Ground Rules for Singletude Comments

Recently, How Single Men Make Women Settle inspired some heated remarks and underscored the need for a set of guidelines for commenters here at Singletude. Please take a minute to review the following ground rules for commenting so that this can remain a positive place for everyone:


1. NO SPAMMING
If you send an ad or link to a site whose primary purpose is advertising, it will not be published. Links to your blog or web site are fine as long as they're in the context of a comment that furthers discussion.

2. NO FLAMING
Malicious attacks designed to be incendiary rather than informative will not be published.

3. NO ANONYMOUS COMMENTS (with one exception; see below)
Anonymous comments will not be published unless the comment is a question for an advice Q&A, in which case writing anonymously is acceptable. You can also email questions to me with a request for anonymity (see the "About Me" section on the home page to find out how). The option for anonymity was enabled so that readers who don't have a blog or web page could comment. If you don't have a Blogger or Open ID and must comment anonymously, then you need to sign your comment. Obviously, we don't need to know your last name and the street you live on. "Mike in NJ" or "Anne the Librarian" will do.

4. LIMIT USE OF OBSCENITIES
This is intended to be a PG or PG-13 kind of blog so that everyone feels comfortable here. Therefore, it's requested that you limit your use of vulgar language. I won't be hypervigilant about this, but Singletude reserves the right to edit comments for language if, in my opinion, they cross an unacceptable line.

5. BE POLITE
No hate speech, no name calling, no personal attacks. Snark and sarcasm about the issues are well and good; insults toward people in this community are not. I want you all to feel free to disagree with the posts, just as you have since I started Singletude. I don't have a monopoly on truth, and differences of opinion spice up the dialogue and shed new light on unilluminated points. However, there are ways to express differences of opinion that are civil and respectful and ways that are not. As stated in the beginning, this is a humanistic blog written from the standpoint that all people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Some of the issues discussed here may sometimes provoke strong reactions. However, everyone has a right to state his or her own opinion without being abused for it. If you disagree with a post or comment, then say you disagree and explain why, but do so politely and courteously. If you can't, I reserve the right not to publish your post.


The first time you violate a rule, you'll get a warning and be directed to the guidelines. After that, it will be your responsibility to stay within the guidelines, and if you choose to ignore them, your comment may not appear.

If you have questions about the guidelines or want to know why a comment was not published, you can contact me. (See the "About Me" section on the home page for information on how to get in touch.)

I hope that these ground rules will contribute to making Singletude a place where everyone feels welcome to say what they mean and mean what they say. Happy commenting!