By registering for and posting comments on The Moderate Voice you are acknowledging and agreeing to the following general comments policy:

(1) You are required to register if you want to comment on TMV’s articles. We prefer, as most here do, that you use your actual name, or your first name and initial of your surname, or both your actual initials. Racist, sexist, ad hominen, or vulgar screennames, or those using misleading words, will be banned. Screennames that provoke attention away from the topics on TMV will be banned. Choosing a screen name that may give the appearance that one is akin to The Moderate Voice, is not acceptable.

(2) All e-mail received from readers by The Moderate Voice is considered intended for publication unless otherwise indicated in the initial message from the writer. Please do not send us attachments unless you contact us and we agree to it beforehand.

(3) The Moderate Voice reserves the right to edit all e-mail and posted comments for content, clarity, and length. The Moderate Voice reserves the right to delete comments that do not comply with the commenters’ rules, and to ban those who cannot comply the rules of the site and with civility toward TMV commenters and writers and administration.

(4) Our comment space is reserved for focused and thoughtful comments that relate to each post’s topic specifically, not to or about the writer, not what the commenter thinks the writer should or shouldnt write about, not about TMV as a site or the commenter’s fantasies about other commenters’/writers’/admininstrators’/TMV’s “real” intent, not about other commenters’ lives or character or brain power, rightness or wrongness. The key word for commenting is civility. Civil discussion, civil teaching, presenting ideas and opinions and life stories in a civil manner. We value first witness stories from one’s own life, as well as verifiable facts.

Do not post lengthy text–not from your own works or those of others, including news articles. Two paragraphs is more than sufficient. You may however, link to them. Limit your links to three or less per post.

As a courtesy to others, please do not leave long spaces between your paragraphs or links so others have to scroll excessively. Do not leave long run-on comments with no paragraphing.

As a courtesy to our readers and commenters also, do not leave long comments that others have to scroll and scroll through, and/or that are aimed at one [or two] other commenter[s], thereby dominating the commenters’ space at TMV. If you wish to have a back and forth with another commenter, take it offline to your own email [with the other person’s written permission] or elsewhere off-site if the other commenter agrees.

(5) Commenting that attacks writers or/ and commenters or administrators… comments that attempt to redirect away from the article topic, comments that are abusive, contain baiting, name-calling, use offensive or vulgar language, contain profane, sexist, or racist remarks, calls for violence, or violates the terms of service for this blog’s host provider — all such comments will be removed and the author(s) of such, banned from future comments. Such comments violate the very SPIRIT of this site — which was created to encourage thoughtful discussion, relating to others, teaching and learning among readers who may share similar and/or differing viewpoints on a myriad of subjects.

(6) All points of view are welcome on The Moderate Voice, with the following exceptions:

(a) Comments posted several times a day that dominate, re-direct, seek to create a “look at me” vanity page out of our comments page, or hijack the thread away from the topic of the article, will be subject to deletion. And if not stopped immediately, that commenter will be banned.

Too, those who by their comments attempt to turn a discussion into the equivalent of a bitter shouting match, or comments going off-topic thereby interrupting those who are discussing the post’s content, will be deleted. If the commenter cannot cease such behavior across the commenting forums at TMV, they will be banned.

The following kinds of comments will be deleted also, and if not stopped across all commenting forum, the commenter will be banned:

(b) Crossposting the same comment to more than one article. Comments that use name-calling, or that insult or attack commenters or TMV admin or writers, or repeatedly make the same point over and over that has nothing to do with the topic, or with the effect of clear intent to annoy other commenters or TMV writers/ admin.

(7) Name-calling, ad hominem attacks (personal attacks), racist and/or sexist comments, baiting, put downs, or use of profanity or vulgarity by any commenter, whether they are by persons who agree or disagree with the views expressed by The Moderate Voice, will NOT be tolerated and will result in the deletion of the comment and the banning of the commenter’s ISP address, without notice.

Commenters who virtually ASK The Moderate Voice to ban them by choosing not to read commenters’ rules or by ignoring a warning, or daring TMV to ban them will quickly get their wish.

(8) It is preferred that commenters identify themselves by their actual name, as many commenters and writers at TMV do also. If a commenter attempts to come in under unapproved screenames, they will be asked to change their screen name. If they don’t, they are subject to banning.

(9)If we have problems with inappropriate or inflammatory comments from a commenter who it turns out gave a fake email address, or who attempts to come back into the TMV forums under an alias or new IP after being banned, that person will be immediately banned.

(10) Quotes from material appearing on The Moderate Voice with attribution are allowed. Reprints are allowed only by permission from The Moderate Voice. The individual articles are ©copyrighted in each writer’s name. You may request permission by e-mail.

(11) The Moderate Voice is a personal website. It is not the Government. It is NOT aligned with any political party. It is NOT promoting any specific candidate for office. It is not a public institution or a media organization. It is not a neutral site. It is intended to express and disseminate the TMV authors’ varying points of views. Writers on this weblog take positions. TMV reserves the right to limit comments to those that, in its view, comport with its stated comment policy. Comments that do not comply are subject to deletion and banning of the author’s ISP.

Disclaimer:

–Reading and posting comments at The Moderate Voice constitutes acknowledgment of and agreement to the terms outlined in this comment policy. This comment policy may be revised in part or in full at any time.

–All comments must comport with applicable state and federal laws. The Moderate Voice has no obigation to monitor, edit, censor, or take responsibility for comments. Therefore, commenters are solely responsible for the content of their comments and should ensure that that their comments are lawful and fall within the stated rules of both The Moderate Voice and its hosting company.

–The Moderate Voice is not be responsible for injury or liability to any reader or commenter resulting from its own communications or those of commenters, that may be offensive, misleading, inaccurate, illegal, or otherwise unsuitable in the view of the reader. Readers and commenters further agree to indemnify and hold harmless The Moderate Voice from claims resulting from the use of any material appearing on The Moderate Voice which damages the reader, commenter or any other party.

–The Moderate Voice is not responsible for and might disagree with material posted in the comments section. While we strive for accuracy in our posts and DO correct errors, material posted by The Moderate Voice in its posts — or those left by others in the comments section — may or may not be accurate.

Read and Post at your own risk.