Matzav.com Strongly Considering Removing Comments Feature Following Multi-Hour Meeting

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matzav_networkThe staff of Matzav.com held a lengthy meeting today to discuss the state of the website and to chart a course for continued growth and success. As the leading Torah news website, a number of important issues were discussed. Primary amongst them was the concern expressed to us by some rabbonim and others regarding the comments on the site. A rov present at the meeting suggested having the comments feature removed from the site. While several editors stated that there has always been strict moderation of the comments, it was and is felt by some that to further raise the level of the site, doing away with the comments is the way to go.

“We understand that readers enjoy the comments, but if it crosses the line of what is hashkafically acceptable, even rarely, then we must reevaluate the decision to allow those comments,” remarked Dovid Bernstein, Jewish news writer for Matzav.com, at the meeting.

One suggestion was to allow readers to comment, but for those comments to be read only by the editors of the site and not be posted.

The suggestions put forth at the meeting are being reviewed and a decision is expected to be made within a week or two.

Once again, we thank all our readers and advertisers for helping make Matzav.com the #1 frum news site and a site that you can feel comfortable bringing into your home.

 {Elisha Ferber, Chief Editor, Matzav.com Newscenter}


115 COMMENTS

  1. Disabling comments is a good idea. Too many people are irresponsible in their posts and it reflects poorly on the frum world.

    However – there should be a way for us – as readers – to contact the editors whenever an article is biased or incorrect.

  2. To be very honest, without your comment feature I would not visit your site. I find your judgment when you have changed or not posted my comments to be fair. Please do not turn off the feature. BTW, on what basis are you claiming to be the #1 frum news site?

  3. Absolutely! Take them away! Excellent! Fabulous. L’toeles. Will put you head and shoulders above.

    But that also means you need to be even more careful with what you post because without a gauge from the readership if the story is appropriate, too sensational, or just plain unnecessary to post- you will lose an important aspect- the feedback from the readership.

    Of course, our comments our too sensational, too provocative etc. and I wish they weren’t. But to the extent they allow someone to express themselves in a forum where they would not otherwise be heard is important.

    But I agree the negatives outweigh the benefits and I would be very happy to see them gone.

  4. ““We understand that readers enjoy the comments, but if it crosses the line of what is hashkafically acceptable, even rarely, then we must reevaluate the decision to allow those comments,” remarked Dovid Bernstein, Jewish news writer for Matzav.com, at the meeting.”

    In other words, for the potential misdeeds of the few, you feel the need to punish the many.

    The Wolf

  5. Guys dont get carried away & i dont give a BLANK about what you allow or not, as i can assure you, YOur site does not spread any TORAH HASKOFAH at all.(even though you think it does ) ( its only about the strong mighty doller ) includingthat dumb meeting, also how much do you pay that ruv so you could fool the crowd & that includes all of you. life goes on with your Site or without your site & i look at whatever site suites my purpose & if i want anything about torah i go to Bais Medrash without any ruv telling me what to do or what to learn.

    so you have my approval to do what ever gets your excitement level up. & rest assured our lives will go on uniterupted.

    anyways good luck & you have my approval for whatever you decide to do. & my life will not be changed the least bit.

  6. How many times do I corespond with myself in the leeters to the editor in the Yated or how many times do I take the devvels advocate aproach on this site

  7. I think this is a GREAT idea. Sadly, many posts are mean spirited and not in the spirit of Torah and yiddishkeit and there is no reason that readers should see such things.

  8. Don’t kid yourself. Take away the comments and your website is worthless! Just do a better job editing out the Torah attackers R”L!

  9. KEEP THE COMMENTS! I love reading the “shtusim” that other people have to say. It’s the only thing that makes me laugh all day. Based on the way my prior comments have been edited though, I think you’re already doing more then enough. You often cut out parts that are 100% correct, but not “PC”.

  10. dovid Bernstein, i hope you get well soon, it maybe to late & there is no help out there. but go to some shrink & hopefully they could help you cope ,as it looks like you are falling apart from this job, so if you are looking for a real job drop me a line , however we have no Rabbonim here to consult should you have serious problems.

  11. I would suggest that if you do eliminate comments that you make this site strictly news, with absolutely no editorializing when reporting the news whatsoever, no rants, no opinions, etc.

  12. Finally action, you should be commended for your stance and blessed with business, attention, and reputation in the Wild World of the Web.

