This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Online reader comments are here to stay at sltrib.com, but we are tightening up on the comments that produce more flame than light.

In a column last summer, I promised a thorough review of online comments, the unedited remarks from readers that appear at the bottom of articles on sltrib.com. Comments are popular with readers who like instantaneous and unvarnished feedback on our stories, but others find them to be useless or even hurtful.

We put together a team of staff members to give us guidance. That team (Melinda Rogers, Kim McDaniel, Peg McEntee, Brian T. Smith, Tony Semerad, Scott Sherman and former staffer Manny Mellor) included a diversity of viewpoints, and they were told to put everything about comments on the table for discussion.

They looked at comments policies at other news organizations. They interviewed fellow journalists, and they plowed through the email responses generated from readers. They prepared a thorough report with several recommendations, and Tribune management has endorsed that report as a framework for comments management.

The recommendations are more evolutionary than revolutionary, and those hoping we would dismantle our commenting system may be disappointed. The group found that, for the most part, our commenters are respectful in their differences. Nevertheless, we are making significant changes:

Tighter standards • It will always be a subjective call as to what constitutes bigotry or baiting, but we are making a conscious effort to narrow the limits of what is appropriate. We have updated the commenting rules to reflect this. And "appropriate" also means "relevant." Not every event in Utah should be seen as a contrast between Mormons and non-Mormons.

Increased monitoring • When hate and bigotry infiltrate, we want to zap them fast. We'd like readers' help to flag the offenders by clicking the "flag" button next to the comment. (Remember, you should flag only the comments that violate commenting standards. Do not flag comments simply because you disagree with them.) We particularly are beefing up the monitoring on nights and weekends to respond quickly to flagged comments.

Badges • We are instituting a "badging" system to recognize commenters who have demonstrated a commitment to the community. (See accompanying box.) Such rewards have been found to foster healthier dialogues because people come to respect the veterans.

Opt out • And if none of these efforts are enough to make you want reader comments, we are giving you the option of turning off comments permanently. There is a "Click here to hide comments" button at the bottom of every story. If you click it, comments will not display on any Tribune story you read. That will stick on that computer forever, unless you click on the "show comments" button to revert.

One thing that isn't changing is anonymous posting. This has been a contentious issue for news organizations. Several have gone to systems that require real names on comments, some through Facebook, on the hope that identifiable commenters will be more responsible with their words.

In reality, the task force found those sites with real names still have plenty of inappropriate statements. Many people happily attach their names to comments that would violate our rules.

And while we did hear from some who wanted to end anonymity, a much larger group told us to preserve it. Some said they would have to stop commenting if they could be identified by their employers, their neighbors or even their relatives. We have had 39,500 people comment on our stories in the past year. That number speaks to the power of our site to bring together a large community, and we don't want to dismantle that.

And we are remaining with Disqus, the third-party system we use for managing comments. Disqus has managed literally millions of comments for large and small websites, and it has a clientele so diverse it includes Fox News, CNN and Al Jazeera's English-language blogs. (Remember, you're only allowed one Disqus login. Do not create multiple accounts, or you will be banned from commenting at sltrib.com.)

All of these changes are already in effect. You know what to do if you want to tell us what you think. As always, we will continue to make adjustments as needed. Thank you for helping us nurture a productive and caring community.

Tim Fitzpatrick is deputy editor of The Tribune. He can be reached at fitz@sltrib.com. —

Badges tell a little more about commenters

Newbie • A commenter with fewer than 25 posts.

Veteran • A frequent visitor with more than 1,000 posts.

Most Liked • A popular commenter who receives a lot of "Like" votes on their posts.

Interactive • A frequent visitor who generates and participates in conversations regularly.