[cackles!…. cackles louder!!….. cackles eveN LouDer!!!}

How about a kick-arse Climate Change debate with a panel of Australia’s finest on each side?

Not intending to sound hopelessly partisan here, but you know only one side could have Australia’s finest. The “sceptics” would have trouble mustering a team of even mediocre intellects.

I was kinda worried it was a thread killer, which is bad cos Mark went to all the trouble to link, and the articles are very interesting.

If my point isn’t clear, I get alot more out of opinion from the husky and heated debate that usually follows in the comments; more perspectives, context, sources and understanding. And honestly, that’s what I dig about Larvatus Prodeo – it’s like political vaudeville that I get to insert one liners into. And no one gets paid for that sort of cultural content – well not yet ‘cept the ABC online moderators.

But since you asked for our humble opinions analysis of the Drum, here goes. Comments close ridiculously quickly – I don’t think I’ve yet read an article I could comment on. And some articles I don’t think you can – on a couple I clicked, I actually leave The Drum and go to the ABC News domain (including Fran Kelly’s) but they are entitled analysis. Jonathon’s going to have a ball when mediawatch returns I imagine.

And the comments threads are unwieldy, and unfocused with the collection of a thousand different points of view, many not on topic but ranting about the ABC. I wonder if its possible to have a ‘national conversation’ in our ‘online town square’. It’s just more gate-keeping of noise of a thousand ranting monkeys by a different crew with different coloured t-shirts.

I reckon Annabel was just chosen to increase ABC online audience share and traffic as part of the media wars. Sure that might have follow on effects of greater appreciation of the ABC’s journalism, but it is infotainment, and it is worthwhile remembering what happened to the Glasshouse. Or even Mediawatch way back in the early 2000′s. That doesn’t mean I don’t think ABC shouldn’t invest in political satire or infotainment. Or the world’s first twitter journalist. Um yeah.

I was going to say, what I would like to see from an ABC online opinion page would be something more akin to Online Opinion – and the ABC could provide what that currently lacks. I like its wider variety and easy access of articles (time-shifting isnt particularly convenient at the Drum thus far, it’s also what I immensely dislike about Twitter).

Funny enough, I was going to make a point about professional writing before I went to sleep leaving a half-arsed remark. Or maybe that did come through I was going to actually use Christine Milne as an example, because I’m sick of screeds that have nothing to say or are just obviously written for the job, and she was the first person I could think of that has utilised Unleashed, Online Opinion, and Crikey in the past who always has something new, interesting and relevent to say.

She does seem like the person who would not waste her time otherwise. And lo and behold, she does still appear under the Unleashed sub-domain(?). But if moderation becomes a bigger drain on resources than content production, well yeah, that’s problematic.

If I was going to single out two informed opinion makers journalists who interact with their opinionbots commenters effectively and humanely; it would actually be Antony Green and George Megalogenis. Oh, and the crew on the Crikeyblogs, and the good folk in charge round here of course.

IMHA The Drum can’t do that. Neither can The Punch, though they don’t seem to have the comment overload problem. I don’t know what the answer is… more content? How about a kick-arse Climate Change debate with a panel of Australia’s finest on each side? And an online worm rather than a comment facility?

My opinion if not worthy, is at least as valid as anyone elses

Does anybody seriously believe that if the tables were turned the balance would be reciprocated? That if the Coalition were in government, the(ir) ABC would be giving as much floor-space to progressives as they do now to the conservatives?

Pot, kettle etc

I have opinions on cultural production and analysis at the ABC but yeah whatever. Build a bridge and get a blog.

I don’t know why I comment either.

I can’t tell whether Fran Kelly’s piece is just a transcript of her rambling during Breakfast, or a piece of bad writing.

What’s “bad writing” about it?