Rules? We Don't Need No Stinking Rules V

[BF004]

Rules – We Don’t Need No Stinking Rules

Well... maybe we do. The "We Don't Need No Stinking Rules" thread appeared four times. It went largely unchanged. There were some minor tweaks along the way, but overall it discussed much of what will be covered prior to some actual rules.

Overall, this place is very well behaved – especially when you consider the size of the membership. It’s really all about civility. We started with an excellent core of members that knew each other and often were friends.

In each of the No Stinking Rules threads, I have mentioned that I hate that I even have to approach the subject. That still holds true today. As I said, the forum is very well behaved in general, but not without a need for moderators. Unfortunately, moderating has become more of a task lately, so we need to revisit this.

A good forum has it’s roots in community. The moderating team at PackersNews.net (Packers-huddle.com) is committed to building community. We have gone without written rules all this time by adhering to the unwritten rule of everything goes back to building community.

Our only previous rule was, "Any intentional efforts to undermine the community aspect of the forum will not be tolerated."

That one rule still holds true. However, the time has come to better define the moderating team's view of this with...

Rules.

In a continued effort to promote community and civil discourse amongst site members, the following forum rules have been established and are effective immediately.

1) No Personal Attacks: name calling, whether directed at an individual or a group representing an individual (i.e. stupid liberals, mindless Christians, etc.) will not be tolerated. Indirect name calling (i.e. you’re acting like an idiot) is considered a personal attack. If you’re not sure if you’re crossing the line, you likely are. Just don’t do it.

2) No Tattling: this isn’t grade school, folks. If you feel a post is offensive and a mod should remove it, be patient. If it’s worthy of editing, it will be edited in due time. If it remains unedited, grow some thicker skin and move on.

3) No Whining: the grade school analogy applies to rule #3, as well. The mod team will make every effort to maintain objectivity and apply the rules in a consistent and forthright manner. We will NOT guarantee equal treatment; we WILL guarantee an attempt at fair treatment.

4) Stay on Topic: common sense applies. Thorough discussion of topics, along with the exploration of various tangents related to the main topic, is highly encouraged. However, kidnapping of a topic (i.e. for the sole purpose of redirecting a thread to a personal pet topic) is prohibited. Also, if you’re posting a message pointing out that another poster is not staying on topic, then you are not on topic. Stay on topic.

5) No Stalking: keep your discussion, and your vested emotions, within the topic of discussion. Stalking a member throughout the site to get the last word will not be tolerated.

Moderators will determine if a post falls within the rules and will, as necessary, edit posts which cross the line. Edited posts will display a <snip> to indicate moderator intervention. The first edit will result in a warning. Get snipped a second time and you’ll be warned again. Any ensuing snips will result in the temporary suspension of posting privileges, the duration of which dependent upon the severity of the infraction and history of previous suspensions. Continued violation of forum rules may result in permanent banning.

Moderators are the ruling authority and their say is final. Moderators also reserve the right to bypass warnings and issue a suspension should the infraction warrant.

It is not the intention of the mod team to discourage spirited debate or to rebuff dissenting opinion. On the contrary, the hope is to create a site where folks with a strong common bond can come together and discuss Packer football – along with any number of other social topics - without threat of personal insult or over-the-top ridicule. It’s not too much to ask.

This isn’t about everyone agreeing – quite the contrary – it is about being able to disagree while remaining civil. Some of the best discussions are disagreements.

If you feel these rules are too restrictive or that honest debate cannot be attained within the confines of these rules, then perhaps this forum is not for you. We wish you well.

If, however, you feel the atmosphere we’re trying to foster is right up your alley, welcome aboard! Pull up a keyboard and let’s talk some Packer football!