Dean's World

We have recently begun a new Dean's World category: Best of Dean's World Comments.

I honestly believe that half of our daily readers here on Dean's World visit not because of my blatherings but because of comments left by others. Dean's World hosts the most diverse, informed, and thoughtful group of commenters in the blogosphere.

Did I just throw down a gauntlet? Perhaps I did. But I'll state it again: Dean's World hosts the most diverse, informed, and thoughtful group of commenters in the blogosphere. You disagree? I ask you to identify a challenger. I believe we make The McLaughlin Group look like a bunch of amateurs.

My standards for what it takes to keep a comment account here on Dean's World are both quite liberal and quite severe: you can say anything you want, on virtually any subject, so long as you do not A) attack my integrity, B) attack my family, or C) make a habit of derailing interesting conversations.

I freely admit that I am the sole arbiter of the above conditions, and that regulars to this establishment are cut more slack than others.

I will also say this: there are about two dozen people who have been banned from Dean's World in the last four years. I will not identify them by name, either now or in the future. But if you would like your account reinstated, you do not have to apologize to me for anything, or explain yourself in any way. All you have to do is shoot me a short note saying that you understand conditions A-C above. Nothing more needs to be said, ever.

All of the above conditions have been stated in the past, but not in formal fashion. Now they have been made explicit. In keeping with that, we have also started a new Dean's World category: "Best of Dean's World comments." We hope you will enjoy it.