Comments Policy

If you have not already done so, PLEASE READ THIS FIRST.

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Guidelines:

• On-topic and constructive comments, suggestions and criticism are sought.
• We expect disagreement to remain civil and we decline to publish unacceptable content.
• We moderate disruptive commentors. Dissent is acceptable, disruption is not.

Comments & Questions:

• Because this blog generally addresses ongoing social situations rather than current events, comments are encouraged on older posts: the issues aren’t going away, after all. Update 2012: comments are no longer open on older posts due to an excess of vexatious build-up over time. New posts have comments open for 10 days.
• Good-faith questions exploring the answers and links given in the FAQs are also very welcome [link]. (Your question is expected to demonstrate that you have already done some reading of the FAQs.) We also have an Open Suggestions thread. You may ask your question via a civil (or even better, friendly) email to tigtog using the Contact page, and if your question is a new and relevant one, it may form the core of a new post (but no guarantees). Abusive emails will get your user details banhammered on every blog moderated by tigtog, not just this one, and possibly shared with other bloggers too.
• Pseudonyms are welcome, sockpuppeting is not.
• A valid email address (webmail forwarders are fine) is required when you make your comments, so that if necessary (e.g. to request some editing for length) the moderators can contact you. Trying something “cute” like a dev-null email address will not get by us.

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Moderation:

Automoderation: First-time commentors are automatically put into the moderation queue, and occasionally the automoderator or spaminator grabs other comments according to their own algorithms rather than our intent. Please be patient if your comment does not appear immediately.

New commentors:

• Those without a blog presence of record, or with a history of anti-feminist opinions elsewhere, will be limited to 3 comments published per day: this is not a refusal to engage entirely, but this blog is not all about you, so choose your comments carefully.
• Regular commentors are reminded of the other suggested 3-comment rule for engaging dissenting commentors.

Disruptive commentors:

• All commentors are expected to allow space in the discussion for other voices to be heard.
• Excessively frequent or long comments, which may discourage others from participating, will be moderated and repeat offenders may have their comments deleted.
• Any commentor who has the effect, by any type of comments, of discouraging others from participating will be moderated and deleted as necessary.

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Unacceptable content:

• Any content which appears to have the effect, intentional or otherwise, of silencing others.
• Obnoxious comments will most likely be deleted, but perhaps merely disemvowelled in order to stand on record. (The moderators determine what is obnoxious, but the certificate below should be a general indication.)
• Abusive comments will be deleted and repeat offenders will be banned.
• Threatening comments will be stored and may be reported.

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Want to complain about a moderation decision?

Click here to contact tigtog. Just remember that

• a blog is not a public square,
  
• nobody is obliged to listen to you if you are being a jerk, and
  
• you are always free to express your opinions on your own website.

Image Credit: modified according to CCL permissions by tigtog
(from an image by Patrick Nielsen Hayden
based on an idea from Teresa Nielsen Hayden.)