Comment guidelines

Hi folks,

Thanks for dropping by at my blog.

It would be great to make this a place where folks can contribute to an intelligent discussion of the latest developments and current issues. Most of you have been rational and reasonable in your comments. But some clarification is needed to promote a more rational discussion at the end of each blog entry. To facilitate this, please note the following:

• Engage in debate and discussion – not in mindless personal attacks or abuse.
  
• Try to contribute new ideas or point to new angles and not just echo what others have said.
• Comments critical of this blog’s posts and opposing viewpoints are welcome – but not smear tactics. Comments, however, may be edited or deleted for other reasons (see below).
• Offensive or ‘flame’ comments including those containing any hint of violence will be either edited or removed altogether.
• No defamatory or libellous comments allowed. Refrain from character assassination. Avoid likening or comparing known personalities with any animal or creature.
  
• No swearing or profanities. Remember, people of all ages may be reading this blog.
  
• Avoid posting content that has been copied from another source, although you may include excerpts with a link, accompanied by introductory comments of your own. Inappropriate or irrelevant links may be removed.
• Avoid comments that are in contempt of court or any judicial proceedings.
• It is okay to feel strongly about issues, but please direct your rebuttal or response at the content or comment –  not at the person making it.
• Racist, sexist, hate-speech or other derogatory or offensive comments will be deleted. Unnecessary references to race will be removed. Avoid running down any ethnic group, making sweeping statements and generalisations, or resorting to ethnic stereotyping. Refrain from expressing unfounded prejudices. If you must make race-related statements, provide credible statistics to back up your assertions. Build bridges rather than walls of division.
  
• Respect religious beliefs and what is held sacred by the followers of various faiths.
  
• Avoid repeating the same comment in different blog posts. Where this is done, the earliest comment will be accepted but repeat comments will be deleted.
• Do not incite others to any act of violence or crime. Words that depict violence to anyone will be deleted.
• Refrain from harassing or abusing other commenters.
• Submit only comments that are relevant to the post. Exceptions are at my discretion.
• Write comments in Malay or English. Comments in other languages may be deleted regretfully due to moderating difficulties.
• Write in normal lower case, please. The use of capital letters is considered shouting.
• Avoid disclosing your contact details or anyone else’s.
• Do not impersonate anyone else – whether it is well-known people or other commenters. Be honest.
• Try and include your real name. It adds credibility to what you are saying. If you wish to use a pseudonym, avoid inappropriate names and the use of more than one pseudonym.
• Refrain from advertising any product or offering stock market tips.
• Make the effort to get your facts right. Factually incorrect statements may be edited (if they are detected, that is. So, readers beware.)
• Keep your comments short and sweet. Avoid dominating the comments section of any single post.

In short, be rational and civil, and you should have no problem.

Comments may be edited or deleted at my discretion and judgement. But it is not possible for me to moderate or edit all comments meticulously due to the sheer volume of comments. So if you come across a comment that is offensive or problematic, please highlight it to me by leaving a comment at the end of the latest entry or click ‘report comment’ at the end of the comment for me to take a second look.

I hope these guidelines will promote livelier, more civil and more fruitful discussions.

Anil