USA Today Comments

[Tekward]

The article is fine, a positive response to a slam dunk example of ready to FIRE. But the comments are fun. Most people say FIRE is unrealistic:

Can I retire at 60? How to do the math

[MBAustin]

The article was great until the last line: "Now meet with a financial adviser to get all the details exactly right."

And you're right, the comments are a hoot.

[brewer12345]

The comments section of every large paper article is pure crab-pot underbelly hatred and whining. Unless I am looking to indulge my inner curmudgeon (Fred on Everything posts are a lot more entertaining when I choose to do so), I avoid them. Tarnishes the soul.

[Sarah in SC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 The comments section of every large paper article is pure crab-pot underbelly hatred and whining. Unless I am looking to indulge my inner curmudgeon (Fred on Everything posts are a lot more entertaining when I choose to do so), I avoid them. Tarnishes the soul.

God, yes. I despair when I read comments pretty much anywhere.

[ExFlyBoy5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 The comments section of every large paper article is pure crab-pot underbelly hatred and whining. Unless I am looking to indulge my inner curmudgeon (Fred on Everything posts are a lot more entertaining when I choose to do so), I avoid them. Tarnishes the soul.

+1. I can't think of many other ways to waste A LOT of time. I really don't give a hoot what the sheeple thing about any given topic anyway. Plus, it's a treasure trove for trolls.

[timo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 The comments section of every large paper article is pure crab-pot underbelly hatred and whining. Unless I am looking to indulge my inner curmudgeon (Fred on Everything posts are a lot more entertaining when I choose to do so), I avoid them. Tarnishes the soul.

Actually compared to other sites, the comments were not that bad. A few years ago I did have to show DW the Yahoo comment section just so she could keep up with the cultural references to 'Yahoo trolls' or the phrase that 'this or that person sounds like they are reading from the yahoo comments section'

[MRG]

I can only hope it's trolls. So much ignorance all in one convenient location.

[audreyh1]

It's one of the things that used to drive me CRAZY about the more modern news reporting is asking the average Joe what they think of certain newsworthy events. Plus what is trending on Twitter or Facebook or whatever.

I noticed CNN starting to do this heavily about a decade ago, and I just hated it. They aren't the only ones by any means. I don't CARE what the average person's opinion of the news is!!! Please don't waste the news hour.

Well, we stopped watching national news 5 years ago, and completely stopped local news 3 years ago. If something important happens, it usually shows up in one of our news feeds or one of the forums I frequent. Good enough for me! I miss so much crap now it's wonderful!!!!!

[ExFlyBoy5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 It's one of the things that used to drive me CRAZY about the more modern news reporting is asking the average Joe what they think of certain newsworthy events. Plus what is trending on Twitter or Facebook or whatever. I noticed CNN starting to do this heavily about a decade ago, and I just hated it. They aren't the only ones by any means. I don't CARE what the average person's opinion of the news is!!! Please don't waste the news hour. Well, we stopped watching national news 5 years ago, and completely stopped local news 3 years ago. If something important happens, it usually shows up in one of our news feeds or one of the forums I frequent. Good enough for me! I miss so much crap now it's wonderful!!!!!

I agree with you 100%. There is no good reason to ask Jimmy Bob what he thinks of gas prices. How exactly is his opinion "newsworthy"?

I have heard that many news outlets are getting away from the comment sections. I tend to think that's a good idea...there *could* be good discussions on the subject but that just really doesn't happen anymore. I am using Google Now more and more for my "feed" of information. The snippets of "news" is usually more than enough. I can get updated on what's going on in the world in less than 60 seconds.

[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 ..snip.. Well, we stopped watching national news 5 years ago, and completely stopped local news 3 years ago. If something important happens, it usually shows up in one of our news feeds or one of the forums I frequent. Good enough for me! I miss so much crap now it's wonderful!!!!!

I agree with all your post but I've been thinking the same thing about news. Why?

National is mainly entertainment, if anything real happened it's no longer news at 5:30 or talked to death on local. So maybe local has value, except in the recent snow storm the big news was broadcasting as the reporter's driving down the road! What's that about? How's that news? Did they just get a license? I'm done.

[timo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 It's one of the things that used to drive me CRAZY about the more modern news reporting is asking the average Joe what they think of certain newsworthy events. Plus what is trending on Twitter or Facebook or whatever.

'The Onion' has a great take on those sort of things in their 'American Voices' section http://www.theonion.com/features/american-voices

[scrabbler1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC God, yes. I despair when I read comments pretty much anywhere.

I used to read some of the comments to articles in Newsday's (my local Long Island newspaper) website before Newsday ended its free access to it back in 2007. Man, it was a cesspool of rudeness, stupidity, ignorance, and bigotry.

[growing_older]

Where do they get these examples? I make more money than 95% of Americans. My wife and I have pensions and SS that are greater than our combined expenses. We also have almost 2 million in savings, which alone is more than we need for the rest of our lives. Can I retire?

Advice: Yes, but since you cannot understand that you have more than double what you really need, you better give a significant percentage of your savings to a financial adviser who will skim a generous percentage for himself.

[DrRoy]

It is true that the case in the article is statistically well above the norm even in the US. The couple are somewhere around the top 5% in NW, and regular defined benefit pensions are very rare today. However, I also agree that the majority of people do not work at being disciplined with their money, the way that most people on this site do. If the average person practiced LBYM, controlled their spending, saved and invested as much as they could, then they would be far better off.

[Zorba]

Oh my, this comment section is priceless. I live such a sheltered life.

[athena53]

Well, they did pick an atypical example and I can understand why the average person would feel a bit disgruntled. In my 30s I was married to a financial train wreck, living in a HCOL area and struggling to save anything while keeping the bills paid. I got so tired of seeing Biff and Muffy smiling smugly in the cover of Money Magazine every month, and reading about their paid-for house, quarter-million in retirement savings and fully-funded accounts to pay for Harvard for their 2.5 kids that I quit reading it.

[nun]

The people on ER.org often have pensions, good pay, megacorp or Govt/military benefits and have also probably been prudent with their money. They are out of the ordinary and most people cannot hope to save the sorts of figures many of us have here. The comments often show a lack of knowledge or envy, but it's a good reminder that this forum is the 1% and most people have a far harder time financially......and usually not because of stupidity.

[stepford]

Never underestimate the antipathy of the have-nots for the haves. As forum members here are generally in the latter category such sentiments are less often expressed around here, but even in our genteel backwater of internet privilege an undercurrent of unpleasant comment will often well up when particularly fortunate individuals post details of their circumstances.

Throw that in with a widespread distrust of "elites" among some segments of America and the commentary following that article is not at all surprising.

As it turns out I like reading commentary like that. It reminds me to watch my wagging tongue when traveling around the good 'ole USA.

[CaliforniaMan]

My millennial son recently sent me a link to an article about how the average young adult today is having a much harder time than those of previous generations. Rather than argue the point my reply was simply that it was all the more reason reason to strive to not be average.

[Katsmeow]

I confess that I like comment sections...in some places. Yes, some of them are terrible and even the best have some idiots and trolls. But, it is often in the comments that you get a different perspective and often valuable information that the article itself left out. There are some articles where I eagerly read the comments to see what the author has failed to mention. For me, the best comment section is probably those at the New York Times. They recently had an article about some of the frequent commenters that I found really interesting. I enjoy reading Vox, but think it is the poorer for not having comments. I guess I want a comments section but want it moderated.