You are not just a puny human to io9 — you're also a valuable member of our community. That's why we've made it easy for you to comment obsessively on every post you read, and to make friends with your fellow commenters.

How to Become an io9 Commenter

If you want to comment on a post and you aren't already a registered user, you'll need to be approved by our alien overlords. Here's how. First, sign in as a new user. Then, you'll be prompted to make a comment. An actual alien from another world will evaluate your comment for signs of mind control or nano-contamination. If you are clean, the alien will approve you as a user, your comment will be published, and you can comment freely from then on.

Our alien overlords also reserve the right to terminate your comment privileges if you are an asshat. See Lifehacker's excellent guidelines to commenting on blogs if you wish to avoid asshattery. Got a problem with that? This is what we say to you.

How to Make Friends with Other Commenters

Next time you see a comment that makes you go "squee!" or "hmmm" or "how brilliant," you should start following the other comments of the person who wrote it. Click the "Follow Commenter" link next to it, which looks like a plus sign. From there on in, each time that person comments again, you'll get a little inline notification so you can collect even more gems. The folks you're following will be listed on your profile page.

You can also friend commenters, and their names will show up on your commenter profile page.

How to Be Anonymous on io9

You can't leave anonymous comments on io9, but you can leave pseudonymous ones. We don't ever require you to give your real name or any identifying information when you sign up as a new user.

To keep your privacy intact, pick a name that can't be traced back to you. Don't make comments that reveal where you live or where you work. Don't use your friends' real names in comments. To learn more about anonymity in the blogging world, read this handy guide from our pals at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.