Because I comment on a lot of more contentious blogs than this one, I pull in readers who follow the links. I’m very happy that they stop by. However, since this site is different in form and substance from the other sites, I feel the need to express what this site is and what it isn’t and what I want it to be and don’t want it to be. There are all sorts of websites out there where one can express their views on the hot political topics of the day, but that’s not what I’m aiming to do here.

First and foremost, Hit Coffee is not a site for spiteful or contentious social commentary. It is a place where I jot down things that happen in my day-to-day life, thoughts about things that happen in my life, and thoughts on what’s going on in the world around us. The comment section is for people that want to share their thoughts and experiences as they relate to what I’m talking about. I want it to be a place where liberals and conservatives, whites and minorities, believers and non-believers, and Americans and non-Americans can feel comfortable. Unfortunately, that sometimes means that I have to put in place certain guidelines. Not just “everybody be nice” guidelines, but guidelines around what is and is not discussed around here. Some issues must be discussed with affirmative kindness, as Bob has put it, but some unfortunately raise our collective blood pressure so high so quickly that I try to steer clear of in general.

As of right now, those issues are: human biodiversity, immigration policy, George W. Bush, politicians attempting to replace George W. Bush, the War in Iraq, anthropological global warming science, and race politics.

For the most part I practice what I preach and I steer clear of these areas. When I do bring them up, I try to do so in a relatively apolitical manner and try (not always successfully) to kick dirt over my own views. If I mention my political views, it’s only to provide context and more in the tone of disclosure than advocacy. If I take a stance on an issue that could be considered political (copyright law, medical malpractice tort, etc) I try to focus more on the effects that the policy or policies have in the world as I see it. When I do this, I will generally provide more latitude in the comment section.

To some extent, gross generalizations are a function of life. It’s pointless to try to avoid it completely. What I would like to avoid is the painting of entire groups or people as “bad” or “evil”. I keep a particular eye on minorities, women, men, liberals, conservatives, feminists, Christians, Mormons, Muslims, atheists, southerners, immigrants (legal or illegal), or Americans in general. Groups that I am not worried about offending are terrorists, America-haters (as in people that despite America, not those that are critical of specific actions that America has taken or aspects of its culture), racists (as in people that believe that minorities are generally worthy of contempt, not mean people that simply hold political views that minorities don’t like), misogynists (see previous disclaimer, replace “minorities” with “women” or “men”), members of the FLDS, and people supportive of those that are attacking Americans and/or our troops abroad. I’d likewise ask that people that disagree with other people refrain from comparing them to any of these groups.

You may be wondering “Gosh, should I be worried about saying anything that might be considered controversial?” Well thus far, if you’ve commented before, there is not a problem or if there has been I have said something about it. I’ve never banned a reader and I’m not sure if I’ve actually deleted any comment that is not my own. I’ve clipped some, but usually having more to do with the accidental slippage of information about me than about anything inappropriate. At this point, the most action I usually take will be to shut down a conversation if I think it’s veering into uncomfortable waters. The long and short of it is that I don’t want to have to worry about who is saying what about whom whenever I’m away from the comment section for a while.

Thus far I haven’t. Thus far I have loved my commentariat. Every last one of you. I don’t want to do anything to discourage you from throwing in your thoughts and perspectives and experiences. Without an active comment section and the conversations that occur here, I probably would have stopped doing this a long time ago. This stated policy is not an attempt to change anything around here. Rather, it’s an attempt to keep this place as genial and open as it has always been.

Comments that veer off-topic are fine so long as they don’t run afoul of anything above. Comments that belong on one message but are accidentally posted onto another message will be relocated. If I ever get the point that I shut down a thread through WordPress, any comments placed on other posts to circumvent the thread-kill will be deleted.

As a courtesy to Hit Coffee readers, I will sometimes clean up someone’s post. I don’t modify content (except as where mentioned above), but if someone posts an HTTP I will replace it with a link. If someone double-posts, I will delete the first post.

Comments containing more than two links (whether typed out or HREFed) are automatically sent to moderation. I will clear them as soon as I can.

Blockquotes are discouraged in comments for technical reasons. If you are quoting something someone else wrote for reference, use Italics.

Comments that are cross-posted are fine, though I’d ask that you mention that you did so.