Comment Terms & Conditions
Our comment service is not moderated, but you do have to register to comment. We do act on complaints from readers – please report any comments you feel are offensive. Those comments will be evaluated in the context of the guidelines below, so please bear them in mind when using our service.
* Park your flame-thrower at the door. Misunderstandings are possible when we use electronic communication. If you see something that you don't understand please ask questions, rather than accuse or condemn.
* Refrain from personal attacks, hate speech (see definition below), racism, bigotry, or profanity, or comments that may expose IOL to defamation lawsuits under South African law (see definition below).
* Your comment should be relevant to the original post and subsequent discussion.
* IOL reserves the right to close discussion on a particular issue, and to close the entire comments service if necessary.
* IOL reserves the right not to open comments on specific stories
* Your email address will not be published with your comment, nor will it be published anywhere else.
7. If you want to make a formal complaint about a comment, hover over the comment to activate the Report facility. However, if you think the story itself is incorrect, PLEASE don’t use the comment form to tell us. Rather use our feedback form ((live link to http://www.iol.co.za/feedback))
.
TROLLS
When you suspect that somebody is a troll (someone who comes online to cause trouble), you might try responding with a polite, mild message, or ignore the comment. However, if the person persists and seems to enjoy being unpleasant, the only effective position is summed up as follows: The only way to deal with trolls is to limit your reaction to reminding others not to respond to trolls.
HATE SPEECH
The South African constitution says (section 16, Chapter 2 – Bill of Rights):
16. Freedom of expression
* Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, which includes
- freedom of the press and other media;
- freedom to receive or impart information or ideas;
- freedom of artistic creativity; and
- academic freedom and freedom of scientific research.
* The right in subsection (1) does not extend to:
- propaganda for war
- incitement of imminent violence; or
- advocacy of hatred that is based on race, ethnicity, gender or religion, and that constitutes incitement to cause harm.
DEFAMATION
“The publication of words or behaviour concerning a person that tend to injure the good name of that person, with the intention of injuring that person and without grounds of justification." - Source: Reporting the Courts by Kevin Ritchie.
THE LEGALITIES
In terms of the user agreement, Independent Online, its subsidiaries, employees, contractors and officers and its editor take no responsibility for the accuracy or appropriateness of any comments on the site. Any opinion expressed by IOL staffers does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Independent Online, its editor, subsidiaries, contractors and officers.
