IT should be a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.

Today, heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.

We are doing this to improve the experience for readers. We believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfill its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.

We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.

That is invaluable.

We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.

The comments section offers an immediacy and live cut and thrust that can't be beaten. It's a place to talk directly to our journalists and fellow readers. A place to discuss and, yes, criticise The Herald's stance.

However, our readers do not want it to be a space where too many discussions descend into a stale row about, for example, independence, the Union or the Old Firm which have no relevancy to the story.

In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com

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