Commenting Guidelines

These are based on commenting guidelines at Hacker News.

• Don’t be snarky.
  Comments should get more civil and substantive, not less, as a topic gets more divisive.
• Focus criticism on arguments instead of people.
  When disagreeing, please reply to the argument instead of calling names. “That is idiotic; 1 + 1 is 2, not 3” can be shortened to “1 + 1 is 2, not 3.”
• Assume good faith.
  Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that’s easier to criticize. Please don’t insinuate that someone hasn’t read an article or post.
• Avoid flamebait.
  Please don’t introduce flamewar topics unless you have something genuinely new to say. Don’t feed trolls.
• Use a single consistent identity.
  Throwaway accounts are okay for sensitive information, but please don’t create them routinely. Commenters should have a consistent identity that others can relate to.