Newser’s Comment Policy

Newser’s comment policy encourages healthy debate. Users that repeatedly violate any of the rules below may have their account suspended. We will not allow:

  • Comments that are racist, sexist, or downright offensive.
  • Comments that target and/or personally insult other Newser commenters.
  • Identical comments posted on multiple stories.
  • Off-topic discussions.
  • Comments in all CAPS. They're obnoxious, so don't do it.
How are comments monitored?

Because Newser cannot review each comment individually, we rely on moderators and other users to monitor comments.

What is a Moderator?

With thousands of comments pouring in each day, Newser relies on Moderators to help keep things in check. Moderators are regular site users who “get” Newser’s comment policy and have been selected by Newser to help us keep things in check. They have the ability to immediately hide comments that violate our comment policy and restore comments that have been wrongly flagged.

What is a Global Moderator?

Sort of the queen (or king) bee: The Global Moderator is a member of the Newser staff who manages the Moderators and controls account suspensions.

What guidelines do the Moderators follow?

Our moderators are expected to stick to the following:

  • Moderators should be familiar with and follow the specific rules that make up Newser's comment policy.
  • Moderators must maintain consistent communication with the Global Moderator.
  • Moderation actions must be non-confrontational, and only be taken in response to a direct infraction of the comment policy.
  • In the event of a dispute claiming the moderator is not being fair, the Global Moderator will intervene.
  • Moderators can’t suspend users but can recommend accounts they feel should be suspended to the Global Moderator.
  • The Global Moderator has the right to strip Moderators of their status, should they not observe the above.
I see an inappropriate comment; what should I do?

Click on "Flag." Users that repeatedly leave inappropriate or off-topic comments will have their account suspended.

Why has my account been suspended?

We suspend accounts that repeatedly violate our comment policy or terms of use. Also note that if you attempt to impersonate another user by using a derivative of their name or avatar, your account will be immediately suspended.