F.Y.I.:

We try to allow as free rein in the comments as possible. Here's what we said when we changed the sign-in process:

October 01, 2005

The Other Brother has just installed a script that will prompt you for a name when you post a comment. Please feel free to use a pseudonym. The sole reason for this is that we'd like to think the comment section affords an opportunity for discussion and folks who don't put any moniker at all make that discussion more difficult.

As always, we'd ask that your comments not crib extensively from other people's writings--use a link if you want to reference another site (however, don't just post a series of links)--that you not use profanity and that you not attack people personally. Ideas are fair game--people aren't. We try to delete and/or edit as few comments as possible, though offensive, false, and non-responsive comments will not be treated with undue respect and we do reserve the right to play with trolls' comments for purposes of our own amusement. The Darwinists are particular cat's paws.

In the meantime, folks have expressed a legitimate concern that when I diddle some comments then all comments become unreliable. Taking that into consideration, I made a particular effort over the past week not to change or delete any comments. This predictably led to some coarsening of language and to some regretable comments about Muslims in particular. There are plenty of places on-line where you can engage in hate speech if you feel the need--our comments section will not be one of them. However, in the interests of fairness I promise not to ever edit a comment again, though I will in turn just go ahead and delete those that are offensive, false, and non-responsive, even if they also contain valid points. You can feel feel free to rephrase and repost, but I shant rephrase for you (or to you, as the case may be).

If prior edits have upset anyone whose comment wasn't racist, Islamophobic, nativist, or Darwinist, I apologize.

Posted by Orrin Judd at August 14, 2006 5:34 PM