The Tyee maintains an active and lively comment section at the bottom of each of our articles. We believe that good journalism sparks conversation, so we put effort and care into hosting and moderating a respectful space for banter, debate and the swapping of ideas.
On this page you’ll find information about the commenting platform we use, our commenting rules and other frequently asked questions about our comments.
On November 12, 2025, The Tyee switched from Disqus — an externally managed commercial commenting system — to an open-source platform developed by our friends at Vox Media called Coral.
The number of issues with Disqus had been rising so we heard feedback from our Tyee Builders and commenters and launched a new system.
If you previously commented using Disqus, you will have to sign up for a new account with Coral.
Commenting FAQ
What is Coral?
Coral is a commenting platform developed by Vox media especially geared towards news sites. It’s used by more than 120 newsrooms in 18 countries.
How does Coral work?
You may sign in or register from the bottom of any article on The Tyee and then leave a comment just as with our previous commenting system, Disqus. You’ll still be able to like, share and reply to individual comments, the same as before.
Is it different/how different is it from Disqus?
Coral is an open-source community software project that lets us host our own version of it on our servers so that the data stays with us.
Do I have to create a new account? Can’t I just transfer over my existing account?
Yes, you do have to create a new account, as Coral is a fully separate system from our previous commenting system. We promise it’s fast and easy, though!
What happens to all my old comments?
Your existing comments are still stored with your username on Disqus and we will seek to keep them on the site by loading the previous system on the old stories as a start.
What was wrong with the old system?
Disqus served us very well for many years. But we were hearing some complaints that people were unexpectedly banned or prevented from commenting for other reasons. And we prefer to use in-house software suites whenever possible so that your data does not need to be shared with anyone.
What happens if I forget my login details?
You can reset your login information in the login section of any story if you forget it. If that doesn’t work or you’re having other issues, please reach out to our team.
Who are your comment moderators?
The Tyee has rotating staff members taking turns on commenting duty — all of whom have other jobs at the organization so please be patient with them! If a particular comment trips one of our word or spam filters, it needs to be manually approved (provided it doesn’t go against our guidelines). This can take a few minutes to several hours (or longer if it’s the middle of the night) depending on how busy the moderator is.
What are the rules of the comment section?
The Tyee exists to inform, enlighten and spark constructive discussion.
We ask you to reflect this spirit in your comments, to relate your comments to the subject matter of the preceding articles and to refrain from personal insults towards authors or other commenters.
The Tyee is not responsible for the content of posted comments.
We reserve the right to delete comments we deem vulgar, personally insulting, libellous, racist or sexist, or for any other reason harmful to the quality of the Tyee forum. In addition, we may delete excessive postings from one commenter to give others a chance to comment. Regular violators of these rules will be blocked from further commenting on The Tyee.
Although The Tyee will attempt to apply these rules equitably and consistently, it is impossible for us to review all messages.
The official rules of the commenting section are below — you can find them below every story.
Comments that violate guidelines risk being deleted, and violations may result in a temporary or permanent user ban. Maintain the spirit of good conversation to stay in the discussion and be patient with moderators. Comments are reviewed regularly but not in real time.
What kind of comments should I write?
- Be thoughtful about how your words may affect the communities you are addressing. Language matters.
- Keep comments under 250 words.
- Challenge arguments, not commenters.
- Flag trolls and guideline violations.
- Treat all with respect and curiosity; learn from differences of opinion.
- Verify facts, debunk rumours, point out logical fallacies.
- Add context and background.
- Note typos and reporting blind spots.
- Stay on topic.
What kind of comments should I not write?
- Any using sexist, classist, racist, homophobic or transphobic language.
- Those that ridicule, misgender, bully, threaten, name call, troll or wish harm on others or justify violence.
- Do not personally attack authors, contributors or members of the general public.
- Do not spread misinformation or perpetuate conspiracies.
- Do not libel, defame or publish falsehoods.
- Do not attempt to guess other commenters’ real-life identities.
- Do not post links without providing context.
You banned me for no reason!
If you feel you were banned in error, please reach out to our team.
Do I need to be a Tyee Builder to log in?
No! All readers are encouraged to sign up to leave thoughtful comments. Your comment account is not tied to your Builder account (if you have one).
Tell me about The Tyee’s automatic word filter.
The Tyee has a list of banned words and phrases that will get your comment automatically flagged for approval. This is due to a very high volume of bots, and to try to prevent hate speech from appearing on the site before we have a chance to nab it.
Occasionally this may capture a comment that is using a phrase in a different way or sounds similar. We will try to approve such comments the first chance we get.
Do I need to use my real name for my username/display name?
No.
How do I flag spam or other comments that violate commenting guidelines for moderation?
When you encounter spam or a comment that violates our guidelines in The Tyee’s comment section, hit the button that looks like a flag at the bottom right corner of a comment and you’ll be able to submit a report. You can leave more information about why you are reporting this comment and it will be received by our moderating team. Reports like these will help our moderators maintain a healthy commenting section.
How long should my comment be?
Your comment can be any length under 250 words.