From Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan:
Dear Readers, Lurkers & Commenters,
We've had unfiltered (and amazing) comments since we launched in 2004. Yes, every now and then we’ve had to do a little policing, but not much, and I’ve felt that it’s the tone that we set as writers that has the biggest impact on comments. However, as our sites have grown we’ve had to get a little stricter and a little more watchful. Now, with nearly 3 million monthly visitors, I’m hearing enough static that I feel it’s time to wade in again, comment on comments and make a policy. Therefore, we sat down as a group of editors over the past few weeks and put together a comment policy which outlines in detail what we are trying to achieve here...
Apartment Therapy Comment Policy
We are a community that seeks to help people make their homes more beautiful, healthy, and organized. We believe that graciousness and courtesy are key elements of a beautiful home and therefore important elements of this conversation. Many people have opened up their private homes so we can learn and be inspired, and our rules for comments and discussions honor this sharing.
Our four rules for comments:
1. Be honest and fair, yet gracious.
2. No ad hominem attacks or gratuituous meanness.
3. Stay on topic.
4. Add value, don't take it away.
Comments must reflect the subject under discussion. Do not use the comment threads purely to promote your own site, product, or business.
These rules are designed to be simple, easily understood to protect the many good intentions that are essential to a productive community. We ARE a community, and we all have to tend it, editors and readers alike.
If you don’t tend it, you are OUT. It’s that simple. Comments and commenters that do not follow these rules will be deleted and blocked from the site. We won't tell you when you're over the line, but you’ll know it because other comments will undoubtedly have told you, and they’ll probably have told us too.
Apartment Therapy is about helping people, and we work hard every day to carry out this mission. Please join us.
Best,
Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan
March 2009
PS. We're also happy to hear anything you want to say privately. Any comments, criticism, or concerns about the structure and policies of Apartment Therapy can be directed to the team of managing editors — not posted in public forums. This helps ensure that your feedback will be addressed promptly and correctly, and keeps comment threads on topic. Please submit any comments on AT sites or policy through the form below:
• Submit Feedback or a Question
Comment Policy FAQ
Will I get a warning if I break the rules?
No. Our rules are simple and self-evident. You don’t need a message from a moderator to know when you break them. We may start, however, by deleting comments that break the rules, so if you notice multiple comments disappearing, it’s safe to assume that you are breaking the rules. Eventually you will be banned from the active community—unless, of course, you change your ways.
What does it mean to add value?
Share another viewpoint on the topic and be productive. Mention something you liked about the home or product under discussion. If you dislike it, say why, politely, and offer a helpful alternative. If you own something similar or made a similar choice in your home, tell us about it and perhaps share a link.
Who decides to delete a comment or ban someone?
Our community of managing editors. They spend each day deep in our sites, cultivating them and working to create a community of interesting things and helpful ideas. They know the culture of these sites better than anyone, and they are able to make judgments on whether a comment is helpful and practical criticism, or just petty attack. You may at times disagree with their judgment. That’s fine. This network has its own unique culture and community, and the editors are part of that.
I got banned! Can I get back in?
If you had a comment deleted or you were banned, you can appeal our decision by submitting this form:
• Appeal a User Ban
I don't like someone's comment. Can I complain about it?
First, check to see if you just disagree with their opinion. We want to encourage fair discussion and exchange, so if you just don't like someone else's opinion, that's not a good enough reason to complain. If they were mean, rude, off-topic, spamming, or doing something else that breaks our comment rules, you can notify us by using this form.
• Submit a Comment Concern
I value how this site does not help promote "web rage" and the idea of grace in the commenting is pretty key. Thanks.
view kmarie's profile
I feel that something should have been said about the recent increase in everyone advertising their blogs/businesses in the comments. I don't mind if someone links to something that is relevant to the thread, but more and more often I see and am angered by "I just wrote about this on my blog! www.blahg.com".
There are also several solely-for-advertisments accounts that comment on their businesses on posts.
I honestly don't mind if you sign off with your blog or website, or even say "I sell stuff related to this thread" and link to your site after you comment on the topic, but don't use the comment area as a way to advertise. You do that, and I make a mental note to never read your blog/ buy from your site.
view chusmabilly's profile
I really think you should warn people. I don't always recheck my comments to see if people have called me on it. I do remember one time where someone felt offended by the entirety of comments, possibly on the best way to cook rice, but for the most part people were just expressing opinions. I tend to state my opinions fairly strongly and typically when I'm less than gracious it has to do with the author of the original post arbitrarily condemning some practice without providing adequate research to support their opinion. Also, what do you consider adding value? If I found a recipe to be not very exciting should I refrain from commenting so as not to hurt someones feelings? Is the end goal to be like a typical single person blog where everyone is a yes-man to the author or is it some intermediate? I do understand the need for control as some food posting sites are downright vicious and I tend not to read those because they are so negative. I think it would be valuable to give us a few concrete examples of comments which have been deemed inappropriate. Also it would be nice to have the ability to filter the site by post author as I always find myself disagreeing strongly with one person in particular.
view sally599's profile
The form to submit comments isn't working? Even though I've chosen which site to comment on, I always get this:
ERROR: Each submission must have unique values for the following fields. Please return and enter values that have not already been submitted:
Tell us which Apartment Therapy Media website your feedback or question applies to.
view Eliot's profile
Hi all - sorry about the error in the site feedback form. It is working now, so please feel free to use it to send any feedback on the new comment policy.
Submit Feedback or a Question
Thanks!
view faith's profile
One of the reasons I really enjoy this site is the level of respect posters have towards one another. Thanks for keeping the site at such a high level.
view rosebud's profile
Thanks for your comments (on the comment policy...:-) everyone! We do really appreciate all your feedback.
@sally599, a couple responses: we wish that we had the manpower and time to moderate and warn violators, like in some of the larger web community forums. But the reality is we have limited time and resources, and it is nearly impossible to warn folks consistently. There is an appeal process, though, if someone is banned and wishes to appeal for re-entry to the community.
Also, I feel like the part about adding value is relatively straightforward. Your example is good: if a commenter thinks a recipe is uninteresting, then a simple cutting comment saying so takes away value; it doesn't add it. But if the commenter says something like "This recipe would be more interesting with these three ingredients, added in this way..." then you've added significant value and we've all learned.
We definitely don't want "yes-men" here; all of us here are learners and explorers in the things we're writing about, and we learn so much from the readers and commenters. I value that so much, and we are simply working to make the community a better place for those of you who do add that value by interacting and pushing back and gently correcting us in courteous ways.
view faith's profile
See that's part of the problem for me---if people make the recipe and its not good I'd like to know before I head out to make it. I tend to post good or bad about anything I make on the site-------some things are excellent and some things are surprisingly bland despite an array of quality ingredients and I really have no idea how to fix them because they sounded good enough to make the cut in my endlessly expanding recipe file. For myself I think negative comments also add value, more for the readers than for the authors obviously. However, I realize this is a blog and not a democracy and there do seem to be quite a lot more comments as of late so we'll see how it goes. Congrats on the expanded readership.
view sally599's profile
@sally599, oh yes, if you do try a recipe and it doesn't work out, we would definitely like to know!
All in all, this comment policy doesn't affect The Kitchn too much at this point. The community here is wonderful, and we all really enjoy being a part of it with you.
view faith's profile