I have been pondering guidelines for comments for some time, having seen that many of the blogs I follow have expectations for feedback and discussion. Up until today it hasn't really been necessary as NBA commenters have been unerringly polite.
Most comment guidelines boil down to "be nice to others". It may seem old fashioned given the abuse and obfuscation that web users are all to familiar with these days. Plain politeness has been supplanted by personal attacks, and too often meaningful discussion grinds to a halt.
After a good example of this here on my last post, I decided to write more formal comment guidelines. NBA values comments and all they bring to the discussion of simple living and lifestyle change, and would like them to continue without fear of being flamed.
NBA therefore vows to protect this community from the type of attacks and dark alley tangents that have become all to common in other areas of the Internet. I will be moderating our discussions more vigilantly to protect the people, values and ideas I cherish.
NBA Comment Guidelines
Discussion and debate for the sake of learning and behaviour change is welcome here. I believe that this can be done via courteous, concise comments relevant to the topic of the post, whether or not they agree with the views expressed.
Comments containing profanity, abusive language, or baiting will be deleted.
Posting comments with a user name attached above, or in the text of the comment, are appreciated. Doing so lets us meet on common ground and get to know each other better.
I agree with Martin Luther King when he said, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." However, speaking out improperly can be just as bad.
'Be nice to others' would be a good mantra. When asked what his religion was, the Dali Lama replied 'kindness'..encourage everyone to follow this advice...what a wonderful place the world will be! But as you warn us...fear of speaking out can be as bad as ill chosen words. A very good post (almost!) on the eve of a new year...thank you Gregg and Linda. May NBA followers multiply in every land!
ReplyDeleteCharlotte,
DeleteUnfortunately some people equate kindness with weakness. I think the Dali Lama is strong - and right.
There is no room for mean-spiritedness when seeking the truth. It will remain obscured behind unnecessary and harmful emotions.
Truths need to be approached with love and understanding before they will be revealed to us. In this same spirit we can effectively share them with others.
Happy New Year to you. May 2015 bring you everything you need.
More NBA followers would be great. Thank you.
Well put. Can't ever go wrong with "Be nice to others."
ReplyDeleteI seconded CharlotteP's well wishes for the new year...."May NBA followers multiply in every land!" Love it!
Happy New Year to all.
Terri
Terri,
DeleteThank you. You are kind.
Happy New Year to you. We wish you an awesome 2015 full of discoveries and breakthroughs.
A few ground rules are a good thing. Thank you for making this a community where thoughtful debate is welcomed, but attack is not tolerated.
ReplyDeleteWishing you both all good things in the new year.
Miss Marla,
DeleteYou are one of NBA's original commenters, and we thank you for helping get things started. I shudder to think that a rogue commenter might push you, and others like you, away from commenting or visiting our blog.
I have to protect everyone here, just like I vowed I would do in the classroom during my 10 years of teaching. It is a fine balance, but it must be done if learning and sharing is to continue in a positive, effective manner.
I wish there was something I could do for the person that spurred me into action and resulted in these ground rules. I want this blog to be as inclusive as possible, and they did have some good points that many here would agree with in principle.