You may have noticed that The State newspaper no longer allows readers to comment on news articles.
The word "Comments" is still at the end of articles, but clicking on it does not open the comment field. Responses vary from "temporarily suspended" to "the paper is getting a new vendor to handle comments" to one that is probably a lot closer: "Too many crazy comments."
The State allowed commenters to hide their true names, so people could slip into the attack mode and do so anonymously. It could require a sizeable staff to monitor comments, and reporters should not be expected to do that.
The problem could probably to solved with a Registration/Confirmation process, but that costs money, too.
So the decision was just made to kill off comments. Let Brian Tolley know at btolley@thestate.com; he is the president and editor of The State.
Comments to newspaper stories are valuable parts of a newspaper. They provide a way for the public to ask questions and to add detail about stories.
A newspaper subscription is worth less to me if I can't toss in my 2¢ worth.
Your comments are invited here. Please be responsible for them by including your own name.
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