We’ve put together a set of universal guidelines that we believe every community can benefit from and moderators can adopt. Our goal is to ensure that these set of guidelines are easy to understand and widely applicable to any community on Disqus. It’s not meant to be comprehensive, rather focusing on the most commonly shared principles we believe are critical for setting a foundation in a community to enable it to thrive.

Keep it civil aka don’t be a jerk

We’re going to get into the thick of a lot of heated discussions and that’s okay. These discussions often entail topics that we all personally care a lot about and will passionately defend. But in order for discussions to thrive here, we need to remember to criticize ideas, not people.
 
 So, remember to avoid:

• name-calling
• ad hominem attacks
• Responding to a post’s tone instead of its actual content.
• knee-jerk contradiction

Comments that we find to be hateful, inflammatory, or harassing may be removed. If you don’t have something nice to say about another user, don't say it. Treat others the way you’d like to be treated.

Always strive to add value to every interaction and discussion you participate in

There are a lot of discussions that happen every day on Disqus. Before joining in a discussion, browse through some of the most recent and active discussions happening in the community, especially if you’re new there.
 
 If you are not sure your post adds to the conversation, think over what you want to say and try again later.

Keep it tidy

Help make moderators’ lives easier by taking a moment to ensure that what you’re about to post is in the right place. That means:

• don’t post off-topic comments or discussions
• don’t cross-post the same thing multiple times
• review any specific posting guidelines for the community: some communities such as a movies community may have specific rules regarding spoilers.
• check if another active discussion on your topic has already been posted

If you see something, say something

Moderators are at the forefront of combatting spam, mediating disputes and enforcing community guidelines and, so are you.
 
If you see an issue, contact the moderators if possible or flag any comments for review.