The past few days have seen a rise, yet again, in trolls and people swearing in the comments, so I will repost my comments policy.
Remember, if you see a troll, don’t bother responding — when I delete their comments, yours will look a little funny hanging out there. Just let me know and I’ll take care of it.
The commenting policy is posted below. Learn it. Love it. Listen to it, or you’ll be wasting your time commenting here.
I didn’t want to do this, I really didn’t, but my hand is forced.
For some reason, this past week, I have had to edit a comment every day because someone has used "bad" words in it. I like this blog to remain, if not kid-friendly, then young-adult friendly. That means getting it into schools and such, and that means I have to be a nanny.
So here is my policy for commenting here. It is neither complete nor unchangeable. But this will do for now.
1) Be polite.
That’s it. That’s my rule.
That should be easy, right? Don’t go attacking other people, don’t swear, don’t be a jerk.
I reserve the right to edit out strong language and such. I will also delete comments that go over the line, or try to sell a product, or because I feel like it. OK, I won’t do that last part. The point is, this is my blog, and if you are being a jerk in some way I will take action. That may sound rather vague. Too bad. There is no line in the sand that says Here be good, there be jerk.
Look, when you comment on a blog, it’s like you’re in that person’s house. Be polite. Flush the toilet when you’re done, or, better yet, don’t foul the place up in the first place.
Simple, right?
March 4th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
It amazes me how often this gets reposted.
It’s not like this is Pharyngula.
March 4th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
balls
March 4th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
This is all the fault of the Bush-
[BAD WORD AUTODETECTED!]
[POSTING SESSION TERMINATED!]
March 4th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Sound reasonable. I don’t understand trolls at all. The Internet has opened up a whole new world of anonymous communication, which gives nitwits an opportunity to annoy a whole lot of people at once without suffering any real-world consequences.
March 4th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
I swear that I will not swear in my comments. Oops. I swore already.
March 4th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Upon reflection, I’ve decided to try a different posting name.
Zucchi
(aka Steven Doyle)
March 4th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
What exactly is the scientific process that results in the creation of a swear word?
Oh cripes, I just said creation!
Oh crap, I just said cripes!!
Oh evolution, I just said crap!!!
Phew… evolution has saved the day again, YAY!
March 4th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Penny Arcade reduced the troll mystery to a nice chart.
http://www.penny-arcade.com/docs/internetdickwad.jpg
Sort of bad word right there in the URL, but it’s for a good cause, dang it!
March 4th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Belgium, man. Belgium.
March 4th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
JackC, we can excuse any word in the galaxy but that one!
March 4th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Just out of curiosity, are the older posts more difficult to clean than the more recent ones? I ask because there are still a few clogged toilets (f-bombs, etc.) lurking around in the older posts. In particular, there is an interesting name/comment combo in the “What Would Newton Do?” post back in July 2007 (I just checked and it’s still there). Not that the language offends me personally –hey, I read Pharyngula, too — but I thought I’d mention it since the language issue has come up again.
And oh, yeah…Belgium.
(Pharynguloids will understand. Great idea, JackC.)
March 4th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
What about Semprini?
SFX: Sound of two policemen dragging JB away.
March 4th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
it must take some time going through all the comment every day to keep an eye on spam and lude content. add a “report as spam” button into the comments, mabey theres a peice of software to blocks certain words. of course i know nothing about running a blog so my advice isnt the best
March 4th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
There are trolls?!?! How do they fit into the evolutionary timeline? How about elves and hobbits?
Seriously: You should put a permanent link to the commenting policy up in the banner.
March 4th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
There ARE Trolls. I have photographic proof:
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/WASEAtroll.html
I am personally aquainted with this fellow, though I could swear I met him well before 1990. More like maybe 1980 I think.
JC
March 4th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
I suggest that, if someone really wants to swear, but their overall post is not jerk-like, they translate the swear word into Ubby-Dubby. This was the pig-latinesque language used on the 1970s PBS children’s program Zoom. The rule was simple – insert the syllable “ub” before any vowel. For example, if one wants to discuss Penn and Teller’s debunking show on Showtime, they can call it Bubullshubit. Or, we can say that people who promote the idea of the moon hoax are full of shubit! What fun!
In closing, I’ll just say – Phil, you’re one bad mubothuberfubuckuber!
J. D. (who suspects that this post will be deleted, but will click “submit” anyway)
March 4th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Phil, why don’t you just toggle-on (or load) a bad word filter?
Hey, is Creationism literally a “swear” word? (Talk amongst yoursleves.)
March 5th, 2008 at 12:07 am
@Steven Doyle: I find your use of “n*tw*t” offensive. A complaint has been made.
March 5th, 2008 at 4:56 am
JB of Brisbane: We have reason to believe that you have been watching pirated copies of old Monty Python TV episodes. To stop us revealing your address, please leave £2000 in a plain brown envelope behind the water pipes in Euston Station. If you don’t comply within 24 hours we’ll send Dinsdale round.
March 5th, 2008 at 6:16 am
Thanks for your attention to this matter. I’ve recently suggested your site to an eighth grader whose family is fairly Christian. I’d hate for this kid to encounter nastiness and lose his interest in astronomy.
