1- This is in essence a salon. I may or may not look like Madame de Stael but I will try to run the place as though she were an adviser.
2- The archive will remain active and will be available to all.
3- The essential conversation on SST will be among; the host of the salon, guest authors and junior authors appointed by the host.
4- Each guest author or junior author will have the authority to close or open comments for his or her own individual posts (articles).
5- Authors are encouraged to close comments if they believe that comments for that article will be disruptive or not contributory to the educational aim of SST. They may do this when the piece is published or at any point in time.
6- Authors are also encouraged to recommend to the host the banning of commenters whose remarks are generally obscene or personal attacks on others.
7- The host reserves the right to delete any comments found offensive and to ban commenters who are disruptive or who display a lack of civility.
8- This is not a commercial enterprise. It is my hobby in retirement. From time to time I will solicit donations. I don't need the money but I think you all should be given the chance to show that you value what we do here. I will donate the money so gained to some charitable cause.
9- Comments that are clearly intended solely to wound and that are not contributory to the conversation will not be posted.
10- All comments will be moderated either by me or the guest author.
These policies will be revised from time to time. pl
Thank you!
I’m pleased that you’re continuing your work. It is valuable to people like me and I applaud any policy that “discriminates” against comments that are non contributory provocations. The seemingly rudderless blundering of our foreign affairs establishment
could use some reasoned criticism.
Although the circumstances are unfortunate, thank you! Your insights are already missed!
Whatever else: thanks a lot for continuing this blog. You are doing a great service to the world. I hope people in Washington read your blog. I don´t know how much you must interfere to keep the comments interesting and relevant but to my mind SST has about the best and most informed comments anywhere. Usually I don´t read comments on blogs but on SST I very often do. I find it also amazing how much dissens you tolerate as long as it is well argued and constructive.
Whatever is required to keep this forum open works for me!
Thank you pat.
Thank you, Sir!
Colonel,
The vital perspective you provide here is a service to the country and those who seek to know the truth behind the lying of the mainstream media.
Thanks
Yes, thank you!
Colonel Lang,
Very welcome news to so many of us who have followed you for so many years.
I would like to second Tom’s comment about reading comments. Thank you for the most lively and informative blog. I hope the new rules reduce your burden.
Sherry De Mandel
Illegitimi non carborundum
Sir:
Thank you.
I place a very high value on the information and opinions that I have found on your site. I seldom comment as I have little unique information to share with the visitors here.
I would encourage those who frequent this site and enjoy its content to contribute what they can to support its operation.
Col.
Just made a Paypal donation, not much, but something. Most appreciative of your work and thankful of your return. Will you be addressing the shootdown of the Syrian fighter by US forces?
Lloyd Herod, Jr.
Colonel,
Thank you. Excellent guidelines.
Thank you for continuing…..
Thank you very much for your service. It is quite important.
Ditto, and I look forward to your analysis of the Syrian jet shootdown.
Thank you for keeping this valuable web resource going, hopefully commentors can learn from the articles, and learn to agree/disagree with respect in the comments.
Thanks, Pat. Like others, I have missed your insights and observations. And thanks to TTG for his contributions as well.
Yeah! Thanks
Col. Lang,
thank you so much for continuing SST, my favourite website for more than ten years.
We are all very grateful, Col. Lang. Without SST we have been feeling as rudderless as the government in Washington which seems incapable of navigating a path that will keep us out of a disastrous confrontation with Russia in Syria.
Thank you!
This site is a tremendous resource for people across the world looking for truth. In any other time perhaps this would not have been as necessary as it is currently in this age of constant, vociferous and directed propaganda from the MSM.
I believe I speak for a lot of people in saying that it’s not only the postings but also the extremely knowledgeable comments on this site that has helped me gain a deeper understanding of the actual going-ons in the world.
Thanks again. And looking forward to the usual high level of involved discussion on posts.
I’m glad that you are “sailing to the sound of the guns.” Solid insight is in very short supply today. I promise to “lurk” and not kibitz.
Thank you very much, Col. Lang, for getting this up earlier than promised. The latest escalation of the situation in Syria with the downing of the Syrian Air Force bomber by an American F/A-18 calls for knowledgeable, expert opinion. That is something you, many authors, and some commenters here provide.
I just checked the NYT and saw the alarming news that the Russians appear to be altering their relations with American forces. The risks of misunderstandings, miscalculations, and dreadful errors appears to be escalating.
All the more reason to be grateful the blog will continue, with guidelines focused on leveraging the best insights from the most informed commenters.
Many thanks, Col.
Glad to have you back sir.
Bravo, thank you and best wishes.
Col, your New Rules are a fine approach to establish & maintain quality correspondence at (one hopes) a low level of pain mgmt – thanks!
Col.Lang,
Thank You.
amen….back to the good old days. approved.
Simply: Thank you. Your presence here is invaluable.
Thank you!
Thanks and very reasonable decisions.
A big fat nice……
Excellent! It was missed while you were gone.
Totally concur with ‘house rules’ –
I find comments here on the whole to be intelligent and civil. And the posted writings are of a higher caliber than one finds on the net these days.
Colonel your military background along with your passion for history are a valuable resource for this reader. I prefer the comment section closed rather than you cease to write here.
A blog is like a home imho… the host does not have to contend with rude guests.
Glad you’re back.
Many thanks for continuing your excellent work.
Hola Haralambos from a long time denizen of Bill McBrides housing blog.
Your comments on Greece and things Uropian are missed. Another housing bubble is inflating here in California. Maybe you should watch for the coming exploding bubble.
You sound just like Nero Wolfe. A complement by the way
I was wondering if one of the authors would kindly compile a glossary of the acronyms used on this site. It would be a great help, especially to me.
BrotherJoe sends his blessing to anyone who undertakes this work.
Colonel Lang, for a while Borg must have been happy thinking you are about to give up your hobby this blog, thanks for keeping up, and once more proving them wrong.
Brother Joe
Not Me. You are asking for a lifetime’s education. pl
Thank you. The rules and policies appear sensible and internally consistent. They should promote civilized (salon-like) education and discussion.
I will try to offer a bit of help, but, as Col. Lang replied below, it is a life-long educational process. Here are two links for acronyms that I find useful above and beyond Google:
http://www.acronymfinder.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._government_and_military_acronyms
I am 68 years old and have spent 40+ years teaching (mostly English language and literature and philosophy in Universities while living in Greece and Portugal.
Some thoughts: follow Col. Lang’s site daily, and read all the posts and comments; read widely across several disciplines, across various genres and geographical areas of your interest.
One of the problems with so many acronyms is that entities, titles, and other items change.
Thank you. You have my blessing.
BrotherJoe
Thanks. You have to make a study of this. Good luck. pl
Thanks for posting this set of updated rules and policies.
Brother Joe:
google is pretty darn good.
I add my tha bus to the list and I am happy to have the further opportunity to read and contribute