1. I tend to skip commenting if I have to register for (ugh another acct!)

2. The word verification at Dr.X's blog and Depression Introspection (for example) are not tedious, the comment gets posted immediately, and I assume they are happy with that format, it appears to be working.

3. I find having psychiatrists and therapists enter the forum here quite refreshing, and find it encouraging, that there are candid speaking professionals willing to leave comments, and basically try and understand (and HEAR CONSUMER VOICES!--isn't that what we all want?)where we all might be coming from.

4. Other sites I comment at (for example Dr.Carlat CME blog)--he does moderate purposeful attacks, personal attacks, etc. he has stated this in his comment section when ppl have asked why their comment didn't show up. I also think he tries to keep the "conversation" in comments focused on the topic, and reserves the right to not publish comments. Period.

Your site is a unique one though, where it covers a lot of diverse topics, so it garners a broad scope of readers with personal stories, and given any such topic it's predictable (I speak for myself here, guilty as charged)who will comment on certain articles.

It's a quandary, because also this site is known for open-minded free-for-all discussion that makes it all the much better for it.

In general you have a high level of commenting going on and interesting debates. It's a problem to know how to continue that as you get more and more readers. Some of the threads do get rather personal and it's too bad in one way but in others it can be interesting. I do hope you can keep people with different perspectives coming back. I notice that usually confrontation dies down eventually without much intervention on your part. The openness of this blog is one of its great attributes. Ideally you might get some help moderating comments and continue as is but not sure that's a very realistic option. I don't love word verification but I could live with it. Will it really help though?

What about a forum, Philip? Certain rules could apply (e.g. no personal attacks). Users could be "approved" and, once they are, be free to post on the forum. I'm sure some contributors would volunteer to be forum volunteers. I'd welcome the opportunity to discuss mental health issues with others. Just a thought.

Oops. In my comment above, forum "volunteers" should have read forum moderators.

I vote for captcha code. I hate sites where I have to register to comment!

I think that it's inevitable that some discussions descend into a routine exchange of ad homs, given that that is how most people have learnt to defend their own arguments, against attack. That's unfortunate, but predictable, particularly as we all choose to be deliberately incendiary, from time-to-time.

Unless you have somebody who's going to mediate a discussion, if only when somebody complains of a comment made against them, then I don't see how you retain open debate, whilst guaranteeing a safe environment for commenters. Personally, unless a person makes a point of singling out another commenter (if only in the perception of that other commenter), for abuse, then I don't see the need for policing.

However, I think we need to distinguish between outright personal attacks, and forthright comments, even if those forthright comments are perceived to have overstepped the boundary of accepted behaviour. In all events, we need to remember what the majority of commenters have experienced, at the hands of the system... There's always going to be some residual anger.

Matt

Ironic that a psychiatrist asks for special treatment here, or is it just coincidental that you post this comment while TherapyFirst is silent. Liz Spikol does a good job of moderating comments, I'm not sure what technique or technology she uses, maybe you could check with her.

If you don't want the voice of people who do not "respect that they (here you are referring to psychiatrist and psychologists I think) are part of what will create positive change and not cut them to ribbons each time out," it's your blog but it will lose a certain amount of integrity, still I can always find a new use for my defunct blog, posting comments rejected here on it.

Notice that while anytime meds are criticized here at least one person, probably more, jumps in to say that whatever particular drug is being discussed helped them a great deal and not one has jumped to the defense of psychotherapy. For TherapyFirst to ask you to silence voices that disagree with his because he can't defend his position, well, creepy.

I know on another person's website she has someone/s running interference for her so that slamming does not occur. Could that be a viable option here?

I prefer the registration option to the captcha.

Can you do either/or?

But if you do captcha, please offer an audio verification. Captcha done wrong makes access impossible for the visually impaired.

--pk---

I vote for forum....Summers last days in Seattle, and you have to enjoy those nice "days" when you can. Plus, moderating and reading every comment must be a daunting task. You know who the offenders are and as someone said earlier, if you post some common ground rules and someone does not adhere to those rules, then they can move on. It is your site afterall. Enjoy your life Philip.

sally, you're reading way too much into my post. i've had all kinds--pro-meds, anti-meds, therapist, doctor and patient alike--voice similar concerns in recent weeks. i'm trying to do this in a way that respects all readers.

The internet is a playground for people with a grievance - Blogs and websites have been created to air these grievances. Sadly, some folk don't like to get off their arse and create their own so they hijack comment sections on sites such as yours.

I don't know if there is such a system set up where you can automatically ban comments from certain IP addresses?

Maybe this is the way forward?

Fid

Sally, TF(therapyfirst)in one of his responses to you I believe, stated he was going on vacation for 10 or so days. Why you assume it was he who called for this is beyond me.

