Since there are many new people commenting, I want to reiterate the rules of commenting on this blog and some explanation why the rules are the way they are.

1) I do not care if you post under a pseudonym as long as you give an e-mail address. The reason for this is simple: accountability. I will not allow someone to comment on this blog without accountability. With this in mind, I want to say this: to everyone who is in violation of this policy, you have 48 hours to remedy it or be banned from commenting for good. If you have e-mailed me in the past, however, do not worry. I know how to get in touch with you if I need to.

2) If you post anonymously, it results in an immediate and non-negotiable ban. I, in a way, inherited this policy from Josh. Again, it is a matter of being accountable for what you say. If everybody knows how to get in touch with you, you will be less likely to say something either insulting or stupid.

3) Posting under a pseudonym is allowed with an e-mail. Don’t make me have to change this rule.

4) All the rules boil down to this one basic rule: DON’T PISS ME OFF! Ask some of my friends who got on my wrong side when posting in my comments section and suddenly found themselves banned because they made me mad. I do not care if you agree with me. I welcome dissenting opinions, especially those that make me think. If you start throwing fallacies around, however, you will find yourself on the outside looking in very quickly. Civility is encouraged, hostility punished.

5) These policies have developed because of problems that have arisen on this blog since I installed comments. This latest policy has been in force for at least six months. I do revise things when new problems arise. If I have to tweak something, I’ll try to remember to let you know. If you keep rule #4 in mind, however, you shouldn’t have any problems.