The official new LDV comments policy
by Stephen Tall on February 15, 2010
A month ago, LDV launched our comments policy experiment, appealing to our readers to ‘make nice’. As I explained at the time:
… though we reckon this site is better than most political blogs in offering a space where all can feel free to debate with mutual respect, it doesn’t always happen. And those few occasions when LDV’s comments become overly personal and abusive (and invariably testosterone-charged) can deter others from ever daring to join in. So for the next month – leading up to Valentine’s Day, appropriately enough – LDV is going to try and ‘love up’ our comments threads.
So how’s it gone? Well, from the point of view the LDV editorial team, the policy has been a success. It’s been tested seriously only once, unsurprisingly in relation to the Clegg sacks Jenny Tonge article last Friday, when we removed 18 comments which contained either libels or obscenities or personal abuse (and sometimes, if folk were feeling especially creative, all three). We deleted more comments this past weekend, I think, than in the whole of the rest of the preceding month.
I’m not sure how many readers have noticed the change; and I’m not sure we can prove that new commenters have contributed as a result of the new policy. But those of us who edit the site feel it’s a more honest and transparent approach, which allows (and indeed encourages) vigorous debate but draws clear lines in the sand on those rare occasions when commenters over-step the mark.
After discussion, therefore, LDV is continuing the experimental policy, with a very few tweaks, as set out below:
We have also updated the comments policy on our About Us page. We will, of course, continue to keep the policy under review, and welcome our readers’ feedback.
One comment
New post: The official new LDV comments policy http://bit.ly/ct9HMS
by Stephen Tall on February 16, 2010 at 2:11 am. #