dooce.com and other sites operated by Armstrong Media, LLC are intended for personal use for people to read, relate, reach out and share. While some of the topics might be serious, the idea is to create a fun destination for dooce readers and fans. It’s for entertainment!

What to do

Do be nice
We’re all people, here. We are all different, but deserve to feel comfortable. We may not always agree, but we need to agree to disagree with respect and courtesy. Be polite and considerate.

Do share tips and pointers
The whole idea of a dooce community is to connect those who like to read dooce.com and who are very smart and resourceful! Help others with your vast knowledge of the world. Remember that not everyone is as smart as you are about things you know. Use good words to share with others who need help and you’ll be amazed at the results.

Do self-moderate what you share here
You need to take responsibility for your words and the tips, links and pointers you share. We’re not saying don’t be funny or clever. We are saying to think before you post. A lot of the site is designed to facilitate this. In some cases we’ve intentionally added a step or two to slow down the process so everybody has time to think before posting something you might regret later.

Do enjoy yourself!
We built this so people who read dooce could have a good time and maybe help a few people as well as get some help from the mundane to the serious.

What not to do

Before anybody is kicked out or banned, we’ll give you a warning or notice. We’d like to think that most people, when reminded, can be remarkable and amazing. Most of the time we’ll give a second chance. But any further violations will mean an account termination, no warnings.

Don’t steal other people’s questions, answers, icons or comments
This includes reposting of other members stuff.

Don’t show nudity in your avatar/buddy icon
Despite the grown-up nature of Heather’s word choices on posts, we expect that many people read the sites with small children around.

Don’t share illegal stuff
If you do this, your account will be deleted. You will also be reported to the authorities if it’s that severe.

Don’t harass people
This isn’t the place to lash out, abuse, impersonate or intimidate others. If we receive a valid complaint about your conduct, depending on severity, you’ll be warned or your account deleted.

Don’t be a creep
Most people admit to enjoying Radiohead. And that song about the creep and the thing is a good song. But it’s not good to be a creep or creepy. Don’t stalk people.

Other considerations

The world is big. There are things you might read or see here that offend or upset you. In some cases, a simple click away will take away the offensive thing from your eyes. However, if the content appears to be something that hasn’t been properly moderated or vetted, we offer the “Flag This” button. You can click this and know that staff will review that content for violations to these guidelines as well as the Terms of Service.

Don’t panic if you see things that upset you. If someone has re-posted your question or answer or comment, contact them directly and ask them to please stop. If you don’t get a response, escalate the issue by sending an email to community [at] dooce dot com.

If you need help on an issue that’s not about other people, but maybe your browser is acting up or we made a tweak to the server that’s causing you problems, please post a question in the “Support” category. Hopefully not just dooce staff, but the community can help you resolve any browser issue you might have.

If you have any questions or comments that you’d prefer not to ask in the Support category or in a public way, send an email to community [at] dooce dot com and someone will get back to you and help you.

Much Love,

Heather B. Armstrong