Comments Policy

Effective January, 2012, we will be converting our commenting system from Discus to Facebook.

The new system requires a Facebook account to participate in comment threads.

The decision to change our commenting system was made for a number of reasons:

• For users who are already Facebook users, the system is very accessible and easy to use.
• Facebook requires users to use their real names and therefore users are held more accountable for their comments.
• Commenting using the Facebook system allows users to more easily share articles and comments.
• The system encourages high-quality relevant comments.

We understand that many users will choose to not use Facebook, and therefore will not be able to comment on our site. Our goal is not to shut out participants from conversations, but rather assist in providing an environment where more people can contribute to the conversations.

Once you login on Facebook, you can comment on our site using your Facebook profile. You can recommend articles, follow other readers' posts, include friends in conversations, get notifications when someone responds to your comment, view relevant comments from your friends on Facebook, and hide spam.

If you signed up for Facebook in order to comment, please note that you will not be able to comment until you become an active account. See their help section for additional assistance.

Once you're logged in to Facebook, when you read an article, you will be able to see your Facebook profile photo and name at the bottom of the article, but it will not be visible to anyone else until you type in a comment and it publishes live to the site.

When you comment on our site using your Facebook account, others will only be able to see the information you allow them to see via your Facebook privacy settings.

When you use our site or comment on our site, your activity is still held to our current User Agreement policy. You make a difference in the community when you add relevant and insightful but respectful contributions to the conversation and report abusive comments and identities. If you suspect someone is using a fake or abusive account, report them directly to Facebook by clicking on the user's profile, then clicking "Report/block this person" at the bottom left of the page. For abusive or inappropriate comments, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment and report it as spam or abuse.

Comments on our site are public, which means anyone logged in or out of Facebook should be able to view them. If you cannot see the comments, check with your internet department. Often government agencies and employers may block Facebook.

If you have further questions, please contact us for further assistance.