For a long time I’ve had a comment policy for this blog, but I’ve never shared it. Let me do that now.
I’m grateful to you for commenting. It always feels to me like we’re all hanging out on my deck or in my family room together, talking about things we are mutually interested in. In this way I count you as friends.
I seldom bring up controversial subjects. But reasonable people can disagree even about mundane topics. Sometimes you offer a perspective different from one I or another commenter shared. When you do, I insist that you keep it about the subject rather than the person, and keep your argumentation clean and fair.
If you leave a comment that I consider to be unkind or a personal attack, I will delete it without explanation or apology.
That comment was made toward someone else hanging out in my space who I count as a friend. I will control the tone in my space and I will defend my friends’ ability to be here in peace, regardless of their opinions.
There are plenty of places around the Internet where you can fight with others to your heart’s content. This is not one of them.
I’m sharing this now because a couple comments on my most recent COVID-19 update stood right on the line, and my finger hovered over the Delete button.