For the most part, the debate over whether the Hawaii Superferry should operate has been civil, but a good example of where it has gone awry has been on our online discussion boards.

When a Maui judge ruled two weeks ago that the Superferry could not operate until an environmental assessment was completed, the number of discussion posts connected to the story hit more than 2,500, one of the highest numbers we've ever recorded. Our story on Gov. Linda Lingle getting heckled on Kaua'i drew almost 1,000 comments, and three other stories hit about 500 posts each.

We obviously welcome freedom of expression and are pleased when the discussion is thoughtful and measured. In fact, it helps us a great deal to know what the community is talking about. But the rancor that marked some of the posts associated with Superferry stories, including the Oct. 9 story on Circuit Judge Joseph Cardoza's ruling, has forced us to pull down the discussion boards seven times.

I make the final call on the removal of a discussion board and I am reluctant to do so. But several months ago, in response to inappropriate comments attached to stories on the beating of a couple in Waikele, I placed a note on all discussions (called StoryChats) reminding readers that while we wanted to encourage healthy comment and debate, we wanted posters to respect the views of others and keep from making personal attacks or using obscenities.

Our tool for online forums is called Topix. Users are specifically warned not to upload or post any comment that is "unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, torturous, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, libelous, invasive of another's privacy, hateful or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable."

Most users are savvy enough not to place an obscenity or vulgarity on a post but where Superferry is concerned, nasty personal attacks have forced us to carefully consider where StoryChats should be placed. While the most controversial stories generate the most discussion, they also have the most potential for incendiary comments.

Some of the offensive Superferry postings were warnings against those on O'ahu not to come to Kaua'i or Maui or vice versa. Several disparaged the ethnicity or race of those who supported or opposed the Superferry. Others were attacks on those who have moved here from the Mainland or on Judge Cardoza, Gov. Lingle and Superferry President John Garibaldi.

Some of the debate was well crafted, but much of it was silly, ill-informed or downright nasty.

Such is the nature of online forums, where the authors are anonymous and bravado is magnified. Forums are mostly self-policed so the discussion can go on for hours without anyone complaining. We cannot monitor every post nor do we want to have control over every comment that lands on a discussion board. We count on those who sign on to the discussion to leave their worst feelings outside cyberspace, but it doesn't always work that way.

We have not placed StoryChats on any Superferry story since two articles posted on Oct. 11 and we have not decided when they will be reintroduced. Editors, myself included, are mixed about our online discussions. We are in the business of supporting the First Amendment and protecting free speech and there are those among us who believe that we are merely providing the forum for that freedom of discussion. Others don't necessarily want to provide the clear white canvas for the verbal graffiti that too often fills our online forums.

After reading dozens of posts on the Superferry, the only thing I can conclude is that the discussion boards probably mirror a lot of what our readers are thinking but would never say if they had to put their names to their thoughts. We still have to grapple with what's acceptable and what should lead to the unfortunate choice to take down a forum.

Meanwhile, at least one posting on the Superferry forum made some sense.

"Auwe no ho'i e!" one reader wrote. "This is so shame that we cannot keep this comment blog clean; granted we are allowed to speak our own opinions, and it does get heated at times. Rather than sending slanderous comments and cutdowns back and forth on this blog, let us be constructive and discuss what we can do to try and fix this. We are making ALL of Hawai'i look bad. ... No matter what island we are from, whether we are Hawaiian, part Hawaiian, Caucasian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino or what have you, we should all malama each other as our Hawai'i is supposed to be known as the 'Aloha' State."