    Hang in there, don’t let the few sway your proper decision.

    Our world of Torah isn’t the BM, it is everywhere. We represent HK’BH, a heavy responsibility, none the less, our challenge. Lead, don’t follow. Kudos.

  13. Long overdo.
    If you will demand real names and legitimate email addresses based on a pre-registering process (which must be verified), people will be forced to weigh their personal animus before posting. Anonymous posting is destroying us.
    This site is as guilty as all of the others.
    I strongly urge you to go for it.

    Chaim Weiss

  14. The day you stop allowing comments is the day you shoot yourselves in the foot. Not only will you lose readership, you will lose advertisers as well and your website will either have to look stupid by allowing comments again and realizingv your mistake or just plain shut down and put people out of a job and out of parnassah. Be sensible. Every Torah news website has comments and you guys do an amazing job at moderating those comments. No website moderates as strictly as you do. It would be a big loss if Matzav had to shut down. I really enjoyed coming here for Torahdik news.

  15. Elisha,

    This is a great idea, and I strongly urge Matzav.com to implement one of the two possibilities.

    Either disable comments completely; or do not post comments and only allow the staff to read them.

    The reasons outlined are exactly why comments need to be done away with.

    Another possibility, is to limit extremely which comments are posted. So, for example, even if an article received 100 submitted comments Matzav.com might only post 5 of those comments. And if in any doubt, comments would be erased prior to posting.

  16. Get rid of the comments! I never understood why I have to read what “yenem” thinks anyway… I usually skip the comments and form my own opinion… I hate when people go back and forth with commentors. Also, it is a very strong opinion with people having different hashkafos, especially when the main thing is to always ask your Rov, and then we have people that go off and give their own psak, which some people may think pertains to them… Good idea to do away with the comments!

  17. As alwayys, the words on Matzav are kortz and sharf, just the way I like them. I think this issue should be decided through a sheilas cholom to Rabeinu Michoel Yechiel Grossman ztvk”l, h”yd, rashkebehag, zt”l

  18. Every site has an area for feedback. Matzav does a good job at editing. They have disallowed some of my posts, but that was their choice.

    Without reader feedback, this website will be a vacant lot. Look at Rabbi Horowitz’s site. Ever since the comment section being almost completely locked down, visitors to his site has dropped by more than 75%.

    No readers means no advertisement revenue, which means no company. The choice is entirely up to you, but you have only one time to make up your mind. In business, it is rare to be given a second chance.

  19. I can understand removing the comments for the reasons you’ve described.

    May I suggest though, to allow more people to write a letter and reflect on a couple of current events or recent news articles. A letter, as opposed to a quick post, is usually more thought out and, inappropriate ones will be detected immediately. You can either do it in the regular news section, or have a special section on the side…

    Just a thought

  20. Do you not realize your own hypocrisy in posting a comment?
    You think someone reads a comment and decides to abide by that psak? If you posted “strawberries don’t need to be checked” would anyone believe you?!

  21. Boruch Hashem! If even a tiny drop of my “hashkafically problematic” posts will result in the closing of offensive comments made by the brainwashed masses here, I will be content.

  22. How about doing what YeshivaWorldNews does and make everyone sign up with email and create an account. That way when you post a comment you can only do so under your created site ID and most people will think twice before posting because people will not want to ruin their ID reputation. It works. You will see a lot less crazy comments.
    Also,
    Make a rule that if a commenter posts inappropriate comments (which of course won’t be allowed past the moderators) they get a warning. After a certain amount of warnings you tell the commentor that this is the last warning. Next time we suspend your account and flag your email address. This will keep people in line.

  23. I agree whole heartedly. No comments. Its the comments that take innocent topics and turn it into loshon hora, and worse.

  24. Disabling is silly, what if someone has something IMPORTANT to say? What if you post about a Petirah and somene wants to say something nice about the niftar? Post levaya info?

    Personally, I gravitated to your site initially because there were FEW comments – mostly to-the-point and relevant.

    My very humble opinion – cut the “hock”, cut the garbage, and leave the space open for comments so that 1. You can read anything ppl want to comment for you to see. 2. People can add what’s relevant for ohters to read, much like letters to the editor just much simpler to submit.

    Go back to your very old posts… you’ll see what I mean, comments were few and mostly important and relevant.

    Keep it up!

