Month: November 2007

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MetaBlogging

Protect Your Blog with a Comment Policy

Table of contents for Blog comments

Whether you’re struggling with spam comments, spammy commenter names or abusive comments, a comment policy is a useful tool to protect your blog. With a comment policy in place, you will probably still have to manually monitor and moderate your comments, but if anyone is ever offended by any comment-related decision you make, you can point to your comment policy as your “fall back.”

Elements of Good Comment Policy

A good comment policy outlines what kinds of comments and signatures you’ll allow on your blog. It also includes information on what you’ll do about comments (and people) that violate these policies. For example:

  • Will you allow a commenter to put ‘keywords’ (words or phrases they want to rank in search engines for) in their ‘name’?
  • Will you allow a commenter to drop a link to their blog at the end of their comments (a ‘link signature’)?
  • Will you allow comments that are less than kind—to you or to others?
  • Will you allow comments that are out-and-out mean or abusive—to you or to others?
  • Will you block someone for violating these policies?
  • Will you delete comments that violate these policies?
  • Will you edit comments that violate these policies?
  • Will you notify a commenter before/after acting on your policy?

Finally, you should probably reserve the right to edit, delete and otherwise exercise your editorial discretion over comments left on your blog. Also, state that you’re not responsible, legally or otherwise, for comments left on your blog.

Good Examples of Comment Policies

Some of my favorite comment policies:
Marketing Pilgrim
ProBlogger
eMoms at Home

All of these policies outline what kind of comments are welcome and what kind are not, as well as actions that will be taken against comments that do not meet the guidelines. Also for your reference, you can see the MamaBlogga Comment Policy.

Again, having a comment policy won’t prevent spam or mean comments on your blog, but if anyone ever asks you why their comment was deleted or edited, you can point to your policy as the reason.

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Contests

November Group Writing Project Finale

With thirty thirty-one wonderful entries, I’m happy to say that the November Group Writing Project has been excellent! I can’t say enough about the wonderful entries that we’ve read over the last week. Without making you wait a moment more, here is the final list of entries:

All of these great entries clearly took time and thought—I really appreciate all of your expressions of gratitude; they’ve made me consider my life more carefully! Read through them and find gratitude from mothers of all ages.

Now, feel free to spread the link love by copying the above list (instructions) and posting it to your own blog. Believe me—they all deserve it.

The Winna!
Chosen at random, I swear, the winner of our prize, a $30 Amazon.com gift certificate, is <drum roll>…


A Grateful Heart by Jill of The Diaper Diaries

Congratulations, Jill! If nothing else, run over there and read her entry—her conclusion is absolutely wonderful! (The gift certificate will be winging its way to you soon!)

Still working on your entry? Even though we’ve awarded our prize, we’ll continue to accept, read, link to and comment on submissions through the end of this week.

Categories
Contests

November GWP Day . . . the rest of them.

The November Group Writing Project is winding down! Here are our last twelve entries!

Once again, these entries are thoughtful and thought-provoking. Be sure to read, comment and enjoy!

Thanks to everyone who’s participated—and don’t forget to check back Monday evening to find out which entry, drawn at random, get a $30 Amazon gift certificate!

Categories
Contests

I’m grateful for Hayden

Sometimes, I’m not grateful enough for the blessings in my life. We have good jobs (and by some miracle, mine allows me to stay home with Hayden!), a comfortable home, a (relatively) safe neighborhood (and town and country—thank you, vets and Happy Veterans’ Day on Sunday!), food, clothes—and most of all each other.

I pick these group writing project topics in part because I’m excited to see what everyone else has to say on the topic (all of which have been excellent), and in part because I want to find out what I have to say on the topic.

I’m grateful for Hayden because he has shown me (and will continue to show me) that there is an entire world out there—outside of myself and my thoughts that can so easily dwell on my own needs.

I’m grateful for Hayden because he loves me, even when that means he can’t stand to be away from me for even a minute while I open the 400 degree oven or read or surf the Internet (which I really gotta stop doing while he’s around).

I’m grateful for Hayden because he really is a well-behaved, obedient child, even though he likes to pretend he isn’t at the most inconvenient times. He’s good at pretending, for a 21-month-old.

I’m grateful for Hayden because just looking at him sometimes fills me with an overwhelming desire to hug and snuggle and kiss and squeeze him for hours on end.

I’m grateful for Hayden because of spontaneous hugs and kisses.

I’m grateful for Hayden because he’s said “Mommy” for months (but he did just start saying “Daddy” again yesterday!). Even when he says it fifteen times while I’m looking straight at him, it’s nice to know he finally understands who I am.

And if there could be a “right” answer for a prompt like this, it would be that I’m grateful for Hayden because he’s mine.

This post is part of the November Group Writing Project. Submit your entries before Monday!

Categories
Contests

November GWP Day Three

The November Group Writing Project is in full swing! Today we have four more thoughtful entries! As always, I’m very impressed with this month’s entries!

Be sure to read, comment and enjoy!

And don’t forget to submit your entries!

Categories
Contests

November GWP Day Two

The November Group Writing Project is in full swing! Today we have eight more excellent entries! Once again, I’m impressed with all the entries so far!

Reading these great entries has helped remind me of the wonderful things that my son does that I love—and I’m sure they can do the same for you! So read, comment and enjoy!

And don’t forget to submit your entries!

Today, I’m grateful for Hayden because . . . of random hugs (from both parties).