A web comic is a very unique art form. Combined with an active comments section it allows the author to watch reader reaction on an almost line-by-line basis. I love my reader comments, positive or negative. But that doesn’t mean I’m beyond curating discussions. As the above image shows I rarely moderate comments. If your comment is deleted it was probably because it broke one of these very simple rules:

▪︎ Almost all of these rules are based on civility. Be nice. Don’t insult me or other readers.

▪︎ Try not to use uncouth language. I have very little against cursing, but used incorrectly it’s just brutish. Starting a comment with “that’s bullshit”, for instance, is not conducive to a civil conversation.

▪︎ Don’t dismiss the premise of a conversation. Two of the five comments I’ve tossed were due to people insisting there was no conversation needed because they had the definitive answer. You’re not that smart or above it all. Join in, don’t disrupt.

▪︎ Don’t say the obvious, obnoxious, offensive thing. By now every racial, gender, and sexual stereotype is well known. Repeating them doesn’t make you clever or edgy. You may call that “PC”. I call it a thirst for new material.

▪︎ Don’t write a novel. It makes it really hard for readers to find other people’s discussions if they have to scroll for hours to get there. Web comics are a short form medium. No one is coming here to spend hours reading my content or yours.

▪︎ Relax. It’s just Star Trek.