We're making some changes in the way that we handle comments and discussion here at TC. Here's the rundown.

We've felt for some time that we need to do a better job managing public discussions here at TC. To date, we've taken a rather "free-for-all" approach to public comments, but this has led to some frustrations. Some discussions have gotten overly argumentative, we've not always done a great (or consistent) job of dealing with discussion problems, and TC authors are feeling a bit overwhelmed by the number of comments (especially on posts about controversial topics).

So we're making some changes that we think will help keep healthy discussions going while addressing some of these issues. We're starting a new policy on comments and discussion, and it boils down to two things:

1. Comments posted to TC now go automatically into a moderation queue instead of appearing immediately on TC. A moderator will need to approve a comment before it appears on the site.
2. We're now applying consistent discussion standards to all comments.

What does this mean for you? The main change you'll notice is a short delay before your comment appears on the TC site. And we hope you'll also notice friendlier and more productive conversations. Please note: some types of comments that were allowed under our past free-for-all policy won't be allowed under our new guidelines, so take a moment to review the new guidelines.

For more details on this new system, including specific details about what we're looking for in comments, see our discussion guidelines. We'll do our best to apply the guidelines consistently (and we don't exempt ourselves from those guidelines, either). Our goal is not to restrict discussion for its own sake, but to enable friendly discussions to take place without getting bogged down or sidetracked. Thanks for your patience while we try out the new system, and thanks to all of you who take the time to share your thoughts and comments on the site.

update: as Nathan notes in the comments below, this new policy isn't a reaction to any one person or comment. It's something we've been discussing over several weeks.