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Comments on TP.com

We haven't said anything about comment protocol in a while, and we thought it was a good idea to mention our "discussion area" again. Most important: Tom reads all the comments. He often calls Erik or me to talk about the tenor of the responses his blog posts are getting. Keep that in mind when posting in our comments. We appreciate your participation, and we invite those who haven't yet added to the discussion to please join in!

Some of you send emails to Tom, using tom (at) tompeters.com or info (at) tompeters.com in an attempt to get a response directly from him. Tom sees the emails, but I answer them, so that we can be sure that every message gets a reply. Though Tom occasionally answers the email, if you'd like a direct response from him, you are much more likely to get his input by commenting on a blog post (brilliantly!). And, as we've said before, please try to keep your exposition in our comments section short and to the point, remembering that we follow the "living room" rule—don't behave in any way you would not behave towards guests in your home.

Cathy Mosca posted this on 05/06/08.

Comments

hee.
Living room rule.
I bet Peters' living room has some pretty foul language from time to time.
Just releasing my inner smart ass, don't mind me!

Posted by GoingLikeSixty at May 6, 2008 4:32 PM

Will do, Cathy. Thanks for the excellent forum.

Posted by Judith Ellis at May 6, 2008 5:31 PM

Could you publish a separate RSS feed for the comments?

Posted by Michael at May 6, 2008 11:49 PM

We.
Have.
Arrived.
To Croatia.
Great to see that
Mr. Peters visited our
A
d
r
i
a
tic coast!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Ina Matijevic at May 7, 2008 1:10 AM

On Blogger.com we are able to sign up for alerts when follow up comments are made. That would be a great bonus Cathy if it is technically possible on TP Blog. â€“ That may be the same as an RSS feed â€“ I donâ€™t know.

Best wishes to all at TP.

Yours in ignorance of the correct IT jargon

Trevor

Posted by Trevor Gay at May 7, 2008 6:09 AM

Cathy, I especially like your living room rule for blog comments.

There are, it seems to me, at least two other possible rules that might apply in my limited universe: the seminar rule and the conversation rule. These boil down to quality of contribution and productive use of time.

The other rule, the respect rule, appreciation of difference, so allowing some flexibility, is perhaps a restatement of the living room rule.

Posted by wmmbb at May 7, 2008 6:13 AM

OK C. Wll kp cmmnts shrt. :)

Posted by Mike Neiss at May 7, 2008 7:20 AM

LOL, MN! Wll b hd fr me. Bt wll ty. Ys I cn!

Posted by Judith Ellis at May 7, 2008 7:26 AM

Some days even in my own living room there is space to call that multifunctional digging implement a SPADE !!!!!!!!!

Posted by Patrick at May 7, 2008 8:41 AM

Shouldn't we be applying The Living Room Rule to the way we run our lives, rather than just what we post at tp.com? Obviously, this invites a debate about what we each accept in our own living rooms but you get my drift...

Posted by Mark JF at May 7, 2008 9:09 AM

Agree MarkJF - and in the same spirit of cordiality ... All TP Blog Team and commenters are invited to my Living Room this coming Sunday afternoon to watch on SKY Sports TV with me as Manchester United win the Premiership Title ... bring your own beer please :-)

Posted by Trevor Gay at May 7, 2008 9:19 AM

Trevor - there are exceptions to every rule... but... ohhh.... let's just say as much as I'd like to come visit, the thought of being in a confined space with a crowing Reds fan is just a little too much! I shall go watch Saracens vs. Bristol and cheer on the magnificent, monumental, World Cup winning, probably greatest ever England forward Richard Hill in his last game of rugby.

Posted by Mark JF at May 7, 2008 10:28 AM

Manchester Who, bring on the Championship, Derby till the end!

Posted by Patrick at May 7, 2008 10:43 AM

Mark â€“ I accept your insult gracefully :-) We United fans are used to it. Good luck to Saracens and Richard Hill - you are right about him â€“ a truly great example of loyalty and dedication in sport. I hope our good friends on the left side of the pond are tolerant of our temporary diversion down a sporting cul-de-sac!

Posted by Trevor Gay at May 7, 2008 10:50 AM

Mark and Patrick - We Brits clearly need to be brought into line! Do you realise we are being irreverant and in danger of rockin' the boat on comment guidelines!!! - Go to the back of the class and repeat one hundred times:

'There's only one Man United'

Posted by Trevor Gay at May 7, 2008 11:07 AM

Result, back to where all of my education has been most comfortably gleaned!

have a great day

Posted by Patrick at May 7, 2008 11:35 AM

wmmbb, the next time we update our ground rules for comments, we'll keep your additions in mind. I like those, quality of contribution and productive use of time. People with you in a meeting wouldn't put up with you otherwise. And, yes, GoingLike60 and Mark, the living room rule widens the standards for polite language. But, it mainly means that you'd probably interject yourself if one guest in your house insulted another, calling him anything to do with a male body part, for instance. That is what we expect here, no direct comparisons of others to sex organs.

And I love the sports discussions. I have to start paying more attention to the UK's version of "football."

Posted by cathy mosca at May 7, 2008 11:44 AM

'But, it mainly means that you'd probably interject yourself if one guest in your house insulted another, calling him anything to do with a male body part, for instance. That is what we expect here, no direct comparisons of others to sex organs.'

Cathy - I don't wish to be pedantic - honestly I don't - but it was Tom who started the discussion on 'p*****s'

As I see it - we just responded!

I may be wrong so please check the order of comments and where it started. If the â€˜head teacherâ€™ gives permission then its ok for â€˜the studentsâ€™ until we are told otherwise so thanks for pointing it out now as part of the living room rules - I don't enjoy using that language anyway and I am sorry if it has caused any offence!

Posted by Trevor Gay at May 7, 2008 12:14 PM

No offence here, Trevor. But...I guess rules are rules. Let's see if they're adhered to in the US Demorcratic Primary.

Posted by Judith Ellis at May 7, 2008 12:27 PM

LOL Judith :-)

Posted by Trevor Gay at May 7, 2008 12:42 PM

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Cathy have you just suggested your version of football was possibly superior to that of the UK!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I have been mortally wounded in a Blog I may never ever recover....

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

With as much civility as I am able, it is our national sport and we did it first......

I will never recover have gone to darkend room to contemplate sport!

Posted by Patrick at May 7, 2008 1:51 PM

What did you do first, Patrick? Kick a ball? OK. We'll give you that as in foot to ball. You may now emerge out of that darkend room. I really like your comments.

Posted by Judith Ellis at May 7, 2008 3:22 PM

Patrick - as the immortal Bill Shankly said; 'Football (soccer to our US friends) is not a matter of life and death ... it is far more important than that'

Posted by Trevor Gay at May 7, 2008 4:50 PM

california viagra

I presume TP wants a KISS* from all of us...

*Keep It Short & Simple

Posted by K.Sriram at May 7, 2008 11:37 PM

Cathy, it might be an idea to have a system-imposed character-limit on the comments - 'short' is relative.

Posted by Chetan Dhruve at May 8, 2008 1:43 AM

Early commenter Michael - we're working on the RSS feed for comments and will be back to you on this front. Thanks for the suggestion.

Posted by Shelley Dolley at May 8, 2008 9:09 AM

Patrick, I was careful not to call one the real sport and the other an imitation. As you point out, which is which? There are too many Brits here in the blog for me to win THAT one.

And hmmmm, character limit. There's a fine line between long and too long, but we only know it's been crossed when we see it. Still, another thing to consider, thank you.

Posted by cathy mosca at May 13, 2008 2:05 PM