‘Comments on stories’ start today on STLtoday
Faithful readers, a version of this note appears in today’s Post-Dispatch…and I want to make sure all our online fans see it, too, since you’re the ones who most benefit from it!
Today, I invite you to try a new feature on STLtoday: Readers can now post comments on stories on the site, or respond to other readers’ comments.
Comments will appear at the bottom of every story*. Everyone is welcome to participate, but you must be a registered member of STLtoday.com to post a comment. If you’ve ever registered for our forums, blogs, contests or newsletters, you’re already a member. Just use the login link at the bottom of each story.
Otherwise, click the registration link and take 60 seconds to fill out the free registration. Soon you’ll be ready to go.
This feature joins numerous other sections of STLtoday where we encourage and promote reader participation: We welcome comments on all our blogs. We have robust forums where many of you start threads and watch them grow. We invite your photos (and comments on those photos) in IWitness.
So, with this new feature, we remain eager to hear what you have to say and we know many of you look for ways to express yourself about the news. We welcome the conversation.
Remember: This is your forum, but we cannot review all the comments before they go online. We’ve been careful to spell out commenting guidelines and we’ve included a link to those guidelines from every story. They’re basically pretty simple: Be smart, be civil. Don’t say anything you wouldn’t want your mother to read.
We also hope you’ll join us in helping to keep the conversation civil. Use the tools on the page to report any abuses. We’ll review and remove anything that violates our guidelines.
Watch today as the comments feature rolls out on STLtoday. Soon, all our stories will have that feature. If you see a story online that really moves you, dive in and comment. We want to hear what you have to say — and so do your fellow readers.
* They won’t show up on some national and world news stories that are fed into our system automatically.
Kurt Greenbaum
Director of Social Media
Kurt is the director of social media for the Post-Dispatch, where he has worked since August 2002. He's been a journalist since 1982, covering municipal government, courts, education and two hurricanes as a reporter before becoming an editor. 
What an awful idea. As if this website couldn’t get any worse, letting the public rant about every story is just a dumb idea. Talk a look at KSDK.com for proof.
THAT’S HOT
The San Francisco Gate (online version of the S.F. Chronicle) has been doing this for a long time. Sometimes I don’t read the comments. But sometimes I really enjoy the comments to see what people in general think about certain social issues typified by particular stories.
I think comments are a great idea. And, from a marketing standpoint, it certainly increases reader involvement and the “stickiness” of the site.
I agree with ‘awful idea’ and was getting ready to post the same thing. Already this morning I got to read a comment from some animal lover who cares more about a tiger than some guy who lost his leg.
I think adding comments to a story is a good idea. It gives people a chance to rant, true, but it also gives participants in the stories a way to add their views, or additional information.
At a minimum, the story is first, comments are second. If people don’t like the comments, they don’t have to read them.
stl mom, awful idea: you don’t have to read the comments you find offensive. You never have to turn to the TV show you don’t approve of. You don’t have to listen to the music you don’t like. You don’t have to agree with another’s ideas. You have a lot of rights not to partake. Why not respect the rights of others who do want to read, watch, listen, and think. No one is forcing you to participate. A comment’s existence is not a threat to you.
I think it’s a great idea to let anyone who wants to give their opinion. Noone is forced to read the comments.
Awful idea?? Why did you post your comment then?
It is called freedom of speech and we are being given the chance here to do so. I say thanks.
I just wish the Post would go back to the old way of listing the stations and movies with descriptions in the back of book. They raised their prices but quality seems to have slipped. Some days there is a lot of news and other days the paper is so small that it is hardly worth reading.
Not a bad idea at all. But sadly, it just confirms that there are a helluva lot more wall-eyed kooks out there than I could have ever imagined just 10 short years ago.
My brother Alvin Hunt was murder on june11 andwe have not got no closing and that a crime shame.
Hello,
I went through the Post Dispatch paper 3 times looking for Millionaire money $500.000 and could not find it.Todays date 8/29-08
Jean Kearns
I think it is a shame that your newspaper has very poor coverage of the area high school football teams, but post stats from high school football games that happen over 100 miles away! I am speaking about the next to nothing coverage of the Fox School District sports. I am only going to speak of the football. I am not sure of the coverage on the other sports in the Fox District, but there is next to nothing coverage of the Fox football program.
Last year the Fox Warriors Varsity team lost two games in their season. I had to search every weekend for their stats/coverage. It looks like the same is going to happen this year while trying to find out what the score and stats were for last night’s game against DeSoto. Fox 22 DeSoto 6. The only place I found this information was on page B18 under Friday Football Scores. Unless I missed it, the Fox team didn’t even make page B19. Please point out the stats if I have overlooked them.
The Fox District Schools are neighboring St. Louis County and South County schools and schools from as far away as Carbondale, IL and Marion, IL get more coverage in the paper and these schools are over 100 miles away in Southern Illinois.
Head coach Nick Gianino was name Coach of the Year last season and I don’t even recall seeing that article in the STL Post. I think I have made my point. I want an answer as to why this district is ignored in this newspaper.
Bill, you could be President. We all have our stories, some of us just do not emblish them so much. I have so many questions. If the Obama’s were so poor, how did they go to such great colleges and if they did so much community service work how do they live in a million dollar plus house. How can one be a Christian and believe in partial birth abortion and gay marriage. I need this explained to me.
Move over Rush, hate radio lives!
Congratulations 590 AM! You have another 25-54 age demographic afternoon listener. At least until “the king” decides to beat up another woman.
We have subscribed to the Post Dispatch for 25 yrs. It was an okay newspaper,anti-catholic, very Democratic party mouthpiece, but fairly civil.
Returned to STL after a week and sat down to read all the newspapers that came while we were gone. First one I read was the disgusting cartoon with McCain, lipstick, etc.
Your cartoonist has out done himself.With the new format”RIDES”, OUT”, and moving Bill McC., the post dispatch has really sunk very low. Unfortunately, you are the only”rag” in town. Perhaps you should send your editors and reporters, along with that cartoonist, back to newspaper school. One that teaches ethics,truth, and civil discourse. Oh well you would probable support Al Franken if you could.No wonder newspapers are dying. comfortquilts