I agree with Angie, enjoy the summer while you can, let the commenters do their thing and enjoy some time off.

Some fairly effective semi-automated methods include:

- moderate comments with urls in them or the very first time someone posts. Otherwise pass-though.

- optional registration, with captcha for anons

- just captcha

Finally, might be worth adding a WYSIWYG comment editor so posters don't have to include html to split out over mutiple lines.
DeeDee

ps sorry for typos, just got my new shiny eee pc but the keyboard is tiny!

I don't mind registering.

Stephany, the reason I assumed this was about Therapy First is because of this comment he posted on Carlat's blog:
"therapyfirst said...
hmmm, drl seems to echo my feelings. I know you have censored some things by SC in the past, but maybe he should be called on some of his less than flagrantly wrong commentary a bit more often.
I'm having the same issue at another blog site I have been commenting on of late, and I get the sense the blog owner is at least considering my concerns..." June 11, 2008 5:01 PM

Maybe it's a total coincidence, but TF had been posting here a good bit when he left it. Maybe it's a completely different TF, who knows...

Sally, you are reading far too much into this.

Go back to the posts where TF was responding to you here!, on this blog, not Carlat's.Though he did say on both he was on vacation for 10 days!!

Jesus!

PS-- it is the same TF, and Carlat DOES moderate and choose to not post comments, he stated that himself in his own comment section.

Philip is trying to accomodate far too many people here, I say, Philip do what you can live with and take it from there!

Sally, I read the same comment and had the same thoughts as you.

It might be wise to read the entire last 3 months of the Carlat blog, then maybe understand that this is not a conspiracy to have TF(therapyfirst) "suddenly" stop commenting on this site...which he found because I linked Philip's article about "over diagnoses of bipolar" to the Carlat blog---and TF found this one as a result.

V A C A T I O N.

I'd suggest you read a blogger who has managed several blogs and websites for years, through various permutations of, and has a community of several hundred commentors and thousands of readers:

http:// www.womensspace.org/phpBB2/?p=1865

Difficult to describe how she does it, but suffice to say, she does, and very well, with a lot of differing opinions among commenters.

The blog keeps on, year after year. Her e-mail is on the top if you're interested.

Actually, TF said he was taking a hiatus from his computer for 9 days. But, Philip does do a good job in my opinion of going the middle road. I like to be tolerated too. But I also like to know things that are meant constructively even if I am not too crazy about hearing them. I think TF can afford to hear them even if he doesn't like them, probably better than someone like me who doesn't have his ample resources and stability. Loren Mosher, the best psychiatrist I have heard of, collaborated with Jeffrey Masson, an intensely harsh critic of therapy, on a book called "Models of Madness". Humility is a wonderful thing coming from a doctor.

Thanks for the book recommendation Sophia. You make good points.

Stephany, I'm not sure why the fact that TF is on vacation is relevant here since the post was before he left. I think it's crucial that someone like TF who I perceive perceives himself as qualified to correct people who don't have as good a mental and emotional conception of life as he perceives himself to have get feedback. If my perception is in the opinion of TF wrong, I look forward to him explaining why, if he chooses to do so.

And I find his perspective useful. I'm sorry if you feel like a friend of yours is being run off, he's not. If I left every time someone reacted harshly to one of my posts, I'd have been gone long ago.

I don't think there's anything the matter with Philip moderating comments but it'd be troubling if he was manipulated into taking a certain editorial stance still Spikol has a definite editorial stance in her moderation and her blog works.

I don't follow all of the threads here so I don't have as broad a view as Philip does of the overall tone of comments. I've seen a few comment threads that I wasn't participating in go in weird ways but I don't think I've seen anyone get unfairly beat up. We tend to be able to take care of ourselves.

Philip - what about a maximum number of comments a day, just publishing the first 20 or so for each article. Seems fair in its randomness, though I guess it could invite abuse. I think it's working just fine like it is and hope you keep up your almost anything goes policy unless it's too time consuming.

Tough job Philip. I appreciate your work. I'm not trying to make it harder.

Sally it's relevant here that TF is on vacation, because you started to discuss a probable cause for him "being missing"; and I clarified that it has a real reason. Maybe you forgot that part.

PS- I also never said I am worried a "friend" of mine has been run off. I do not know TF beyond the blog world, and was simply making a point to your questioning why he was missing, (vacation stated on this blog).Clearly this is your personal issue, not mine. Frankly, I really don't care who posts here, it's not my blog.
Take care, and per your first comment in this thread, good luck with your blog if you choose to post rejected comments to it.

i'm thinking the word verify is the most workable to prevent spamming. no need to moderate comments really, as most of us can take care of ourselves. if we can't, we shouldn't be here, posting comments.