Editorial Policies

In short: We're an open forum

ToffeeWeb assumes an open-door policy with regard to submissions and contributions.  This website is provided by fans for the fans which means that we provide a forum for you to air your views, whether we agree with them or not.

We always welcome reader responses that challenge any viewpoints espoused in the articles we publish and often we will counter such pieces with arguments of our own. Our line-up of columnists and contrbutors aims to provide a wide spectrum of viewpoints but, as is of often the case, it is critical content that gets seized upon as evidence of perceived or inherent bias.

Please note: Just because we publish an article does not necessarily mean we agree with the views of the author.

All materials published on ToffeeWeb may be subject to editorial review, including comments posted to articles.  This usually comprises minor text editing and formatting for web layout, page presentation, and readability.  Spelling, grammar, and other errors may be corrected during this process.  Content will rarely be changed as part of the editorial process, unless the meaning is unclear or obscure, statements made expose us to liability, or where the content is either abusive or similarly deemed unacceptable conduct.  We may add links to other websites or to other pages on ToffeeWeb, as we deem appropriate. 

While we welcome all forms of contribution, we appreciate well-structured, informative, and interestingly written pieces dealing exclusively with Everton.  The decision to publish, and the degree of editorial control exercised by ToffeeWeb.com, will be at our discretion.  However, we do request that you read and abide by our Terms and Conditions of Use.

Comments Monitoring and Moderation

The Comments sections on the various ToffeeWeb article threads are not intended to be like typical Web discussion forums and message boards. Posting to ToffeeWeb is a privilege not a right and the following outlines our policies where reader comments are concerned.

• Comments submitted by Members to articles published on ToffeeWeb.com are not usually vetted or moderated at the time they are posted and go live on the site at the time they are submitted.
• All submitted comments are potentially subject to review and editorial control, however. Please do not assume that an offensive comment has been seen by the moderators and allowed to stand. Often we rely on readers to flag unsuitable comments using the link provided next to each comment.
• Comments may be edited for clarity: to correct poor formatting (e.g. long tracts of unbroken text) or grammar or to remove offensive language or/or conduct.
• Comments submitted by new Member accounts are automatically held for moderation to protect the website from trolling by unwanted elements.
• Members who habitually post poorly-formatted text, abusive content or who engage in arguments with fellow members will have their accounts set to pre-moderation (whereby future posts are gated for review at the time of submission). Future submissions from gated accounts are then assessed and once a pattern of suitable conduct or formatting has been established, posting rights will usually be restored.
• Important: Using the Comments section to complain about withheld or moderated posts will almost certainly result in your account being set to pre-moderation to protect the thread from off-topic posts. Please direct all questions and complaints about moderation and Comment publication to the site owner via the Contact Us page.
• These Comment moderation policies are not always enforced equally or consistently. Some comment threads may be approached more leniently depending on the topic, the type of article in question (editorial/column pieces and Everton News articles may be more tightly monitored than Talking Points pieces or match summaries, for example) or the mood of the moderators – we are human, after all.
• As a third-party contributor you are legally responsible for the content your submit to ToffeeWeb. The site owner takes no responsibility for offensive or abusive content posted to the website by site Members but will endeavour to assess and, where necessary, remove unsuitable content at the earliest opportunity should a complaint be received. Please be aware, however, that this may not be for a period of hours depending on the time of day and the availability of the moderators.

External Linking policy

ToffeeWeb provides current links to anything which we deem newsworthy or of potential interest to Evertonians. Where possible, a link is always provided to what we consider to be the primary source at the end of that item's article page. Where there is multiple coverage, we endeavour to link to the more reputable organ (e.g. the BBC).  The purpose is to lead you to the source, particularly when there is not sufficient time for us to publish our own report.

Through the Everton News section, ToffeeWeb's archive of every news item we publish, all these news stories and links build into a unique long-term record of the recent history of Everton FC.  Of course, we take no responsibility for content published on linked sites or their future availability, nor does a link necessarily constitute any form of endorsement or approval of that third-party website or the views contained in the linked article.