"ok I'm back! so WHICH over-funded startup should I point to? remember Branch. http://branch.com which then forked and launched Potluck https://www.potluck.it/ There's also State https://state.com disclosure: I know several folks at Branch/Potluck but don't use either service actively anymore. Met a founder at State at some conference in the UK a while back but never really checked it out. this article does a great job of outlining limits and recommendations for improving commenting on news sites. http://www.journalism.co.uk/skills... Now for my opinions and not just links.... It's hard for "random internet folk" to engage in heart-to-heart online if that context isn't established early. I ran a political blog for many years, and I think we underestimated the work it takes to set reasonable tones and expectations for online discussion behavior. You gotta stop the trolls and call people out FAST when things start to descend. You've..." - @baratunde