Comments That Are Beyond the Pale

Gentle readers,

Thank you for stopping by our blog. Jane Austen Today would not exist without you, and we thrive on your comments, which add dimension to our posts. Your thoughts and ideas, even your corrections regarding an erroneous fact, have been polite and informative and have followed the rules of blog etiquette. If we do disagree, our debates have been healthy and spirited. We, Laurel Ann and Vic, are truly fortunate to have such loyal readers.

A post that was written earlier this year received comments that went beyond the pale. The subject of this post was being stalked by a cyber troll who used abusive language and whose intent was slander. Unfortunately, we did not catch these comments when they were posted and they sat on the ether for a number of months.

Our policy is this: trolls are banned for life from this blog and their comments are removed as soon as we find them or are informed about them. We also remove reactionary comments, for they only serve to feed the trolls. We follow a 'one strike you're out' rule. No exceptions.

Here is how our regular, well-mannered readers can help us: please email us when you see a comment that you deem slanderous. This blog is for those who seek polite company. Trolls should see a psychiatrist or contact someone who cares.