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Forum Posting Guidelines
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The moderators' objective is to enable enjoyable forum usage. We want an environment where newcomers feel free to post to the forums without fear of being unfairly attacked and where posters don't feel overly-policed.
We want these forums to be as open as possible. All moderation will be made using best-judgment and will never be used to stifle opinion, so long as such posts remain within the boundaries set out here.
Moderators have the ability to hide posts, hide threads, move threads to other forums, and place forum bans for varying periods of time on posters continually breaching the posting guidelines.
Please note that members of the community are encouraged to use the Alert Moderator link below any post which they believe breaches the guidelines set out here. This will place the post on the moderators' list of posts to review.
The following twelve points are the guidelines that should be followed when posting to the forums.
1) Discussions in forums can often get heated, but while you may take issue with another poster's viewpoint, you must not resort to personal attacks or abuse. Do not post offensive or inflammatory remarks that stray beyond the bounds of reasoned debate. Calling another poster an "idiot" will leave a post subject to immediate removal.
2) Do not post profanity. There may be occasions where the context of certain words may be acceptable, and this will be at the moderators' discretion, however posts containing profanity will often be removed automatically by the "robomod". There will be situations where it removes inoffensive posts, but this is unavoidable.
3) Do not post material which is obscene, indecent or pornographic.
4) Please stay on topic. There is clearly a subjective judgment to be made as to whether a post strays off topic and in the majority of cases the post will not be deleted unless it is considered to be disruptive to the thread and its participants.
5) While it is acceptable to post links to external articles and information, you may not use these forums for advertising or promotion of products or services or canvasing support for policatal parties or movements. You may post links to personal home pages, but repeated spamming of such links is not permitted.
6) Do not make defamatory posts. While reasonable criticism of an individual or organization is not in itself libelous, any post that adversely affects the reputation of a clearly identifiable person or company is likely to be removed.
7) Do not harass other members of the community. Harassment is any unwanted conduct including insults, jokes and any remarks affecting the dignity of another. Such conduct could relate to gender, race, nationality, sexuality, religion, disability or other similarly sensitive issues.
8) Do not post information which invades the privacy of another individual, or the disclosure of which would breach an individual's reasonable expectation of confidentiality.
9) Any posts which are deemed to be incitements to commit criminal offenses, or any post which seeks to influence another to commit an offense will be removed.
10) Repeated posting of the same material (spamming) is not acceptable.
11) Overly trivial posts may be removed at the discretion of the forum moderators if they are deemed to be disruptive or distracting to the thread and its participants.
12) Do not rant. Ranting is defined here as a style of post that comes across as a political broadcast or an angry protest that does little to progress the discussion or to involve other posters. Such postings often feel like an intrusion into the general debate, regardless of the validity of the points being made.
Originally posted by Forum ModeratorWhat's wrong with anal bleaching?
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Forum Posting Guidelines
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The moderators' objective is to enable enjoyable forum usage. We want an environment where newcomers feel free to post to the forums without fear of being unfairly attacked and where posters don't feel overly-policed.
We want these forums to be as open as poss ntrusion into the general debate, regardless of the validity of the points being made.
Edit: Except perhaps the spelling?
Originally posted by Forum ModeratorI think this is all to the good, but take issue with point 5. The debates forum contains a thread about the US mid term elections and basically the Democrats and Republicans are getting lot's of free advertising as their respective supporters argue about it.
[b]5) [Don't use the forums for] canvasing support for policatal parties or movements.
12) Do not rant.[/b]
To then pull a thread or post because someone is arguing that people should attend a demonstration or argue for the merits of a less mainstream party strikes me as somewhat unbalanced. Where does the right to express your political views end and the sites not unreasonable requirement that the forums not be turned into a PR man's nirvana start?
As to point 12, hmm you'll be lucky...
Originally posted by DeepThoughtI Agree.
I think this is all to the good, but take issue with point 5. The debates forum contains a thread about the US mid term elections and basically the Democrats and Republicans are getting lot's of free advertising as their respective supporters argue about it.
To then pull a thread or post because someone is arguing that people should attend a demonstr ...[text shortened]... forums not be turned into a PR man's nirvana start?
As to point 12, hmm you'll be lucky...
How can it be remotely possible to have any sort of political debate without, at some point, straying into 'canvassing support for a particular political party'?
I think this is too restrictive.
Originally posted by hopscotchHey, I just wanted to suggest this! Actually it should be at the top of every forum.
I'd suggest that the guidelines (sans the follow-up posts) be made a sticky thread at the top of this forum and the debates forum, like the "please read the FAQ" thread in the help forum.
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Originally posted by RedmikePerhaps it is difficult to be specific about when political debate becomes active canvassing or recruitment, but it is usually clear when the line has been crossed when posts start to feel more like adverts than reasoned debate.
I Agree.
How can it be remotely possible to have any sort of political debate without, at some point, straying into 'canvassing support for a particular political party'?
I think this is too restrictive.
The guideline is in place to prevent anyone on a mission using the forums as a recruitment ground or as a method of obtaining free advertising.
Originally posted by Forum ModeratorIs it only for the word "idiot" or also for other words like "dumbass", "fool", etc??
1) Discussions in forums can often get heated, but while you may take issue with another poster's viewpoint, you must not resort to personal attacks or abuse. Do not post offensive or inflammatory remarks that stray beyond the bounds of reasoned debate. Calling another poster an "idiot" will leave a post subject to immediate removal.