Commenting etiquette (a.k.a. netiquette)

1. We ask that you respect this forum as a place of open discussion of ecumenical matters. This means acting respectfully towards the writers and other readers. We reserve the right to remove or edit comments that are not respectful.
2. Please remember that comments may be viewed by anyone on the internet. Do not post private information about anyone. The webeditor will not be able to confirm that you are authorized to reveal someone else's email address or phone number, so your comment will be removed or edited.
3. Please do not use only capital letters in your comments. This is considered equivalent to yelling, and is not appropriate in a respectful conversation.
4. Place your comments in the appropriate subject area. Other readers will not find your comments unless they are placed on the appropriate pages. A comment about the latest ARCIC dialogue text will be ignored if it is placed on a page about a new justice initiative. It is not currently possible for the webeditor to move a comment from one page to another.
5. Do not include links to extraneous websites. If you post a link to a website, it should be relevant to the comment that you are posting and the subject of the blog entry. Otherwise, it will be considered "blog spam" and it will be removed.
6. It is not possible to post images in comments. If you attempt to, the blog software will simply filter them out.
7. You may use emoticons, such as :-), but we suggest that these be used sparingly since many of the more obscure emoticons will be unfamiliar to many readers.
8. A junk filter is applied to the comments. It will filter based on known patterns of comment spam. If you are trying to post a legitimate comment, try revising it and re-submitting. You may also contact the .
    

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How to comment on our blogs

Each blog entry has its own unique webpage and permanent URL. Comments are posted only on these pages, not on the archive index or main index pages. Thus, if you would like to comment on a blog entry, you must visit the appropriate webpage. There are some blog entries where comments are not permitted. This is usually because the entry is older and not likely to generate discussion, or because the topic is covered on another more recent blog entry.

Where to find and post comments

On the permanent webpage for the blog entry, you will find comments at the bottom of the page. Comments are listed with the most recent at the top. If numerous comments are posted, it is sometimes easier to begin at the bottom and read upwards. The comment form is normally found below the comments, or on the right hand side. To comment on the blog entry, please enter the appropriate information into each field of the form. Your comments will be visible to the whole internet. If you wish to communicate in private with the author of the entry, please use the email contact link that is posted on the page.

What is TypeKey?

Due to the increasing prevalence of comment spam (unsolicited or inappropriate commercial advertising material) that is posted on blogs by automated systems, we have been forced to implement a sign-in service. This uses a service called TypeKey that allows our blog software to authenticate our users. Although this service will never be 100% effective in stopping these offensive comments, we hope to make the discussion forum more comfortable for our users. We apologize for the inconvenience that this causes. Instructions for using TypeKey are found below.

Sign in to TypeKey

Before you write your comment, please ensure that you are signed-in to TypeKey. To do this, click on the sign-in link, or on the image. (These links are language specific. If you are viewing our pages in French, you will view the next steps in French.)

On the TypeKey sign-in page (shown above) you will be asked to provide a member name and password. If you do not have a TypeKey account, you can create a free account.

Click the checkbox to remain signed-in automatically for two weeks. This will mean that when you view a blog entry that is TypeKey enabled (on our website or elsewhere) you will be automatically recognized. When you enter a comment, you will skip passed the sign-in page.

If you forget your password, you can click on the "Forgot your password?" link. You will be asked for your email address, and a "password recovery question". If the answer to the question matches the answer that you had previously registered, the password will be sent to you. You need to register a password recovery question in your TypeKey profile, or else this will not work.

If you would like to change to a different language, there are links at the upper right hand corner of the TypeKey sign-in page. This will not change your ecumenism.net language selection.

Once you are signed in, you can type your comment in the comment form, and then click "Post."

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How to create a TypeKey account:

If you need to create an account on TypeKey, click the "Create a Free Account" button. You will be taken to a page that looks like this:

Choose a member name (or login name). This is used in the sign-in sequence described above. The member name is not displayed with your comments. It is sometimes easiest to use a member name that is also used on other sites. This makes it easy to remember.

The display name is added to your comments. It is not required that you use your full name. You may even use a pseudonym, although we do not encourage this on our site.

The password must be entered twice, to make sure that it is entered correctly. Do not use spaces or punctuation. Passwords are case-sensitive.

For help in signing-in, click on the link on the right hand side. The TypeKey contact form will send an email to the TypeKey service technicians, who will respond in sequence. The response is unlikely to be immediate. The ecumenism.net webeditor cannot help you with TypeKey problems, except to lead you through these steps. TypeKey is an independent service.
 

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The personal information portion of the TypeKey account creation form collects your name for the TypeKey database but is not displayed unless you authorize it.

The email address must be a valid account. You will receive an email at this address momentarily to confirm the account creation.
 

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The final steps to create your TypeKey account require you to enter a confirmation code. It is printed in the image window. You must re-type the same code into the field below. This ensures that accounts are not created by automated services. If you cannot read the code, you can request a new code by clicking the "View an alternate code" link.

NOTE: you are also going to receive an activation code by email. These two codes are not interchangeable. They are used for different purposes.

You must click on the checkboxes to agree to the terms of service (TOS) and to affirm that you are over 14 years old. These are required. If you do not click them, the account cannot be created.

The checkbox for news, announcements, and special offers will subscribe you to regular TypeKey spam. It is optional, but we recommend you do not select this box.
 

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Finally, click the "Sign Up" button. You will then be taken to a page that looks like this:

TypeKey wants to make sure that your email address is valid, and that you have not created an account in someone else's name. So, they will send you an email. The email will come from "TypeKey Authentication Service" at typekey@typekey.com. The subject line will be "Activate your TypeKey Account".

There will be an activation code in the email that has 10 letters or numbers. For example: d5dc7d106f. Copy this code into the webpage, and click "Continue" to activate your TypeKey account.

There will also be a URL link in the email. You may click on that link instead of entering the activation code in this form. The two actions are equivalent.

Note: the email will be sent to the email address that you supplied on the previous webpage. If you do not receive the email, check to ensure that your spam filter is not catching the email. If the email does not appear, you can request a duplicate email by click on the "Request to have it resent" link.

After you activate your TypeKey account, you will have the option of adding additional information into a public profile. While this is optional, and you can comment without providing any further information, it is recommended that you at least provide a "password recovery question" on the Account Preferences page.
 

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Password recovery question

On the Account Preferences page, you will see your member name (now called a login name). You will be able to change the email address and password on this page if the need arises in the future. On the right-hand side you will find the password recovery questions. Select one of the two questions: either your birthplace or your mother's maiden name. Enter the correct answer into the input field. Make any other selections on this page that you would like, and then click on the "Save Changes" button at the bottom. Do not forget to save your changes.

Volunteer needed for translation The webeditor is seeking a volunteer translator to assist with English to French translation or proof-reading. If you are interested, please email .