L.A. Now switches to Facebook commenting system

L.A. Now on Thursday afternoon switched to a new commenting system.

The new system requires commenters to sign in using their Facebook account. Those without Facebook accounts will not be able to leave comments.

Readers will have the option of posting their L.A. Now comments on their Facebook walls as well, but that's not required.

The change is part of an experiment on L.A. Now and several other Times blogs looking into how best to moderate readers’ comments. The Times welcomes readers to express their opinions about the news -- and about how the new Facebook comments system is working.

Previous comments have temporarily disappeared from L.A. Now. But they will be restored to individual posts in the near future.

Jimmy Orr, The Times managing editor in charge of latimes.com, discussed the Facebook system in greater depth here.

-- Shelby Grad and Martin Beck