Community Guidelines

Join the conversation

Our commenting community is a space for civil discussions. Here's how to participate.

Treat other participants with respect

Postmedia platforms are not anonymous and the use of pseudonyms is prohibited. Upon registering, you must provide your first and last names, which will appear publicly on your submissions to our site. Postmedia reserves the right to disable any comment if there is any uncertainty about the author’s identity. Stealing another person's identity is a serious offence.

You are responsible for your comments. All contributions must stay on topic. If you see an objectionable post, please flag the comment to alert us. You can report a comment here.

We reserve the right to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable. Personal attacks, whether on other participants or our authors, are not permitted. Critical comments that do not contribute to the discussion will be removed. We reserve the right to permanently ban any user who violates these terms and conditions. Comments that are long, have multiple paragraph breaks, include code, or include hyperlinks may not be posted.

By submitting your comments, you grant us the non-exclusive right to use your content royalty-free, in perpetuity. Think carefully about your intent and the consequence of publication of any of your comments. For more information, see our full Privacy Statement and Terms of Use

How to comment

Be Civil

Comments are intended to be civil conversations. We will remove posts that may violate any applicable laws, including but not limited to copyright, trademark, or patent rights, or anything we deem might contravene provincial or federal laws.

Be Transparent

Users are required to use their real names to create an honest and accountable community. We reserve the right to remove access from users who fail to comply with this policy.

Be Safe

Do not post personal information about yourself or others.

Don’t Troll

Users who post disruptive or repetitive statements that hijack or derail the conversation may see their comments removed, and if applicable, their posting privileges revoked.

Future Use

We reserve the right to edit your comments, or to republish your comments elsewhere on our properties. By commenting you agree to adhere to our community guidelines.

FAQ

Where did my comments from yesterday go?

We moved to a new commenting platform to enhance your experience, featuring better moderation and more user options.

I used to comment under my Facebook account. Why do I have to create a new account?

Postmedia has moved to a new platform in order to provide a unified and fully-moderated commenting experience. You can create an account or use your existing registered account with us to comment via the sign-in button in the top right corner. You can also use Facebook Connect to sign in and create an account.

How do I comment?

Sign in with your existing Postmedia account or create a new account via the sign in link in the top right corner of our sites.

How do I sign up for an account?

You can create a new account via the sign-in link above the comment section or in the top right corner of our sites.

I see that I can sign up using my Facebook account. Is this the same as commenting under my Facebook profile?

No. When you create a Postmedia account using Facebook Connect, Postmedia has access to your Facebook login state, but not to your full Facebook profile. The comments you post on our websites will not be posted on your Facebook feed unless you decide to share your comment on the platform. Our system allows you to sign in and sign up with a variety of social media accounts, including Facebook.

Why does my name show up next to my comment? Why can’t I use a pseudonym or nickname?

Postmedia does not allow the use of nicknames or pseudonyms while commenting. We are committed to maintaining a civil environment where users are comfortable standing by their comments featuring real names.

I was banned because my name did not meet the Community Guidelines. How do I update my name?

Postmedia does not allow the use of nicknames, pseudonyms or abbreviations while commenting. You may update your name under your Profile. Click the “Edit” button, and you’ll see that you can now modify your name. Once you’re happy with your changes, make sure to hit “Save”.

Why am I receiving emails?

Email Notifications are sent when:

• A user replies to a comment you posted
• A user that you follow posts a new comment
• A comment thread that you follow receives a new comment

How do I enable/disable email notifications under my account?

After signing in, click on the hamburger menu in the comment area to load your profile. Under the settings cog wheel, you can enable/disable email notifications.

Why can’t I comment on some articles?

Comments are not enabled on all articles based on our internal guidelines.

I posted a comment and it showed up an hour later. Why?

Comments can take up to an hour to appear on the site due to our moderation process. Please do not re-post your comment during this time. Duplicate comments will be removed.

How are comments moderated?

Comments are evaluated by a team of moderators, as well as algorithms programmed to look for offensive language and phrases. Please refer to our community guidelines if you have any questions.

Why is my comment disabled?

Comments are disabled for a variety of reasons and we will try to provide explanations wherever possible. We encourage our readers to review the community guidelines to see our commenting recommendations.

My comment arguing with another user was removed. Why?

We do not tolerate personal attacks on our platform. Critical comments that do not contribute to the discussion will be removed.

What happens if I flag a comment?

Flagged comments are reviewed by our team of moderators and removed if the comments are contrary to our guidelines.

Why can’t I flag a comment twice?

A comment can only be flagged once by a user. A different user can flag the same comment.

I flagged a comment and nothing happened. Why?

Our moderation team will review the flagged comment and remove it from the site if deemed inappropriate or offensive. Please allow up to an hour for moderation.

What happens if I mute a user?

When you mute a user, you cease to see their comments in your feed or under any articles that the user has engaged in. This allows you to control your comment feed.

How do I mute a user?

Click on the profile avatar of a user and look for the mute option.

How do I unmute a user?

You can manage muted users under the community tab in your profile.

When I click on a user’s profile tray, I see their profile and the comments they commented on. Why can’t I see another user’s feed?

You can only view a user’s profile, not their feed. If you try to switch between tabs in the Profile tray, you will be taken to your own details.

Can a user be banned?

Repeat offenders may be banned from the site and from commenting.

How can a user be banned?

Minor Violations

These include serial flagging, petty personal attacks, repeated off-topic posting. Moderators may issue escalating bans (1 hour, 1 day, 3 days.) with a message to the user indicating duration of ban and reason.

Inaccurate Display Names

Users are typically given two chances to change their display names to their real names and banned permanently after a third warning.

Moderators may skip to immediate permanent ban if the display name is highly offensive or vulgar.

Major Violations

Hate Speech, Libel, Inciting Violence, Known Trolls

In the event that a user makes a comment that contains overt hate speech, moderators may issue a permanent ban. Similarly, users who make comments that are clearly libelous, incite violence, or are recognizable as known trolls, may be immediately banned.