Blogging 101

I'm sorry that the obvious apparently needs to be explained yet again, but it does.

It should be obvious what comments are, and what they are for. But apparently a growing number of people are getting mixed up.

COMMENTS

Comments are for your comments regarding the subject or topic of the post under which you leave them. They are NOT to be used for anything other than that.

Comments are NOT a dialog with me only.

Comments are a dialog with all readers of the blog.

BECAUSE comments are a dialog with all readers, comments shouldn't be written as if they're directed or addressed to me, UNLESS, they're in direct response to a comment that I have made, in which case, the specific comment should be referenced or quoted so all will know what you're talking about.

If you want more information about a topic or have a question about it, ask the entire group, not just myself. I'm not that bright, but the beauty of a blog is that you have the knowledge of hundreds of people at your fingertips. For God's sake don't rely on just me.

Comments are NOT a messaging system to send personal messages to me. This is what e-mail is for.

My e-mail address is plainly shown in the sidebar. [theinsidedope@gmail.com] If you don't want to mess around with filling it in yourself, simply click on the red e-mail link and a shiny new blank e-mail should pop up with my address already filled in for you. Just another service provided free of charge here at The Inside Dope. Take advantage of it.

If you have a problem with me or something to do with the blog, DO NOT waste your time sending it in comments. I will not reply to such comments and they will be ignored, as it is off-topic and comments are NOT about the blog or myself, they are to be about the subject or topic at hand.

If you have a complaint about me or the blog or anything else which you wish me to address, DO NOT waste your time sending it in a comment. I will not reply to such comments and they will be ignored.

If you have a question about the blog, whether it's technical problems or about how the blog works, policies, etc. DO NOT waste your time putting it in a comment. I will not reply to such comments and they will be ignored.

If you want to question why I did not publish something you wrote as a comment, DO NOT waste your time asking it in a comment, I will not reply to such comments and they will be ignored. (I DO however, encourage such questions or challenges to be sent via e-mail. See below.)

If you want to let me know why you think the blog sucks or why I suck, DO NOT waste your time sending it in a comment, I won't reply to such comments and they will be ignored.

If you have any question, comment, complaint, suggestion, or observation about the blog in general, DO NOT waste your time sending it as a comment as I will not reply to such comments and they will be ignored.

If you have any questions, comments, complaints, suggestions, or observations about myself, DO NOT waste your time writing them in comments, as I will not reply and it will be ignored.

If you have a question about the blog or a technical problem you are having, or anything else might apply to other readers or be helpful, I'll gladly post the question and answer in a post so other readers can be informed.

All of the above must be dealt with via-email.

I encourage those who think their comment was unfairly screened out to take it up with me in e-mail. If you do so, please include the comment itself or at least the post it was left under and the general content or time sent so I can see what we're talking about. I welcome the chance to tell people where they went over the line, as I often have to dump otherwise good comments simply because they messed up at some point. If people know where they went wrong, it might allow their comments to get through in the future. It's very frustrating to get many comments which are fine for 95% of it, but then blow it with one out of line sentence. My goal isn't to cut down on the number of comments, just to cut down on the number of them that are out of line.

But, in general, if you want to communicate to me directly about anything do so using e-mail. The reasons are obvious I would think, but apparently it's not getting through.

First of all, I can actually REPLY and give you an answer without using up huge chunks of a comment thread on something not related to the topic of the post.

If the matter deserves more discussion, we can exchange e-mail until it's resolved.

And clearly, if you want to address me personally, it doesn't belong in comments.

The blog is NOT about the blog, nor is it about me! Period.

Yet people feel free to write comments asking a question without even specifying who they're asking, assuming I guess, that this is some "Ask the Dope" column or something.

It's not, nor do I intend it to be.

When you write comments, unless you are addressing a specific comment by another commenter or myself, it should be kept in mind that you are directing your comments to everyone who reads this blog, and they are free to reply, add to your comment, dispute it, or agree.

I write posts which introduce what I hope are topics and stories which might cause readers to think about the matter and then share their particular views or reaction. Notice that the first step is to THINK.

Please keep these things in mind. Send e-mail when the situation calls for it, and please don't waste your time and mine writing things in comments which don't belong there.

E-mailing the Dope is painless (usually) and easy. It does not cause tooth decay or hair loss or any sort of seizures. Hundreds of good people (and some not-so-good) have actually e-mailed me and have lived to tell the tale. There is simply no reason to not do so.

Let's get this show organized and running well. You'll all thank me later.

Don't make me pull this blog over!!!