Comment FAQ
At the List Universe we pride ourselves on polite and friendly comments. Please read and understand the following questions before you post a comment.
1. Why isn’t my comment showing
Most likely this is because you have used a word or phrase that is tagged for moderation. If you use the phrase “first post” or similar phrases, your comment will go in to a moderation queue for one of the administrators to approve it. This is because we don’t allow “first post!” comments – they are annoying. Additionally, if you quote more than one URL (web address) in your comment, it will also go in to the moderation queue. This doesn’t mean your comment won’t show up – it just means that we need to approve it first.
2. Can I use bold, italic, etc.?
Yes. You can use a subset of standard HTML for your comments. NOTE: you can not use forum markup (this usually has square brackets, like [url] – this is not standard HTML). What you can use is:
<b>bold text</b>
<i>bold text</i>
<u>underline text</u>
3. How long can a comment be?
We don’t have a limit on the size of comments, but we do ask that you condense what you want to say in to as few lines as possible. If you have to explain something very detailed, you should find a website with your explanation and post a link to that instead (see question 4 for instructions on links).
4. How do I post a link?
You can either just post the link in to your comment and the site will automatically turn it in to a hyperlink for you, or if you want to add a title, you can do it like this:
<a href="http://PUT YOUR WEB ADDRESS HERE">PUT YOUR TITLE HERE</a>
5. Can I use a signature?
No. Do not put signatures at the end of your comments – we can see from the comment what your username is and we don’t allow readers to use the comments for advertising. Furthermore, links posted in comments are not indexed by Google or other search engines so you can’t improve your site rank by doing this.
6. Can I carry on personal chats in the comments?
No – this becomes very tedious for other readers – please take it to the forums.
7. Do I have to write in English?
Yes. You absolutely must write in English. We will delete non-English comments as soon as we see them. The same goes for “text-message” speech – we want everyone to understand the comments.
8. How do I write a good comment?
You write a good comment by not insulting others, by not using CAPS LOCK, by not using repetitive punctuation, and by sticking to the argument if you don’t agree with someone. Remember, the minute you insult a person in a debate, you lose.
9. Can I preach in my comments?
No. The List Universe is not your personal pulpit. You can quote Scriptures, etc. in your comments if they are pertinent to the list – but you absolutely may not use the site as a source for conversions.
10. Can I discuss other topics in comments?
No – you must stick to the topic – when comments go so far off the topic they cause people to lose interest and they add nothing to the list. Of primary importance is the fact that the comments are meant to enhance readers time on the site – not cause them to get bored with idle chit-chat.
11. What languages can I use?
English only. Non-English comments will be deleted.
Thanks for sticking to these rules – they make the site much more enjoyable for all!
