In the following policies, “we” refers collectively to On the Human’s editorial team. More information about the editors can be found here.
1. We prefer comments submitted under their authors’ names (i.e. not anonymously or with pseudonyms).
2. Views expressed are those of the authors alone and do not reflect the views of the Editors of On the Human or the National Humanities Center.
3. All responses are moderated.
4. It is our custom to seed discussions by inviting a few respondents, some chosen in consultation with the Contributor, to comment.
5. We generally publish all comments that are on point, offer reasons for opinions, and are not offensive, libelous, or ad hominem. We reserve the right, however, to judge how aptly or helpfully all comments fit into the discussion, and to edit, withhold or reject, without explanation, any comments or parts thereof we deem inappropriate in content, style, or tone.
6. We may flag comments that approach the length of the featured essay. If we deem a comment too long to be appropriate, we may refuse to publish it or withhold it indefinitely. Alternatively, we may encourage the author to prune or condense the comment. We do not publish comments that exceed the length of the featured essay.
7. We may correct spelling errors, typos, and grammar in comments without the author’s permission. We do not question stylistic choices, including those related to gender references.
8. We will attempt not to change any words in ways that alter meaning without asking the commenter’s approval. All errors of fact are the commenter’s responsibility. Because all comments are moderated, some delay is to be expected before a comment may appear online. We are unable to approve or to answer all comments submitted.
9. After a conversation has been closed, we generally will not edit or remove individual comments. We reserve the right to do so, however, and to delete entire conversational threads for any reason.