Commenting policy

We all read stuff that we don’t agree with.  If we read something we do not like, we are more likely to want to say something.  However, there is more than one way of dealing with that.  One can challenge what is written with good argument.  One can ignore it.  One can write something insulting or demeaning.  If you are a potential commenter and you are thinking of writing a comment, you might ask yourself “how will others view what I have written?” and “can I make a genuine contribution to the discussion in the post”

The best and most valuable comments are those that introduce something new to the post.  This may be the introduction of a relevant piece of information not previously considered.  It may be a new angle or argument.  By the way, I don’t mind anybody who disagrees with me having a civilised argument.  In fact, I enjoy a good argument.

Bald statements of opinion are acceptable, provided the same opinion is not repeated by the same person on the same thread, without any new information, discussion or argument to support it.  It should be born in mind that if an opinion is written down once, it is there for all to see and does not need to be repeated.  I will give some latitude towards repetition but I will remove repeated comment, at my discretion, if I consider that it amounts to abusive behaviour. 

Comments should not be about a different post on this blog.  I am unlikely to remove such comments but you are likely to be invited to place your comment onto the appropriate post. 

Comments which have nothing to do with the post, i.e. they are completely irrelevant may be removed at my discretion.  A comment containing an opinion about the post supported by irrelevant argument is not the same thing as that.  Any comment fitting into the latter category will not be deleted but it will be met with a responsive comment that the argument is irrelevant, if not from another commenter, then from me.

If the comment is about the theme of my blog, which is to do with setting up a new party, and which is not relevant to the post, I will, at my discretion, allow or delete it.  I will allow any comment on the blog theme if the post is directly connected to it.  If you wish to make a general comment about the theme of this blog, you are invited to visit the static page “About Northern Ireland Centre Right”

The phrase used by Mick Fealty of Slugger “play the ball and not the man” is also part of the code of my blog.  The comment should be about the contents of the post and not be personal to me or the author of another comment.  I have nothing against stating an opinion, which is insulting, provided it is about the post and provided there is something to back the opinion.  For example, I won’t object to anybody saying “what you are saying is nonsense” provided that they add some discussion or argument. 

Stating an opinion about me or somebody else, which is personal and which amounts to a curse, such as a statement about what ought to happen to me or another person, will be deleted.  For example, a commenter might say “you should be thrown out of the Conservative Party for your views.”  A comment might also be edited by me if it is possible to remove the offending material and leave a residual relevant comment.

Any material which is potentially libellous will be deleted.  A comment is libellous if it is a false statement of fact which is defamatory to another person.  A comment is defamatory, in law, if it likely to lower a person in the estimation of right-thinking members of society.