What are the wiseGEEK-discussions posting guidelines?

We would like wiseGEEK discussions to be useful and relevant. As a result, we've instituted the following, basic posting guidelines to make discussions more valuable for wiseGEEK users.

1. On topic. Discussion posts must be relevant to the associated article. Useful discussion may be slightly tangential, but posts that are largely unrelated to the main point are not allowed. If you are interested in making an unrelated point, please search our site for a more relevant article.


2. Useful. Posts must be useful to more than one person. wiseGEEK discussions are not intended for overly specific or personal questions that are not beneficial to other readers.


3. Constructive. To make the discussions section a constructive environment for ideas, comments that personally attack other posters will not be permitted.


4. Obscenity. Obscene or offensive content, including inappropriate language, will be edited out or the comment will not be posted.


5. Advertisements. Posts that serve as advertisements or endorsements, including those that contain links to other sites, will not be permitted.


6. Unique. To ensure that content is new and useful, and not simply a recitation of content on another site, posts must be unique. Simply restating the idea in your own words will help get you around this guideline.


7. Formatting and Grammar. We may make minor formatting changes to posts. This may include the omission of excessive carriage returns or spacing, spelling and minor grammar corrections, and edits to make casing consistent. Text in all caps will be changed to normal casing and surrounded with asterisks because all caps can be distracting.

Why did wiseGEEK start allowing discussions about the articles?

Ever since we began providing clear answers for common questions, we have been receiving feedback from our users on particular articles. Sometimes they have additional questions, and other times they just want to say thank you, provide supplemental information for other readers, or make a suggestion. We believe that making these discussions public will increase the overall usefulness of wiseGEEK.

Who can add a comment?

Anyone can add a comment, either anonymously or as a registered user.

What are the advantages of creating a login?

When you create a login, wiseGEEK will show your name next to your article comments, and your comments will be visible immediately after you have written them. In addition, you'll have the option of being notified when other comments are posted to the article discussion that you have contributed to.

What are you going to do with my email address?

wiseGEEK will never sell or share your email address. It will be used only to confirm your identity and to communicate with you about discussions you have entered. Check out our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions for more information.

What if I don't want wiseGEEK to have my email address?

You are welcome to post comments anonymously.

Why can't I see my comment?

In order to ensure that all article comments are constructive and appropriate, a wiseGEEK moderator will approve all comments from anonymous users before they are posted. As soon as a wiseGEEK moderator has approved your comment, it will be posted to the discussion.

Why was my comment changed?

If your comment was changed, it was for one of two reasons: (1) your comment had html tags, images, or links, which are not allowed in wiseGEEK discussions, or (2) all or part of your comment was inappropriate or not constructive. wiseGEEK welcomes both positive feedback as well as criticism from our users. We believe that both are key to providing useful information to the Internet community. However, we reserve the right to change or remove posts that are not constructive and valuable.

Why was my comment deleted?

If your comment was deleted, it was probably because it contained a link to another site, it was repeating another user's question or comment, or was not relevant to that specific article. We also reserve the right to delete posts that are copied from other sources as well as comments that are inappropriate (e.g., an advertisement, obscene, offensive, or some other kind of spam).

When will my question be answered?

The discussions section is a forum for readers to discuss an article among themselves. When and if your question will be answered will depend on your fellow wiseGEEK posters.

What if I forgot my username or password to login to the wiseGEEK article discussions?

If you forgot your username or password you can recover that information by following the instructions on our password recovery page.