IDesignYourEyes.com seeks to build and support an online community in which VFX professionals and fans can interact, to the enrichment of both groups.

We do not believe in censorship. However, realities of online culture require that we moderate the comments posted on our site. Our comments moderation policy is detailed below. The IDYE community will be notified via blog post any time changes are made to this policy.

All comment moderation decisions are made by our editorial staff. We will attempt to be fair and even-handed in all decisions. However, our decisions are final.

At this time, all comments made by anonymous or unregistered visitors are held for moderation. If you want to see your posts appear instantly, please register on the site. Note: a registered user’s first ever comment will be held for moderation; this is to catch spammers.

Anonymous comments will be moderated as soon as possible – but this may take some time on busy weekdays, and may not happen nights or weekends.

IDYE does not edit or “disemvowel” offending posts. Nt vr. Sch psts wll smpl b rmvd.

Comments generally immune from removal:

• Any post that supports or moves along the discussion of the current topic. We love informative, well-reasoned, factually-supported and entertaining posts.
• New developments about the subject of a post, even an old or “dead” post. If there’s something new to say, let’s jump-start the discussion.
• Opinions that move the debate forward. Do you disagree with what we or another commenter has to say? Let’s hear it! But please be respectful.
• Comments that connect different threads. If the content of one comment thread supports another, let us know and link to it — especially when the connection isn’t obvious.
• Factual corrections to our posts. If we agree that a mistake was made, visible corrections will be made to the post, and helpful commenters will be credited.

Comments that may or may not be kosher:

• Comments containing a link to another VFX or entertainment industry site or blog. Many sites instantly remove such comments. We think this is foolish. IDYE is just one in a global community of sites dedicated to the entertainment industry. We’re not worried about “giving away clicks” or losing our audience.That said, we will remove such comments unless they adhere to one of two rules. Comments containing links to other sites must either:
  • …link to content directly related to the discussion at hand. But even if the link is useful to the discussion, the commenter must tell us what the link is and why we would want to click on it. Any comments containing nothing but a link will be deleted – even if it’s a great link.
  • … be part of a post that substantively adds to the discussion. If you are genuinely contributing to the discussion thread in a real and meaningful way, and you are adhering to the other rules of our moderation policy, then you can link to almost anything you want, including your own blog.

  If you wish to include a link with a very long URL, please use a service like TinyURL or Bit.ly. If a long URL breaks the page, we may be forced to remove the comment, even if it’s a great comment.

• Comments critical of a specific blog post will not be removed for that reason alone. In fact, if such comments are well-written and helpful, then criticisms are welcome. But comments that constitute blanket criticisms of the web site, its creators or Zoic Studios may be removed. Comments critical of the moderation policy may be removed. Comments about technical issues with the site may be removed. Such comments and concerns should be addressed directly to the editor-in-chief of the site: erik[at]idesignyoureyes.com.

Comments that contain the following may be removed:

• Offensive content, including unnecessary or incessant profanity.
• Racist, sexist, anti-Semitic or homophobic language, even if you’re “just kidding.” Please note that the use of “gay” or “ghey” in a negative context (“that movie is gay”) is homophobic, and comments containing this language may be removed.
• Comments critical of a nationality or religious group may be removed, depending on context. Our judgment on this may be different than yours – but our decisions are final.
• Violations of Godwin’s Law. Unless the discussion thread directly concerns the National Socialist German Workers’ Party which ruled Germany between 1933 and 1945, it’s best to leave Nazis out of the discussion. The same with the Holocaust.
• Comments written by someone who clearly has not read the original post or the discussion thread. For instance, someone who accuses the original poster of reaching the opposite conclusion they actually advocated.
• Content-free comments, such as “I agree!” or “LOL” or “this is stupid” may be removed. If you have an opinion, please spend at least 30 words defending it. We call this the “30 Word Rule.”
• Ad hominem attacks. These are comments that attack another commenter personally, rather than their arguments or ideas. Be careful – comments like “you clearly don’t know what you’re talking about” are ad hominem unless you can support them with clear facts or opinions.
• Comments containing spoilers of upcoming films, television shows, etc. (“OMG Snape kills Dumbledore!”), unless they begin with a clear warning (“WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD”).
• Personal information, whether your own or someone else’s: email addresses, snailmail addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, etc.
• ANY COMMENT IN ALL CAPS WILL BE REMOVED.
• Comments that are illegible due to misspellings, poor grammar or syntax, unfamiliarity with the English language, or overuse of l33tsp34k.
• Comments in another language than English.
• Comments containing links to illegal, racist, offensive, pornographic or copyright-infringing content.
• Intentional repetition of the same post, especially across multiple discussion threads.
• All “spam” comments will be removed, and registered accounts that produce spam will be permanently removed.
• “Trolls” will have their comments removed and their account deleted. Not every negative, angry or critical post constitutes trolling. Trolls are visitors dedicated solely to ruining the site experience for other users, usually through making outrageous statements and provoking emotional arguments. Trolls are easily identified, and will be banned.Regular site visitors whose posts upset other community members, but who may not be intentionally trolling, may receive a warning email. We are under no obligation to provide such a warning – this is done solely at our discretion. All decisions to remove trolls are final.

Please note that registered users will be given more leeway, and greater “benefit of the doubt” regarding moderation. Regular registered users who make consistently constructive contributions to the site will be given even greater consideration.

Trackbacks

Trackbacks will be covered by the same guidelines as comments. While we cannot affect content on another blog, we can delete our link to that content.

Avatars

When avatars are enabled on comment threads, the images will be covered by the same guidelines as comments. If a new or inactive user has an inappropriate avatar image, the account will be removed. If a regular user uploads an inappropriate avatar image, we will probably contact the user before removing their account (although we make no guarantee we will do so).

Policy regarding NSFW content

Occasionally, we may post content, or link to content, that some very conservative workplaces would consider inappropriate. Such content online is often labeled “NSFW,” for “not safe for work.”

While some content is obviously NSFW (pornography), other content that may seem harmless to some people should be labeled NSFW, to protect users who are using the Internet at work. This includes images of people wearing bathing suits, underwear or lingerie; depictions of PG-13 violence or sexual behavior; and images of swear words or offensive phrases. Here’s a good rule – if you wouldn’t wear it on a t-shirt at your office, church or synagogue, then label it “NSFW” just to be sure.

Not all NSFW content will violate our moderation policy. Properly labeling such content is a great way to protect yourself (and help others).

If you link to any questionable site in a comment, please label the link NSFW. If you don’t, we may be forced to remove the comment, even if the link is relatively harmless. Sometimes the site to which you are linking is harmless in itself, but displays NSFW ads. Please watch for this.

Zero comment editing policy

To reiterate – we are already uncomfortable censoring visitors’ comments by removing them. We consider editing comments to be even worse, ethically. Therefore, we only remove comments. We do not edit them, nor do we “hold” comments and instruct users to change them. Other sites do these things – we do not.

Therefore, if your post is removed, it will be gone – irretrievably, even if you appeal our decision and we change our minds.

Comments are the responsibility of the commenter

All comments on this blog are the responsibility of the commenter, not the blog owner, administrator, contributor, editor, or author. By submitting a comment on our blog, you agree that the comment content is your own, and to hold this site, IDesignYourEyes.com, and all subsidiaries and representatives harmless from any and all repercussions, damages, or liability. The fact that we moderate comments does not impact your liability, or ours.

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