Using the comments board

Updated April 2017

This information relates to the new comments board, introduced in April 2017 as the previous provider ended their service. Unfortunately any comments on the boards hosted by Livefyre will likely have been lost and are not retrievable.

The new comments board is created by Disqus, and is hopefully easy to use, and intuitive to navigate, but the following advice may be useful to those unfamiliar with 'comments boards' and 'forums'.

Posting a comment for the first time

Click in the box which says either 'Start the discussion', or 'join the discussion', depending on whether anyone has previously comments. You can then type your comment.

When you have finished typing your comment you will need to sign in. You have two options:

  • use an existing social media account to create your account with Disqus. To do this you can click on one of the icons on the left below your comment.
  • or create an account with Disqus using the 'sign up' area on the right below your comment.

Once you have done either of these options you will be asked to verify your email address. This is intended to prove that you are a bona fide user of the comments board, and aren't a 'spambot'. You will only need to do this when you make your first comment on the EBU website.

Once you have verified your account you can then click the grey button in the bottom right corner of the text box to post your comment.

Returning to the site to post again

Depending on your browser's cookie settings, you may find that you have logged-in automatically. If not, then you will need to log-in again. You should do this via the method you used to create your account - you can use another method, but if you do so you may need to verify your account again. If you created a Disqus account then you can log-in using the 'D' icon alongside the Facebook and Twitter logos.

The benefits of having a Disqus account

Whilst there is no necessity to have a Disqus account you may find it to be beneficial as it will:

  • Allow you to control how often (if at all) you are notified of new activity on the conversation. You can choose to be emailed (or not) when someone replies, likes your comment etc
  • All comments made using that account, across all the different conversations and webpages, will be collated, providing easy reference should you wish to find an earlier comment
  • You can provide a biography, and picture, which will allow others to know a little bit about you

An annual 'refresh' of the messageboard

When a messageboard is used to locate partners for a particular congress, messages relating to a specific year will be removed shortly after the conclusion of one year's event in preparation for the next event. This is to avoid any confusion as to when the message was posted and whether it relates to the current year. Should you wish to preserve any information, please copy it and save a personal copy, as once it is removed it cannot be recovered.

'Forum etiquette'

The comment boards will be moderated, but it may not always be possible to remove inappropriate comments promptly, and nor should it be necessary to do so. Please police yourself. Please treat the comments section as you would a conversation at your bridge club. If you wouldn't say it at the table, don't say it here. The EBU standard of 'Best Behaviour at Bridge' always applies.

Please remember that the authors of the sim pairs commentaries have done their best to write something that is accurate, informative and interesting. Constructive feedback and observations are encouraged - hostile criticism and insults are not. If you wouldn't say it to their face then don't type it on the comments board.

Forum etiquette means maintaining a standard of posting behavior that is acceptable and appropriate. It includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  • You can disagree with someone's opinions, but calling that person an idiot or a profane name is most likely inappropriate. You may think you know the person well enough, or that it is 'just banter', but keeping it civil is never the wrong thing to do.
  • Trolling - by which we mean saying something inflammatory simply to annoy others, or get attention - is never acceptable.
  • Do not post personal information about another poster (such as name, address, age) if they have chosen not to share it themselves.
  • If you make a mistake in a post then it is usually accepted practice to make a correcting statement in a new comment, particularly if the conversation has moved on. Editing or deleting a post when others have already replied can lead to confusion as their comment no longer has context, and can sometimes unfairly make them look silly.
  • Don't make the same post repeatedly. If you realise you have done so by accident then delete the multiple posts.
  • Don't post IN BLOCK CAPITALS. It is the equivalent of shouting and, like shouting, is both hard to take in and makes you the centre of attention whether you deserve it or not. Make your point in a measured way, and if it is valid it will get the attention it deserves.

Most of all treat others as you would like to be treated. Behaving as a reasonable adult is always the best course of action. Just because there is 'anonymity' online does not condone offensive behaviour.

If a poster becomes harassing, obscene or personal, do not retaliate. Instead, simply click on the 'flag' button beneath the comment, and that will alert one of the moderators to the inappropriate activity. This also applies to any posts you consider to be 'spam'.