FAQ

1. Who can leave comments on the site?

Anyone who’s auditioned successfully to become a commenter (see below) or anyone who’s received an email invitation from us. The comment system is invitation-only because our editors want to spend more time providing new content and less time moderating comment threads.

2. How can I become a commenter?

To become a commenter, you need to audition, which means leaving at least one comment on the site. To do this, type an interesting, substantial or highly amusing comment in the comment box anywhere on the site. Click “Share” and then click the “New user?” link on the next screen. On the following screen, enter your desired username and password and click “Register”. Your comment will be received but won’t appear until (and if) we approve it.

We only approve the comments we love – so make sure you’re adding something of quality to the post. If we approve your comment, your username and password will be activated and you’ll be able to login and comment freely from then on (or at least until you get banned).

Tips for auditioning to become a commenter: First, leaving multiple high quality comments on different threads using your newly created username increases your chances of having your comments – and therefore your username – approved. Second, if a comment from a newly created username doesn’t show up on the site, that’s because it’s still awaiting approval. There’s no need to submit the same comment multiple times or report this as a bug.

We value intelligent contributions, good grammar, and not feeding the trolls. Proper use of punctuation, capitalization and time taken in typing will earn you extra points. Ignoring any of the above will subtract considerably.

If you want to comment, show your stuff – make it a worthy addition to the thread. “Firsts!”, “yays” and “nays” will be summarily ignored. See Lifehacker’s Guide To Weblog Comments for suggestions on how to start.