Online forums aren't always the most civil places, but they sure are entertaining. And now, according to The New York Times, scientists, including a team at Washington State University, are asking what our online blathering says about us. WSU colleagues Ionnis Kareklas, Darrel D. Muehling, and TJ Weber found, for example, that readers of the comments on a public-service announcement about vaccination were influenced as much by the comments as by the announcement itself. If the commenters were perceived as experts, say, doctors? Fuhgetaboutit. Their opinions mattered more than the P.S.A. In fact, the mere act of commenting seems to confer credibility, said WSU's TJ Weber. Many less web-savvy readers assume that commenters actually “know something about the subject, because otherwise they wouldn’t be commenting on it.”
The power of online comments
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By Mary Bruno
Mary was Crosscut's Editor-in-Chief and Interim Publisher. In more than 25 years as a journalist, she has worked as a writer, editor and editorial director for a variety of print and web publications,
Mary was Crosscut's Editor-in-Chief and Interim Publisher. In more than 25 years as a journalist, she has worked as a writer, editor and editorial director for a variety of print and web publications,