March 5th, 2008 at 7:24 am
@Linda:
“I’ve recently suggested your site to an eighth grader whose family is fairly Christian”
Hmmm… I hope that [choose one]:
(a) the kid is not “as Christian” as his family and that his family doesn’t read the blog with him.
(b) the family just reads BA’s post and avoid the comments
(c) the family knows how to take a little abuse against their religion.
(d) they stick to the science post and avoid the religion/politics post.
I say this because while Phil does a pretty good job of attacking ideas and not people, there are some people on this blog that just flat out opposed to religion, and if the eighth grader considers themselves fairly religious, then coming across such a post could be very hurtful, particularly to someone so young. Or if the family keeps an eye on his online use and see these post, they may not appreciate it either.
Or not. Hey, I’m both conservative and a Christian, a very rare minority here, I’m sure. But I love the place.
Speaking of interest in Astronomy, National Geographic put out two books many many many years ago about space and astronomy. I remember clearly that one emphasized space travel (or at least, I think it did, I was about 6 at the time that I read them – I’m 30 now), and the other had a whole section on possible life that could exist on each of the planets. Jupiter could be inhabited by these creatures with gas sacks to keep them afloat. Very silly looking back on it, but those two book got me interested in Astronomy. Does anyone know the books I’m talking about? I can’t remember the names, and even though I know that they are long outdated, I’d love to find a copy of them.
March 5th, 2008 at 7:57 am
Aerimus, the book was called Our Universe, I just happen to have both the original, and the updated version, I have to agree, they were amazing, and helped foster my interest in astronomy aslo:)
March 5th, 2008 at 8:11 am
@DrKC
Ah! Thank You! Like I said, I know that they are outdated, but I’ve still wanted a copy for years! I’ll have to order good condition used one.
March 5th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Being polite on a blog is simple common sense – period. It should be clear to everyone.
But that stuff about flushing the toilet, you know, I never thought of it like that.
Hmmm… being someone’s house IS just like commenting on their blog! Now I get it!
(Sorry, Mom)
March 12th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
I do try to be polite. (Not always successfully I’ll admit!;-) )
However, I don’t believe anyone has a “right NOT to be offended” or to have sacred cows go unslaughtered.
(“Mmmm ..sacred cow burgers – de-lee-she-ous!”
)
I do believe in free speech, ‘calling a spade a spade’, and that the best way to counter lies is to correct them with the truth – forcefully if necessary.
If someone believes in nonsense (eg. creationism) then lets be able to tell ‘em so & not mince words too much rather than just paying lip-service to “respecting” their beliefs (which we won’t do in our minds anyway), shutting our mouths and letting their damaging delusions continue.
I also feel that a lot of what is considered “polite” is culturally derived. Americans, for instance, seem obsessed over swearing and sexuality-related things while overlooking what rationally may be far more serious things.
For example, compare the reaction when Janet Jackson had part of her anatomy inadvertently exposed (& by someone else too) during her performance at the superbowl. It seemed from what I gather that a lot of people – mainly Bible-Belters and “conservatives” were foaming at the mouth with outrage. They created a huge kerfuffle lasting months over what would’ve been – in Australia and other reasonable Western nations – a ‘two minute laugh then forget’ event – if that. Contrastingly, US TV shows a huge number of murders, assaults and other violent acts every hour and that gathers very little – if any – outrage. Yet’s what’s worse – a normal female body part or brutal killings?
Or again, lets compare how President Clinton engaged in & then lied about a consensual sexual affair that caused only emotional harm to a few individuals; with how Presiking George (Bush) the Second engaged in and lied to create an illegal war destroying the physical lives of many millions of innocent people. This latter act as ruined and harming at least three nations needlessly (USA, Iraq, Afghanistan .. & counting) and made the whole planet a far worse place.
Now Bill Clinton got impeached – or faced impeachment hearings, was dragged through the mud by the (often highly hypocritical) Republicans in one of the most vitriolic and over-the-top campaigns since McCarthyism.
Whilst Bush II … nada. No impeachment , no war crimes trail, no removal from office or even any serious attempt to remove from office. Yet whose acts were worse and whose offence more damaging? Clearly, by any half reasonable standards, an objective observer would have to say Bushes!
In Australia, adultery would be, if not quite a joke certainly no hanging offence – research our Ex-PM Bob Hawke for proof there – but lying to get your country to invade and occupy another would be seen, rightly, as an inexcusable act of criminal stupidity and evil.
The Americans and their relative values are strange mob indeed &
a whole lot of the world thinks America needs to get its priorities right!
(Personally, I blame the neurotic, messed-up nature of “American Culture” on the Puritan fathers, ah if only the ‘Mayflower’ had sunk on its way over .. How much better off you’d have been!
)
Swearing and other minor politeness offences that get you Americans so riled up and neurotic – really aren’t as important as other things.
There is a place for passionate and argument that is not restrained by needless and really fairly pathetic “softeners” like using say, ‘dagnabbed, goshswarned varmint’ when you mean ***** ****** ***** (Well, heck, I’m not goanna actually write it! I’m not allowed to.
)
Its best to have a civilised debate agreed – but its better to have an uncivilised one than no debate at all.
That said, like I said, I do try to be polite & considerate to others.