The web is rife with user comments: some thoughtful, incisive, or kind, and others superficial, irrelevant, or mean. Many websites have a moderation process that supports registration of commenters, and automated or manual acceptance or rejection of their proposed comments. However, beyond this initial filter, an accepted comment typically receives no further classification than that provided by the ability for readers to recommend or flag it, or site personnel to promote it.  The Commentator, an application for rating commenters' based on the comments that they post using the New York times API.