 18 of the first 100 comments.
Note how many of these users have hundreds (bold) if not thousands (red bold) of "fans," meaning HuffPost has been enabling and protecting them for a very, very long time. Note also that some are "HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATORS," meaning they (a) are supposed to be upholding HuffPost's comment policy --- and (b) have the power to remove other users' comments.
(1) josef k
3 fans
Die already. The world will be a much better place without you.
(2) HUFFPOST SUPER USER
take10
203 Fans
And they dare not put him on life support! Let him go quietly into the night!
(3) efffox
118 Fans
With all the bad news recently, it's nice to see a "feel-good" story for a change!
(4) janex
11 Fans
[...] This spawn of Satan still breathes and at my expense.
(5) Chazmania
375 Fans
Why is it the b@st@rds never d1e?
(6) Wolf Larsen
1089 Fans
This brave man has earned a 21-gun salute....point blank...
(7) Wolf Larsen
1089 Fans
Where can I send my don't get well card......?(9) HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
stillfresh
24 Fans
Laughing Out Loud so hard [...](10) edrice222
164 Fans
[...] Faved. Brilliant.
(11) MrHacks
8 fans
Just smother him with a pillow already!
(12)
PennyLane2
1161 Fans
Lynne probably had enough and put him in his place.
(13) werbenjagermanjensen
26 Fans
Once again, they're trying to con us into believing that this man actually has a heart.(14) HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Sunflower1
7 Fans
Now THAT'S funny!
(15) HUFFPOST SUPER USER
TheFabOne
221 fans
George Bush's uncle Prescott died earlier today.
We've already had a Bush die, all we need now is a Cheney to start the weekend off right.
(Ed.: This user is among HuffPost's most pathologically obscene --- and protected; see here.)
(16) countdown69
29 Fans
[...] let em go! I loathe this guy!
(17) HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Susan Bosworth
75 Fans
Karma. Please let karma finally do its thing.
(18) HUFFPOST SUPER USER
LooktotheLeft
2475 fans
PLEASE CROAK DICK
(Ed. LookToTheLeft is a radical leftist whom HuffPost has knowingly protected for more than a year, to post more than 30,000 comments, many of which contain extremely vulgar, homophobic hate, and his desires to physically attack people. He's also notorious for stacking letters that spell out obscene hate comments, then explaining this to readers. Example here. See a detailed report on user here.)
===================
What do you think HuffPost did after it approved (apparently, accidentally) one user to call these leftists out on their death wishes against Mr. Cheney?
A HUFF-WATCH operative, "Wide Awake In The USA," submitted the following comment - which HuffPost published after approximately 30 minutes:
Wide Awake In The USA
41 fans
This page is just overflowing with love and tolerance from liberals.
HuffPost banned "Wide Awake In The USA" soon thereafter:
===================
So, did HuffPost ban any of the other users?
Nope. HuffPost has left every one of the most outrageous users listed above still active, and protected. Below are screencaps of each user's comment profile from June 28, to prove this fact --- and how long the user has been active, as well as how many comments HuffPost has permitted him/her to post.
(1) josef k: "Die already. The world will be a much better place without you."===================
ACTIVE since December 2009, 127 comments
(3) efffox: "With all the bad news recently, it's nice to see a "feel-good" story for a change!"
ACTIVE since July 2009, 1,139 comments:
(15) TheFabOne: "We've already had a Bush die, all we need now is a Cheney to start the weekend off right." - Note: This user is among HuffPost's most obscene - and protected; see here.
ACTIVE since October 2008, 1,859 comments:
(18) LooktotheLeft: "PLEASE CROAK DICK"
Note: See a detailed report on HuffPost's pathological protection of this user, here.
ACTIVE since February 2009, 26,867 comments:
(6) Wolf Larsen: "This brave man has earned a 21-gun salute....point blank..."
ACTIVE since October 2008, 16,126 comments:
(11) MrHacks: "Just smother him with a pillow already!"
ACTIVE since January 2009; 120 comments:
How does all of this square with Ms. Huffington's claims about how HuffPost has a "zero-tolerance policy" for hateful, outrageous comments?
Here, in Ms. Huffington's own words, are HuffPost's basic principles regarding comments:
- "We have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to abusive or hateful
language or comments – such comments are taken down as quickly as they come to the attention of our moderators." (3/20/08) - "If you're looking for the usual flame-throwing, name-calling, and simplistic attack dog rhetoric ... don't bother coming to the Huffington Post." (5/6/05)
===================
In case you'd like to share your thoughts on this matter with HuffPost management...
... politely, please... here's how.
===================
Additional articles on HuffPost's tolerance and protection of users who engage in hate speech:
April '08-present: User boasts about in-home interview by Secret Service re his threats against Bush on HuffPost (HuffPost: "Approved!!," protected!!)
3/23/09: HuffPost Users: "Hey, Let's Commit Murder!!!" (HuffPost: "Approved!!!")
4/12/09: HuffPost Users: "Hey, Let's Murder Bankers!!!" (HuffPost: "Approved!!!")
5/2/09: HuffPost users: "Hey, someone should murder President Bush!!!" (HuffPost: "Approved!!!")
4/15/10: U.S. military contractor deaths surge; users erupt in hate-fest (HuffPost: "Approved!!!")
12/30/09: CIA officers murdered in Afghanistan; users erupt with hate and libels (HuffPost: "Approved!!!")
7/12/08: Users unleash hatred for, libels against Tony Snow --- on the day he died (HuffPost: "Approved!!!")
HuffPost vs the Tea Party: Which one *really* incites and tolerates hate speech & calls for violence?
The Stimulus And The (Approved) Response: Anti-Semitism and Israel-Hatred on Huffington Post
.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment