Blog Rules

I don’t have a lot of rules regarding comments on ICN. I don’t want this blog run like a prison. That said, there are a few things I would expect all potential comments to follow.

No profanity – Keep it clean. I’ll delete any comments that include profanity.

Stay on topic – This is more of a plea than a rule. If I see a bunch of topics on the Bush administration after I post something regarding CNN, I’ll delete the comments.

Treat fellow commenters with respect – We all know that there’s an ideological undercurrent that permeates how people watch cable news. But not everyone agrees on what we see on cable news means. Treat other points of view with respect. Flame wars will get deleted. Picking fights will get deleted.

ICN is not TVHeads, Reportercaps, TV Spy’s Watercooler, or the Wide World of Women board – If you want to comment about a talent’s looks, I urge you to use one of those fine sites to do so. Similarly, any rumors or innuendo about a talent is strictly verboten. I don’t care what a talent does in their off time if it has no bearing on what we see over the air. However if you want to talk about a talent’s abilities on the air, feel free to comment. But you should be prepared for other commenters to disagree with you, sometimes vehemently. Viewers are very very touchy about their favorite talents. They will view any attack as an attack on themselves and respond appropriately. So choose your words carefully and be prepared to defend your statement.

Don’t test me – These rules are designed to make commenting on ICN as least contentious as possible. But every once in a while an agitator will show up to push the envelope. Some are ideological trolls. Some are viewers with an axe to grind. Others are cable network employees looking to push an agenda. All are unwelcome.

If I get a sense that you are looking to test the limits of ICN, and that usually comes from a sudden rise in email complaints I get regarding a commenter (though sometimes I can spot them before that if they’re completely obvious), you’ll get a warning. If you continue your antics you’ll get a second and final warning. If you insist on persisting at that point, you leave me no choice but to ban you from commenting on the blog.