There are guidelines for conduct in any online community, but in particular there are some that apply specifically to a student publication at a public high school. The staff of the student paper, with my support, encourages comments and letters to the editor from not only our student readers, but also from staff and parents and other community stakeholders. We want to hear from you about what you read, what you would like to see more of, and how we can do better.

We appreciate your comments, concerns and insights, but there are a few rules here for appropriate internet interactions with our student reporters.

Here are a few guidelines for online commentary:

1. Please understand that, above all, our job is to educate and protect our students. Comments that are offensive or attack a student will not be published.
2. Even at a large publication, staff members are encouraged not to interact with overly negative comments on articles, and we encourage our students to likewise ignore particularly negative or incendiary comments. Often, people who hide behind the anonymity of online posts say really ridiculous and outlandish things. If this happens, it is never going to be productive commentary. Unless it is a threat that we need to report, it may be best to leave such comments alone. If someone comments on your article, think carefully about whether it will be productive to engage in a conversation.
3. We do want to hear from YOU! This includes parents and faculty as well as students. This includes stories you wish we would have written and coverage you think could be better. Please let us know – there is always a place for constructive criticism. We are always looking for insightful comments and for letters to the editor. We even have an advice columnist to whom you can direct questions!
4. When a person commenting has a valid point, but uses a string of curse words, or mixes the point in with invective, sadly, that person invalidates their point. Remember that we can have an argument that is civil; that we need not mirror any celebrity or politician who strives for absurdity rather than clarity; and that the free flow of ideas means using language that facilitates multiple points of view.

Thank you all for reading The Raider Review. The students work diligently to produce all parts of this paper, and we are always happy to hear your suggestions, comments, and ideas. You can reach me directly at [email protected].