I’m excited about the new comment program, or tool.
I’m not just saying that because I’m supposed to, I’m saying that because I expect it will keep all the benefits of the present commenting system and will have few of the downsides.
There’s a catch, of course, and that is you must sign up. We don’t ask for much. You make up a screen name, which is often a “handle,” to use the old CB radio lingo. We also want the year you were born and a valid e-mail address. That’s it.
To make sure the e-mail is legit, we’ll send you an automated message that you must respond to; once you do that, you’re good to go for the news stories, Open Line and for the MyJournalCourierVarsity sports site.
As for the e-mail address, we will use best Internet practices — you won’t be spammed; we won’t sell the list. We’ve had a list and some personal information on 15,000-some subscribers for decades and have never let that information outside the Journal-Courier, much less sold it.
We might send you an e-mail from time to time about features in the paper or on the Web, to sign up for e-mail news alerts and so on. If you don’t want the messages, you can opt out.
In other words, your anonymous privacy will be protected as best as we are able — which is essentially the situation we’ve had for the last year with computer IP addresses that our present, unsatisfactory commenting software keeps track of. Have you noticed anything unwanted with that? It should be the same now.
Just the act of signing up, I hope, will make some people think twice about what they write. Other newspapers that have put this tool in tell me that the occasional vile, unsavory comments disappear. No loss there.
As with the old commenting system, if you press the button to report abusive comments, I’ll get an e-mail alerting me to the objectionable material. Unlike the old system, the comment doesn’t disappear until one of our editors takes it down.
I’m betting that will be OK. If the sign up cuts way back on the objectionable stuff, there won’t be as much need to police the site. It can’t be any worse; some days I seem to spend half my time policing the comments and Open Line.
Speaking of Open Line, you’ll still have the option to call in a comment or e-mail one through Open Line Online. None of that changes. You’ll still be able to read the stories and the comments without signing up — you just can’t join the discussion.
So, when the new commenting tool comes up sometime around noon Thursday, barring any technical difficulties, get on early and reserve your screen name. If you never use it, you’ve lost nothing, but once you have a login, you can join anytime the spirit moves you.
The bottom line: The worst of the comments should cease; once you sign up, your ability to comment should remain about the same. The result, it seems to me, should retain the vibrant and active discussion that can occur online with far less of the problems.
Like I said, I’m excited.
Any questions? Just comment here, and I’ll try to answer any questions or concerns.
