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Rules for Commenting
All comments must comply with these rules defined by the City of Ashland:
• Comments should relate to the topic.
• Comments should relate to: functions, services, activities, issues, operations and projects of the City of Ashland municipal government
• Comments should not contain obscenities.
• Comments should not include inflammatory language that targets or discriminates against individuals or groups based on race, ethnicity, religion, color, gender, age, sexual orientation or national origin.
• Comments should not defame or libel any person or group.
• Comments should not include material protected by copyright in violation of copyright laws.
• Comments should not promote or advertise services or products.
• Comments should not solicit charitable or other contributions.
• Comment authors should not falsify their registration information.
OpenGov will initiate the 'disruptive comment procedure' for any comment that does not comply with the above points.
Disruptive Comment Procedure
If the comment is deemed disruptive, OpenGov will:
* hold the comment,
* describe the problem in an email to the author, and
* invite the author to change the comment.
If the author agrees to change the comment and the comment complies with the Rules for Commenting the comment will be posted. If the author does not agree to change the comment, it will not be posted.
For additional information on OpenGov's disruptive comment procedure, see the Frequently Asked Questions below.
Posts and Comments are Public Record
Like email, communication via the agency website is a public record. This means that all posted comments will become part of the public record. Because others might not be aware of the public records law, The City incorporates the following statement into this forum:
Communication via this forum (whether by a city employee or the general public) may be subject to monitoring and disclosure to third parties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Engage Ashland monitor for disruptive statements?
OpenGov is a non-partisan company dedicated to building public trust in government and broadening civic engagement. Many people will not participate if the forum has disruptive statements.
Does Engage Ashland find many disruptive statements?
No. Disruptive statements are quite rare - less than one in a thousand statements are disruptive.
What does Engage Ashland do if they find a disruptive statement?
Engage Ashland
- holds the comment and contact the author,
- describes the problem in an email to the author, and
- invites the author to change the statement.
Does Engage Ashland ever edit or delete statements?
Never. Only the statement's author can edit or delete a statement.
If I disagree with someone, can I post my opinion?
Yes. Engage Ashland encourages open dialog which, by necessity, includes disagreements.
How do I know if my statement is a 'disagreement' or a 'personal attack'?
Personal attacks are disparaging remarks which impute motives to a person's action. Statements of fact, or of your own opinion are generally not personal attacks.
Here are some examples of statements which are, and are not, personal attacks.
| Personal Attack |
Not A Personal Attack |
| He lied. |
He said he did X, but in fact he did Y. |
| She misrepresented the truth. |
I don't trust her. |
| He is greedy. |
He is making plenty of money. |
| It is merely a power play on her part. |
She will announce her candidacy soon. |
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