  25. I don’t get it- why doesn’t Matzav simply ask their poskim if they should allow comments or not? It seems this article was only written in order to find out what the readers want. Why is that relevant? If it’s assur, it’s assur regardless of what the readers want.

  26. I THINK THAT IF YOU HAVE A KOSHER INTERNET WITH ACCESS ONLY TO A FEW JEWISH WEBSITES AND CREDIT CARD SITES THAT YOU PICKED , EITHER THROUGH YESHIVANET OR THE MATZAV JEWISH NETWORK, – THEN IF YOU HAVE A WEBSITE LIKE MATZAV.COM WITHOUT ANY COMMENTS – NOONE CAN HAVE ANY COMPLAINT AS IT WON’T BE ANY DIFFERENT THAN AN ONLINE YATED OR HAMODIA. – SUCH A COMBINATION WOULD PRODUCE KOSHER NEWS WITHOUT THE INTERNET!!! HALAVAI!!! CHAZAK VEMOTZ.

  27. Who decides what’s constructive or positive? Maybe someone thinks your comment isn’t constructive…? On iffy issues constructive and positive is a fine line. What you mau find constructive someone else may think is “apikorsis.”

  28. My opinion on this matter is that commenters do a great service for this great sight and why not hire a ruv to look over the comments and approve of those comments that are haskafickly in line with the torah view. comments is a great thing it shows you what the people want and many people can argue on what is many times an issue which is debatable like 2 chavrusas such fun shivim anayim latorah

  29. It gives people a thrill to see their comments in print. And it is fun for readers to sense the depth of emotion that comment writers regularly exude.

    What is needed is a comments editor who will leave out MOST of the comments and thus dissuade the illiterate, the mean & nasty, the downright stupid, the leftists, the bored, the apikorsim, and the other crackpots who fill the section with their nonsense on a regular basis.

    Do not forget that one word of mockery can dispell the effect of a thousand words of Mussar. It was sad to see the effect of Rabbi Shuberts magnificent protest temporized by the confusion of so many negative comments. As anyone familiar with the “big lie” concept knows,if you yell something loud enough and long enough it will seem to make sense after a while.

    So keep the comments, but edit them relentlessly. And too bad on the numbskulls who will not get to read their rantings on line!

  30. Its got around, and many bnei torah hold its bitul torah for those who read the comments, i think its a wonderful idea, i understand also other opinions

  31. Here’s what you should do:

    1. Take a poll over the next few days (possibly a forced one that freezes the website or bars entry until the person votes one way or another) that asks the visitor whether the comments should be removed or not

    2. Regardless of results, remove comments for a week or two

    3. Assess the effects on the website’s readers and advertisers

    4. Proceed from there……

  32. Watch your website buried. It will reduce your readership to 10%.

    All you need is a few outlandish articles and without the ability to vent, most readers will just move on.

  33. Yes, definitely shut down the comments. The worst is when commenters start calling each other names and verbally abusing each other. Also you will get rid of “flamers” who only enter comments in order to be inflammatory.

  34. i agree with this proposal for 2 reasons
    A) there are many opinions posted that are hashkafically inapropriate and as one persons opinion they shouldnt be up for everyone to see.
    B)More importantly i personally know many people who post ridiculous outrageous opinions ON PURPOSE even though they dont believe in what they are writing!! they get a kick out of stirring up needless controversy. I’ve personally seen a bad joke get out of hand and cause much avoidable machlokes.
    i totally agree that no frum news site should have comments and bli neder this is my last post

  35. Matzav is already editing way to strongly. You seem to have this Yated mentality of WE know best & you and your opinions are worthless Keafra Dearah!

  36. Well, i might as well get in my last licks…. I TOTALLY agree with comment # 953 – “Gef Ilta Fisch” – you have no idea what you’re talking about. shkoiach im yirtza hashem vihameivin yoshon.

  37. Just ban “izzy berkowitz” and “mandy” and then the comments will mostly not contain anti Torah rhetoric.
    (To #42- listen to yourself! Matzav.com disagrees with you- isn’t that allowed? Can’t they choose to not post comments? You always have the option to go to sites that will post.)

  38. “One suggestion was to allow readers to comment, but for those comments to be read only by the editors of the site and not be posted.”

    GREAT idea!

  39. the comments are geshmak – it provides a forum for the oilum to discuss the choshuv topics in our day. its democracy at its best.

