You may have noticed a change to the comments section on CW articles today. We’ve implemented a new commenting program that allows you to use your Facebook or Twitter account to leave comments. The reasons for the change are twofold—to reduce spam comments and to encourage more insightful discussion. If people are posting with their real names, they’re not likely to say anything they wouldn’t be willing to say to another human being in person.

We’ve also begun allowing comments to be posted without moderation by the editors. We want to spur more immediate and dynamic discussion, and we’re hopeful that people will use this newfound freedom responsibly. However, there is a no-tolerance policy for obscene and inflammatory material, and there is a flagging system in place to users can alert the CW staff if something inappropriate slips through the cracks.

I encourage users to try out using the Facebook integration. Interacting with a person with a true identity can be a lot more engaging than talking to a username, and it’s the direction that Internet communication is moving toward in general.