Help us with a comment policy
By Gina Spadafori
July 22, 2009
The latest software upgrade allows the site moderators to stick a post on the top of the blog and leave it there permanently. I’m thinking of writing and posting a very short statement about comments, but I could us some help.
We don’t have posted comments guidelines now. The software is set to moderate the first post anyone makes, and it will also grab for moderation any post with more than two links. This is mostly to catch automated spam, and people who are paid to post links and run.
After someone has had a first comment approved, he or she is generally unmoderated. Usually commenters stay that way unless they’re banned, which we’ve had to do maybe 20-30 times in the last four years.
The things what will almost certainly earn someone a trip to Automatic Comment Vaporization Land is the persistent inability to discuss the issues. Repeating talking points over and over is pretty much a three-strike-and-you’re-out affair: We give you a couple of chances to catch on and engage your OWN brain, and if you can’t, you get the boot.
It’s not about agreeing with the bloggers here. That’s not necessary at all to get along here. But we do want the discussions to be discussions, not dogma yelps, and we want discussions to advance so everyone can get something out of them.
A couple of people have been thrown out of the game after a single pitch, but as was documented in “Bull Durham,” if you launch profanity-laced inventive at the umpire, you’re gone:
.
We need something clear and short. Toss your suggestions into the comments.
I won’t be around here much today. I have picked up a virus or something, and I’m heading back to bed … so toss in your suggestions and I’ll work out something when I feel better.
By the way, I almost certainly will be watching “Bull Durham” today. I always do when I’m sick. :)
By the way, we have almost 57,000 comments on this blog, on some 3,500 posts.
One more point: Sometimes the software has a mind of its own, and snags even our own comments. Usually when comments don’t show up, its because the spam filter grabbed them for whatever tomfool reason its little computer brain has cooked up. Lose a comment? Drop us an e-mail and we’ll fish it out of the spam folder.
How about:
“Welcome! Be civil. Cite your Sources. Resist dogma. Exercise your brain.”
Comment by Original Lori — July 22, 2009 @ 8:00 am
The thing about citing sources is that it might or might not be possible or even applicable for any given poster to be able to do so on any given topic. But what people need to understand is that if they are unable to come up with cites, then they should not be complaining if they are less than successful in selling the credibility of their arguments.
Comment by The OTHER Pat — July 22, 2009 @ 9:15 am
“You must be at least this smart [holds hand at waist height] to post comments on our blog”
Comment by Janeen — July 22, 2009 @ 9:44 am
Just don’t be too restrictive! Yes, sometimes people go off on their own tangents or have axes to grind. Yes, sometimes people get a little snarky (or their tone is read that way).Sometimes people I disagree with do seem rather idiotic. Many people don’t examine their own assumptions. But good discussions do generate a lot of heat from passionate committed people—and you don’t want to lose that.
Comment by Arlene — July 22, 2009 @ 9:59 am
Respect Others
No Piling On
NENTHAO (Not Everyone Needs To Have An Opinion)
Comment by Anne — July 22, 2009 @ 10:10 am
OK how about “Wecome! Be civil. Nobody has to agree with you. Resist dogma…etc.
Comment by Original Lori — July 22, 2009 @ 10:15 am
How bout . .
“No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service”
Comment by Steve — July 22, 2009 @ 10:22 am
You mean I’m not supposed to be naked when I comment?
Comment by Janeen — July 22, 2009 @ 10:48 am
TMI, Janeen! TMI :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — July 22, 2009 @ 10:51 am
Don’t be an idiot. Be prepared to back up what you say. Remember that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Discuss the issues, not the personal attributes of other people in the discussion. Accept that people will from time to time disagree with you. And if you appear to be trolling, we’ll bring down the ban hammer, because we’re here to actually discuss things, not play with trolls or listen to regurgitated talking points.
Comment by Christie Keith — July 22, 2009 @ 3:12 pm
Banning political agendas, I hope.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — July 22, 2009 @ 3:29 pm
I don’t know how you would ban political agendas without becoming overly restrictive for no other reason than the problems inherent in trying to conclusively define them. However, I think the folks here are pretty astute in spotting and calling that sort of thing . . . .
Comment by The OTHER Pat — July 22, 2009 @ 4:18 pm
The OTHER Pat—to clarify what I meant:
I was talking about the Democratic and Republican Parties. In the past, Gina has spoken that commentors should not post prejudicial comments about one or the other.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — July 22, 2009 @ 4:27 pm
Oh - hokay - nevermind . . . . . . . .
Comment by The OTHER Pat — July 22, 2009 @ 4:43 pm
So far, I prefer Original Lori, rearranged:
“Welcome! Exercise your brain. Be civil. Resist dogma and when appropiate, cite sources”
I like short and to the point. And don’t care if Janeen is posting nude. ;-)
Comment by Dorene — July 22, 2009 @ 6:52 pm
How about: “Naked is fine. Stupid is not.”
Comment by Gina Spadafori — July 22, 2009 @ 7:31 pm
Add “know when it’s time to back away from the keyboard and eat some chocolate.”
Comment by Susan — July 22, 2009 @ 7:51 pm
How about…
“You can stray out of the ZIP code when responding to posts, but if you leave the damn state you just might be exiled. Don’t stoop to personal attacks. Tolerate dissent and encourage the exploration of all sides of the issue without rancor. Automated Spam and outright promotion are evil and will not be tolerated. Eat more vegetables.”
Enjoy your movie!
Comment by Dr. Tony Johnson — July 23, 2009 @ 8:49 am
The number alongside each comment would be great.
Less confusion when refering to a particular comment, I think.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — July 24, 2009 @ 8:26 pm
The numbers show up on my home computer (Mac running Safari browser) but not on my work computer (PC running Internet Explorer).
Computer guys would probably know why this is . . . . . . . .
Comment by The OTHER Pat — July 24, 2009 @ 8:31 pm
Thanks for the explanation, Pat.
No numbers show up on my Vista Windows program running on my HP computer. Gosh.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — July 25, 2009 @ 5:50 am
Try Firefox. It’s free, and I’ve found it very reliable - much more so, than Internet Exploder.
Comment by Eucritta — July 25, 2009 @ 5:56 am
We don’t get to select the software we run on our work computers. (Of course, I probably shouldn’t be reading PetConnection from there, either. But hey - a girl’s gotta get a break . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . )
Comment by The OTHER Pat — July 25, 2009 @ 6:08 am
Going to download Firefox, Eucritta. Thanks a lot.
The Other Pat—I was wondering what you were doing reading the PetConnection at work. But being a PetConnection addict, I can understand.:)
Comment by Colorado Transplant — July 25, 2009 @ 6:47 am
I’m going to ask the Black Dog team about the numbers. :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — July 25, 2009 @ 6:57 am
Thanks, Gina.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — July 25, 2009 @ 7:16 am