II. Comment Policies

Sour Duck's Blogging Basics: Comment Policies

If your blog gains an audience and you receive many comments, you may want to consider publishing a comment policy.

What is a comment policy?

A comment policy outlines conditions for behavior in the comments section of your blog. The most frequently addressed subject is trolls.

The advantage to having a comment policy is that it absolves you of the accusation that you're censoring comments at your blog.

Fictional Example:

Jane has been running a feminist blog for a few months. She receives a fair number of comments, and generally she fosters an atmosphere of respectful debate if someone disagrees with her post.

However, lately Jane's blog has received a number of disruptive, rude and off-topic comments. The commenters use bizarre logic, make inflammatory statements, seem unable to engage with other comments or even Jane's content, and they frequently make personal attacks.

She's had enough and decides to start moderating comments. She publishes a comment policy defining trollish behavior, and that she will not approve these comments at her blog.

Now she's given fair warning to her readers, so that she cannot be accused of censorship at her blog. Those who observe the 'house rules' can still engage in debate.

Policies vary in content, style and tone, and while it is usually written by the blogger herself, it's not unknown for a blogger to adopt another blogger's policy by linking to it.

What kind of blog do you run?

If you choose to have a comment policy, the nature of that policy will depend upon what kind of blog you run.

Blogs have been likened to everything from private homes to town halls. Now, you wouldn't conduct yourself in someone's private home the same way you would in a town hall debate, would you?

So comment policies help indicate to readers how you envision your blog. Is it like your livingroom? A debating hall? Etc.

Examples of comment policies

Feminist blogs contain excellent examples of comment policies, because they run the gamut from 'private home' to 'town hall'. Also, due to the 'contentious' nature of the subject matter, feminist bloggers usually have to sort out early on what they consider to be trollish behavior, and how they will deal with it.

So let's pluck a few examples from the feminist blog community.

Definition - A Feminist Weblog has a comment policy that's friendly and shows a sense of humor, while still taking a 'no apologies' approach:

"This is not a place for me to explain myself (i.e., educate or persuade those who violently and rudely disagree) unless I choose to, as per the original purpose of this blog. This in mind, I will be moderating comments. Anti-feminist rhetoric and trolls will not be permitted; determining who is anti-feminist or a troll is at my own discretion, and anyone who's feelings are hurt at being labeled as such…well, that's really too bad. This is my blog. I encourage you to make one of your own, and you can say whatever you like on it, and I totally don't have to read it—though I probably will, anyway, what [with] being an intellectual masochist and all.

People who seem honestly curious and want to learn are fine, of course. Again, determined as I choose.

Those who have not commented on the site before will have to wait for me to approve their comments, after which point they will no longer have to wait for me to moderate their comments before they are posted on the site. (You know…to prevent SPAM.)"

The blogger has let her readers know specifically what types of comments will not be approved, and that this is entirely at her discretion.

Vociferate writes about her experience with trolls and gives fair warning in this post, "Go and boil your head". I'm not sure it's an official comment policy, but it's certainly a statement of intent:

"I can't even be bothered to argue with these people [trolls] any more. I'm a big dyke covered in hair from head to toe, even my eyes and teeth, I eat penises for breakfast, wear the entrails of men as lingerie and cut up new-born babies with chainsaws, yeah yeah, I've heard it all before! Mostly, there's no point in arguing with them, because a) they're crazy and can't believe reality, and b) their whole aim is to distract everyone and make the whole conversation all about them; like a kid pissing on the carpet, any attention is good attention. My patience is exhausted with them.

From now on, my attitude toward trolls is this; go and boil your head. I have neither the time nor the inclination to allow asswipes to post and irritate people, like a wasp buzzing in your face, only smaller and more annoying. If I find a comment particularly amusing, I may post it for everyone's enjoyment but as far as I'm concerned you 'people' waste enough time of good women, and you aint wasting any of mine. Take your inadequacy elsewhere, foreskin-face."

She points out that the purpose of many trolls is to keep the attention focused on themselves, not engage in a dialogue. And she warns that she will not approve trollish comments, unless she feels like it.

Mind the Gap outline their comment policy, which they title, "Discussion Rules":

"Now that this blog has been running for a year, we thought it was time to update the comment policy. We fully respect the right of any blogger to run her blog however she sees fit and the rules are not a comment on anyone else's policy. However, in addition to moderating the inevitable trolls, the rules are partly a response to phenomena occurring around the feminist blogging community and which we intend to prevent from happening here. While we haven't had a problem yet, we have observed some very unpleasant arguments and fallings out recently and we have absolutely no intention of hosting such a conflagration. But, more importantly, we feel these rules are consistent with the principles upon which we founded this particular blog, namely, principles of feminist discussion, debate and community building."

The policy goes on to itemize unacceptable behavior.

Your comment policy can also be written in a flippant, intentionally unreasonable, and humorous tone. Witness Ahistoricality and his comments policy:

"I reserve the right to delete comments for other reasons, at any time, and to do so without explanation. I may delete comments by people who I don't like; I may delete comments with language I don't like; I may delete comments with arguments I find offensive, troubling, or simply too wrong to bother with; I may delete comments that are poorly written; I may delete comments that are unkind or unnecessarily vulgar or otherwise offensive; I may delete comments which attack myself, my friends, relations, colleagues, heroes or admirers without extremely good grounds.

It's my blog."

Trolls can also drive traffic up. In a comment to an article on trolls by Mary Tsao (Mom Writes), Media Girl shares her thoughts and experience with trolls. Recommended reading.