Criticize ideas, not people. Discussions may get "hot," but think of us as your brothers and sisters here. When you debate ideas and points of view, this opens minds and conversation. When you attack people, it shuts conversation down and people get hurt.
So, remember to avoid:
- Name-calling
- Ad hominem attacks
- Responding to a post’s tone, Respond to "content only."
- Being in "reaction mode." Think through what you want to say, versus just saying your first thoughts. Remember the Internet has a long memory - your comments may represent you in decades.
Comments that we find to be racist, hateful, inflammatory, or harassing may be removed. If you don’t have something nice to say about another user, don't say it. Treat others the way you’d like to be treated.
Add value when you post or comment
There are a lot of discussions that happen every day on Disqus or FaceBook. Before joining in a discussion, browse through some of the most recent and active discussions happening in the community, especially if you’re new there.
If you are not sure your post adds to the conversation, think over what you want to say and try again later.
Keep it tidy
Help make moderators’ lives easier by taking a moment to ensure that what you’re about to post is in the right place. That means:
- Stay "on topic." Check the Explore page to find the appropriate channel for your topic
- Avoid posting the same thing multiple times.
- Review any specific posting guidelines for the community: some communities such as a movies community may have specific rules regarding spoilers.
- Check if another active discussion on your topic has already been posted - if so, let someone else's comments stand for you, and just hit "like."
If you see something, say something
Moderators are at the forefront of combatting spam, mediating disputes and enforcing community guidelines and, so are you.
If you see an issue, contact the moderators if possible or flag any comments for review. If you believe someone has violated the Basic Rules, on Discus, you can also report it to Disqus by flagging the user's profile.
Looking for the old Rules?
No Self-promotion
A discussion or comment that contains only a link to your blog, a product, or your article on another site will almost always be removed. The key word here is "only." Readers value referral to other websites that answer their question, even if the answer is in your old blog posting in your website. But if you only post a link it looks like advertising.
Choose Your (Curse) Words Wisely
Profanity in remarks - we try to catch and remove it or the entire post.
Don’t Copy and Paste
If you are directly quoting someone, you need to give a proper citation, like a bibliography posting.
English Only
We currently only support English-only discussions on Disqus channels. Non-English comments and discussions will be removed.