Since their inception 300 years ago in what would become this country, newspapers in America have offered the public a forum where its voice might be heard.

Times have changed, attitudes have evolved and now newspaper readers can read the paper online. The tradition continues.

As the Tribune began to more intensely focus on providing original and regularly updated content on its Web site, it developed a means for online readers to comment on stories. Unlike the more traditional letters to the editor in the paper, the online comments can be sent immediately.

And often.

Since the first comment came in on Jan. 9, 2006, 100,000 commentors have now voiced their opinion on topics large and small. The milestone comment, submitted by a reader with the online handle Savysac, was approved at 4:45 p.m. Monday.

Each comment you see has been read and approved by someone in the Tribune newsroom, most often online editor Jason Lueder. The goal is to have someone reading comments consistently between 8:30 a.m. and 11 p.m. On a typical weekday, the site gets 250 to 350 comments (compared to 250 to 300 letters to the editor a year in the paper).

"It's nice to have a local outlet," Savysac said in a phone interview Tuesday. "Other (local media) don't offer much involving comments. I like to come in and be a devil's advocate, shake people up from their narrow-minded views."

As you may have gathered from Savysac's handle, online commentors don't need to leave their real names. Some others you'll commonly run into are Beesh, Dante, MommaMia, Deb and Punker. Because so many comments come in every day, there isn't an effective way to ensure people are who they say they are, so screen names are encouraged.

Again, the comments are read before you see them and screened for libelous statements and general civility. The viewpoints, as with the letters to the editor, often don't reflect those of the people who put out the paper or the Web site. But that's the whole point. The Tribune and bismarcktribune.com will continue to provide a forum for public comment.