Wanna comment? Read this.

tl;dr:

Listen, add value, no shouting.

Difference makes dialogue. Dialogue causes change. Shouting ends dialogue. A thing is bothering you. Do you want it to change? Me too. So, no shouting. Simple as that.

By the numbers:

You’re free to comment as long as you’re not a dick about it.

I heavily moderate and curate comment threads. I want them to be interesting to read. Comments are likely to get approved if they add information, are friendly, and show you are listening to other people. If your comment is rejected as unfriendly, free free to rewrite and try again.

Guidelines:

1. Chill. I like a certain style of conversation. It’s not the only style, but it’s the one I like. There are lots of ways to express yourself on the internet and all of them have their place. This venue is about showcasing this one: smart, thoughtful, calm, honest, playful, respectful conversation between people who don’t already agree.
2. People are smart, so listen. People who listen, then learn, are smartest.
3. If a commentator needs a smackdown, that’s my job. Nobody said talking about big topics would be easy, but on this blog, it’ll be respectful. If you’re having a problem with somebody’s tone, give them the benefit of the doubt and ask for another approach. If that doesn’t work, hand it back to me. Nobody’s getting their head ripped off on my watch.
4. Sometimes, we’ll probably have commentators who are vaguely internet famous. On this blog, digerati ideas weigh the same as everybody else’s.
5. I have a life. I’m not online all the time to moderate. When I’m gone, I advise, either play nice, or don’t play.

Or, Scalzi says it better than I ever could, so you could just use his code of conduct. In short:

 

Yours,

K2