Most blogs start out pretty trusting and then gradually have to ratchet down some restrictions on commenting as people misbehave. This can take the form of warnings, restrictions, or outright banning. I’ve been blogging for many years: here are my comment policies, and I reserve the right to change them or add to them anytime for no reason whatever.
Commenting on new posts closes after 15 days.
Your first comment will be held in moderation. After that, you can comment freely, with some conditions. Doing any of the following things can get your comment deleted, get you mocked without mercy, or get you banned outright:
- Identify yourself. Use the same name and email address every time. Sock-puppetry is an instant banning.
- No illegal comments, such as threats against any person.
- No racist comments. I won’t put up with racial epithets on this blog. Exception might be when discussing the epithets themselves.
- Motor-mouth. Think about what you want to say, then say it and wait for others to respond before writing again.
- Threadjacking: pushing in with your favorite hobby horse, unrelated to the topic at hand. Of course if the topic at hand IS your favorite hobby horse, you’re in luck.
- Censorship is when the government shuts down your speech. This blog is private property; if you want to say something horrible or repetitive, get your own blog. For that matter I reserve the right to delete a comment just because I feel like it.
- No commercial activity. Thinly veiled (or not so thinly veiled) spam messages will get you banned without warning. Raise your Google ranking some other way.
- Abusive comments cutting down a vulnerable person, will receive no mercy.
(Only any one of the above shoes needs to fit for you to wear it. Having been directed here doesn’t mean you’re guilty of all of them.)
Most people are able to have a very spirited discussion about issues without breaking any of these rules. It’s my living room; keep a civil tongue when you visit.
georgewiman 