Austin , Texas ( CNN ) -- In the early days of the Internet , there was hope that the unprecedented tool for global communication would lead to thoughtful sharing and discussion on its most popular sites . A decade and a half later , the very idea is laughable , says Gawker Media founder Nick Denton . `` It did n't happen , '' said Denton , whose properties include the blogs Gawker , Jezebel , Gizmodo , io9 and Lifehacker . `` It 's a promise that has so not happened that people do n't even have that ambition anymore . `` The idea of capturing the intelligence of the readership -- that 's a joke . '' Denton was speaking at South by Southwest Interactive , the annual festival here devoted to Web and digital culture . He said that commenting on his own sites ( which he 's seen make reporters cry ) has gotten so bad that he does n't engage . `` I do n't like going into the comments . ... For every two comments that are interesting -- even if they 're critical , you want to engage with them -- there will be eight that are off-topic or just toxic , '' he said . And as sites get more popular , it 's harder to control the comments , which inevitably get nastier . `` What you can manage on a small site ... the level of discussion you can have on those is not the level you 're able to have on a newspaper site or one of our sites . Our smaller blogs have 2 million unique ( visitors per month ) . ... It 's hard to have that intimacy . '' So , what 's the solution ? When it comes to improving open discussion threads , Denton , during an interview-style discussion with blogger and Expert Labs director Anil Dash , seemed quicker to shoot down ideas that others are trying than to provide proposals of his own . Having editors and reporters engage their readers in the comments ? `` The writer of the piece has to move on to the next piece . They do n't have time to moderate all those comments . '' Require readers to post using their real names ? `` My own view is that anonymity is at the heart of the Internet . '' Give other commenters more power to `` up-vote '' or `` down-vote '' posts ? `` We do n't really believe in the democratic process of decision-making when it comes to discussion , '' Denton said . For example , he said , Jezebel has made lots of hay off of sexual harassment accusations against American Apparel Chief Executive Officer Dov Charney . Denton said he 'd love to see Charney come into the comments section to defend himself . `` If you put it to a vote , 90 % would vote to ban him . They hate that guy , '' Denton said . `` If Dov Charney went into the Jezebel comments , he 'd be torn limb from limb ; his limbs are n't all that would be torn off . '' The answer ? Denton said his sites are planning to post some stories that allow only a hand-picked , pre-approved group of people to comment on them . That , he said , would make the comment section an extension of the story and allow people , like Charney in the above example , to have their say without fear of being piled onto by others . `` I think it 's part of the answer , '' he said . `` What I want is , I want the sources -- I want the experts to be able to comment in these discussions . '' When he took questions , Denton had to do a little answering about the responsibility the tone of a site itself has in guiding its comments section . Many of Gawker 's sites are n't known for being particularly delicate ( One of today 's top Gawker headlines : `` Arnold Schwarzenegger 's Son Injures Ass Skiing , Tweets Photo '' ) . `` It 's certainly true that nice sites run by nice people ... that encourages good behavior , '' Denton said . `` But it 's not as if it 's entirely the writer setting the tone for the comments . Sometimes , it 's the comments setting the tone for the writer . ''
Expert Labs chief : Idea of positive online comments has become a joke . Dov Charney speaks at the South by Southwest Interactive festival . He said the bigger a site is , the harder it is to curate comment sections . 2 million idea ? Making certain stories only open to a few select commenters .