  40. I agree with that Rabbi and with your panel that discussed this issue. Many times comments only get to become Lashon Horah etc. and it deceives its purpose. However, as many pointed out before, comments are sometimes the fuel for the articles. News updates and additional information are sometimes recieved via comments. Sometimes we get to hear a different angle or side of a story etc. Many times we can get comments in support of an article or purpose and so on.

    To solve this issue and turn comments into a corrective measure and purpose, I fully agree with comment #33. YWN has a phenomenal system where a username appears with the comment minimizing spam comments and Lashon Horah. Besides being a great service where one can see who is in the debate and who is just there for boredom. One can also see if someone is really having a continued conversation with a certain fellow or others disguised with their username.

    Thanks and keep up your great work!

  41. Without the comments, what would people do when you write about a p’tira R”L?
    It was just great reading how many morons wrote: “baruch dayan emes”. Wow how that added something not already written!
    Get a life people. Read the news. Period. Leave your real inteligent comments to your spouse.

  42. how about having comments not on the same page? make people click on a link to open the comments, so those who don’t want to be exposed to them shouldn’t click. And continue to moderate even so, but have a much stricter policy- have a strong warning over the comment box saying that you will not post any comment that contains lashon hora/inappropriate content.

    But sometimes comments are useful, I don’t think you should eliminate them completely. Just keep a sharp eye on them.

  43. Do you know how many create a new fake gmail or yahoo account to signup with a fake name? Do you know how many people have MULTIPLE comment accounts each with a different email address? ITS THE SAME BALONEY anonymous comments system. SHUT DOWN ALL COMMENTS

  44. INSTEAD OF COMMENTS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TO LIST STUPID COMMENTS SUCH AS “NEBECH” OR “OMG” OR ANY OTHER TWO WORD SILLY POORLY WRITTEN COMMENT.

    INSTEAD HAVE A READERS WRITE SECTION THAT PEOPLE CAN SUBMIT INTELLECTUALLY THOUGHT-OUT WELL WRITTEN OPINIONS JUST LIKE THE YATED HAS.

    EACH READERS WRITE SHOULD BE MINIMUM OF A PARAGRAPH , IN ORDER TO SIFT OUT ALL THE DOPES AND LEAVE ROOM TO HEAR WHAT SMART PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY.

  45. Advice for Matzav:
    Don’t allow to comment for those who don’t want to see comments. 🙂
    Advice for those who don’t like comments:
    Don’t read them. 🙁

  46. Keep the comments. Just moderate more intensely. No loshen hara,no name calling, no downright insulting and degrading comments. No comments that are anti-torah and anti-hashem. It would also be helpful that the comments be with proper grammer and spelling. Thanks.

  47. No Comments = NO VISITORS.
    IOW have Rabbis Shubert, Lifshitz, Miskin and others write, post, think, design and have everyone sit back and read/accept/postulate/ that that is a reasonable daas of Torah,,no way!!!! Comments is what shows the diversity, thought process and concern of klal yisroel.

  48. Great idea!
    number 62 something along those lines should be implemented.
    But even that could get out of hand,as can be seen on other sites.

  49. I wouldn’t read if I wasn’t given the right to comment. It’s pointless, with all of the news sites out there that allow comments. The commenters aren’t the problem as much as what goes on in the frum world that warrants commenting.

  50. Way to go, with your Lashon Hara. You’re the one who’s responsible for causing this problem in the first place.

    I say ban yourself. You’re the root of the problem.

  51. Why cant we have readers share their opinion and not just have stuff rammed down our throats.

    Nobody is forcing anybody to look at the comments.

    Blogs that contain apikorsas or anti-Torah views should be edited, but whats wrong with honest questions and debates?

    I think your featured opinions need Rabbinical supervision more than the comments need to be removed.

    One thing is for sure, by closing off the comments the majority of readers of this site will be ois readers.

  52. i don’t know why i’m commenting, as with 75 comments, no one will read this! All of those who want the comments features on, do you really feel good after you pressed ‘submit’? How does this give you a voice?

  53. Start heavy moderation of comments IMMEDIATELY.

    A submitted comment starts off with the presumption it will NOT be posted. It must EARN the right to be posted.

    Anything that is hashkafically incorrect = DELETE.
    Name calling = DELETE.
    Anti-Rabbonim = DELETE.
    Anti-Daas Torah = DELETE.
    Seems to have double meaning = DELETE.
    Seems to have ulterior motive = DELETE.

