Posted On: August 13, 2008, 1:13 pm CDT

Posted By: Frustrated

Hoping that whomever at IJ posts each article actually then reads the comments posted thereon, I send this request to IJ for future use of this feedback forum.

Rather than merely post every comment, could you filter these things first, to at least ensure that the response mainly deals with the actual article, please?

I enjoy the articles, and then the debates regarding it. But hearing nonsense about off-subject items is becoming a waste of my time, and turns some of us off so much that we're no longer interested in your forum here, because it's not about insurance any more.

If you're not willing or cannot afford the investment in a filtering process, then could you, as part of your comment request section, please post some kind of warning or request to STAY ON THE SUBJECT AT HAND.

Another potential to save IJ time would be to allow readers to flag nonsense. Too many flags, and an IJ staffer would review, and decide if the item should be removed. Also post next to each comment how many flags users had already tagged to it -- as I for one would enjoy skipping the comments that have 6 "nonsense" flags already attached to it. This may be a good balanced process to allow immeidiate posting, reduced IJ staffer support time, but allow readers that really want to remain on the subject to better select what time they invested in reading.

I realize you don't want to "control" the open forum, but before simply giving up and discontinuing reading your stuff, I'm hopeful a suggestion like this one might give you an alternative idea that might work.

I do appreciate your articles -- and the debate is great... but just don't have the time to invest if it continues this way.