Commenting Guidelines

Read our guidelines to make sure you’re using EngageON properly and learn how we will use your comments.

EngageON is hosted by 76engage, on behalf of the Government of Ontario. You must follow the Ontario.ca Terms of Use. You’ll also have to follow these seven commenting guidelines. We may remove or edit responses to questions that violate any of the guidelines.

1. Never post personal information

Do not post personal information like:

  • addresses
  • telephone numbers
  • email addresses
  • any other information that could identify you or another person

This is for your own protection and the protection of others because posts are public.

2. Respect everyone

Be polite and treat everyone with respect. The discussion is more enjoyable and produces a better result. 

Do not stalk, harass, interfere or collect the personal data of another user.

We will remove personal attacks and any content that encourages:

  • expressions of violence
  • intolerance
  • racism
  • sexism
  • homophobia
  • hatred
     

3. Keep it clean

Don’t post comments that have:

  • swear words
  • profanity
  • offensive and malicious language

We want everyone to feel comfortable participating in the conversation.

4. Stay on topic

We want to hear your ideas and thoughts on how we:

  • can create new opportunities for data use
  • protect people’s data rights from growing risks

We encourage focused and thoughtful comments that respond to our posts. We won’t consider comments that aren’t relevant.

5. No marketing

Do not use EngageON to:

  • market your business
  • sell your services
  • promote or comment on a candidate for political office or members of a political party
     

6. Don’t spam or troll

We will remove posts that are:

  • off-topic
  • repeated in the same discussion
  • cross-posted in different discussions
  • incomprehensible

We want to keep the conversation going. Repeated or off-topic messages are a disruption and may cause participants to leave the discussion.

7. Don’t break the law

Do not link to or post material that is:

  • defamatory
  • copyrighted
  • pornographic
  • harmful to a minor

Do not engage in behaviours like:

  • bullying
  • harassment
  • impersonation
  • intimidation
  • abuse

We do not tolerate illegal content and negative behaviour on EngageON.

Let us know if a comment violates the guidelines

Contact us if you become aware of users who violate these guidelines.

We’ll take care of it as quickly as we can.

Editing your comment

You cannot edit your comment once you’ve submitted it. However, in threaded conversations, you can reply to your own comment, if you want to explain your position more clearly.

Other ways to comment

You can send us a letter in the mail or email us your comments.

How we use and monitor your comments

Using your comments

We will read all comments and try to reflect relevant views in our decision-making process, particularly on government programs, services, processes and policies that touch on the use of your data.

The impact of your feedback will vary depending on the type of question being asked.

We may use your comments in up to four ways:

  1. Issue: Your responses will be used to build the evidence base for new policies or programs to address the issue identified.
  2. Design: Your responses will be used to develop options for policy/program decision making.
  3. Implementation: Your responses will be used on a step-by-step/iterative basis to ensure implementation targets.
  4. Evaluation: Your responses will be used to understand the impact of our policies and programs. Your responses may indicate that government should review a policy/program.
     

Analysis and sharing

We’ll group and analyze comments by theme and other qualitative features, such as tone.

The analysis will be shared with teams working on initiatives related to your ideas and views, particularly the Minister's Digital and Data Task Force to inform their advice and final report to the government.

For example, if you shared your ideas in response to a question about how a medical professional may use technology to access personal health data, the Ministry of Health may receive our analysis of comments on this theme.

Remember to share comments you are comfortable with others reading. Treat your comments as if everyone in Ontario will see them.

Reports

The EngageON team will share a summary of how your comments are being used.

How and when we monitor

We monitor comments to help make sure all participants can engage in an open dialogue about Ontario’s data landscape.

Constructive and thoughtful debate are welcome on EngageON.

We will:

  • monitor during regular business hours, Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • remove any content that violates the comment guidelines or terms of use
  • remove any personal or identifying information from comments

Comments shared on EngageON represent the views of individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of the Ontario Government.

We are not responsible for any use of material posted by participants.