This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
See, this is what happens when you don't play nice: Dad takes away your toys.
KSL.com today shut down its comments boards, meaning that web users can no longer spout off on every news story on one of Utah's most-visited websites.
The reason? The comments were too nasty for the oft-cited "values and mission statement" of KSL's parent company, Deseret Media Companies (the umbrella company for KSL, the Deseret News, Mormon Times and Deseret Book, all owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints).
The mission statement, among other things, urges DMC's employees to "promote integrity, civility, morality and respect for all people" and "seek to lift, inspire and help others find enduring happiness."
"We recognize that our comment boards do not meet our own standards or the expectation of many of our users," said a statement posted on the KSL website.
The statement calls this a "pause" in the comment activity, though "we currently do not know if or when we will resume public forums on ksl.com." The statement includes a survey, asking for feedback about the comments boards.
The Deseret News' website, meanwhile, still allows comments, according to a statement — but the comments are not attached to the news articles, and must be found via a separate link (so readers have to seek them out).
As I wrote in Tuesday's Culture Vulture column, taking comments online (as the Tribune does) can be a double-edged sword. It gives readers a chance to speak their minds — but often what they say can be ill-informed, mean-spirited, vicious and even racist.