Posting and commenting policy - Oct 2015

This version of the site policy was posted in Oct 2015 and applies going forward from then. I'll provide an updated link whenever I update the policy.

The text was lifted from Captain Awkward's site policy at the URL http://captainawkward.com/site-policies-and-faqs/ on Oct 19, 2015, and then modified (significantly) from there.

I'm open to suggestions for additions and removals; please post them in comments. However, this set of policies stands until I change them - thanks for abiding by them!

Mission Statement

The goal of this posting and commenting policy is to help move my blogspace towards being a more participatory and friendly space.

Much of the value I find in writing blog posts comes from the responses and feedback I receive on the blog posts, and ensuing conversations. This, in turn, depends on people being willing to engage in discussions openly, honestly, and in good faith. The policy below is my current best effort towards defining a policy that encourages an atmosphere supportive of this behavior.

I have so far only deleted about 5 non-spam comments in the entire ~decade of this blog, so this policy is more to ensure the tone than in reaction to any particular misbehavior.

Questions

By posting your comments to the blog you are granting me the right, in perpetuity, to use, quote, alter, and/or display those questions and comments however I see fit both for commercial and non-commercial distribution. If this concerns you, use a pseudonym and remove identifying details before you send, or simply post a link to your own blog. Alterations will rarely be made and will always be obvious; see this, for example.

I do not share your personal email address or identity, with one exception: People who threaten or harass me or other posters will have their names, emails, and IP addresses shared with their internet service providers and, if necessary, law enforcement.

Comments Policy

We moderate things in these here parts. Not every point of view deserves to be heard. Unmoderated spaces tend to be full of jerks.

Anonymous posting is allowed. Using a consistent identity is encouraged.

Your comments will theoretically show up immediately, though the spam filter may eat legitimate comments, even by regular posters. Alert me via e-mail at t@idyll.org if one of your comments doesn't appear.

Of course, sometimes comments don't show up because I delete them. This is a dictatorship, and I can delete any comment at any time for any reason, and I have no time for rules lawyers. There may not be a warning or explanation of why your comment was deleted.

A non-comprehensive list of some common reasons comments are deleted:

  • You're derailing a thread.
  • The discussion has become uncivil and has devolved into personal insults, threats, advocating violence, or turned into a pile-on.
  • Sarcasm, curse words, gentle mocking, criticism and vehement disagreement are generally allowed, as long as the overall spirit is constructive and in good faith.
  • You're otherwise being useless, uninformative, or destructive.

Having your comment deleted or being asked to stop commenting in a particular thread or to move on from a topic of discussion is IN NO WAY an invitation for you to send me lengthy emails detailing your thoughts. If I wanted to read Your Thoughts I would have let you keep posting them.

You can always reach me at t@idyll.org or on Twitter at @ctitusbrown.

--titus

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