The Hud-tiquette of Commenting
The Hudsucker is a community of writers who want a chance to stretch our wings and get some writing out into the world through the Internet. But more than that we are a collection of people—of friends. As writers we are interested in sharing our thoughts and opinions with others through the written word. We also want to hear from our readers and engage in productive discourse. That is what makes the act of writing and discussion so enjoyable, especially in the digital age when it can happen so rapidly.
We can engage more people more quickly and ideas can spread like wildfire. It is pretty exciting when you get down to it. But we pay for this, because we are all people and we are all used to moving so fast. Sometimes we forget to slow down and look over what we have written. The authors of this site may write something that you don’t agree with or maybe we play fast and loose with grammar. We will make mistakes. But we don’t want anybody to be an ass about it.
So when it comes time for you to make your comments in response to our articles—and we sincerely hope that you do—we want you to take a second and look it over. Make sure that you have written something that is respectful and avoids attacking others, excessive vulgarity, and other forms of antagonism. If it is liable to get you punched in the face if you were to utter it to someone in public then it is not something you should be saying on the Internet. Furthermore, we will not tolerate personal attacks to either the writers themselves, or readers who have commented in an article. That sort of thing just isn’t acceptable, because it just leaves people angry and isolated. Simply put, it’s stupid and mean-spirited. If you are old enough to be on the Internet and reading out content then you are old enough to be a reasonable person.
We want to foster a community that is respectful to others and encourages a diverse reader-base. We’re the ones who strike up a conversation with you at the party, however random it may be. We want you to get lost with us in thought and emerge with an altered point of view. The Hudsucker aims to create a smart and unique environment for all of our readers and we want you to be a part of it. As long as you are civil and keep an open mind, which we know you can.
So please be sure to look over your posts and make sure that what you’re saying is kind, even if it’s critical. Critique and criticism are both part of the writing process after all. We must also ask our readers to refrain from submitting their own articles or reviews in the form of comments on our site. They will not be published.
We want to see your comments and feedback, but just be polite, all right? Don’t get e-punched right in the gob and off of the site. Thank you and we hope you enjoy your time at The Hudsucker.
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