There have been some questions about what we laughingly call an "editorial policy" around here, so, to set the record straight, here is JustOneRule, and some addendum, presumptuously offered as a guide to bloggers everywhere.
The Rule:
There are no strangers here, as Will Rogers reminds us, just friends we haven't met yet.
Simple, huh? But a little supplementation might be helpful, so:
A. "Be nice, and have fun". If you can't manage both, you pretty much have to tip towards "Have Fun". But if you are encountering this conflict a lot, you might want to look into your heart.
B. "Attack the idea, not the person". I know some wonderful people with some wonderfully daft ideas, so the distinction is worth maintaining. However, it is important to note the limitations to this "Attack the idea" concept. At a cocktail party, many a raving knucklehead who can not seem to grasp your subtle yet irrefutable logic can be silenced by a sharp blow to the solar plexus. Worth remembering, especially if you are wearing your track shoes and the wife remembered the Mace.
C. "Keep your sense of humor". Remember - someday, somebody somewhere will be laughing, or snorting derisively, at one of your opinions. So you may as well laugh at someone else's right now. Carpe diem!
D. "Don't come between a person and their tirade". There are therapeutic rants all over the blogosphere, sometimes even sneaking into otherwise serious posts. You sort of spoil the fun by dissecting these rants in a spirit other than the one in which they were offered, and you know how we feel about "Having Fun". Any exceptions? Sure: for otherwise responsible journalists, or anyone who attempts to seriously defend their own fevered ravings, anything goes.
E. "E is for e-mail: privacy, please". If you send me something with a juicy, red-hot, smoking gun, career ending quote, you know I will be tempted to post it. However, I will respect your privacy and would be ever so grateful if you could reciprocate.
Simple rules, really. And other than (E), don't hold me to them: a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. Nice weekend, all.
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