WashingtonPost: As of 4:15 p.m. ET today, we have shut off comments on this blog indefinitely. [cut] But there are things that we said we would not allow, including personal attacks, the use of profanity and hate speech. Because a significant number of folks who have posted in this blog have refused to follow any of those relatively simple rules, we've decided not to allow comments for the time being.
http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2006/01/shutting_off_co.html
Randy: This is a perfect case where registration could be used to help self moderate a blog. Registration is not always the right fit, but for high volume blogs, it's the only way to go. The reason it works, is that users who can't keep a conversation civil are usually posting anonymously, fearing damage to their name. Requiring registration discourages non-civil behavior. It will discourage legitimate comments as well, but that's the price you pay and it's better than no comments at all.
