Comments
========

Comments are the public conversation under a wanted poster. Use
them to ask a clarifying question, to add a small clue, or to
say something kind. For *private* one-on-one conversation use
:doc:`messaging` instead.

Reading comments
----------------

* Open any wanted poster's detail page.
* Scroll to the **Comments** section below the post content.
* Comments are listed in chronological order, oldest first.
* The header shows how many comments the thread has and a link
  back to the post when you scroll deep into a thread.

Each comment shows the author's username, the time since posting
("a few minutes ago"), the content, and the action buttons that
apply to it (Edit / Delete for your own; Report for everyone).

.. screenshot:: post-with-comments
   :alt: A post with its comments
   :width: 100%
   :caption: A wanted poster with its comments visible underneath.

Adding a comment
----------------

You must be **signed in** to comment.

1. Open the wanted poster.
2. Scroll to the **Comments** section.
3. Type your message in the comment editor at the bottom.
4. Click **Send** / **Post comment**.
5. Your comment appears at the end of the thread immediately.

.. screenshot:: comment-editor
   :alt: Comment editor
   :width: 100%
   :caption: The comment editor lives at the bottom of the comment thread.

Editing a comment
-----------------

You can edit comments you wrote.

1. Find your comment.
2. Click **Edit**.
3. Change the text.
4. Click **Save** to update, or **Cancel** to discard.

Edited comments may show an (edited) marker.

Deleting a comment
------------------

You can delete comments you wrote.

1. Find your comment.
2. Click **Delete** and confirm.
3. The comment is **soft-deleted** — it disappears from the
   public view immediately. Moderators can still see it.

.. note::

   You can also see your own deleted comments in the
   **Show deleted comments** view if it's available on the post.
   Moderators can restore comments through their own queue (see
   :doc:`moderation`).

Reporting a comment
-------------------

If a comment crosses a line:

1. Click **Report** on the comment.
2. Optionally enter a short reason.
3. Click **Flag comment**.

The comment is queued for review by the moderation team. You
won't normally see the outcome — but you'll know it's been
acted on. See :doc:`moderation`.

Comment guidelines
------------------

* **Be polite.** Even when disagreeing, keep it civil.
* **No identifying data.** Don't out the person the post is
  about. ("I think this is X from Instagram" — no.)
* **Stay on topic.** The comment thread is for that wanted
  poster, not for general chat.
* **Use messages for private things.** If you'd like to talk
  one-on-one, use :doc:`messaging`.
* **Don't spam.** Repeated identical comments may be removed.

Best practices
--------------

* Read the post — and the existing comments — before adding
  yours.
* Add value: a clue, a kind word, a clarifying question.
* Edit instead of replying with a correction to your own
  comment.
* Keep comments tight and clear.

What's next?
------------

* :doc:`posts` — the wanted posters that comments live under.
* :doc:`messaging` — private one-on-one conversations.
* :doc:`moderation` — what happens when you report a comment.