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Pet Connection comment guidelines
By Gina Spadafori
September 13, 2010
We welcome intelligent, informed and engaged discussion from the PetConnection community. If you’re new here, though, please take a minute to review our comment guidelines:
– First-time commenters are always moderated. In addition, the moderation filter holds comments with multiple links to prevent spamming. If your comment falls into either category, please give us time to review it. The moderation filter also grabs other comments for reasons we can’t figure out, so if your comment hasn’t been cleared within a couple of hours, e-mail us so we can find it.
– “Talking points” comments are discouraged. If you’ve just dropped in to offer a point of view unsupported by anything but your strongly held emotions — and if you’re unwilling to be challenged and asked to discuss and back up your statements with real data — you will likely be shown the door quickly.
– Selling products or services is discouraged. Recently the number of people who search for posts and comment only to sell something has jumped remarkably. While we love sharing news of great new products with our readers, the hit-and-run spamming of our comments threads for a company’s marketing goals will not be tolerated. If you would like your product to be considered for review, please see our product review guidelines.
– Don’t be anonymous or intentionally deceitful. We will not allow comments with names like “Pet Beds Cheap” or “Pets Are Filthy.” Use a name (your real name is even better), and if you have a website, put it in the link section of your comment, not in the main comment itself. Don’t “astroturf” — if you’re with a company or cause, say so. If you don’t, we will look at your IP address and out you ourselves.
– Trolling is prohibited, along with anti-pet rhetoric or any kind of hate speech.
Direct your questions or suggestions on these guidelines to our editors, here.
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We’ve just been hammered lately with commenters paid to trash competitors or sell product. So … here’s my effort to slow that down. :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — September 13, 2010 @ 7:36 am
I wonder if there’s something going around. I’ve been hit by lots of comments that read like they’re written by real humans who actually read the post but on closer look were obviously posted just to insert a link to a product website.
Must be the latest ‘improve your page rank’ / ‘cheap easy seo enhancement’ gimmick.
Comment by Janeen — September 13, 2010 @ 7:57 am
“Work at home in your underwear, stay-at-home Moms. Make easy money on The Internet!”
Comment by H. Houlahan — September 13, 2010 @ 8:16 am
We’re also going to start not letting the obvious sales pitches through the moderation filter that grabs first-time commenters.
I’m tired of being called a bitch for pointing out that it’s rude to drop in on a party to which you weren’t invited, spend only enough time to hand out sales brochures and leave.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — September 13, 2010 @ 8:44 am
If that indeed ends I will miss those comments from you Gina.
Keeping it real.
Comment by Erich Riesenberg — September 13, 2010 @ 9:32 am
No worries, Erich. I’m more than prepared to be called a bitch for any other reason. Just tired of this one.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — September 13, 2010 @ 9:35 am
I don’t mind so much when they skedaddle right after the sales pitch.
It’s the ones who stick around to — well “argue” isn’t quite the right word. Engage in a screed towards all who question their marketing claims … that … wait a minute … that entertain me so damned much, don’t they now?
Mebbe I ought to start mentioning more name brand products on my own blog, see if some will drop in for a roast.
Comment by H. Houlahan — September 13, 2010 @ 10:22 am
I’m getting a lot of these on my two sites, too - my web hosting guy told me there’s been a recent rash of spam attacks on WordPress sites. My favorite recent spam comment was:
“My English not so good, I now post video for you.”
Thank you kindly. I now throw you in spam folder.
Comment by Ingrid King — September 13, 2010 @ 10:34 am
Oh, Ingrid … you’re going to be a moderator here in no time with an attitude like that. :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — September 13, 2010 @ 10:36 am
Dear Paid To Spammer:
I know you didn’t read the guidelines because you were too busy telling us in multiple comments how much you like your: 1) Maltipoo; 2) Pugle; and 3) Chiwienie with a link to a puppy-milling scum direct-ship website before I sent your IP addy to the black hole of the spam filter ban list.
And I know you won’t read this, either. But I still feel compelled to write that your puppy-milling scum of an employer deserves to rot in hell forever, and you deserve a few centuries in purgatory.
That is all.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — September 13, 2010 @ 8:14 pm
Woo hoo, you go Gina! You’re my hero! smile……Oops, sorry, my heroine bitch! Hmm…that sounds wrong some how….
At the Kindred Spirits Dog Training yard, which is of course a woman owned and run business, we have a bumper sticker in the office that says, “You call me a bitch like that’s a bad thing!”
Comment by Liz Palika — September 13, 2010 @ 9:28 pm
Whoooo hooo! I like reading Gina’s comments almost as much as I like this website! Keep it real Gina!!!
Comment by Cassandra — April 9, 2011 @ 7:58 am
I am looking forward to any advise one has about feline “spraying”.
Our male cat “Sweetie” came to us as a stray BABY in 2003 or so. He was starving and virtually furless. We took him into our home but never demanded he be a “house cat” like his brother~Tigger. My daughter had him neutered and caught up on all his shots. Still, even though he has full access to the outdoors pretty much on demand…he sprays. Straight UP.
It has been 8+ years constantly finding his territorial self all over the house in the strangest places. Just when I think he’s stopped it, I find his marks again.
The relationship between the two boys is great: they sleep together and groom each other, beg for attention and always get it <3. So I'm frustrated by this very destructive behavior.
We have successfully treated two UTI's in the last 8 years…found when the behavior increased. But nothing like this is currently an issue. Thx for any help here.
Comment by Bonnie — May 5, 2011 @ 6:13 pm
HOW DO I FIND A VET THAT DOESN’T OVER VACCINATE, SINCE INITIAL IMMUNITY IS RECEIVED FROM PUPPY SHOTS. I NEED TO FIND A REGULAR VET THAT SUPPORTS THIS PHILOSOPHY.
Comment by GJ — June 22, 2011 @ 2:56 pm
The best thing you can do is to start calling vets in your area and ask them if they follow a modified vaccination protocol as recommended in the 2006 report by the AAHA.
When you find one (or more) candidates, schedule an initial appointment to interview your prospective new vet, and perhaps bring along a printout of the actual report which can be found here:
http://www.aahanet.org/publicd.....evised.pdf
Comment by The OTHER Pat — June 23, 2011 @ 4:48 am