I love the access the internet provides us for connecting with each other. Without this website, and Facebook, I would not have the blessing of meeting and knowing so many wonderful people. But with the access also comes anonymity. And I have found in the past that the anonymity sometimes can be abused. It allows people to say things, or write things, they would never say if standing right in front of you.
So here is my comments policy (with thanks to Michael Hyatt for sharing his). By posting on my blog, you agree to the following:
- You may comment without registering. You can log-in via IntenseDebate, OpenID, Twitter, Facebook—or not at all. It’s up to you.
- You may post anonymously. I don’t recommend this, but you may do so if you wish. I reserve the right to change this rule if guests abuse it.
- You may post follow-up questions. I love hearing from my readers! If you have a question, there’s a chance someone else has the same one. So please comment here with your question rather than emailing me directly. This way I can share the answer with you as well as others who might have the same question.
- It’s ok to disagree with me. I don’t mind debate. However, I do ask that if you disagree with me—or anyone else, for that matter—please do it in a way that’s respectful. No name calling, no disrespect. I think of my blog as an extension of my home. If you wouldn’t say it in my living room, please don’t say it in the comments.
- I reserve the right to delete your comments. This is my blog. I don’t have an obligation to publish your comments. The First Amendment gives you the right to express your opinions on your blog not mine.Specifically, I will delete your comments if you post something that is, in my sole opinion, (a) mean or disrespectful; (b) off-topic; (c) libelous, defamatory, abusive, harassing, threatening, profane, pornographic, offensive, false, misleading, or which otherwise violates or encourages others to violate my sense of decorum and civility or any law, including intellectual property laws; or (d) “spam,” i.e., an attempt to advertise, solicit, or otherwise promote goods and services. You may, however, post a link to your site or your most recent blog post.
- You retain ownership of your comments. I do not own them and I expressly disclaim any and all liability that may result from them. By commenting on my site, you agree that you retain all ownership rights in what you post here and that you will relieve me from any and all liability that may result from those postings.
- You grant me a license to post your comments. This license is worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, and royalty-free. You grant me the right to store, use, transmit, display, publish, reproduce, and distribute your comments in any format, including but not limited to a blog, in a book, a video, or presentation.
My desire is to offer interesting conversations with caring, honest, and respectful people. I believe this simple comments policy will achieve this.
