In my experience the “don’t judge” etiquette most commonly enforced by Billfold commentators applies mostly to the writer or interview subject of the article. Part of that comes from the sense that it’s a direct attack, equivalent to walking up to somebody, looking her or him in the face, and saying “I don’t like you.” That tends to be frowned upon even in gossipy environments.
But the main part comes from a sense of gratitute and/or hosting behavior — people who contribute to the Billfold are sort of guests of the Billfold, and we readers will get better content if people feel safe writing about embarassing or taboo personal experiences (which money matters often are). The Billfold pays writers a little, but not the kind of money that would make it worth exposing yourself to vituperous ridicule.
So for instance, I feel very comfortable with commenters complaining about the websites/writers on a list put together by another website, none of whom have ever contributed anything here. But if a politician I strongly disagree with wrote a thoughtful article for the Billfold about their campaign financing (or something totally unrelated, like their dad’s funeral), I’d appreciate the info and the outreach enough that I wouldn’t want a constant string of “you’re gross, go away” in the comments.
