Comments Policy

Who has the right to post comments on this blog?
Apart from the TalkMotosport editor and contributors, no one at all has the right to post comments. Posting is a privilege, not a right.

So who is allowed to post comments here?

Anyone at all, up until the stage the editor asks them to stop or they are suspended. Your comments are most welcome, and they add a lot of enjoyment to the blog for everyone.

How do I comment?
You will need to register to comment here! You must supply a username and an e-mail address. It is up to you whether or not you comment under your known name, or a pseudonym.

However, be aware that commenters who use their actual name will be allowed more latitude with their comments as they are saying they are happy for their name to be associated with their comments.

Why has my comment not appeared?

If you are a new commenter, it will be held for moderation as an anti-spam check. Once your initial comment has been approved, all future comments will appear automatically. It can take a few hours for someone to check the moderation queue, so just be patient.

If you are an existing commenter and your comment never appeared, the system may have suspected it was spam – especially if you have links in your comment. If you think this has happened to you, let us know at info@talkmotorsport.co.nz. We tend to check the spam queue once a day for false positives.

If your comment has disappeared, it has probably been reported as being potentially abusive. A moderator will review the comment and decide whether it meets out comments guidelines.

What is the easiest way to get banned?
To attack the editor or contributors personally. Quite simply it will not be tolerated. I welcome people to disagree with our views, to correct any errors, to debate what is asserted, but if you attack our integrity, our character etc then you privilege of commenting will be terminated.

What sort of comments are unacceptable

I’ve provided details below of what is unacceptable, and will result in warnings or suspensions.

Defamation
We do not accept any comments that could be defamatory with the potential for it becoming legal. Attack or debate the issue or topic, not the deliverer. We welcome opinion, perspective and comments but not from the gutter.

Personal Abuse
I want arguments attacked, not people. As an example it will be unacceptable to call someone a moron, but it will be acceptable to say their argument is moronic. That may seem a fine distinction, but an important one. However don’t try and push the distinction to breaking point. If you say that someone’s argument has the integrity of a syphilitic pygmy (for example), then that would find you with a warning or strike.

Language
No swearing. If you cannot use clean adjectives from the English language to put forward your comment, then take a breath and think again.

Personal Details
Give other commenters the courtesy of referring to them by the name or alias they use on this blog. Do not reveal personal details about them such as their name, address, phone number etc. unless it is somehow connected to a public issue. If in doubt, check.