I thought since I have started making commenting a requirement to see certain blog posts, that this would be a good time to describe my comment policy. I haven’t really had issues yet, and I’d like to keep it that way.
A comment will never automatically post unless I am writing it while logged into my wordpress account. This means that I moderate all comments. I do not use a comment blacklist (list of words and/or phrases that automatically put a comment in my spam list), but I do have a max of 2 links before the comment automatically is sent to spam. A comment being labeled as spam does not necessarily mean it will not be posted, but it will take longer for me to notice it, because I won’t get an email or a notification that I have comments to moderate. Also, if it is in my spam list I follow a guilty until proven innocent approach, and if it is at all questionable whether the comment is really relevant or is just someone’s own self-promotion then the comment will be deleted, whereas, if it shows up in my regular moderation queue, I practice innocent until proven guilty and would be more likely to just let it go…like a Disney princess 🙂
If a comment seems legitimate, it will be posted at my earliest convenience, probably completely unedited; I am not your personal spelling and grammar checker, so if you want it checked you’ll have to do it yourself.
If the comment is intentionally hurtful, I reserve the right to do one of two things. I can either completely delete your comment, or I can re-write it to keep the integrity of the comment but be positive. For example, if you commented: I think this is the dumbest post you have ever written and you should just go hang yourself tonight, I can edit that to say “I think this is the best post you have ever written and you should go have a party tonight” So basically, be polite in your criticism or I might choose to have you say something you didn’t intend to say…This is my safe place, so I don’t have to post anything that is hurtful towards myself or anyone else.
Finally, here is a set of rules I adapted slightly from Kati Morton’s social media site. (I edited or deleted a few that were less relevant for my blog…) I think these rules give good guidelines on how to behave maturely on the internet.
These are the rules as a community that have been created in order to feel safe, please abide by them!
- Use appropriate language.
- Stay on topic.
- Comment section is not a place to discuss suicide plans/ ideation; this may be extremely triggering for others. CLICK HERE to visit our Counseling and Prevention Resources page. (This is a page Kati maintains, I cannot guarantee that this link will continue to work and link to an updated page…for my favorite helpline, check out the link in my post about allergies from early March 2015.
- If you are, or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call a local emergency telephone number or go immediately to the nearest emergency room.
- Practice kindness and empathy when interacting with others.
- We strive to make the comment section a fun and safe place to share experiences and get support each other. Users who don’t respect these goals will be asked to leave.
- This is not a dating website. I don’t wanna see your PDA’s.
- Be aware of others struggles and mental health, we all struggle different and are triggered differently.
- Respect one another… no trolling or spamming (ie) comments meant to hurt or annoy members.
- If you think someone is behaving inappropriately, say something! Explain to the person why you think their behavior is inappropriate and ask them kindly to stop. If the behavior doesn’t stop, let me know.
- No bullying.
- Respect other people’s privacy. I avoid using names and faces in order to protect the privacy of the people around me. Unless someone else gave you express permission to use their name and tell their story, you probably shouldn’t do it. If it is your name and your story go for it, but basically use your brain, if you wouldn’t want it shared about you then don’t share it about anyone else.
- If you have any questions, just ask.
A journey through trauma & triumph 