Every site on Disqus over time should develop their own community guidelines that considers the community they are trying to cultivate and reflects the types of discussions they want to encourage. Here are some examples active communities have created for their members:
Sites
The Mary Sue: The Mary Sue’s Comment Policy
Destructoid: Be chill. Be critical. Be you. But don't be a dick
Grist: Comment Policy
Screenage Wasteland: Discuss. Debate. Agree and disagree. But stick to the topic
We’ve put together a set of universal guidelines that we believe every community can benefit from and moderators can adopt. Our goal is to ensure that these set of guidelines are easy to understand and widely applicable to any community on Disqus. It’s not meant to be comprehensive, rather focusing on the most commonly shared principles we believe are critical for setting a foundation in a community to enable it to thrive.
Keep it civil aka don’t be a jerk
We’re going to get into the thick of a lot of heated discussions and that’s okay. These discussions often entail topics that we all personally care a lot about and will passionately defend. But in order for discussions to thrive here, we need to remember to criticize ideas, not people.
So, remember to avoid:
name-calling
ad hominem attacks
Responding to a post’s tone instead of its actual content.
knee-jerk contradiction
Comments that we find to be hateful, inflammatory, or harassing may be removed. If you don’t have something nice to say about another user, don't say it. Treat others the way you’d like to be treated.
Always strive to add value to every interaction and discussion you participate in
There are a lot of discussions that happen every day on Disqus. Before joining in a discussion, browse through some of the most recent and active discussions happening in the community, especially if you’re new there.
If you are not sure your post adds to the conversation, think over what you want to say and try again later.
Keep it tidy
Help make moderators’ lives easier by taking a moment to ensure that what you’re about to post is in the right place. That means:
don’t post off-topic comments
don’t cross-post the same thing multiple times
review any specific posting guidelines for the community: some communities such as a movies community may have specific rules regarding spoilers.
If you see something, say something
Moderators are at the forefront of combatting spam, mediating disputes and enforcing community guidelines and, so are you.
If you see an issue, contact the moderators if possible or flag any comments for review. If you believe someone has violated the Basic Rules, report it to Disqus by flagging the user's profile.