The editor of the paper released a front-page column stating that, under the previous system, the online comments had gotten crude, venal, and nasty. He said the paper was tempted to eliminate comments altogether. So they switched to Civil Comments.
My impression, based on comments I've read on letters and articles, and comments I've been asked to judge the civility of, is that the situation hasn't improved.
I'm with you on the judging. Unless a comment is really venal or nasty, I call it "civil".