Why does one devote time to a discussion platform? Because you like the debate it provides, and you feel your opinions are heard.
Over 2012, I devoted myself to MyNews24 more than I should have: 40 published articles, hundreds of comments on other stories...
Despite this commitment that I am showing to the platform, MyNews24 moderators still think it's perfectly acceptable to review an original article which I have clearly taken a fair amount of time to write, and to press the 'delete' button on it.
Look guys, in all fairness I don't expect my every comment or article to be posted. But I DO expect that whichever faceless moderator clicks on that 'delete' button could at the same time just drop me an e-mail saying 'Sorry, your article has not been accepted for publication for the following (original) reasons..."
Why do you not do that? Do you - the moderators and editors of MyNews24 - not realise that I originally type up the majority of my stories here from scratch, and after I click the 'submit' button I don't have a copy of that story? There have been several times (just two days ago most recently) when a story I feel is good and thought-provoking is denied by MyNews24, never published and forever lost in the digital wastebasket.
It's not right, guys. Stop being faceless as well - you're fully entitled to engage with other commentators in the comments threads, explaining why you've deleted an abrasive comment. I've seen this happen on numerous comment threads, without moderators appearing biased one way or the other.
By NOT doing this, you're showing me and everybody else who is actually the life and blood of this platform a lot of disrespect. You'll publish our intellectual property when it suits you, delete it when it doesn't, make a profit off the advertising you manage to serve with published stories, and not see content producers as partners but merely as cows to be milked.
I, for one, am not a cow. I expect an explanation when you delete another one of my stories, or comments. I expect the same for every other commentator here, or person who invests time they could spend somewhere else into the MyNews24 platform.
Why should you care? Because I've shown my commitment to your platform. Because, out of the thousands of views my published stories have garnered for you, you've managed to gather another few rands off the banner adds served. And, because if you don't, I will leave this platform behind, and spread the word of the waste of time this Russian Roulette is.
If you, the moderator reading this, are really brave, you'll publish this story. It'll be interesting to see the comments it garners, don't you think? Alternatively, if you're less brave, you'll forward this to your editor, who will take the time to respond to me personally. Yes, it will take effort, but the ten minutes will be a lot less than the hundreds of hours I've plowed into this platform.
Or you could just click delete and forget about it, because what us story writers think doesn't matter in the big money-spinning picture, and there will always be more cows. You could. But I for one sincerely hope you don't: there's a conversation here, and you're a part of it whether you like it or not.
Come on guys, I'm not attacking you: I wouldn't have invested hundreds of hours if I didn't like the platform and respect it. It just needs more transparency, right now. Without that, I bid you adieu.
Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyNews24 have been independently written by members of News24's community. The views of users published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24. News24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.
