TTAC Updates Commenting Rules and Addresses Content Creator Concerns

TTAC Calls for Civil Discourse in Comment Sections

We need to talk about the state of our comment sections. After monitoring recent activity, it’s clear that civility has taken a backseat to insults, trolling, and general meanness. While we strive to foster robust debate, we cannot tolerate behavior that violates our commenting rules or drives away thoughtful discussion.

Corey and I do our best to moderate comments using available tools, but gaps remain. When in doubt, we err on the side of preserving free speech. However, that doesn’t mean unchecked toxicity is acceptable. Insults, personal attacks, and rule violations must stop.

We’re also working with our CMS host to close loopholes that allow banned users to circumvent restrictions. Until those fixes are in place, we urge everyone to review—and follow—the six core rules for commenting on TTAC, which remain unchanged:

• Debate is encouraged, including disagreement and unpopular opinions.
• Calling out incorrect facts or errors is permitted.
• Criticizing TTAC’s opinions, factual errors, or typos is allowed—if done respectfully.
• Insults, personal attacks, or disrespect toward other commenters or TTAC staff are prohibited.

Our goal is lively, constructive discussion—not a forum overrun by insults. We don’t want to issue bans, but we will when necessary. Please act like adults and keep the conversation respectful. We’ll continue improving our moderation tools to better address rule-breakers.

Clarifying the TTAC Content Creators Series

Now, let’s address concerns about our TTAC Content Creators series. Some readers have expressed frustration over the inclusion of a contributor who works for an automaker but also reviews cars. This deserves clarification.

First, these contributors are not writing on behalf of TTAC. We republish their content with permission, often long after its original publication date. They are not TTAC employees or representatives. In most cases, we would not allow a freelancer to review cars for us if they were also employed by an automaker—with one exception.

The exception applies to freelancers who also write for publications owned by OEMs (e.g., branded-content magazines found in service-department waiting rooms). Freelancing under these circumstances differs from full-time employment, and we permit it under those specific conditions.