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Myself and other submitters have noticed that articles are being edited to change the tone and intent of our stories.
Soylentil McD has suggested that "Minor edits, spelling corrections, and such, are no problem and to be expected." but "I think soylent editors should adhere to a policy of not putting words in the submitter's mouth".
I agree with that. If the editors want to add their own two cents, they can respond inline like the rest of us. Their role here is to be responsible, not privileged.
The stories we submit are a reflection of our enthusiasms and beliefs, the tone and character of those posts is as much part of the submitter's story as the actual content. The community is what makes sites like SN and Slashdot before it, an eclectic community with a wide range of opinions, styles and passions will always be more active and interesting than a bland monoculture. SN's editors should embrace and encourage that diversity, not sabotage it to appease some corporate interests.
So what do other Soylentils think? Should the submissions be allowed to stand as a clear reflection of the community's intent, or should the editors change our submissions to suit their perception of suitability?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 24 2015, @10:11PM
There's no one right answer.
This is an incredibly naive thing to say, sometimes there is clear and objectively right answer.
Allowing flames and rants makes a place more stimulating, and more welcoming to people who have grievances.
And to people who have a very high opinion of themselves. A Venn diagram of self-important pricks and incredibly smart people would have a significant overlap on it.
Enforcing civility keeps things open to quiet conflict-avoidant people, and is likely to raise the quality of discussion.
I doubt that, it sounds like the kind of measure that would bring in those who can't take criticism. Quiet conflict-avoident people aren't necessarily emotional train-wrecks.
Furthermore, simply replacing one group with another doesn't automatically raise the quality of the discussion.
As long as the policy is transparent and the submitters are presented fairly
...which is the point that the author is making. It's literally in the first line:
Myself and other submitters have noticed that articles are being edited to change the tone and intent of our stories.
I don't know about you, but I don't feel that changing the intent of my message would be presenting me fairly.