Perhaps that's the nature of the beast. The same was true on AOL's message boards, and the same is true of many forums on the Web. The main thing, I think, is to provide the opportunity, to foster an environment in which those memorable moments of interaction and connection, the kind that remind you just how revolutionary the online medium is, can occur. The rest is the unavoidable price you pay for maintaining an open, unrestricted forum on the Internet. One thing you'll notice about Atlantic Unbound's forums is that there are very few short, frivolous posts.
People are, for the most part, interested in serious conversation.
That's one thing that sets the site apart. Of course, the most gratifying experiences for an online editor are those in which readers send you personal email to express their appreciation for an article, or to offer constructive feedback on the site. It shows they care. It shows how the Web really is a collaborative medium, in which readers can play a role in shaping an editorial product. It is unequivocally a good thing.