Comments policy

For some reason comment policies have been floating around in my mind recently - and I think it's because I feel a little differently about comments than most of the ones I've read. So I thought I'd take a quick moment to let you know how I feel about what my fine readers have to say.

The stuff that I post that has any sort of controversial component (you know, other than stupid/cute things my kids say and family photos) is rarely fully formed in my mind. Most of the time I don't know where a post is going to end up when I start writing it. Sometimes there are throwaway lines to make me think, and maybe to provoke a reaction from readers. I blog to help clarify my thoughts, and sometimes to change them completely.

My way of understanding the world is by theorising and abstracting. I know this bothers some people, but I can't change that about me at this stage. It doesn't mean that I don't understand that my abstractions are based on real people with real feelings and real lives, it's just that I can't make sense of the world on that level - I end up in a confuddled mess that gives me no insight at all. If the way I do it really bothers you, feel free to tell me, or swear at me to your screen and vow never to read my stupid writing again - I don't blame you.

I am pretty much OK with any comments that aren't downright abusive. You can take me to task on anything you like. I figure if I can't defend it, I have to either discard it or call it as an unfounded belief (I have a number of those). It's highly likely that any comment you make will contribute to my understanding of the world - even if it doesn't show.

Comments would probably have to be really out there offensive for me to pull them, but I reserve the right to mock them mercilessly on the basis of narrowminded, bigoted bullshit.

I don't usually get enough comments to worry about what one commenter says to another - but on the off chance it comes up (it does occasionally on FB), please remember that not everyone enjoys an argument as much as me. You'd be hard pressed to offend me, but I can't speak for other people, so please be a bit more conservative when responding to others. Perhaps a lot more.

Mostly though, my comments policy is "YES PLEASE!". Life is a dialogue.