A short while back I added a new comment to “Da Roolz,” the list of posting guidelines that everyone should read (especially newbies). The last guideline now reads:

26.) I will tolerate no comments that are generated with AI.  Even one of them will lead to instant banning for life.

Now I will be the judge of whether a comment is likely generated by ChatGPT or the like, but this one, which someone attempted to post on the thread after “Bill Maher: New Rules #1“, is surely the product of a bot. I won’t give the hapless writer’s handle:

Bill Maher’s “New Rules” segment, as discussed on Why Evolution Is True, delivers the comedian’s signature blend of sharp satire and cultural critique—this time tackling modern hypocrisy with his usual unflinching wit. The analysis highlights Maher’s ability to skewer both political extremes, though a deeper dive into his factual accuracy (or occasional oversimplifications) could add nuance. Fans will appreciate the curated highlights, while critics might crave more counterpoints. A thought-provoking read for those who miss Real Time’s mix of humor and hard truths.

Oy, my kishkes!  All I can say is that if you post something this bloody obvious—something that doesn’t add anything to the discussion—you better find another site for your Ai-generated lucubrations.  And this person must now do that.

I am getting a lot of first commenters who, perhaps used to the rudeness pervasive on some other sites (I bet you know one or two of them), bull their way onto this website and begin by being rude, dominating threads, and evincing other annoying behaviors.  So I’ll ask readers—both new and old ones—to have a look at the posting rules (“Da Roolz”) on the left sidebar or here.  They’ve been carefully crafted over the years to allow discussion that is civil.  Right now I’ll just emphasize just two strictures that seem to be violated more often these days.

1.)  Do not insult either the host or another commenter.  This website is about discussing ideas, suggesting theories, or even injecting a bit of humor or erudition into a discussion.  It is not about expressing rage, anger, or sarcasm towards another commenter. Regardless of the other person’s political or ideological views, if you oppose them, go after the views, not the person.  The arbiter of this is, of course, moi.

2.) Do not dominate threads. As rule #9 stipulates:

Try not to dominate threads, particularly in a one-on-one argument. I’ve found that those are rarely informative, and the participants never reach agreement. A good guideline is that if your comments constitute over 10% of the comments on a thread, you’re posting too much.

Given the divisions in the country, and the anger and frustration that many of us carry (including me), you may be tempted to express it on this site.  Repress that urge.

Also, if you find a good tweet, email it to me (you can find my email by following the link on the sidebar, “How to send me wildlife photos.”  And, by the way, if you have good wildlife photos, of the quality that I try to post every day, send them along.

Thank you,
—Mgmt.

And from Kulka:

Sadly, we’ve nearly run out of wildlife photos. I could put up one, but that’s all I have that contains acceptable photos.  I hope readers will consider using this holiday (well, American readers) to put together some photos to display.  Otherwise, this feature will be sporadic at best.

Help me (and us) out if you can!

Thank you.