Community agreement

The Punch is Australia's best conversation.

You are encouraged to get involved by adding your comments to stories.

While we welcome and encourage you to express your opinions on The Punch, there are a few guidelines you should know about before you start putting in your two cents' worth. The following rules must be observed:

1. Let's be adults. Commenting on The Punch should be viewed as a chat in the street with other locals or a lively public meeting. Respect the opinions of others and don't take disagreement personally.
2. Keep it clean. Anything indecent, vulgar, sexually explicit, blasphemous, racist, generally inappropriate, defamatory, demonstrably wrong or plain bad is not allowed on the site and will be blocked or removed.
3. Stand by your word. Don't publish anything you are not prepared to honour. You are responsible and accountable for what you post on the site.
4. A two way street. If you post an item you must be prepared for others to comment on it.
5. Be nice. If you voice an opinion it should be constructive, not vindictive or malicious.
6. Scout's honour. Check your facts and always tell the truth.
7. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Do not use the site to defame individuals or businesses. You can make comments but you must do it with respect for others and the laws of defamation.
8. Local for locals. This is a local site so please only post relevant local content.
9. Don't waste pixels. Do not submit the same item multiple times or it will be removed.
10. No liability. The owners and editors of The Punch are not responsible or liable for anything posted on the site (please read the Terms and conditions for more information). By joining the site and posting material, members accept responsibility for the material they post.
11. Copyright rests with us. By posting material on the site, members agree that The Punch and its affiliated companies will hold copyright on the material for all electronic uses or for use in print publications and marketing provided it is used in an appropriate context (please read the Privacy policy for more information).
12. Protecting privacy. Don't publish the personal information of other people, ever.
13. What the...? If you find something on the site you think should not be there, let us know IMMEDIATELY via the Contact us page.
14. Keep it real. You can post a press release but only if it is local and appropriate.
15. No copycats. Do not post information or pictures if you don't hold the copyright.
16. Be yourself. Do not impersonate someone else. You can "live" on the site under a pseudonym but not as another real person.
17. If we like it, we'll use it. By submitting content, you give us permission to publish it on the site and in print. We will always credit you as the original author. For more information, see the Terms and conditions page.
18. Our call. The editors reserve the right to reject or remove any content of anyone who breaks these rules.