    In fact MOST comments will be REJECTED.

    And see how it works out over the next week or two.

    Then decide.

    MATZAV.COM RESPONDS:
    Well said. Well put. Thank you.

  54. Thank you for considering my suggestion.

    To summarize it, the moderator(s) shouldn’t have to spend too much time reviewing the comments.

    Unless the comment is clearly and obviously 100% kosher upon a quick glance, it goes straight into the deletion bin. The mod shouldn’t have to reread the comment to determine it is 100% kosher.

  55. The site would be better off without comments, as long as there is a clearly defined method for readers to communicate with the staff.

  56. Don’t worry Matzav, even if you stop allowing comments you’ll only lose about 60-70% of your readers. That still leaves you with a handful…

  57. people should only be able to leave comments with their REAL posted to it. they should have to register with a credit card in order to leave comments

  58. I wouldn’t read your website without the comments. I believe in strong maderation and in certain cases to close the article for comments but people want to be heard.

  59. While it’s probably true that no comments will most likely spell the end of this website, if that is what is necessary in order to stop giving a forum to idiocy, bigotry and hatred, so be it. Over the past while I have become increasingly appalled at the comments I have read. It does not reflect well on Am Yisrael – not on our ability to think straight, to express ourselves intelligently, to show refinement and display good middos. Where did eidelkeit go, even when expressing one’s strongly-help opinions? If you need to spew, go to a psychologist and do it there, not in a public forum! Yes, it is not true about EVERYONE, and possibly not even the majority (although in some pieces, it does appear to be the majority) but I don’t believe that giving advertisers the ability to increase sales justifies what the comments section has become. Yes, all of these people who have a need to vent will not continue to visit this website, Matzav will lose its sponsors and that will be the end of that. Perhaps this is really what Hashem wants of us: that we REALLY listen to da’as Torah and get unhooked from the internet if possible or use it solely for professional needs. It’s become an addiction for many of us, but that’s definitely the route to go leyirei Hashem ulechoshvei shemo if we can only regain self-control in this area.

  60. If you take off the comments feature, I will stop visiting your site. The comments a) provide a cross-section of what people in the community actually think, as opposed to what a couple of people at Matzav think is important b) some of your posts are a little bit off the wall, irrelevant, or both, and the comments feature provides a safeguard against this.

    Lose your comments feature and you lose me – and a lot of other people too.

  61. Let the readership comment but moderate more strictly before publishing, so you won´t have posts stating “deleted by the moderator”.

  62. Hello from Jersey (no, not NEW Jersey!), an island in the English Channel, just off the coast of France.

    BH, we have a small but thriving kehilla here but – because of our relatively remote location – http://www.matzav.com is a treasured and precious source of Jewish news.

    I must agree with many contributors to this thread who say that the readers’ comments are often an integral part of the original story.

    One guy at this morning’s minyan likened the comments to the rabbinical debate on the pages of the Talmud.

    Be that as it may, please do not, repeat not, surrender to those who would stifle free speech.

    “Negative” comments, or remarks that may go against mainstream chareidi opinions, serve to support the integrity of http://www.matzav.com as a whole.

    Please, please, please do not stifle free speech on your very precious and valued website!

    Shabbat shalom from the Jersey, Channel Islands, kehilla.

  63. Please take down the comments, they turn all the frum websites inot cesspools of loshon hara and sinas chinam. NOw we’ll have someplace on the web to get are news without the hurtful comments.
    Tizku L’mitzvot

  64. Assuming this remains news only. If comments are removed, and yet Matzav will still continue to print editorials and rants we can only assume that Matzav prints such non-news items for the public good and agrees totally with their content.

  65. Lie a few have previously suggested, strictly enforce a NO TOLERANCE comment rule. If a submitted comment has even a shade of questionability to it — even if you need to do a double-take to see if it is kosher — delete it immediately.

    So, yes, most comments will be not posted.

    You should, if technically feasible in your WordPress software (and I think it does have this feature), put a small notice above the comment box stating something to the following effect:

    “Please note Matzav reviews all comments and publishes only a select few that add material to the story. Most submissions are not published.”

