A note about comments

In recent weeks, Homicide Report has noticed an increasing number of profane, obscene and otherwise unpublishable comments. Before posting to the report, please keep in mind that each published comment is first read and approved by Times staff. 

Please review the comments policy if you haven't had a chance to yet. In short, try not to use inappropriate language or threats. 

We have no automatic filter here, so using symbols, spaces or other languages in an attempt to disguise obscenities will not allow them to slip past a filter. It is possible that we may inadvertently publish something with offensive language, and we retain the right to remove posts that we determine are inappropriate for the report.

Please also take care in what you say. From time to time we get e-mails from readers who regret something they posted in the heat of the moment. The Times' practice is to not remove comments published by us, unless we determine language and/or content did not meet our standards for publication.

It might seem a little ridiculous to be worried about language on a blog about such a raw subject. The goal is not to shield readers from bad words but to raise the discourse on homicide in Los Angeles. Turning the comments into a virtual and vulgar shouting match does little toward that end.

There have been many times where a loved one has written a thoughtful and passionate defense of their departed friend or family member, only to have it blocked by us because it devolved into a string of curse words at the end. We can't edit your comments to make them more palatable, so we're left with no choice but to deny them.

If you want to have your comment posted, please follow the rules. We understand that emotions run high around here, but take a second to re-read your comment before you post it. If it’s important to you that people read what you have to say, tone down the language. Not only will it most likely be posted, but you’ll get a better response from readers.

-- Ken Schwencke