Is Online Civility Possible?

There are days when I simply can’t read many of the comments on my own website.

Yesterday, for instance.

When I glanced at the post late in the day I saw 166 comments. That should be a good thing. Imagine, 166 thoughtful folks weighing in to affirm, augment or argue with my position on fascism.

Indeed, there were some excellent, intelligent observations. Some clever comments.

By afternoon, however, the comments had degenerated into a predictable back and forth between the same  handful of folks who sit at their computers to bicker and attack each other all day.

Some people need jobs.

Backbiting and endlessly trading insults may be entertaining for the participants, but it’s tedious for the rest of us.

Jim Bacon told me recently that he was thinking about terminating comments on baconsrebellion.com. In fact, this week he wrote a post similar to this one, asking for thoughts about the move before shutting down the comment feature.

When I worked at The Virginian-Pilot we encountered a similar problem. The anonymity that comes with online comments - which allows readers to voice opinions without fearing repercussions - also allows petty keyboard warriors to say nasty things they’d never utter  if their names were attached.

Eventually The Pilot just shut it down.

I really don’t want to do that. I don’t want to just post into a void. I like feedback. And spirited discussions are a way we can come together.

Here’s an idea: How about we limit commenters to one comment per post? Two at the most.

Read the post, comment and go do something else.

Let me know if you have better ideas.

Squarespace, our hosting site, does not allow me to ban individual commenters. I wish it did.

So either commenters exercise decorum and self control or we’ll shut it down.

Your call.