Diaries

I read through the diaries today and while most of the conversation was just as intriguing as usual we need a reminder about etiquette.

1.  If Blazersedge is the bar where everybody knows your name then a Diary is like your table.  Folks are sitting around the table to have a conversation about a topic.  It's the height of rudeness to bust in and start discussing something else right in the middle of the conversation.  It's also rude to sit down and insult somebody there.  Neither is permissable.  Often discussions stray to tangents (sometimes humorous) that stem from the original conversation.  That's just the fun of conversation between friends.  But starting off-topic is not allowed.
2.  I'm as neurotic about grammar as anyone here but let's ease up on the spelling critiques and the fights that stem from them.  Not everyone has English as their first language and not everyone grew up in the same way.  If you can read it, deal with the subject.  If you can't, skip it.
3.  Personal attacks are not allowed in the diaries any more than they are allowed on the main page.
4.  You are allowed to switch screen names at Blazersedge but to keep the integrity of the conversation each name needs to be distinct.  In other words if you adopt a new name, give up the old one.  Using two or more names and switching back and forth is heavily discouraged.  If I see you using two screen names in the same conversation both will be banned.  This is a place where real people like to have real conversations.
5.   As we've mentioned before, there is limited space for diaries on the front page. Please limit yourself to two on the page at any time unless, of course, breaking news (like a trade or something) necessitates an immediate posting. Taking up 10% of the site's attention should be enough for anyone.

There was one diary today that had 50-odd comments and less than 10% of them were actually on-topic.  I don't have time to erase 40 distinct comments so I just deleted the whole diary.  (One of the worst offenders was the author, so I didn't feel too bad.)  I prefer to let the conversation happen as it may but don't take advantage of that or you will find my graciousness dwindling.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

P.S. Just to clear up any misunderstandings before they start... This has zero to do with decent debate or conflict. Good conflict and back-and-forth over ideas is highly encouraged. You don't have to agree with people. You just have to disagree over things that are on-topic and that matter. You also have to present yourself well enough so that the rest of us can weigh in on the debate fairly.