Guides to Use and Posting of Comments (9/26/24)

To the Federal Tax Procedure Blog Readers:

I welcome comments on this blog.  I learn from them; readers of this blog learn from them.  I post here some guidelines and information to help make this blog a helpful resource for persons interested in federal tax crimes.

First, let me say that comments have rarely been used over the last few years (before 9/26/24). I think comments fell into disuse because they were difficult to make with the tool I used for comments. That tool was Disqus. The attraction of Disqus was that imbedded comments could be made making it easier to comment and follow the trail of comments. It worked fine for a while, but then it did not work. So as of 9/26/24, I have decided to eliminate Disqus as the comment tool and use the comment tool for the Blogger / Blogspot blog that I use. Users wishing to make and follow comments should find that the comments are much more accessible.

• Please Keep the Comments Relevant to the Blog Entry.

Most often, readers will be able to get to a comment only by first reading the blog entry.  If your comment is not relevant to the blog entry, a number of readers may never read it.  I presume that you are posting the comment to have readers read the comment and, if appropriate, engage in the discussion. Hence, by posting the comment under the a relevant blog entry, you will have a better chance of reaching the largest audience.

In some cases, where the comment is wholly irrelevant, I may not approve the comment.  (See guide below on comment moderation.)  I give an example:  In 2011, I posted a blog item on the criminal charge via information against Michael F. Schiavo.  The blog was titled A Botched Foreign Account Quiet Disclosure Draws Criminal Charges (5/19/11).  One reader posted a comment that was not related to this discussion but rather related to the administration of the 2011 OVDI.  I decided to moderate out that comment.  It was a good comment and asked a good question about the administration of the OVDI program. But it was not relevant to the topic of the particular blog entry to which the reader was trying to append the comment.   

• Please Keep the Discussion Civil.

This is a blog intended to inform and engage through discussion.  

Discussion is not furthered by intemperate comments.  For the readers to whom this blog is targeted, intemperate comments will mask any value of the comments. I remind readers of Godwin's Law which deals with a subset of intemperate comments but also addressed the broader phenomenon of intemperate comments being counterproductive to discussion.  The Daily Writing Tips Blog has a good discussion of Godwin's Law, here.  Here are some excerpts of that discussion:

Mike Godwin is an American attorney and author who formulated “Godwin’s Law” in 1990 when he made the following assertion: 

As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches.

Whether or not the Goodwin's Law means that the discussion is over once Nazis or Hitler is mentioned, the practical effect is that that is the case and readers then reject the views of the person who raised the subject of Nazis or Hitler.

And, on the broader subject, readers will rarely receive intemperate comments in a favorable way. Readers will pass negative judgment on the person making the intemperate comment and will not be persuaded or even particularly interested in what that person has to say.

• Please Avoid Comments that Are Just Rants.

Rants and super-hyperbolic discussions (whether made by me or any person commenting on this blog) rarely are read or appreciated by readers.  I realize that some hyperbole is involved in presenting arguments, but please avoid going over the top on hyperbole. Overstating a case can turn off readers.

• I Moderate The Comments Before They Are Available Publicly on the Blog.

I do moderate the comments.  I read them before I authorize them to appear publicly on the blog so that they can be read by other readers.  I typically will not refuse to approve a comment so long as the comment is appropriate to the discussion and not immoderately intemperate.  In other words, I will approve moderately intemperate comments that are otherwise appropriate.  But keep in mind the discussion above that cautions the phenomenon that intemperate comments are counterproductive to discussion and persuasion.  If a reader posts a comment solely to rant without informing or persuading other readers, then the posting will be counterproductive.  If, however, the reader merely wants to use moderately intemperate hyperbole to make a point, depending upon context, it may or may not be rejected by other readers and, even before getting to other readers, I may not approve the comment.

• Naming the Commenter.

Comments may be made by the commenter's name or pseudonym or anonymously. I recommend that commenters use their own name (may be first name and initial) or consistently use some unique pseudonym. Readers can judge then who makes good comments that should require their attention. Studies have shown that comments with names and pseudonyms are generally of higher quality and read more than anonymous comments.