Ask a Manager

The rules for weekend open threads:

• Unlike every other post on the site, the weekend posts are no work, no school.

• The purpose of the weekend threads are for relatively light discussion. Comments should ask questions and/or seek to discuss ideas. Recommendations or an update or two on things you received advice about in the past are also fine. But please, no venting just to vent (although asking for advice is fine) and no “here’s an update on my life” personal-blog-style posts.

• Be kind. Don’t jump to a negative interpretation of someone’s comment or situation; instead, assume good faith and good will on the part of others, including people whose opinions differ from your own.

• Don’t nitpick people’s spelling, grammar, or word choices.

• We cannot provide medical advice or handle serious mental health concerns here. Please don’t post questions that would be better posed to a doctor or pharmacist (including requests to hear about experiences with specific medications). If you need immediate mental health support in the U.S., you can reach a trained crisis worker 24/7 by calling or texting 988.

• No highly personal bodily topics. It grosses some people out, and I’d rather not moderate it.

• Share the airtime. Start a conversation or two! Join other conversations when you have something to add. But if you are posting five times as much as everyone else, you’re hijacking the space. Just like you (hopefully) wouldn’t monopolize the conversation at a dinner party, don’t hog the space here either.

• Know that I do not read and approve every single comment. The volume is far too high. So if you see a comment that seems problematic, please don’t do this: “I can’t believe this comment is allowed! Why has Alison approved this?!” Instead, assume I haven’t seen it and feel free to flag it and I’ll take a look (to do that, just include a link in your comment and it’ll go to moderation so I’ll see it).

Comments that don’t follow these rules may be removed without warning.