Published: September 01, 2009 12:34 am      

Community Blog replaces forum

THE ISSUE:Removal of Trib Talk from our Web site.

OUR VIEW:With the new Community Blog, an exchange of ideas and opinions can continue in a climate of mutual respect.

Contributors and readers of our online community forum, Trib Talk, will notice it has been removed from our Web site,

kokomotribune.com. Lately, the freewheeling forum increasingly has created credibility problems for this newspaper.

We policed it the best we could. Today, we put a stop to it.

Today, in the navigation bar on our Web site – it’s the gray, horizontal field just beneath our banner – you’ll find “Community blogs” in place of Trib Talk. We hope you’ll give it a try.

It’s intended as an open exchange of ideas and opinions on topics of community interest in a climate of mutual respect. And there is one key rule.

If you want to post comments, you need to use your own name.

As with Trib Talk, we will not control submitted statements. But we will reserve the right to suspend or terminate access for violating the Online Rules of Conduct. You’ll find them at the bottom of every page on the Community Blog. There will be no:

• False and inaccurate statements.

• Personal attacks. Explicit name-calling.

• Harassing, harmful, vulgar, obscene and defamatory language.

• Threatening statements or statements that suggest violence.

• Hate speech of any kind.

• Intolerant comments on religion, race, age, gender, sexual preference or disabilities.

• Accusations of criminal activity.

• Content that is harmful to children and minors in any way.

• References to sexual activity and other private matters.

• Random and inflammatory statements that are off topic.

Check out the new Kokomo Tribune Community Blog at kokomotribune.com and see what’s new.