We Have A New Comment Section. What Do You Think?

Dear readers,

You may have noticed a new comment system has debuted on Sheepshead Bites. We have swapped out Disqus for a new setup that allows you to login with your Facebook account.

To use the new system, you will need to log in to Facebook. (If you don’t have an account, you can sign up here.) And once you’re logged in, you just go to the bottom of the page, where the comments section has always been, and you will see your Facebook profile picture next to a prompt asking for your comment. Write away!

There are two reasons for this change. First, many of our regular commenters have had problems with Disqus flagging their comments as “spam.” The software sometimes improperly identifies a person as a spammer if they make many comments on the site, and it is frustrating for them to reach out to me and ask for their comment to be approved. We think this new system will resolve that issue.

Second, many of you are troubled by the hateful and racist comments that appear on this site. (Which I’m convinced are the work of only a handful of people.) While I do my best to delete those comments as soon as they appear, a few of them sneak by and can remain online for hours or even days. By removing the anonymity Disqus allows, and requiring users to submit comments under their Facebook profile, we hope to facilitate more constructive and cordial dialogue among neighbors.

The rules are still the same: Any racist, sexist, or disparaging remarks will not be tolerated and deleted. But we hope this system allows our comments section, where the overwhelming majority of users contribute to lively and insightful discussions about the neighborhood, to continue thriving.

We understand this is a big change and we are going to keep an eye on things. Anyone who is having difficulty using the new system or logging in should reach out to me at editor@sheepsheadbites.com.

And please let us know what you think. Hopefully, in the comments section!

Sincerely,

Alex