The 10 Commandments of Commenting — Positively Rephrased

You may also want to read my post, Conversations on Commenting.

A Few Etiquette Pointers Rewritten for Students and Their Parents
(or The 10 Commandments of Commenting, positively rephrased.)

1. All comments leave digital footprints — any comment posted at a website will be accessible for years.
2. Be specific and demonstrate with your comment that you have a genuine interest in the topic.
3. If you disagree, that’s fine, but include at least a bit of constructive criticism.
4. You may share something about yourself, but avoid blatant self-promotion.
5. Stay on topic. Brevity is good.
6. The quality of your language counts. Do you want your digital footprints to include obscene and foul language or rude and disrespectful information?
7. If you just want to say you like the post or article, use the like or share link.
8. A comment is a piece of writing and the comment writer is the author.
9. All of the comments that you leave will become a part of your digital dossier.
10. It’s your writing. What conclusions will people draw about you when they read your comment?

If you want to use a copy of this post, click on the image at right to download the PDF. Instructions for attribution are on the document.