Comments FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About Comments

You are solely responsible for your comments.

Why do you moderate readers’ comments?

Our goal is to provide substantive commentary for a general readership. By screening submissions, we hope to create a space where readers can exchange intelligent and informed commentary.

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderating decisions are subjective. We will make decisions as carefully and consistently as we can. Because of time restraints, we cannot review individual moderation decisions with readers.

What kind of comments are you looking for?

We value thoughtful comments representing a range of views that make their point quickly and politely. We make an effort to protect discussions from repeated comments – either by the same reader or different readers.

We follow the same standards for taste as a newspaper. A few things we won’t tolerate: personal attacks, obscenity, vulgarity, profanity (including expletives and letters followed by dashes), commercial promotion, impersonations, incoherence and SHOUTING.

Do you edit comments?

No. Comments are either approved or they’re not.

When and where will my comment be displayed?

Comments are typically posted faster during business hours. Moderation can be less frequent in the evening and on weekends. All comments are published to a comments page, which is linked to from the main article or blog post.

Should I use my real name when making a comment?

Yes, definitely. We have found that people who use their names carry on more engaging, respectful conversations. However, we recommend against using your full e-mail address on security grounds.

A reminder: Once your comment is published, it can be found in search results on Web sites like Google and Yahoo.