Comment and Moderation Policy

Let me just start out with some basic guidelines for moderation of this blog:

1. Respect :Show everybody respect whether you agree with them or not. If you disagree with someone and want to respond to them that is fine just make sure to focus on your problems with the idea and not the person. No swearing or name calling. I don’t want to have to delete posts with good ideas because they including name calling and insults, so use your best judgement.

2. Stereotyping and Generalization : Sociology is a discipline built on the concept of comparing groups and trying to make generalizable statements based on empirical evidence, so I don’t have a problem with generalizations. However, generalizations are just that–generalizations. They do not apply to all members of a group, and in in many cases they end up resulting in stereotypes. Stereotypes are generalizations that are greatly exaggerated, and are usually not based on empirical information. If you want to make generalizations about social groups, make sure that you qualify them with comments like “most” “many” “some” “a few” “a minority” “a majority.” If you want to make generalizations not based on empirical evidence, make sure you preface your statement with something like: “I feel….” I think…” “It is my impression…” If you think your comments might be stereotypical or others may think your comments are stereotypical, acknowledge that up front. People whose comments repeatedly use stereotypes and don’t follow these guidelines will be banned from the site.

3. White Supremacists, Misogynists, Homophobes, and other Haters: Commenters who espouse ideologies consistent with White supremacist organizations will? most likely? have their comments deleted. I will also delete comments that degrade women and promote blatantly male supremacist ideologies. Heterosexist comments aimed at degrading gays, lesbians, bisexuals or transgender people will also be deleted. Additionally, any comments that are designed to incited violence or hatred toward any social group will be deleted by the administrator. If you are uncertain what the concepts mean here are the links: White Supremacy, Misogyny, Heterosexism.? I will allow some of these comments through for educational purposes, but if you are making these types of comments, do expect me to publish them.

4. Warnings: People whose comments come close to being deleted or push the boundaries of my policies will be warned to tone down the rhetoric. Those who do not heed the warnings will be banned.

5. Condescending, Insulting, and Threatening behavior: People who engage in condescending, insulting and threatening behavior will have their comments deleted. The administrator reserves the right to determine what comments fit this description. If you feel that your comment may run afoul of this rule, try to reword your comment to keep it within the policy. If you are unable to post without being insulting, condescending, and threatening then don’t post.

6. This is My Blog: This is my blog, and when people post here, they are visitors in my house. Thus, I have the right to organize and present the ideas that I like in the ways that I like. People do not have to agree with me to be part of this blog (certainly not all of the people I have at my house agree with me either). They just have to show me and my other guests basic respect; those who do not do that are not welcomed here and will not be allowed to post. I also reserve the right to monitor overall content and try to maintain the balance of issues and perspectives that I like after all it’s my house.

I also want to add this set of discussion guidelines based on the ones I use in my class. Here are some general ground rules for productive dialogue that I use in my classroom. Before we can have any discussion on this board, we need to make sure that there are ground rules that everybody should follow.

1. It is fine to disagree, but we have to be civil in our disagreements. When we get angry or resort to name calling, things usually get worse, not better. One tactic to use would be to start by saying things like: My opinion is.. or I think. Rather than You are wrong You dont know. You cant understand

2. Remember we do not have to agree with one another. I understand that many people may take some comments offensively, and those comments, whether they are intended to be offensive or not, can have harmful effects. The subjects we deal with on this board are very sensitive, and they do have a profound impact on people’s lives. I don’t want you to leave your opinions and emotions at the door of this classroom, but I also think that we have to keep in mind that our words can wound. Moreover, situations can sometimes escalate out of control. We have to maintain respect on the discussion board.

3. We also need to keep in mind some basic rules of etiquette. We are in a classroom, and although I encourage you to be informal, this is still a professional setting. You need to be on time and be prepared. Listening is also very important–do not talk over the instructor or other people in class. Respect your instructor and your classmates by listening. (Obviously this is not a classroom, but I think we do need to treat this board as space that has rules just like a school or workplace.)

4. We should also consider the role of personal experiences. I want people to share their experiences and their opinions. Personal experiences are important for us to share, but we always have to keep in mind that our personal experiences are different from others, both others who are like us and others who are not like us. 5. Here are a few rules of communication that we should also follow

  • Try to not assume or guess what you think another person is saying. If you are not sure, restate what the person said and ask for confirmation before giving a response. If you are not sure you understood correctly, others on the board may feel the same way.
  • Email or electronic messages are not like spoken communication. Be careful about humor and sarcasm because they do not translate well into electronic messages. The response to sarcasm is usually negative. We also need to be careful about sending messages when we are angry or upset. People often regret comments made out of anger. Use positive language. Say things like we should rather than we shouldnt.
  • This is a really important point. Keep in mind the difference between assertive and aggressive behavior. Aggressive behavior includes direct attacks, but assertive behavior is affirming, when people are assertive they state their position without attacking. Their primary goal is not just to get out their point, but to do so in a way that does not intimidate or harass others. Often people do not even realize when they are being aggressive, so just keep in mind your goals. Our goal on this board is a productive exchanges of ideas. Keep in mind, if you want to win people over to your perspective, aggressive behavior is much less effective.
  • Words are very powerful–they have the power to wound and to heal. The context they are used in and the intent that they carry always matters, but we still have to be conscious of their effects. When we speak we always need to be aware of this, and when we do hurt people with our words, it is also our words that can make things better. Three simple wordsI am sorry are three of the most important words that we can say.
  • I statements are always more productive than you statements. For example, family counselors encourage couples to say things like. I feel hurt. Rather than, You hurt me. When we use you statements, they often put people on the defensive and people do not hear what we are saying because they feel attacked. Moreover, if people are already angry with one another or have misconceptions with one another, you statements do not make things better they just encourage people to be set in their ways.