Comments are a new, but enriching addition to EUobserver. We're still experimenting with the exact implementation and rule enforcement, so bare with us while we keep improving the functionality.
Comments are available to supporting members as a premium feature, and we are grateful for the time our readers will (hopefully) take to add their views.
We believe allowing for reader response and interaction with our articles will enhance the overall context and add diverse perspectives to our journalism.
In the meanwhile, here are the guidelines we expect our commenters to adhere to – all of which amount to 'please be decent'.
Civility: As the Financial Times asks their commenters – criticise ideas, not people. Profanity is discouraged, unless absolutely necessary.
Relevance: Please keep your comments relevant to the journalism.
Brevity: While our readers are probably highly eloquent, avoid excessive length to respect your fellow commenter's time.
We appreciate the use of real names for comments. In case you have not set it, please head over to your user dashboard.
Pseudonyms are allowed, but impersonation is cause for a commenting ban.
If you feel a comment grossly violates above (simple) rules, please flag the comment using the 'Report' button. Our moderators will then review the comment and remove if inappropriate.
When a user's comments have been reported more than three times, this user will be disallowed to comment in the future.
If you wish to contest a comment ban, please get in touch at [email protected].
We will remove any comment that resembles commercial promotion or spam.
It's possible to add urls to comments, but if these are linking to off-topic businesses, products, news or blog posts, these comments will be removed.
Any harmful, abusive or personally insulting comments will result in a ban. We could list everything that falls under that here, but you're an adult, use your common sense.
Strong opinions are fine, as long as they're aimed at ideas rather than persons.
Politeness is appreciated.
Don't call others names (including 'troll', this is unhelpful)
Discrimination, bigotry, and hate speech will result in an instant ban.
Read the other comments – make your contribution count, not repeat.
Don't pretend to be someone you're not.
Be a decent human being to others.