No, not Terminal 5.
I refer to the BBC forums comment system. As the licence fee has gone up, so every aspect of our national broadcaster has plummeted. I'd like my money back, but that's not an option.
It started with a comment by invitation:
Going Carla crazy
It's too much to hope that the current (0) comments is anything more than yet another glitch in the moderating system, or maybe my fellow commentors have so far managed to resist (at 1820 GMT) where I cannot. If so... bravo!
And good on the Gallic diplomat!
You and your lot really have lost the plot.
If 'In the Newsnight office Carla Bruni has.. been the most talked about subject of the week', then I weep for serious news journalism ever taking place again. Are you all just in demob mode for the Olympic jolly or what? Will it just be the trainees and temps running the show, getting their story ideas from Heat magazine?
ps: I don't think it is just the Daily Mail who have had trouble deciding whether it is plastic bags or this lady who are of most importance to the future of news, the governance of the world or the future of the planet.
Of course, I was too prescient from the outset. After a few days of retrying, I might have to give up. But have tried another tack:
Friday 28 March, 2008
Excuse being off topic, but as this little bit still works (for now) I am just experimenting with this posting system, which was either a) created by the T5 designers on an off day or b) has given up any pretence of being an open, free and objective forum and is now in the hands of highly selective moderation. Or maybe the BBC is just trying to grind us into submission to accept yet another fee hike?
Free the 502 commenters from their limbo hell!
Shambles is too good a word for the whole sorry bunch. Like they care. What's the worst that can happen to them? Probably all en route to Beijing already.
Addendum 1:
I have been moved to send the above to Newswatch, for all the good that will do. Though Ray Snoddy may find one grumpy editor to say 'who cares?' on Sunday at dawn.
Why does the BBC bother with forums for audience comments?
I just ask, as after yet another frustrating few days trying to deal with the woeful system that we have all paid for, I have had to resort to a few other blogs that actually seem to work, including my own: [as above]
Addendum 2:
At time of writing (Sunday 7.20pm) nothing has changed. And no reply has yet been received, at least here... even to my complaint. Other than being mightily miffed personally, I am now even more concerned that any pretence at free and objective news and debate is now dead. Other than my little isolated outpost being outraged, the silence is pretty effective. Don't like the opinion? Ignore it! And ignore any follow up. What you don't see won't hurt you. But if you have an agenda you can let a few selected 'acceptable' thoughts slip through. It really is extraordinary. Where, if I could be bothered, do I go next? A registered letter to the BBC Trust? Sadly the compromise of that final word has rendered the ultimate avenue nonsense a long time ago. Even if this was a genuine glitch, just like the T5 debacle there has been no attempt to concede there even is a problem and PR an explanation at least.
Daily Mail - Fury of BBC over Cameron's £250m bid to end its public service monopoly -
"Once you take away part of the licence fee you break the trust between the BBC and the licence-fee payer," said a senior BBC executive. "The viewer won't know who on earth their money is going to and will say, 'why on earth should I pay this any more?'
Oh... will I?
Addendum - An answer.. of sorts. Unlike some, as I get 'em, they go up:
Thank you for your email. I can confirm that the problems you are
experiencing are due to technical difficulties that we are aware of and
working on. We intend to revamp the blog system in the next couple of
weeks which will end these problems. Until then I can only apologise for
the inconvenience caused and thank you for your patience.
Had to reply as yet again I have been thwarted:
Dear Team Assistant,
Thank you for your reply.
I am aware that there are technical difficulties. And would be amazed if the BBC had not been aware of them since they cropped up (which was when? It seems like months... or more).
I do note, with optimism, the confidence that these will be fixed, though am cautious on the vague timeline.
Having just tried, unsuccessfully , AGAIN, I am intrigued as to what has been causing these errors, and in so selective a manner. Evidently some are blessed with access and some are not.
Is it because I is Mac?
I am unsure if they will get the Ali G allusion.
BBBC - NEW - 'If you get error 502 you are probably blocked (as I am) from posting. They block your IP address. the BBC do this all the time.'
'Is this verified/able?
I currently get a 502 on every post (to Newsnight, Editor's Blogs, etc. Even, ironically, to the exchanges about them 'fixing' a system they 'admit' is 'broken'). That said, some get through, though most get 'lost'. Therefore a blanket 'ban' is hard to credit. Even a 'moderating' (sorry for all the quotes, but there is a lot that raises 'questions') stance is tricky to grasp as often many I offer up are not that complimentary of the guys who have kicked off the post either.
In fact I am exchanging pleasantries with a junior munchkin in some fob-off department as we speak. Not sure she liked my 'Is it 'cos I is Mac' comment, bless her. It's not... er.. supposed to be, by the way.
But if I get the merest whiff that such selectivity to agenda is taking place with an entity I co-fund, and especially when I have devoted good time at their request to contribute, I will be... grumpy.
And, like the Incredible Sulk, they won't like me when I'm grumpy.'
No comments:
Post a Comment