I posted a comment and it never appeared. Why?

There could be a number of explanations. First, read over our Standards and Rules for posting comments to JournalStar.com articles. Basically, comments should be civil, concise and deal in facts. We want to provide as open a forum as possible for readers to share their thoughts - and in exchange for that privilege, it's the users' responsibility to follow the guidelines for commenting. Posts that invoke hearsay, include ad hominem attacks and partake in name-calling are never allowed. If such posts appear in error, let the site administrator know immediately.

I submitted a comment a while ago and I haven't seen it. Why?

Comments won't appear on the site immediately after you post them. Once submitted, comments go into a waiting queue where they are reviewed by our moderators. We work to keep turnaround time as short as possible, but moderation time does vary.

You posted my first comment to this article, but none of my others. Why?

Commenters are discouraged from posting multiple responses to the same article. Unlike blogs and message board forums, the comments sections on our articles are not intended for lengthy back-and-forth discussions and arguments between posters. Comments that directly engage other posters are typically not allowed for that same reason. In terms of diversity of opinion, fewer posts by a greater number of people beats multiple posts by a small number of people.

Also, we encourage you to pick a screen name - and stick with it. While it may be tempting to try to spam a particular thread with your opinion using a series of different screen names, we can usually tell when this is occurring. We disallow these comments and make note of the posters who are partaking in this activity.

Why can't I just talk about whatever I want in the comments section?

Comments to an article should be related to the contents and subject matter of that article. Posts that stray from the topic at hand are not allowed.

WHY ARE THERE NO COMMENTS WRITTEN IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS?

We do not allow any comments written in ALL CAPS, regardless of their content. Writing comments in such a manner is simply bad netiquette.

Why can't I comment on some articles?

Publishing opinions about the guilt, innocence or character of the accused in open criminal cases can affect that person's constitutional right to a fair trial. This inevitably happens with police and court articles. Therefore, we do not accept user comments on local and area police and court articles. We may also choose to not accept comments on stories that could result in criminal charges. Comments on crime stories are allowed after a person has been convicted or acquitted, or after the defendant has entered a guilty plea.

Who do I contact if I have a question?

The site administrators, via e-mail. If your e-mail requires a response, we'll get back to you as quickly as we can.