Guidelines

The Commonty is a place for people to discuss and share ideas about arts and culture in Dumfries and Galloway. If you would like to add to the discussion please add to the comments section of an individual post or submit your material for a new blog thread to: thecommonty@gmail.com

Please,
- submit copy as either a Word document or pasted into the body of an email, and try to keep your copy concise (approx 300 words)

- send an image to accompany your post

We reserve the right to edit and illustrate material submitted in the cause of concision and keeping the blog lively, informative and visually interesting.

One of the reasons the Commonty exists at all is to allow a completely free access platform for the arts to talk about what is happening. In order to make everything as open-access as possible a decision was made years ago to allow anonymous comments on the blog (see our general policy here). As happens from time to time when a particular issue really gets discussion going the old Commonty chestnut of 'its not fair that people can comment anonymously' and 'people should be brave enough to put their names to their comments' comes up.

At Commonty Central we think the principle of open-access is sacred and that it is better that voices are heard (in whatever form) than only 'official' voices having a platform....and at least, in this way, opinions can be challenged even if nobody really knows who is talking to who....the discussion is alive and visible.

BUT - what we would like to ask is that maybe people could be a bit more creative with their anonymity (we are all creative people - right). Blogger is a pretty blunt instrument - but the comment settings that The Commonty uses allow you to comment as many things including an alias. There is a practical reason that we are asking this - because when there are multiple posts by 'anonymous' it gets very difficult to see who is responding to who.

Here is how to comment anonymously - but under an alias

If you are the first to comment on a post then click the 'no comments' button at the bottom of the post

This box will pop up (and will be at the bottom of a thread of existing comments) - click the arrow beside the 'comment as' box

This 'drop down menu' will be displayed.....to post under an alias - click 'Name/URL'

Write your alias in the 'Name' box......you can leave the URL box blank (or if you are feeling very adventurous you can put in a link to an online photo or a website that adds another dimension to your alias)

Then click 'continue' and comment away. Commenting in this way leaves no trace of your true identity connected to your comment in any way.

If people feel very strongly about the rights and wrongs of anonymous comments then bring on the debate....The Commonty belongs to all of us and if a majority want to change the system - then so be it!