  66. AGREED! take down the commments. it turns the site into total lashon hara.

    i commend you and condem other sites that do NOT take them down

  67. why don’t you just prohibit anonymous comments, and publish select comments along the lines of letters to the editor that are published by reputable newspapers

  68. Jersey Jew
    Free speech has serious consequences in Halacha. Because of your remote location, away from the throngs of Yidden in the States, you might feel more connected with commentary. Much of the comments do not represent mainstreamFrum Jews. Something ranted under the umbrella of “anonymous”, that would never be said in public, does disservice to all our communities.
    These comments create a forum for every angry, “victim” of society to espouse there venom, damaging all of us.

    The Tannaim and Amoroim of Shas, might have a bone to pick with your friends comparison.

  69. If i may, i’d like to suggest that instead of disabling comments entirely, you lay down strict rules for which types of comments are allowed. Those that offer greater insight into the story should be allowed [so long as they are not slanderous] but those are of the “Oy! Mamash, Hashem is PLEEDING with us to Teshivah!” and “Matzav – u r the gr8est” and “#19 you need to rethink whether you should have ever been born” variety, should be eliminated entirely. Those comments are what drag down the quality of the site and create a greater Chillul Hashem than any news story possibly could.
    Comments should be used to enhance the story by providing details and information that your reporters could not.

  70. If loshan hora is the problem, then Matzav.com should refrain from reporting news that reflects negatively on yidden.

  71. my problem is not with the comments, but with the etzem articles themselves. it’s pushut that many are made up.

  72. why dont you just make everyone happy and only put on hashkafikly correct comments so anyone normal could put on comments and the other people dont have to worry about what they are reading

  73. GOOD MOVE, if the website had just news without ppl’s twisted opinions, it would be much better, the comments almost always lead to lashon horah about this guy or that thing, too many ppl just spew hatred and nonsense, if somebody feels he has to tell the world something let them do it their own way theres no reason to put the site up for contamination.

  74. I don’t have time to read all the posts so forgive me if my comments are redundant.
    To preface, I think it would take tremendous strength to remove the comments feature as there’s no denying that it promotes your level of readership and serves your business purposes well.
    On the other hand, I firmly believe that the comments sections on many of the frum sites today are forms of death penalty for the frum population. Let’s leave aside for a moment all the lashon hora, the machlokes, etc, etc(read:negative) that goes on.
    Never before in Jewish history have we exposed ourselves to the world and allowed such an infiltration to the highest degree! ALL OF OUR DIRTY LAUNDRY IS OUT FOR THE WORLD TO SEE AND USE AGAINST US!! I am thoroughly convinced that there will come a day when the repercussions of the comments sections will be terribly, irrevocably harmful for us. I don’t have to get into details-everyone can use your imagination. The potential for destruction is endless. Dear editors, do you want to be responsible for this??? I once wrote a letter to another respectable site and received no response.
    I am deeply grateful that this issues has come to the table and I entreat you to please take the approach that will gain you eternal credit. In this merit may you see continued and enhanced success.

  75. Yes. No comments. Only a talmid chochom who also knows the halochos well can accurately moderate.

    Yasher koach!!!

    (Anyone who truly wants a “torah true site” in all senses of that phrase will be even more attracted to this site. Those who may come for other reasons can do what they will. We cannot please everyone. The main purpose of this site was never to have discussion as much as report the facts as best as possible. However, of course all are quite welcome.)

  76. Matzav – Please don’t lose your streghnth, keep up the courage, and follow through with this very encouraging development — either remove or heavily censor the comments.

    Yasher Koach!

  77. You are advising them to shut down their business? Quite daring of you. Easy to say when its someone elses parnassah that goes out the window.

  78. Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Ki Sisa
    Time: 3:38 PM Pacific Standard Time

    I fully agree with #s 33, 36, 37, 39, 64, 73, 76, & 79.

    Please do find a good way to retain the comments!

    1.) They provide a means for readers to add in more detailed information and further insight on the subject discussed in the article.

    2.) They provide a means for a reader to sincerely ask an honest question that he or she may have about a certain point.

    At the same time though, of course, there cannot be any Lashon Hara, Motzoei Shem Ra, statements printed in English or Lashon HaKodesh that could, Rachmana Litzlan, cause terrible Sinas Yisroel, or any other items that are outright against Torah.

    Therefore, very strict editing of the submissions must be done.

    All submissions that people post, if they are constructive, then even if there are over 100 of them, should definately be published! On the contrary, this is L’Hagdil Torah UL’Haadira! But the submissions must be remarks that are CONSTRUCTIVE; they CANNOT be DESTRUCTIVE!

