Policy

Finally, I’ve penned down the comments policy of this blog. Some are genuinely frequently asked questions and some are questions which, even if you don’t ask, I want to answer. The recent dramatics in this blog have triggered us to list down some kind of guidance for posting comments for the new visitors as well as the seasoned visitors. Just because we’re listing down these rules now does not mean they never existed before. They were always there, in you and in us, and now it’s in black and white.

1. Who’s blogging over here? Who are you?

It’s all there in the Introduction page, not just mine but also that of many of our friends here.

2. Is Chelsea FC sponsoring you? Is there some kind of business deal with them?

If you had read the introduction, the answers are there. Anyway, for clarity, this is a completely private blog and this is not at all affiliated to Chelsea FC. I write for the blogs section of the official Chelsea website. Might interact with the club occasionally but I can’t tell them which player to buy nor can I ask them for free tickets or merchandise.

3. I’m a new visitor. What do I do?

Warm welcome. Please introduce yourself here. Have a look around. Open the any of the recent posts (ideally the latest one) and start participating in the discussions.

4. Should I comment only supporting Chelsea?

Say what you want to say but stay sensible. You have every right to voice your opinion, irrespective of your allegiances and biases. As long as you keep it neat, clean and civilised, any comment is welcome.

5. I’m not a Chelsea fan. Can I still hang around?

Why not? As long as you follow football, you’re in the same fraternity. You can visit and also you can participate in the discussions. But if you clarify that you’re not a Chelsea fan, it would help the others to put your comments in perspective. As you become a regular visitor, you may not need introduction.

6. Are there any words I should not use?

Yes and No. Certain words can be used as an expression but not in the capacity of an abusive word. Also, the usage of certain words would put your comment under moderation automatically. If you want to see your comments posted, avoid using abusive language. Simple rule: Don’t say anything to anyone, that you wouldn’t say to them face-to-face.

7. Can I enter into arguments with the fellows around?

That’s what blogs are there for. Please do. During these arguments, ensure that (i) you don’t abuse (ii) you don’t ridicule the other guy (or gurl)  (iii) you don’t belittle the other guy on any account (iv) you don’t abuse the Chelsea players, managers, officials, staff and the fans too.

These are the things that not only make you lose friends, but also make people stop enjoying your company. All comments are fine as long as they are not insults, abuses, spams or repetitive provocations.

8. What if I still go ahead and mess around?

Not particularly smart. You’ll be warned you once, second time with a week-ban (yellow) and third time (red) will have you sent you off for a month or get permanently banned from this blog.

9. What do I do if someone else insults, abuses or provokes me?

Whether it is done to you or to anyone else, please report to me, along with the post title, comment number and the author name. Even if you’re provoked, have the maturity not to bite back. Be the bigger man and forgive. Report it to me and I’ll take care of the rest. Remember, if you have to fight a pig, you gotta do it in mud . . and when you are busy fighting, the pig is only enjoying it!

10. Aren’t these things subjective? Who decides something is an insult, abuse or spam?

It shows. You’d surely know it yourself, when you type in an insulting or abusive comment. And, like it or not, I’m the chief justice of the judicial system of this blog. So, I have to play a role in taking some decisions and breaking some deadlocks. Lucky me, I don’t even have to explain!

11. Ok, that means anything but abusive text?

Well, there are few more internet etiquettes such as (i) don’t post everything in all CAPS, you’re aching millions of eyes (ok, allright, thousands of eyes) (ii) don’t put up links that have no relevance (iii) don’t advertise for anything at all (we’ll do it but that’s official) (iv) Type in your name or nickname, don’t post anything anonymously (v) Always break your text into various paragraphs so that it’s easy on the eye, after all, you want people to read your comments (vi) Use punctuation sensibly – 28 exclamation marks next to the word ‘incredible’ will mean the same with just 2 exclamation marks (vii) Don’t post half-liners or simply smileys – add value to the discussion.

12. Ok, I won’t do any of these things under my name. What if I do under someone else’s identity?

That’s what we call ‘impersonation’. Remember that your IP addresses are recorded. Use gravatars. They are like your signature. Otherwise new ‘identicon’ system will auto-generate patterns/designs for you. Together Gravatar and Identicon would name and shame the impersonators.

13. I didn’t use abusive language but why are my comments are under moderation?

If comments are just meant to be of flaming nature, they go out. Commenters are supposed to add something to the discussion. If someone comments just with the purpose of creating trouble, or simply trolling, the comments will be out. Don’t be a troll.

14. Who is a troll?

An troll is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.

15. Well, I still . . .

Okay fine, just use the below as a quick guide to safe commenting!

• Stay on topic
• Contribute new information to the discussion
• Don’t comment for the sake of commenting
• Know when to comment and when to e-mail
• Remember that nobody likes a know-it-all
• Be succinct
• Cite your sources with links or inline quoting
• Be courteous
• Don’t post when you’re angry, upset, drunk or emotional
• Don’t just post flaming comments
• Do not be or feed or tease a troll

16. I want to contact you or give a feedback. What should I do?

Well, you can always contact me through the contact form.

There are further instructions and guidance here. Please pay attention.

Finally, if you’re going to use common sense and be sensible, you may not have to read these rules!

Thank you!

P.S: Sorry about the annoying and patronising tone of this page. Remember this page is the result of some of the really dark days in this blog and hence had to put things out there in black and white and in direct fashion.