We’ve got some big changes on the way. First, let me tell you that all of this comes from California. We’re just one paper in a chain of newspapers owned by Freedom Communications. They’re handling all of our Web site stuff, and we’re glad they are. They give us the ability to make changes here and there, but for the big stuff, they’re in charge.

One change will be a redesign. The new Varsity Web site will look more like the myjournalcourier.com Web site. It will display links to more stories so they’re easier to find.

The other change, which is coming in a month or two, will affect everyone who posts comments on the site. Yep. We’ll begin requiring posters to register.

Oooh, scary. Not really. I think it will accomplish two things. First, it will create more of an online community on our site. As it is now, people can sign in as whomever they please. In fact, you can pick a different name for every comment you make. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the stories we’ve published had multiple posts by the same person, logged in under different names, talking to himself. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

With the new system, you’ll still remain anonymous. But you’ll become known by your screen name. If you log in as “Mr. X” all the time, readers will get to know you through your posts. So message boards will become more of a conversation among people who “know” one another, or at least where each other is coming from, rather than hit-and-run posters commenting under different names. Currently, I know only one poster on our site, The Evaluator. I have no idea who it is, but when I see the name, I always know the comment will be thoughtful and insightful.

Second, the new system will make posters more responsible for their posts. Your freedom of expression won’t be abridged, but posters who continually violate the guidelines for posting can be banned from the site. The guidelines, of course, will remain extremely liberal. We want you to post comments; that’s one of the big reasons we have the site in the first place. We allow criticism of adults (as long as it’s not libelous); student-athletes, not so much.

One exciting thing about the new system is that readers will be able to start their own blogs. You’ll essentially have your own Web page. Here’s a link to the people who have created blogs on the Web site for the Colorado Springs Gazette, one of the other newspapers in our chain:

http://www.gazette.com/share/blogs/

You’ll be able to post your own blog and your own pictures. And we hope you do. We did, and it’s kinda fun.

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