Commenting Guide
Cover Art by Mad Mustard
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TO ADD YOUR COMMENTS ON TRAIL MIX!
HERE'S HOW
Click "Comments" below the headline of Craig's latest column and scroll to the bottom of the page. Click "Sign in to comment on this entry" just below POST A COMMENT. Choose to register as a Typepad or Open ID user, and follow instructions.
Newly-registered users will see their first comment temporarily held for review
(see #4 below for more info).
To expedite review and post future comments without delay,
send an email to cqtrailmix@verizon.net
Join Our Community
(A message from your host, Craig Crawford)
Thank you for taking time to review our Trail Mix Commenting Guide.
This is a unique and evolved community of interesting, intelligent, witty and engaged participants. Many of our 500+ regular contributors add their thoughts almost daily to the Comments sections. Some have been doing so since this blog was launched in 2005. See our Best Comments page for a sampling of what goes on here every day. We share ideas, debate issues, exchange personal stories, swap recipes -- and we always welcome new commenters to what we like to call our little corner of the "internets."
This is really two different beasts in one blog -- 1) My daily columns for CQ-Roll Call, and 2) The Comments sections associated with those posts. The columns and other duties comprise my full-time job. Hosting and reading your opinions are what I do for fun. While I'm always "lurking," I occasionally join the discussion in Comments. But generally I feel as though there are enough platforms for what I think, and prefer Comments to be mostly about what you think.
Unlike other blogs, there is no requirement to comment on what I've written, although it is appreciated, whether pro or con. My daily posts are mini-columns read by many visitors who do not participate in the Comments sections. Some "lurk" and read the comments. Others just peruse my stuff and move on. Ha, and then there are those who could not care less what I write and only read the commenters.
After many years of blogging I've learned much about human behavior in a public cyber forum (some of it the hard way). Like other online communities, sometimes the passions in ours run high. Now and then the place goes completely nuts. So I decided to set forth some guidelines that, among other things, might help steer us through those ugly moments when we all need to get back to common ground. Your host reserves the right to ask violators to leave, to delete comments and even block access. This has been -- and hopefully will continue to
be -- an utterly rare occurrence.
Most importantly, political opinions and ideology of all types are welcome. Criticism of what I've written or said on TV is always fair game. After more than 25 years in journalism, my skin is plenty thick.
This is an open-thread blog, meaning that I do not moderate each comment before publishing (once you are approved as a registered Typepad or Open ID user -- see #4 below). That makes following our guidelines all the more important. And it means that violations deserving deletion might remain on the site for a period of time.
If you see a violation, respectfully call the commenter's attention to the appropriate guideline on this page. The commenter might not be aware of our policies. If that doesn't work, report the violation to cqtrailmix@verizon.net. It is likely never going to be helpful to engage a lengthy argument with a violator in the public forum.
These guidelines -- inspired by Lifehacker Editor Gina Trapani -- are solely designed to encourage civil dialogue that allows enlightening debate and discussion.
Nothing here is intended to restrict the free expression of honest ideas. Respectful and respectable behavior is our only goal.
Your Host,
Craig Crawford
TOP TEN WAYS TO BE A BETTER COMMENTER ON THIS BLOG
(Hey, do whatever you like anywhere else)
Report violations to cqtrailmix@verizon.net
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Contribute new information to the discussion. At least scan the entire thread to see if what you are writing has already been said. Repeating yourself is also unhelpful. Relentlessly pressing the same argument with multiple posts, in a single thread or over a period of days, is another form of spam and subject to deletion. Persistent violators are subject to blocked access.
- Nobody likes a know-it-all. Thoughtful, knowledgeable commenters gain a following. Condescending smartypants are about as welcome on a blog as they are in someone's living room. They generally persuade no one and aggravate everyone. When fact-checking, pointing out a typo or dead link or asserting a dissenting opinion, do it in a respectful, friendly way.
- Be careful about your tone. As in email and other cyber communication, blog commenting is susceptible to misinterpretation because readers cannot hear the tone of your voice or see your facial expressions. Sarcasm, teasing, even an innocent joke can so easily be taken the wrong way in a public forum like this. Emoticons are helpful to clarify how you want your comment to be taken.
- Own your comment. Only registered Typepad or Open ID users who have been approved by the host are allowed to post comments without moderation. Newly-registered users or those who haven't recently commented might see their first comment held for review. If so, send an email to cqtrailmix@verizon.net to expedite review and post future comments without delay. There are very few reasons why the host might not approve a new commenter, such as supplying a fake email address, impersonating others, trying to return afer being banned or devising a screen name clearly meant to insult another commenter or the blog community as a whole. To register with Typepad, simply click "Sign in to comment on this entry" above the comment box at the end of the Comments section (to reach the section, click "Comments" in the byline below the headline of Craig's latest entry).
- Be succinct. Blog commenting is not a place for lengthy lectures. Keep it short and to the point. You will find that your comments will be much better read. Generally, comments beyond 150 words should be reviewed before posting, in case a bit of editing might improve the readability of what you have to say.
- Cite your sources with links or inline quoting. Copying and pasting large blocks of text from other sites is strictly off limits, even with links or identification of the source. It is best to summarize why you think the item is significant, provide a few quotes from it and ALWAYS include the link. Never paste quotes from another site without the link. Use url shortening tools such as tinyurl.com for lengthy addresses. Multiple links (3 or more) in a single comment are held for review by our spam filter -- two per comment only!
- Be clear about the subject or person you're addressing. There is nothing more confusing and maddening for a thread reader to come across a cryptic response to someone else's comment and have no idea what the dialogue is about. The easiest way to prevent this confusion in our blog is to right-click the date stamp on the comment you're addressing and copy the url that appears in your browser. Or in some cases you might just copy a particular quote into your response, but be sure to add the name of commenter.
- Be courteous. There will be moments of passion when things are said in anger. If you must attack, target the idea or the opinion -- but NEVER the person. Personal attacks are useless, tend to escalate hostilities and ruin the reading experience for everyone else. Such comments, even if isolated, are subject to deletion. An ongoing pattern of persistent violations will result in blocked access.
- Do not feed the trolls. As in life, there are always those who somehow enjoy surfing the internet to inject pointless vindictiveness. Many are classic passive aggressives who deliberately provoke others into a counterattack followed by acts of martyrdom. Don't let the terrorists win. Do NOT acknowledge these people with refutations, disagreements or even a mention of their screen name -- even when you are directly attacked by name. Responding in kind on their level is exactly what they want you to do. Be assured that your host will take action against chat bullies as soon as possible.
- Most of all, have fun. While we have commenters with a variety of views who often engage each other in vigorous debate, we also strive to be a genuine community. Sharing recipes, photos or other personal information is also welcome. Arguing might be fun at times, but a little fellowship in between makes for a better place.
(Source: Lifehacker Editor Gina Trapani)
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External Links
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For a humorous look at one annoying personality type on blogs, see BUTTHURT (an inappropriately strong, negative, and emotional response to a perceived personal insult).
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On the subject of cursing in comments (which your host doesn't appreciate but chooses to mostly ignore), maybe we adults can learn something from the kids, see: nocussing.com.
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Cyber-bullying is not just for kids. See this revealing article by an adult former cyberbully at overcomebullying.org.
- What Type of Web Commenter Are You? See this hilarious list by ABCNews.com Techonology Columnist Michael S. Malone.
