I thought it might be nice to make a few things clear before we continue.
There have been some issues with commenters of late, and I’m inclined to let them slide temporarily while I sort out some permanent measures. Nonetheless, I provide you with this explanation of what you can expect to find here, what warranty I offer, and what I expect from you.
What to Expect
The core content that appears on the pages of this site is usually written by me, and when it is not, it is written by someone whom I have approved for that purpose.
You will find here:
- Personal essays that may contain more fiction than fact
- More bitter reality than you might want from me
- Items of personal interest
- Items that I perceive as shared interest
- Written things that do not interest you at all
- Writing littered with profanity, pornography, blashphemy and other things you will certainly find offensive
- Writing of questionable quality and substance spelled with varying levels of adequacy
- Pictures of me and my family and my stuff
- Things I have drawn poorly
- Things that other people have drawn that I like well enough to share them
Mostly, you will see my opinions of everything in what I write. Opinions are what they are - my outlook on a particular topic. They aren’t guaranteed to be right or popular, but they are real and undoubtable in that they are what I believe.
What Warranty I Offer
None.
What I Expect of You
I expect that you’ll participate in an earnest conversation concerning what I’ve written. Or step off.
I expect that you’ll be courteous, even if profane or insistent, and thoughtful, even if stubborn or uneducated. I expect that you’ll disagree often, voice your own opinion, and back it up with proof of fact or consistency of belief. I expect that you’ll provide humor that is appropriate when it is appropriate. And remain civil, no matter how passionate.
The Consequences
Let’s not talk too much about the consequences. Let’s assume everyone can play nice. But I will lay out the basics:
If you violate my precepts, I will edit your comments, usually to make you look like a goon. If you continue, I will delete your comments. If you persist, I will ban you, and more if you’re very obnoxious. Very simple.
Origins of Policy
I’ve struggled with the policies that people have used to defend their actions in moderating blogs for a while now, and much of it makes me angry. Bloggers will say, “This is my space, not yours.” I think this is not a whole truth. If this was truly the case, then the ability to comment would be turned off. It’s very easy to do.
Bloggers are mistaken if they think that their publications should not be subject to rebuttal even on their own sites. They’ve provided the service to do so themselves, how paradoxical it is that they say it’s not allowed because it’s their site.
Yet on the other hand, it is their site, and they should have some measure of control. But to do so, there must be a line drawn, rules written. You need to know when you’ve violated the policy and what will happen if you do.
So here is where we’ve come. There is little that you can’t say here, make it worthwhile or get out.
And if the only page you can see on this site is this one, then you've already done something really wrong.
