I moderate some of the comments on Forward Lookout, and there are some that do not get through, let’s review why . . .
Our full comment policy is here.
Here’s some important points.
Obvious things about offensive comments:
1. Deliberately offensive or annoying comments will not be approved.
This means, if you are offensive or annoying in your comments, they will not be approved.
2. Spamming cut-and-paste talking points or press releases is not allowed. If you want to note a press release that is relevant to the post, link to it and add your own commentary to it.
This means, if you cut and paste talking points or press releases, they will not be approved. Even if you do it 6 times, volume does not matter.
4. Do not make racist, sexist, homophobic, anti-Semetic, anti-Muslim or otherwise inappropriate comments.
This means, these comments will not be approved.
7. Do not spam the comments thread with the same comment over and over. If you accidently double-post, someone will get to it and remove it.
As noted above, that won’t help get your comment approved.
9. Comments that personally insult, threaten, or harass writers or commentators will not be approved. Comments that contain insults against broad groups of people will not be approved.
I don’t care if your nasty comment is about Mayor Dave or Bridget Maniaci or Thuy Pham-Remmele or Scott Walker or Ron Johnson, the comments will not get approved! Seriously. Knock it off.
Anonymous Comments and User Names
1. We request that you at least use an actual e-mail address (not published) when commenting and prefer you use your actual name.
I’m more picky about this than others, but seriously, if you say it, put your name on it.
2. Comments by people using their actual name are given more leeway with regard to the aforementioned guidelines than those of anonymous commenters.
I think I still deleted some of these comments, but maybe you should see what people say in this regard and will let more of them through with real names, if I can verify.
3. We think you should put your name on your comments, it adds credibility to what you are posting and people seem to post more responsibily when their name is attached. I’ll let former NFL Coach Herm Edwards emphasize this point:
Sorry, I’m a little crabby, yesterday I deleted a rude comment about Maniaci, because it was offensive and the person didn’t put a real name on it and during the Hulsey campaign he had a particularly annoying supporter who got a portion of his comments through but couldn’t seem to follow the rules either, and about once or twice a week I deny a comment cuz its not a real email address or has an obvious fake name and email. I refuse to let this site become like thedailypage forum or madison.com comments, we don’t need more of that pollution on the internet. So seriously people, grow up, or don’t waste your time writing the comments, they won’t get through or . . . if you really want to be a jerk, I guess we can let you do that too, but only if you put your name on it and use a real email address!
Ok, I’m done ranting. For the rest of the readers, I’m sorry your comments have to be moderated due to the rest of the people out there who can’t seem to be decent human beings, we do our best to monitor the site and approve the comments that follow the guidelines as soon as possible. And yes, please disagree with us, that’s ok, in fat, encouraged. Just follow the rules.
I have nothing to say except, Yup, I agree. The super-rude stuff becomes noise – whether it’s from the Left or Right or Up or Down. The very rude folks who are ejected have the right & opportunity to start their own web sites. It’s very easy.
I agree for the most part. One question…whose standards will define “annoying”? That term is very vague, unlike the other rules that you have implemented. Sounds kinda like this:
http://bit.ly/cpKDbB
“Annoying” was probably a bad choice of words . . . I haven’t not posted a comment because it was “annoying”. Actually, I think the rejected comments have all been for not using a real name or email or posting the same comment repeatedly. It might not surprise you that people who don’t use their real names also were sexists, racist or some other ist or name calling or engaged in personal attacks. I don’t know if the comments would have gotten through if they used a real name/email, they might have.
“Annoying” can be a vague word but I would interpret more as the form of the content rather than the content itself.
For example, if you posted a COMMENT ALL IN CAPS AND BOLD, I think that that would justify moderation.
The idea is to let as many comments as possible through; we want people to comment. But we also want it to stay more-or-less civil and that, unfortunately, means a tiny bit of comment moderation. It really is a small number like Brenda says.
At least at first, it was a comparable number to the handful of comments mistakenly caught in the spam filter.
BK: I think your guidelines are necessary and modest. And good for you for trying to get a handle on the nastiness. (We all sometimes get carried away, and that’s one thing editors are supposed to watch for.) Good luck. Your description of this as “noise” is especially apt.
George H.