First of all--sorry for the slow activity of late. Apparently the St. Mike's network is powered by hamsters running in wheels, and since the year started those hamsters have been falling asleep a lot.
Anyway, I was reading the Burlington Free Press website today--which I do sort of often so I can't believe I haven't noticed this before--and their comments section jumped out at me. So here's the link:
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070906/NEWS01/709060304/1009
Click on the "View All Comments" link. You'll notice that the "StoryChat" feature works basically like a message board embedded within the Free Press website. Users have profiles and saved data. Presumably it's a lot of infrastructure.
But it's basically a fancy overlay onto a standard comments section, so I don't really see it as competition. If a news org can set up a message board with user profiles and the like, then maybe it isn't such a great leap to see a news org propping up DebateThis.
-Tyler
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Tyler,
I totally agree with your take on BFP's comments partition in its stories. I've always enjoyed its move towards engaging readers (not so much in its content) and think that this its comment section is a defense towards the idea of DebateThis.
It proves that readers - local, national, and international - like tech-y and engaging stuff. Good catch.
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