Letters to the Editor
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Brave new world
Politeness isn't going to dominate human behavior any time soon, so instead let's think about technique.
1. Filtration I. Regristrants/Subscribers only.
2. Filtration II. A moderator or spam filter.
3. Filtration III. Let the user designate a no-see list. And a favorites list.
These seem to me sufficient.
Let's face it: one of the best things about Salon is the letters. There's often better stuff in them than in the articles; the short form encourages sharpness. There's silliness, too, but it's a minor and even pleasurable irritant to sift for the best. (The star system is hopelessly unreliable.) Compare the WaPo, which allows you to whack away at every article, with the stuffy old NYT, which still largely protects its writers from the proddings of the public.
The improvement in the quality & interest of journalism has been massive. Let's celebrate it, flying spittle and all.