We love a good discussion here at RAB. It might be tough to keep up with, but it puts a smile on my face to see a comment thread go over 100. For the most part, the discussion here is great. Commenters all bring something different to the table, and that allows us to get as comprehensive a view of a situation as possible.
However, more comments means more flaming. It’s unfortunate, but true. This is why we put commenting guidelines in place. Lately, though, we’ve seen plenty of violations. It’s time to crack down. I think that everyone will agree that this will make the discussions more fruitful in the long run.
Some of you may have received short emails from Ben, Mike, or me in the past week, asking you to stop the personal attacks. These are friendly warnings. We like you guys, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to play by the rules. This goes doubly for the perceived “favorites.” We like you for a reason. Please, help us out by keeping your comments civil, and your personal attacks over at LoHud.
This means no calling anyone an idiot. If you must attack, attack the idea, not the person. Don’t go out of your way to call things idiotic. If it is truly idiotic, most people will silently agree. Simply point out what you think is wrong, and move on. Or just say nothing.
Speaking of saying nothing, this brings me to my next point: Don’t feed the trolls. If you see someone commenting for the first time and they’re blatantly trying to get a reaction, leave it be. It’s tough sometimes, but it’s for the best.
You give him a dollar, he’s gonna assume you have more:
We’ve also seen a number of off-topic comments, mostly preceded by “I know this is off topic, but…” This does not give anyone carte blanche to make an off-topic remark. If you have something off-topic to say, our email addresses are on the left sidebar. Off topic posts will now be deleted.
That’s really about it. Keep comments on-topic, and play nice. We’ll send email warnings for slight and first-time offenders, so please leave a valid email in the comments field. We promise we won’t use it for any other purpose. I wouldn’t want anyone doing that to me, and we’ll extend the courtesy to you. Repeat offenders will be put on a moderation list. A few current commenters have had this before, and can attest that it’s not permanent. It’s just our only power in situations like this. None of us want to use it, but if the violations continue, it’s a last resort, and only applicable for violations.
That said, thanks guys, for distracting me from doing work. I’d far rather argue with Chris C. over Manny Ramirez any day than do actual work.
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