A Plead For Civility

At the request of a number concerned readers, I am once again asking those who comment on stories and 'chat threads' to be civil. In a recent email from a concerned parent, a very eloquent plead for civility was requested:  

"...Online impersonation has become a crime in California which clearly represents that the freedom of speech of online posting comes with responsibility. My husband read the blog and said it's just one big pissing contest of superegos. To read the blog, you'd never convince anyone that youth soccer is "all about the kids." Requiring people to identify themselves increases the civility of debate. I urge you to allow only those who are willing to take responsibility for their words by identifying themselves to post on your blog. If we preach to our kids that sportsmanship, fair play and integrity are what we value, shouldn't we adults play or blog by the same rules?"

This blog has significant number of younger readers. The new direction of the blog will feature content from MN connected players who are working hard to get to the next level in their game. I hope this new content can both inspire and entertain. I would like to keep the blog interactive, open and to encourage responsible commenting.

At the suggestion of a number of readers and other bloggers, I am considering allowing only registered users to post. However, historically, this drives both readership and interaction down to almost nil. For the sake of keeping this forum a place for fair exchanges of opinions and a place that younger readers may use as a resource, please:

1. Know that while you may post as anonymous, you can be tracked through your ISP by your IP address
2. Stay on topic and be civil
3. Do not insult others, use racial slurs, and otherwise unkind comments
4. Do not call out youth players by name or team+position, unless you have something nice to say

A good rule of thumb for online behavior is that if you wouldn't say it to someones face, then don't post it.

If you have input please contact me at mnfutbol@yahoo.com.

Thank you,

Tim Gibbons