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This is a topic that comes up all too often in comments, lambasting editors or praising them.
As it stands, editorial is a black box, they accept submissions, fettle them, then they appear as stories. Recently, the Original Submission link appeared on stories so you can see what went in and what appeared out of that black box, yet still the complaints come.
Just how much transparency is necessary? (This is an open question not rhetorical)
I like to believe that SoylentNews is the people that form it as a community, and the editing should reflect that.
Should we adopt some version control for subs so everyone can see who edited what through the pipeline that goes from sub to front page?
Thoughts on a postcard please.
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META: Editorial Transparency - What do you want?
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(Score: 5, Insightful) by Fluffeh on Friday May 29 2015, @05:12AM
First off, I think the editors are doing a great job.
Anyone who edits/polishes/touches-up/etc a story/submission that belongs to another person will eventually draw ire for doing that. Don't let it get to you. If there is an issue with one in a hundred submissions, that's not too shabby at all. If it is one in a thousand, that's pretty damn amazing. I'm pretty sure that this site has now published a good few thousand stories and there has been one or two issues. And honestly, I don't think that either of them were *too* big. One used a word that the submitter used - and the original story didn't - there was argument about whether it should have or should not have been used. Meh.
Second off - editors, keep doing what you are doing. You are the bread and butter of the site - without stories rolling through, no-one would visit. Keep at it and don't let the odd bit of criticism get to you. You can't keep everyone happy, but you are keeping almost all of us happy.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Fluffeh on Friday May 29 2015, @05:15AM
Sorry, forgot to reply directly to the questions posted:
Just how much transparency is necessary?
Within reason, I think the site is already much more transparent than most news sites and I don't think any more is really needed.
Should we adopt some version control for subs so everyone can see who edited what through the pipeline that goes from sub to front page?
This is a news site, not a bulletin board for anyone to post. The reason we have editors is to keep out the junk, polish up submissions that need it. I don't personally care to ever see who changed what word in which submission - and really don't think that would be worth the effort for anyone to code up.
(Score: 2) by fleg on Friday May 29 2015, @06:49AM
as an 'umble programmer i endorse this opinion.
(Score: 2) by fleg on Friday May 29 2015, @06:47AM
i am in complete agreement with Fluffeh.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 29 2015, @11:27AM
How often we recall, with regret, that Napoleon once shot at a magazine editor and missed him and killed a publisher. But we remember with charity, that his intentions were good.
- Mark Twain letter to Henry Mills Alden, published in the Chicago Daily Tribune, November 11, 1906, pg. 3.