You will notice that I have added a link to a new page at the top of the page. This is a permanent link to the rules of commenting here at the blog. They are there permanently for your reference. They are simple and easy to follow. I like the way that Miguel over at gunfreezone put it: don’t be a dick. If you want to know what it means to be a dick, read on.

The overriding concept here is that I am paying for this server, the software that runs it, and providing the content. Since I am the one paying for it, that makes it mine. Some people have a problem with this and begin shouting about free speech. Free speech doesn’t apply here on my property. Want free speech? Pay for your own blog. I will even rent you some server space. You can say whatever you want on there, including calling me names. Your space, your rules.

I allow comments here because I enjoy the back and forth of a good debate. However, commenting here is the virtual equivalent of talking to me while sitting in my living room. Debate is a good thing. A well reasoned debate changes minds and can influence the opinions of others. If you make a good case for your opinion, you can win over the opinions of others by presenting them with a perspective or situation that may not have occurred to them. Name calling and shouting at people does not change the opinions of others, generates hard feelings, and is nothing more than chimps shouting at each other inside of the monkey house.

If you and some of my acquaintances are sitting with me in my living room having a conversation, there are things that you wouldn’t say without expecting either a punch in the mouth or being asked to leave and never return. Try to think of comments here as a face to face conversation, and don’t type a comment here that you would not say to someone’s face while sitting in their own home.

So with that out of the way, here are the rules for commenting on this blog:

  1. The owner of this blog (me) has the final say on what you can and cannot post. It’s my house, I make the rules. Content here is moderated, and I will not be approving any comments that I find, in my sole judgement, to be unworthy. If you make a comment here and it doesn’t appear within a few hours, it likely wasn’t approved for some reason. Or it wound up in the SPAM filter for some reason. You can always drop me an email and ask.
  2. Deliberately posting statements that are aimed at insulting the blog owner (me) will get your comment tossed in the trash. Feel free to disagree with me, just don’t call names or impugn my character. If I wanted someone to purposely insult me, I don’t need to pay for a blog server, I can just go to my ex-wife’s house for free.
  3. Don’t deliberately insult others. No personal attacks. Feel free to attack ideas. Heap scorn on silly or illogical opinions, just don’t make it personal.
  4. If you are making a comment about one of my posts, it should be made on the post that you are commenting on, not on another, unrelated post. Offending posts may be deleted or disallowed, purely at my discretion. This is an attempt to both maintain readability and to reduce trolls.
  5. No spam. If you come on here to sell your product or website, that isn’t going to be allowed. This is an ad free site, because I hate all of the ads on the Internet. I don’t make money on this Blog, and no one else does, either. Including you.
  6. Usually, I just don’t approve comments that are out of bounds. If you are close to the line, I may approve it, with a warning. If repeated out of bounds comments become tiresome, I will warn you.
  7. If warnings don’t work and you keep at it, I will ban you from ever posting on this site again. I know that you can pull tricks like IP spoofing, changing your name, etc. So don’t think doing that is going to earn you “I’m so clever” points. It doesn’t make you clever, it makes you an ass.
  8. Too many people using those tricks to circumvent the rules is what got us full time moderation, which is a major pain in my ass, and a major time waster for me.
  9. When in doubt, please refer to rule #1. These rules can change with no notice, and rules may or may not apply retroactively. That’s up to me. See rule #1.

Those are the rules. They seem rather easy to follow. I am resisting the use of registered accounts for the reason that I don’t like registering anything. However, if too many people violate these rules, I will be forced to have accounts. Please don’t force me to do that.

I have only banned a handful of people (less than 5) in the sixteen years of this blog. I think that makes me pretty tolerant.

Of course, you can always ask me any questions by email: Divemedic@areaocho.com

Categories: Blog News

5 Comments

EdC · May 20, 2023 at 9:33 am

Everything you said is absolutely sensible, it is a sad reflection on our society that you even have to restate it.

It Is Your House · May 20, 2023 at 2:25 pm

I tried to visit from Tor once and a captcha came up in order to proceed.
Just testing defenses and Tor=DARPA.
Name calling is for those who don’t have anything worthwhile to say in the first place.
If a comment is from someone obviously drunk and high or a CPUSA (D) true believer then it should be good for a laugh at not with or demonstration of what not to do.

ThatsOrganizedReligion · May 20, 2023 at 5:29 pm

Denninger is famous for running an echo chamber, full of fantasies like the idea that any group of humans can permanently avoid economic and military competition with other groups (“borders”, “work permits”). All I want is evidence-based politics. If you want an electronic version of a salon in your living room, why are you banning people who point out flaws in your arguments?

One consequence of liberty is that 19 year old mothers own their children, not the government. As their personal property in chattel slavery, 19 year old mothers are permitted to homicide their living children without the police stopping them. There are no known stable alternatives, as “limited government” is just as fictional as “slightly pregnant”. Both of these situations start out small, and then grow. Allow the government to own children and you get the British Charlie Gard case. Allow the government to own adults and you get the British Liverpool Care Pathway. The British instance of peak government is trending to resemble the previous German, Russian, and Chinese peaks.

    Divemedic · May 20, 2023 at 5:53 pm

    What do you know, we get our first rule change because of this guy. New rule added:
    No trolling. If you post a comment about a post, it must be made on that post, not on a different one. The only reason I posted this comment is so everyone can see that this guy decided to post more of his word salad, even though there were two complete posts devoted to the subject of his comment. I’m not going to waste any more time on this.

Aesop · May 20, 2023 at 11:50 pm

Welcome to the club, DM. Sorry you had to go there.

Everyone who runs a blog eventually either has to block comments, or go to this, because of borderline personality @$$holes who insist upon their imaginary right to shit on your living room carpet and call it “free speech”.

When downvotes deliver crotch kicks IRL, sanity will rule.
Until then, this is the best that can be expected.

Rock on.

Comments are closed.