The Pilot contracts Bi-Polar disorder

Pilot posting policy

Will the real newspaper stand up and curtsey?

On one hand, The Pilot welcomes comments from readers.

Just sign up and start posting.

You can use your Internet handle to post, and you can also post anonymously, if you meet accepted standards of expression.

Yet, if the topic of an article is charged with racial undertones or is an extremely sensitive issue, The Pilot’s standards suddenly become much stricter.

Then you have to become a verified user.

To see if this wasn’t just the grousing of pissed off readers, I checked the rules to post comments for three articles.

One, Concern in Virginia Beach after Oceanfront violence, is open to verified users only, so if you post anonymously or with an Internet handle, your comment probably won’t be approved and posted.

The other two articles – Portsmouth ombudsman hears complaints…all day and Utility contractor accused of numerous violations – don’t have the same restriction.

Here are the articles and The Pilot’s preface to each article.
Concern In Virginia Beach after Oceanfront Violence

Commenting on this article is open to verified users only | Learn how to become verified here Login

Va. Beach consumers

Portsmouth ombudsman hears complaints ... all day
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COMMENTS ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here; comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its websites. Users must follow agreed-upon rules: Be civil, be clean, be on topic; don't attack private individuals, other users or classes of people. Read the full rules here.
 
- Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the report violation link below it.

Utility contractor accused of numerous violations
Posted to: Business Virginia

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COMMENTS ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here; comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its websites. Users must follow agreed-upon rules: Be civil, be clean, be on topic; don't attack private individuals, other users or classes of people. Read the full rules here.
- Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the report violation link below it.

So what is going on?

Agreed, the Internet is a mess. It is complete chaos sometimes and you have to wade through the morass of malevolent and malicious verbal sputum.

Comments are charged with bias, racism, bigotry and prejudice.

But democracy is messy. But it is still democracy.

You have to learn how to filter the good from the bad.

But you have to be consistent.

The Pilot, as a community voice, isn’t being consistent.

It is placing stricter rules on posters because the issue may be volatile.

We can’t always be politically correct.

Besides, what will happen when The Pilot starts charging subscribers? Will they have to become “verified users?”

Or will paid subscribers have free reign to post any comment they so desire?

Is equity superseded by the perception that the community is the primary concern?


Post Script: You get the impression that Mayhem – you know, he’s the guy from the insurance commercial – descended on Virginia Beach. Let’s get real. Someone made money from the estimated 40,000 college students that flooded the bars and shops of staid little Va. Beach, which promotes itself as the Resort City. You can’t have it both ways.