We have been learning how to set up a good usable commenting system on our blog. At first we let anyone comment as long as they gave a username and an email address. We moderated the comments and we had to approve every comment. We would receive about 50 spam comments to every 1 real comment. We got tired of having to filter through so much spam.
History
We tried a few anti spam options, but the ones we tried weren’t working very well for us. So, we switched to requiring a registration. Then we got 0 comments. This is definitely not what we wanted.
We revamped our whole commenting settings and added in a new commenting system making it easier to integrate the on going dialog here with your email system and better allow cross communication between folks.
The comments here are all about the conversation. And we don’t want to be the only ones talking.
The Policy
It seems like when there is a bit more anonymity, that people sometimes forget to check their tone and attitude, and the dialog can become a bit uncivil. Here is our commenting policy to keep the conversation smoothly flowing.
1. You may comment anonymously.
You can sign up with Disqus for a profile. I believe you can register directly on our site. Or you can chose to just post anonymously.
We may change this at some point.
2. You may post follow-up questions.
If you have a question, chances are you are others have the same or similar question. Please post your questions on this blog so everyone can benefit.
3. You may disagree with us.
Sometimes the best way to get to truth is through debate. However, we have to be careful here. If you disagree with us or anyone else, we ask that you keep your comments respectful.
One of the things I’ve noticed is that people often feel like they’ve not been heard. So, a tip to keep things civil is to first recap what you think you’ve heard the person say before going on to your rebuttal.
4. We reserve the right to delete your comments.
This is our blog. We don’t have an obligation to publish your comments. The First Amendment gives you the right to express your opinions on your blog not ours.
Specifically, we will delete your comments if you post something that is: defamatory, abusive, harassing, threatening, profane, pornographic, offensive, false, misleading, or which otherwise violates or encourages others to violate our sense of civility. We will delete any comments that violate any law, including intellectual property laws. We will delete any comments that are “spam” – such as an attempt to advertise, solicit, or otherwise promote goods and services.
If you want us to promote your goods or services, and you believe that our followers will be genuinely interested in what you have to offer, contact us directly.
You may post a link to your site or your most recent blog post.
5. You retain ownership of your comments.
We do not own them and we expressly disclaim any and all liability that may result from them. By commenting on my site, you agree that you retain all ownership rights in what you post here and that you will relieve us from any and all liability that may result from those postings.
6. You grant us a license to post your comments.
This license is worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, and royalty-free. You grant us the right to store, use, transmit, display, publish, reproduce, and distribute your comments in any format, including but not limited to a blog, in a book, a video, or presentation.
W e will do our best to be sensitive here. We will ask permission before using anyone’s names or to avoid violating intellectual property rights.
This policy is taken from the comments policy on Michael Hyatt’s blog and modified for our own use under the creative commons license.
