Hmm… well, the fact that a lot of people come to Techdirt and don’t post comments really doesn’t trouble me much. Sure, it would be fun if more people spoke up. When I originally put Techdirt together the vision was to be a place where people could discuss all sorts of stuff, whether by submitting stories, or by commenting on them. Some people do. Since, I’m a born lurker, though, I understand and appreciate the lurkers who come along and just read the site on a regular basis. I look at Techdirt’s traffic reports and I know that we get a ton of traffic (which has been growing non stop ever since we first launched over 2 years ago). I also receive a ton of Feedback mail telling me how much they appreciate the site, so I know we’re doing something right. If there’s an easy way to get more people to comment, I’m willing to listen, but I think any attempts to force it will only hurt Techdirt more than help. If people want to comment, they will. If they just enjoy reading, then let them read.