Comment Policy

I talk about and ask about some pretty personal things here. I want Reader Meet Author to be the kind of place where people feel comfortable opening upand sharing a little. I also want Reader Meet Author to be the kind of place where people feel that they can express whatever is on their mind. Those expressions, however, need to be constructive.

Feel free to start a healthy debate… challenge something that’s been said… or disagree entirely with me or someone else. But do it appropriately, respectfully, and like an adult. I don’t like having to waste time moderating comments.

Comments that violate these guidelines will be deleted immediately:

• Keep comments relevant: That means you have to read the post in question. Don’t respond to the title. Don’t talk about something completely unrelated. Respond to the post.
• Don’t get personal: You’ll notice that I hardly ever use real names here. I do that on purpose. That being said, if your comment is a personal attack on me, another reader, or a person mentioned in a post it will be deleted. If you have something personal to say to me, say it privately.
• Keep comments clean: I generally try to avoid foul language on my blog. Occasionally it does slip out. Comments should be the same way. A general rule of thumb: if I use a word in the post, feel free to use it in your comment. Otherwise, comments should be PG-13 at the most.

If you have questions for me or want to say something that falls outside of these guidelines, you can always use the Submit page to send me a private message. You can say whatever you want in a private message. I don’t care about those. But public messages, like comments, need to follow these guidelines.

If they dont: the first time… I delete your comments. The second time… I delete your comments and block your IP. If there’s a third time… I delete your comments, block your IP, and notify your service provider.

Last updated: December 17, 2006