Updated blog comment policy

For those who have accounts and log in:

As far as I'm concerned, you have complete free speech on this blog, except when it comes to posting link spam. (Note, however, that David is less tolerant of foul language than I am.)

For those who choose a consistent username, but don't log in:

As far as I'm concerned, you will usually have free speech on this blog, but if you are nasty toward others, post link spam, or I suspect you are either trolling or engaging in sockpuppetry, I may delete your comment.

For those who insist on posting as "Anonymous":

If you want to hold other commenters accountable for their previous statements on this blog, then at least have the courage to choose a consistent and unique username for yourself (other than "Anonymous") so you can be held accountable as well. If you make snide remarks towards others, your comment may be deleted. If your comment is offensive or disagreeable in general, your comment may be deleted. If you attempt to hold others accountable for their previous statements while you cowardly hide behind the username "Anonymous", your comment will definitely be deleted. If you post link spam, I will delete your comment. If I suspect you are either trolling or engaging in sockpuppetry, I may delete your comment.

In short, the five seconds you save by not using a unique and consistent username will substantially increase the odds that your comment will be deleted.

All suspected link spam will be deleted.

Link spammers frequently post comments on this and other blogs. Since most blogs use nofollow tags in the comments section, link spammers are mostly wasting their time. However, their actions are still annoying for blog owners and blog readers.

Link spammers often try to make their comments look legitimate, which can make it difficult for me to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate comments. Thus, I may sometimes unintentionally delete legitimate comments when they contain links to other websites.

Suspected trolls and sockpuppets may be deleted.

I find it extremely difficult to distinguish between trolls and regular commenters who just happen to be disagreeable. Sockpuppets are also hard to spot. I will try to err on the side of free speech, but I may occasionally delete a legitimate comment that appears to be from a troll or sockpuppet. The easiest way to avoid having a comment deleted is to be nice.