• Twitter
  • Facebook
News-Sentinel.com Your Town. Your Voice.
Opening Arguments

New rules

I've been moderating blog comments here with a very light touch. But the interactions have gotten so rough that it's obvious a heavier hand is needed. So starting immediately, there will be new guidelines. (And they are on permanently display under the "Commenting guidelines" heading under "Pages.")

I reserve the right to delete comments or block certain commenters based on a failure to follow these guidelines:

1. Stay on topic.

2. Avoid personal attacks and ad hominem arguments.

3. Keep the foul language to a minimum.

Those don't cover everything but should make the goal clear: Come here in the spirit of lively debate rather than nasty vituperation. I'll generally give those who already have comment approval a couple of passes on violations, blocking them on the third one. But if it's bad enough, I won't feel obligated to show patience. Those who have never commented here before and want to get ugly on the very first try — please don't waste your time or mine.

Posted in: All about me, Weblogs

Comments

Tim Zank
Mon, 12/05/2011 - 11:26am

Sounds like a plan leo!

Christopher Swing
Mon, 12/05/2011 - 5:09pm

Well, it looks like linking to the right thing can eventually have an effect.

Part two is watching to see how evenly it's enforced.

Harl Delos
Tue, 12/06/2011 - 6:55am

Thank you, Leo.

I know I have a tendency to wander into related subjects, but I'll try to do better on Rule One.

Bob G.
Tue, 12/06/2011 - 1:00pm

Leo:
NO problem here.

:)

Phil Marx
Tue, 12/06/2011 - 8:48pm

I actually think #1 is a big mistake. Fist of all, it is not always easy to tell exactly when the thread has gone off-subject. Those major 180 degree turns are easy to spot, but what about when a series of 5 or 10 degree turns adds up to a full break from the original path? Whenever you step in to moderate such cases (unless you enforce a ruling that is so strict that people can only say "agree" or "disagree"), people will wonder why you decided to wait until exactly that point to invoke the clause.

I also think #2 is a bit problematic. What if I ask"who are you" to a commentor here? That's personal, but not necessarily an attack. What if I mispell another guy's name? What if I ask rhetorically "are you an idiot?" Is that enough to be rebuked?

Regardless, after last weeks implosion of logical dialogue, I certainly understand where you are coming from on this. I just don't think it will be as easy to enforce in a fair manner as you or others might think.

Harl Delos
Tue, 12/06/2011 - 10:11pm

Phil, I suspect most of us, if Leo posts "Word", will find it sufficient. He doesn't want us to fall off the cliff, so he will moderate moderately, rather than let things get out of hand.

Christopher Swing
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 12:17am

"Pedantry and mastery are opposite attitudes toward rules. To apply a rule to the letter, rigidly, unquestioningly, in cases where it fits and in cases where it does not fit, is pedantry. ... To apply a rule with natural ease, with judgment, noticing the cases where it fits, and without ever letting the words of the rule obscure the purpose of the action or the opportunities of the situation, is mastery."

-George P

Leo Morris
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 9:31am

Harl is right. Phil, my judgment will, of course, be open to debate, but I'm just generally trying for a calmer, less hostile atmosphere, going from a light to moderate touch instead of straight to the heavy hand.

Tim Zank
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 10:23am

Funny how the discourse since 2005 has been "spirited" and even sometimes "snarky" at times with largely the same group of commenters but never "out of control" until November 2011.

One has to wonder what element was introduced here recently that would have caused this sudden decline in common courtesy and common sense.

Hmmmmm....what could it be?

Leo Morris
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 10:44am

But you're goading, Tim, which will lead to a realiation, and then things will escalate.

Tim Zank
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 12:40pm

Okay Leo, fair enough, I'll play nice.

Quantcast