With the exception of outer space, there is only one final, unbraved frontier, one last Wild West of human interaction. We’re talking, of course, about internet comment sections. 

Recently, the Crimson White decided to re-open the comments section on our website, allowing anyone to say (almost) anything about a story. But as history has taught us, the West can’t stay wild forever, and our comment section can’t either. Now, before you jump down our fascist, thought-controlling throats about stifling your First Amendment rights, take a deep breath. 

Better? Good. Now let’s be real for just a few moments. We’re a college newspaper, and we have standards to uphold. Being college students, you can imagine that the standards aren’t outrageously high. To be perfectly honest, there are only about three rules by which to abide, and they aren’t much worse than the standard rules you’re subjected to when you go to your grandmother’s house. 

First and foremost, no name-calling. Yes, we know that the writer was being a whole slew of profanities that we can’t say here, lest we break our own standards. You don’t have to say that though. In fact, we’d appreciate it if you didn’t. 

Second, let’s try to avoid profanity. We know that those special little four-letter words can really add some intensity to your argument, but let’s take a step back and be honest here. This is an internet comment section for a college newspaper, not a game at Bryant-Denny. You don’t need to be that intense, and you don’t even need to tailgate beforehand. 

In all seriousness, it goes without saying that when it comes to profanity, we will in no way tolerate any sort of racism, misogyny, bigotry or hate speech. It’s unacceptable in any form, and anybody who attempts to spread these ideals in our comment section will be promptly removed.

This leaves us with one final rule: no link posting. Yes, we know that you have some incredibly deep insight about your preferred flavor of La Croix on your blog, but you’re going to have to promote it elsewhere. This, of course, includes those cute attempts to get past the filter such as spelling out the word “dot” or adding an uncomfortable amount of spaces. While it might be able to make it past the automatic filter, it will not make it past the watchful eyes of our digital editor, Ryan, who will likely delete the post, but not before relentlessly making fun of your blog and your promotional choices.

As you can see, there’s not all that much restricting you in terms of comments. We welcome, love and appreciate the feedback of ALL our readers, no matter their view, location or academic status. One of the most fulfilling parts of being a journalist is having the opportunity to read what writers have to say about their work. All we ask is that we maintain a respectful discourse. Whenever we hold ourselves and our words, online and off, to a higher standard, we all profit, we all grow, and we all achieve together.