Should we stick with Your Views? How are you coping with Your Views?

A couple of posts back, the response by Your Views user Lampie in regard to the question "Do you have faith in the Government's handling of the economy?" got me thinking about the expectations that users have of Your Views as a forum for public discussion. Lampie's response, "No, next stupid question." seems to reflect an expectation that the section is not functioning as it could do; simply asking stupid questions which generate stupid answers. Although it's hard to predict the exact sentiment behind Lampie's response, if you delve inside Your Views a little, you're bound to find users criticising the section for a number of reasons - ranging from obviously polarising or inappropriate questions to publishing overtly racist sentiment. Users have a right to feel frustrated as in the Rules section for Your Views, the editorial team claim to "encourage wide debate" (where this blog takes its name from!) and to filter out discriminatory remarks, however, time after time it is evident that the moderation process fails. One only has to look at the thread concerning Maori Television and Rugby World Cup coverage to see this.

However, sometimes a user response will pop up in full support of the space Your Views provides. For example, in the thread "How well do you think the police handled the Aisling Symes case?", jack goes against the sentiment of a number of users who criticise the Herald for raising such an "inflammatory" question.

jack (North Shore)
A thank you:
I'd like to congratulate the NZ Herald for the existence of this public forum.
It is important for the public to be able to have their say without much if any censoring.
It would be even better if emails are sent to the NZ Police and the W. Council insisting that they actually READ and consider these comments!
Thanks to NZ Herald. Keep it up (and try to make posts appear sooner).

Although jack makes a small request for responses to be uploaded more promptly, his comment is celebrates Your Views and the Herald. Pat-on-the-back, job well done. The suggestion that the NZ police and Waitakere City Council check out the responses reflects the fear that the sentiment expressed in Your Views might not be reaching the right people. As hinted at in a previous post concerning John Key's potential play date with the Dalai Llama, I would not be at all surprised if media advisors and politicians regularly scroll the pages of Your Views in the belief that they can use it to gauge "the voice of the people".

Some users appear to believe that the Herald's interactive opinion features could entirely replace the need for government, as evident in the thread "Should we stick with MMP?":

Cartman (Auckland)
Lets just get rid of the politicians altogether and make all the decisions by internet polling on the Herald website.

Okay so perhaps Cartman's suggestion is a joke - the television series where he derives his username from is known for sarcasm and satire. But it does point to the ever-increasing prevalence and power of electronic opinion polling. Here's hoping the day never comes that New Zealand is governed by the whims of Herald readers.