Debate Room FAQs

The most frequently asked questions answered

1. If I send in a comment, will other readers see my e-mail address? No. Readers will see only what you wrote in the Name field, not the E-mail field.

2. What if I want my name and e-mail address visible to other readers? You can write as much of them as the Name field will fit. Or you can simply write your name and/or e-mail address at the end of your comment in the Comment field.

3. Will my comment appear in its entirety? Maybe. While there is no word limit, we reserve the right to edit submissions, including for the purpose of removing content that may be unlawful (e.g., defamatory) or to eliminate repetition.

4. Why is it taking you so long to post my comment? We carefully read and edit each reader comment, and we may have received an especially large number. But rest assured, we do consider every comment and post all those that are comprehensible, relevant, and non-libelous.

5. Why does the formatting of my comment on the site look so different from what I sent in? The Debate Room has certain style rules that reader comments must follow. The rules include: No or sparing use of exclamation points, ellipses, and all-upper-case words. No e-mail short cuts, such as a lower-case letter at the beginning of a sentence or a sound-alike number instead of a word. See the examples, below:

Not-So-Good Example:

In my opinion, ethanol will NOT rule the fuel world!!! instead, i think we will see heavier use of OTHER forms of renewable energy…solar, wind, and water. what's good 4 consumers is good 4 corporations, 2!!!

Good Example:

In my opinion, ethanol will not rule the fuel world. Instead, I think we will see heavier use of other forms of renewable energy: solar, wind, and water. What's good for consumers is good for corporations, too.

6. No one seems to have left a comment for the last few days for this Debate Room. Is it dead? No. Each edition of the Debate Room stays alive forever, so please go ahead and contribute your comments.

7. I just reviewed my reader comment as it appears on the Web site and realize I made a mistake. Can I change it? Probably. Send in a new comment with "Please substitute this for my earlier comment" written at the top of the Comment field. Specify the name you used when you sent in the original comment and the date and time you sent it.

8. What if I have an idea for a Debate Room topic? Please send your suggestion to Debateroom@businessweek.com.

9. Can I write a Debate Room pro or con essay myself? Possibly. If you're an academic, industry player, or just someone with an informed opinion and would like to write a bylined essay on a certain business topic, please e-mail Debateroom@businessweek.com with your idea. We will get in touch with you if we're interested.

10. Do Debate Room essays by BusinessWeek writers represent the collective opinion of BusinessWeek, BusinessWeek.com, or The McGraw-Hill Companies? No. The essays are presented for the sake of discussion and exchange of ideas.

11. How about Debate Room essays written by outsiders—does BusinessWeek, BusinessWeek.com, or The McGraw-Hill Companies condone their views? The essays represent the opinions of the writers only.