Comment Policy

I appreciate comments on my site and I love that people take the time to respond to my posts. I resisted creating a comment policy for a long time because I didn’t want to bog people down with a bunch of rules, but as the number of comments has increased (something I am very happy about) the need to set some guidelines has become apparent. I think these guidelines are fair and reflect the comments made by most of the Poewar community.

Names

The best names are real names. I prefer that you use your first name and optionally your last name or last initial. Handles are acceptable, but not as good as real names. Handles that are interpreted as being primarily for advertisement or purposes other than identification are unacceptable. Any handle that I find objectionable or that I believe a significant number of people would find objectionable are also unacceptable.

Name-based URLs

Links to personal sites and personal blogs are acceptable. Links to sites that I consider to be primarily promotional or sales oriented are unacceptable. Links to any site that I find objectionable for any reason are unacceptable. Specifically, links to SEO sites, directories and commercial sites will be viewed with great suspicion.

Other Links

The same basic rules apply as for name-based URLs with the added stipulation that the link must in some way add to the quality of the conversation and that the comment itself must be considered to be of value.

The BIG Rule for Writing Comments

Be nice, helpful, engaged and fair.

General Comment Guidelines

• Any comment that I view as a personal attack, whether it is on me or any other target, is unacceptable.
• Criticism is acceptable, but make sure that it is constructive, well thought out and that it focuses on an action or situation, not a person.
• Stay on topic. If I feel your comment is unrelated to the article or just plain incoherent it will be deleted.
• Swear words should be used rarely and only with a good reason.
• I appreciate compliments, but a comment that just says I agree”, “great article” or “you rock” doesn’t really add anything to the conversation so it will be deleted. My heart will be warmed, but your comment will be gone.

About My Responses

I like to respond to comments, but please keep in mind that my time is limited. Blogging is my second job. If you don’t always get a personal response or an in-depth answer to a question it is either because I didn’t have the time or I didn’t have anything to say. I respond to as many comments as I can, but writing new articles comes first. I know that there are bloggers out there who respond to every comment. I admire them, but I just can’t do the same with my schedule. I do still love you.

Privacy Note:

I will not release your email adress. Beyond that, consider this to be a public forum.