tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1143835596001180889.post-18357841452529659092008-07-06T20:32:00.000-07:002008-07-06T20:58:59.255-07:00To all online newspapers: please stop allowing comments on stories. They cheapen well-written stories and exist only to highlight how ignorant, paranoid, and just plain stupid your readership appears to be.<br /><br />I don't know how many times I've finished reading a good article, only to scroll down just a bit too far and read some of the most asinine crap this side of YouTube. It's discouraging, but what's more, it's obnoxious. <br /><br />Newspapers are supposed to be the bastions of good grammar and taste. You've already abrogated your responsibility to inform the public and serve as a skeptical check on the government's pronouncements and activities. The last thing you have is the appearance of seriousness and sobriety as you report on Lindsey Lohan's latest night out or this week's Missing White Woman or Shark Attack. Why cheapen an already weak product with crap that even an AOL'er would find stupid?<br /><br />It's not even limited to American news outlets. The BBC does a pretty good job at keeping their idiot readers out of immediate sight, but if you click on the "Have Your Say" link, you'll see that imbecility is a universal trait. <br /><br />If comments are a must, at least have an editor pick out a few noteworthy ones that make a genuine effort at coherent, rational thought. Clean-up the grammar and then post those few for the world to see. Hopefully, it will raise the bar and encourage thoughtful dialogue. At the least, it'll eliminate the diahrretic output of constipated minds.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15640148340623066743paplikaplik@gmail.com