  79. Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Ki Sisa
    Time: 5:25 PM Pacific Standard Time

    In the realm of comments, there is a certain point on which the following rule should be applied.

    As the Matzav office is located in New York, the time printed in the comments box is thus the time in New York, Eastern Standard Time. Now today, at about ten minutes before six, Shabbos begins. However, over west in the Central Time Zone, the time is one hour earlier, at ten minutes before FIVE. And so there, Shabbos has not started yet, and a Jewish man living in that region may then be looking at your web site and even submitting a comment about something. However, the time printed on his comment box will be the Eastern Standard Time of New York, WHERE SHABBOS HAS ALREADY STARTED!

    Therefore, in order that it should not appear like this Jewish man, Chas V’Shalom, posted his remark on Shabbos, he should be required to please write in his submission the time WHERE HE IS and which time zone it is. So here, he would put Time: 4:50 PM Central Standard Time.

    The same is for someone who is east of New York, and thus if he is posting something on Motzoei Shabbos when in New York it is still Shabbos, he should write in his time and time zone.

    This is what I myself did right here at the top of my previous piece and at the top of this piece. It is now about 8:25 PM in New York, well into Shabbos Kodesh. However, where I am, it is still about 45 minutes BEFORE Shabbos. So I put at the top of this piece:

    Time: 5:25 PM Pacific Standard Time

  80. to #98 aryeh just as you consider yourself part of the mainstream frum Jews, so do the majority of other bloggers here.
    With the exception of a couple of posted blogers who openly stated their anti-frum views, we are all frum just like you. We have different opinions and like to express them. Jews have always been a mosaic of different stripes, a cholent pot containing a gamut of diff. ingredients and forever simmering under the lid.

    #105 the internet is a very dangerous tool and despite of that we have a huge frum oilim that use the internet with filter(hopefully) and other tools (personally, I am on the Matzav network, so the majority of the internet access is closed for me). So regardless of what people feel, it’s out there and it needs to be used wisely.
    I think comments are in the same category and in this case depends a lot on the Matzav editors. Do not post unnecassary rants or featured opinions like the letter questioning about giving charity for Hatians victims .We can definitely expect some answers to posts like that that can cause a Chillul Hashem. It is unnecassary. However hashkafa articles should be posted and when they are, there should be a rabbi who could have answers for complex questions (unfortunately the majority of frum people do not know the answers like they should) and such a forum should not be hijacked by a few individuals with unpure motives. Why are only potential Baalie Teshuva entitled to have their questions answered? We have a lot of kids and adults who need emuna issues cleared up. Matzav editors should have a Rabbi weeding out the apikorsim to have legitimate question answered as well as input from others.

    There are a lot of issues that should be discussed in a public forum .A lot of issues are bennefitted when people hear both sides of the coin.

    even if things are done the best that we can do, Hashem runs the world and the consequenses are not in our hands. We must concentrate on doing the right thing, not just on how other percieve us.

  81. To 111,
    thanks for your response. please reread my post and you’ll see that I wasn’t referring to internet use at all. I was referring to the fact that we are publicizing comments to the world at large that have huge potential to cause us harm.
    I am with you all the way that we should have the opportunity to discuss things, etc. There certainly is a balance to be created here. Sites like chinuch.org for example allow you to ask certain questions. A similar site can be created for the area you mention. BUt that is quite different then these comments sections which can be really silly at best, and really terrible at worst.

  82. I still do not understand why readers of this website are so frightened of letting “the world outside” read comments on the stories here.

    This faulty thesis makes people (who may or may not be Torah Jews) think that we have something terrible to hide.

    Whether permitting “free speech” is such a terrible thing I will leave to others, but it seems to me that one major cause of anti-Semitism is an ignorance of, or a lack of information on, who we are, what we do, and what are our aims.

  83. Stop the comments here and people will simply find anothter and likely less torahdik site to post on and likley worse comments will make a big chillul hashem – not exactly if it aint broke dont fix it – but mutav sheyu shoggigin val yiyu mzidim

  84. to #112 I realize i wasn’t clear with my previous post. I wrote about the internet only to bring out a point about the comments, as I wrote in the next paragraph; i think comments are in the same category…

    I think Matzav should report, post opinions and entertainment clips responsively and everything should be open for comments while being edited for inappropiate contents.

    You feel that a)comments should not be posted, but b)there should be a site created for hashkafa discussions.

    There you go. Two Jews, three opinions…

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