Rules for Commenting on The Cool Hot Center

I will monitor comments on this site as I am able, but until further notice I will not preview them.  If you leave a comment, it will appear, at least for awhile.  At my discretion, I will delete comments that violate the rules set forth below.  I have run another blog for over ten years and I have found that making rules and enforcing them results in a much more pleasant experience for those who read and follow the site and who like to comment. 

I want people to like coming here and know they're going to be treated with respect, or at least not put down by witless, content-free snark.

Here they are:

1.   Shots.   No criticisms of the person of any prior commenter.  If you have a disagreement, express your view in a way that addresses the issue or the facts or the opinion.  However, even brief phrases:

        --   impugning intelligence or motives of a prior commenter;

        --   asserting that prior commenters are all the same person;

        --   suggesting that a prior commenter lacks reading or comprehension skills;

        --   that are generally nasty towards another,

will cause your comment to hit the pail instantly.  Criticism of opinions is OK, but do it by making your own supportable point or making a legitimate debater's criticism of the prior comment.

I don't care how good your comment is in other respects.  The most brilliant comment that contains a phrase like "here's a thought – read the paper" will get bounced.

2.    Vulgarity.  Don't use it.  I will tolerate “damn” and “hell” and its variations (but see next rule), but not much more than that.

3.    Tone.  Angry, hateful, threatening, overly emotional comments -- out.  I'm serious about all of these rules, and this one may seem slight, but I'm telling you:  Use your inside voice and assume your readers are sitting in front of you.

4.    Name-Calling. 

5.    Stuff That's Just Too Wrong.   Comments that are simply too looney-tunes to live; peckerwood conspiracy theories (unless I agree); factual howlers – gone.

6.   Anything That Strikes Me as Designed Solely to Pick a Fight.  

*     *     *

Subjective?  Oh, yes.  A comment that is not deleted one day might be deleted the next. 

Here's a rule of thumb:  Read your post before you send it.  If you see a phrase which, if it were said about you would upset you and make you want to respond in kind – take it out.  If you wouldn’t read it out loud to your mum – out.

Suggestion:  Cut and paste your comment into a file before sending it.  If you see that I've deleted and you still think it's worthwhile, go back and figure out why I bounced it.  Fix it and repost.

Don't write me complaining about my judgment on comments.  I'm not interested.  You want the objective standard of uncurated commentary, there are other homes for you on the plains of the Internet.

Thank you for being a civilized digital citizen.

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