we have brains

a reminder on proper posting

October 7, 2003 11:10 AM posted by april : track it (0)

I've tried addressing off-topic, general issue debates by talking to some of you guys individually. Kerri's tried reminding you to take your off-topic conversations to the messageboard, which is a great place to have generalized discussions, and to post your longer, vaguely-related-to-topic comments on your own blogs. Several posters have raised concerns about what amounts to name-calling.

And yet. It still seems like we have a few "behavior problems" (which I am not blaming on any specific individuals, by the way).

Okay, kids. Here's the deal. I believe some of you are honestly not getting it, not through any malice or stupidity on your part, but just because you don't. Whatever we say on the topic of proper posting isn't communicated as well as it could be.

To clarify...

An off-topic comment that responds not to the original question itself or to the content of someone else's comment, but to an unrelated element of someone else's comment or the question. The proper way to address these sorts of comments is via email or on the messageboard.

A general issue debate is one with no bearing on any given post at all. These should only be addressed on the messageboard.

A long comment (really anything more than a paragraph or so), even if relevant, is probably best posted on your own blog and summarized in your comments here - just for the sake of readability.

Namecalling is anything where you blame someone else for a problem, deny the possibility that their opinion is valid, or in any other way act like a middleschooler. This isn't tolerable in any form on this site, but you're more than welcome to take that shit to your own blog.

From this point forward, I will be pruning comments for you, if you can't regulate yourselves. This site is designed to facilitate discussion, not debate (the former is about listening without an agenda, by the way). I hate to edit out your thoughts, because I think they're valid, but if you don't contribute them in appropriate language or location, they'll be deleted or edited - if edited, I will always call out the edits.

If you have issue with any of your posts being deleted, you may take this up with me - via email only.

Enough said.

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your comments : post a new comment

i find it interesting that in the first sentence about proper posting on a profect for feminists you refer to everyone using the generic, yet archaicly gender-laden term "guys." as a feminist, that immediately offends and turns me off to the whole idea of the tagline of your blog.

if you have a brain, why not use it. all of the staff listed on your site is female. i venture to say a vast majority of your readers are as well. why not address them the right way? the intelligent way? the pro-woman, feminist-loving way?

Posted by: m on March 21, 2004 08:44 PM |

I rejoice in my ambiguity.....Im intersexed but look more like a typical man kind of.....I live in both worlds ........and I love it.......

Posted by: julie on August 30, 2004 01:10 PM |