(Note – this is totally fictional, any resemblance to real stories just proves my point)

Local Man Falls to Death

Path gives way due to heavy rains

On Saturday John Doe, 47 of Ourtown, tragically fell to his death while hiking in That Mountain State Park.  As Mr. Doe approached Nice View Scenic Overlook the path gave way.  The slide carried Mr. Doe over the 800 foot cliff.  A park ranger is quoted as saying the recent heavy rains may have weakened the path contributing to Mr. Doe’s death.

etc. for 500 more words, mostly comments form witnesses and people who knew Mr. Doe telling us what a great guy he was, how much he liked hiking and how at least he died doing what he loves.

Comments

Solarnow says – Another death due to big oil and the climate denying conservatives!  It is so obvious the heavy rains are an effect of global warming.  This paper, being owned by the rich elite, would never tell us the truth in a case like this.  They are as much to blame as the oil companies, as are the other commenters, who I am sure drove CARS to work!!!  The selfish billionaires want a few more dollars in their pockets and don’t care if they are destroying the world since they won’t be alive to see it! And you all are being brainwashed by the media owned by these billionaires.

etc for 200 more words about the evils of meat, racism and demanding equal pay for equal work.

USloveorleev says – I hate reading this liberal rag!  They all but said Ted Cruz pushed him off!  And then the comments!  Solarnow is just the type of liberal a$$ that wants to destroy our country!!  Anyone who doesn’t realize “climate change” is just a huge left-wing conspiracy that wants to destroy American Capitalism is a total moron!  Obama and his Nazi Nigerians want to set up a Muslim Communism right here in the good ole US of A and are using this climate thing to destroy our businesses!!!!  If you can’t see this, you are an idiot!

etc. for 200 words about how the rain was caused by God’s wrath at gay marriage, how the greedy poor people are putting the country trillions into debt, and how we need a 100 foot tall reinforced concrete fence before every white woman is raped by a drug dealing Mexican.

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Exaggeration?  Have you ever read the comment section of any news article?  No matter the subject it seems the comment section always breaks down into a war between the extreme left and extreme right.   Why do some people have to use comments as their personal soap box?

This isn’t the first time I’ve written on the subject.  My 7th blog post was about trying to make your voice heard when everyone was constantly shouting.  It touched on this soapbox effect.  Here is a paragraph from the post:

This constant babble has other costs.  If everyone is talking do we value those who have something to say?  And if there are those out there who have something to say, how do we find them?  Rating the comments help, but often it’s the same set of people making them that rate them…  Finding the gems can be difficult.

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Picture of the Grand Teton has little to do with the story, but it’s cool, isn’t it?