Due to reader input, we at Loudoun Progress are changing the rules for commenting. You no longer need to use a real email address to register. If you want to post anonymously, log in as Guest (the password is “guest”).
I, Liz, the Doorbell Queen, will be moderating comments. Here are the rules:
Anonymity is allowed, but we prefer signed comments.
No spam. If we want to sell something, we’ll sell it. If you want to sell something, get your own blog.
No ad hominem attacks.
Don’t be offended if I call you out for using belittling language. It’s not censorship: it’s basic decency.
No matter what your view point on a topic, I will not delete your comment as long as it is politely stated and doesn’t break the other rules.
I am of the opinion that we don’t need to require real addresses to keep out trollish behavior. Please don’t prove me wrong.
I have never really liked the paradigm of this blogging platform. I understand (I think) the idea that creating a “virtual community” will foster a higher, more respectful level of discussion – but there’s also something about it that feels too much like crossing a border if one wants to express a contrary point of view. Even though the requirement to provide a valid email address (which can be spoofed anyway) is exactly the same thing that most other blogs require, having to provide it by “creating an account” somehow feels like more of a commitment. It’s like entering a “members only” space. It’s visceral. I don’t like it, and I understand why others don’t like it.
Does that resonate at all with the experience of folks who have made this request? I have more than a personal curiosity, I think it’s important to understand the dynamics of how we communicate with each other, especially when we disagree. I hope to see more disagreement; that’s how we learn from each other.