Why Treating Your Internet Friends With Respect Matters: A Look at HackerNoon's Comment Policy

Look, we get it. Life is hard. Sometimes, it can be very tempting to take it out on the wrong person who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But that doesn't mean you should, nor is it the right thing to do.

We're all about creating a chill and inclusive space where readers can have great discussions with each other and the authors. We want to hear what you have to say, but we also want to make sure everyone feels safe and respected, so here are a few guidelines:

1. Respectful tone: Keep it chill, people - no personal attacks, insults, or offensive language. Let's be respectful and courteous, even if we don't agree with each other. If you're targeting someone about something they can't change, such as their race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious belief, and more, you'll be BLOCKED! Period!

   
   

2. Relevant content: Stick to the topic, folks. Spammy or off-topic comments will get the boot. And it would be lovely if you could add some value to the discussion.

   
   

3. Constructive criticism: You can criticize, but keep it constructive and helpful. Otherwise, we'll hit that delete button.

   
   

4. No hate speech or discrimination: Don't be a hater! We're not your bullying playground! Any comments containing hate speech, discriminatory language, or other forms of intolerance will not be tolerated. You've been warned!

   
   

5. Privacy and personal information: Keep your personal info to yourself - no posting contact info, social media profiles, or anything else that could be used to identify someone. If you want to link your socials, there's a perfect place for it - YOUR PROFILE PAGE!

   
   

6. No promotional content: We're not here to promote stuff in the comment section. So, no links to products, services, or websites, please. It's annoying and you don't want to be one of those humans.

   
   

7. Moderation: We're the comment cops. We reserve the right to moderate and remove any comments that violate this policy. If you're a repeat offender, we might have to kick you out.

8. Dispute resolution: If you see something inappropriate or offensive, let us know. Flag it, and we'll review it ASAP.

While we recognize that a zero-tolerance policy may not completely eliminate hate, we want to make it clear that we take this issue very seriously. We expect everyone on our platform to adhere to our comment policy, and failure to do so may result in blocked access to writing or commenting.

Thanks for joining the conversation, and let's keep it classy, folks!