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I also don't think we should have to pay for gasoline, food and HBO

I spent a big chunk of my morning moderating comments on this story . It was partly because when talking about sex, you have to mention sex, which triggers our language filters and flags the content.
Cale Cowan

I spent a big chunk of my morning moderating comments on this story.

It was partly because when talking about sex, you have to mention sex, which triggers our language filters and flags the content. This requires the intervention of an editor (in this case, me).

But there has also been a lot of fighting between posters, some of whom have discovered that if you "flag" a comment on one of our stories, it disappears, albeit temporarily. The flagging by another user requires the intervention of an editor (in this case — again — me).

This brings me to a short list of things we don't want you to do when leaving comments on our stories:

  1. Don't use bad words or call other posters names;
  2. Don't fight with each other;
  3. Don't complain about how we moderate comments; and
  4. Don't complain about the paywall.

If you can't do these things, it's less of a discussion about the issues at hand and more a text-based version of a screaming match.

Also, please remember that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms does not exist to enshrine your right to flame other posters on the Times Colonist website.

Social media onslaught

Speaking of No. 4 from the list above, many readers have taken to Twitter and Facebook to complain about the fact that we offer only 10 free article views on our website per 30 days.

That has led to this:

(Some dicey language there, @shellacsister.)

We have steadfastly suggested that our journalistic content is worth something. In this case, money. We were one of the first in Canada to put up a paywall, dating back to 2011.

In the time since, we have watched as many other major Canadian newspapers have followed suit.

So, please, know that your message has been received and considered.

But if you must comment on the Times Colonist through social media, how about something like this:

 

@CaleCowan

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