Please do not allow these changes to become a vendetta. If 3 liberals whine about a conservative comment, the comment automatically becomes wrong and is removed. What you are seeing in this blog space is the actual feelings of the readership. Politicians especially need to read what is being written as they do not read their email. People are tired of waiting for their letters to the Ed. to be printed in the paper. I do understand that vulgarity, personal attacks and some of the name calling must be squelched. Thanks for listening...Dick

"We expect that adding this step will reduce the number of readers who are upset by what our post-ers write".

What are we afraid of here??? In a healthy democracy, people express their opinions and meaningful dialogue follows. Sure, there are offensive, fairly ignorant folks out there saying outrageous things, but this is the transparent world of blogging...where one no longer has to scream at a tv, or radio, or newspaper...one can just have a say, regardess of socio-economic background. Your paper needs to stay in the the flat 21st century and not hide under a bush.

I am pleased to read about the new policy in regard to a more balanced presentation of opinions. I have felt for many years that the positions presented were heavily biased and have said as much. We must teach our young people that they must carefully examine both sides of issues if they are to become responsible citizens. \

I would caution against setting up a clearly numeric system for removing bloggers’ writings. If you make it too easy for them, some irresponsible types will get a couple of buddies to work with them in concert to get someone removed. You certainly would not want such an easy method to be available in regard to removing a columnist, for example. While the word, editor, has a root meaning “to cut,” such a thing should be done with the utmost care and not yield to those who would make it a popularity contest.

This is Groupthink Censorship - mob rule.

What an embarrasment in the age of the Internet.

Information wants to be free.

You don't get it.

I don't doubt that you wish to (and probably will try to) control what is posted on your website. I wish I had the answer for you as to how you may go about this and avoid bias. This "three dissenters" idea seems rather simplistic and it appears you are just trying to avoid having to use staff time to do this right.

Here we go, we have to make sure we please the whiners or they will get mad and demand satisfaction. You will find that most of these people that complain about every little thing, are either mooching off their parents, or staying home watching Opera reruns all day, while there spouse works. "What are we afraid of here???" indeed...

Finally, a way to cut down on the "ad hominen" attack posts -- just because one disagrees with another's opinion, there's no need to be abusive to the poster, as I have often read on these pages. This method IS less convenient than having the posts at the bottom of the page, but if it keeps down the off-topic or attack posts, great.