Inside the Paulick Report: A Comment on Comments
Part of the cornerstone of the Paulick Report has always been an opportunity to have a free exchange of ideas in front of a international audience on the issues most affecting the Thoroughbred industry both at home and abroad. And with a bevy of industry influencers and decision makers being among our many readers, commentary on the Paulick Report has at times actually been directly responsible for some changes or at least heavily influenced the national discussion.
In order to support that philosophy and allow the Paulick Report to continue to be a bridge for all who care about Thoroughbred racing and breeding, we feel a need to maintain a certain decorum in the comments section. In an effort to grow together, we’d like to take some time to illustrate the line between constructive conversation and destructive dialogue.
1. Stay on Topic – Some of our readers have an idealogical slant that turns every story into a reason we should listen to their bailiwick. The argument for banning Lasix or reducing takeout does not have a place in every story. And if we are writing a light-hearted piece about giving an actor the chance to be cast in the HBO series Luck, that’s not the time to bring up an on-set horse fatality. Stick to the subject at hand.
2. Excessive Language – Even though this is a largely adult crowd, we keep a certain standard of language. Dropping F bombs and calling people lewd names will not be tolerated.
3. You Are Not the Only Person in the Room – We have some folks in our readership that seem to believe the sun rises and falls on their opinion and feel the need to demonstratively and aggressively opine on every subject. They suck the oxygen out of the room with a know-it-all attitude and end up discouraging others from speaking. We can disagree without being disagreeable.
4. Presenting the Unproven as Fact – As our business grows, we have an increasing responsibility to make sure that everything on the Paulick Report is on the up and up. We also hold a legal obligation to keep unsubstantiated rumor to a minimum, even in our comments section. We won’t allow you to come on this site and call people criminals, thieves or cheats unless they have been outright proven to be so. At least at the Paulick Report, people are still innocent until proven guilty.
5. A Commenter by his Real Name Actually Smells Sweeter – First of all, my apologies for the Shakespearian stretch here. Sometimes I can’t help myself… Using your real name does not guarantee what you want to say will be allowed and using a fake name will never be grounds for dismissal, but using your real name gives your comments an extra degree of credibility. Again, we won’t penalize you for using a pseudonym, but there is more consideration given to those who dare back up their words with their integrity.
6. Your Mama Only Gave You One Name – If you use several different aliases in our comments section, we will catch on and you will be blocked. No one wants to listen to someone talk to themselves which coincidentally is why no one wants to ride in the car with Ray Paulick.
We will continue to offer up the most diverse and buzz worthy opinion in the Thoroughbred industry. It’s part of what we do. But as the Paulick Report grows and grows up, all we ask is that you join us in doing the same. This platform will always be a place for people in our industry to discuss the issues of the day and this will cause disagreement. But just like in society at large, there are rules of conduct that we must all abide by in order to make the Paulick Report a more perfect website.
