Through our website, the Nation provides interactive opportunities for our readers to discuss content we publish or to discuss more general issues, in our article and blog comment areas and message boards.

In order to keep these interactive areas safe and enjoyable for our readers, we do our best to encourage lively, intelligent and substantive commentary and discussions. We actively discourage commentary or statements that are disruptive, abusive or that incite others to violate our standards.

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and conform to our guidelines, moderating decisions are to some extent subjective. Guided by these user participation guidelines, we will strive to make our decisions as consistent and balanced as possible.

Comments should, as far as possible, be relevant or related to the topic, blog or story for which they are submitted. Queries about moderation should not be submitted as comments, but rather, directed to [email protected]. Readers submitting content to Nation websites must adhere to the following guidelines:

1. You agree not to submit content that is unlawful, harmful to adults or minors, threatening, abusive, incites violence or hatred, harassing, tortuous or invasive of another’s privacy.
2. You agree not to submit content that is vulgar, obscene, pornographic or sexually explicit.
3. You agree not to submit content that degrades or denigrates others on the basis of their race, class, gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation or disability, or is otherwise objectionable.
4. You will make all submissions in English, as that is the language in which we publish. Any contributions that cannot be understood by the majority of our participants may be removed.
5. You agree not to submit content that is potentially libelous or defamatory.
6. You agree not to submit content that infringes or violates the copyright, trademarks or other intellectual property rights of any person.
7. You agree not to submit any content that contains unauthorised advertising, is obviously commercial or could otherwise be considered spam.
8. You agree that the Nation has the permission to use any content you submit. By submitting content you grant to the Nation Publishing Company Limited and One Caribbean Media, a royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide, exclusive and fully sub-licensable licence to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, incorporate into other works, distribute, perform, display and otherwise exploit such content, in whole or in part in any form, media or technology now known or later developed.
9. You agree not to submit any content that misrepresents your identity or affiliation or impersonates others.

PROCESS FOR COMMENT SUBMISSIONS BY READERS OF NATION WEBSITES

All postings submitted are automatically held until they can be seen and moderated by an editor. We have established a roster system of senior editors whereby different editors are responsible for checking and moderating comments each day. Editors will be guided by the standards outlined in Section V in determining whether to approve submitted postings