Why are the comments on Internet message boards so often inane? Maybe because intelligent people have something better to do. Specifically, they have better things to do than read a long legal document before commenting. For instance, the latimes.com website tells you: "If you are under 13 years of age you may read this message board, but you may not participate. Here are the full legal terms you agree to by using this comment form." That link leads to an agreement which is 3,996 words long. It incorporates the privacy policy by reference, and that's another 1,691 words.
If you read it, wading through irrelevancies such as the requirement for permissions in photographs (which there's no way to upload in comments), you might finally get to the rules about the content of posts. There you learn that you can't post a comment which "is unreasonably harmful or offensive to any individual or community," or which "'flames' any individual or entity" (with no definition of "flaming" given). You're then warned in capital letters that "A VIOLATION OF THESE POSTING RULES MAY BE REFERRED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES." If the thought of being prosecuted for offending the River City PTA doesn't deter you, then go ahead and post.
In reality you're in no danger of prosecution for flaming, but why bother to wade through so much intimidating text just to express an opinion only a few people will notice?
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