Members Discussion on Rules and Some Tips on Posting

[C. Flower]

As we are a new forum, we have some basic but important rules put in place for our start up stage.
In the next couple of days I'll be putting up full Terms and Conditions of Use of this site for feedback.

To get some first thoughts I'm starting a discussion here on how to maintain a high quality of posting on the site. This doesn't mean you have to be a literary genius, it does mean that posting should be genuine and thoughtful, and that posts should be understandable. Time now to take a look at them and improve and refine them. I think we need to add some tips on how to maintain a good standard of debate and post writing.

These are some "start up" posting rules, up for discussion:

1) Think before you post. Experienced Posters and Moderators should help New Posters with Technical and General advice on posting. All members should contribute to developing the site content - quality not just quantity.

2) No Libellous Posting: people commented on are entitled to their good name unless proven otherwise – check your facts and back up your views with reliable linked sources.

3) No "outing" of poster identities, whether on this or other sites.

4) No Muppetry, Flaming, Picture Spam,Trolling, Abuse or Racism. We can all express opinions with out resorting to any of them. Please be civil, even in heated debate. Play the ball and not the man (or woman).

This site does not allow pms to be used for abuse. Any offending posters will be barred from pmming.

5) No Advertising or Spamming. Contact the admins if you want to publicise something.

6) If you want to act like an idiot, please go somewhere else.

7) No Posting of Copyrighted Material. Please do not post copyrighted material in this forum – if available on line, link it instead. By all means suggest an article is someone asks, but don't post an article. Also, please source or reference anything you do post.

8) We’re Here Because We’re Here!
Other forums are interesting too, but prolonged discussion of other forums should be taken to those sites or to an Indymedia report. Too much chat about other sites will be binned.

9) Give thank where it is due. Show appreciation for good posting and helpfulness.

10) The Moderator and Administrator’s Decision is final. Don’t argue at length with a mod. Take general points to the Dev and Ed forum and open them up for discussion.

Comments please