A heads up to the membership- 1st Amendment issues and profanity

[Grendel]

With immediate effect: Anyone using profanity - even disguised profanity - like substituting symbols for letters, or using abbreviations, because obviously we all know what you're saying, is at the very least going to get a 30 day timeout, or dependent on context, a permanent ban.

Anyone, repeat, anyone, using racist or sexist terms, to describe anyone's appearance, color, sexual orientation, religious preference, or race, is going to be thrown out of the nearest forum window, never to return.

This is a family-friendly forum and it's going to stay that way if I/we have to ban 50 people a day to keep it clean.

[cntrydawwwg]

Sounds good to me. Too bad you had to actually make this post to get the point across.

[s0nspark]

Added to the user registration agreement:


Note: Just to be extremely clear on a couple of points:

1. The use of profanity (even disguised profanity, like substituting symbols for letters, or using abbreviations) will result in, at minimum, a 30 day ban - this is a family-friendly forum and adults are perfectly capable of communicating without resorting to language that is likely to offend.

2. Hate speech in any form will absolutely not be tolerated - you are expected to be respectful to others here, regardless of whatever personal opinions you may hold, so any use of derogatory references to those of other races, sexual orientations, political affiliations, and so on will result in a swift and permanent ban from this forum.

[ReloaderFred]

I'm also a moderator on the castboolits forum and we don't tolerate any of that stuff over there.  I totally agree with the policy.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Fred

[armoredman]

It's a shame that some people cannot seem to function without insulting others constantly, making this a requirement.

[Wobbly]

Agreed.

If we let a tiny one in, then all our time will be totally consumed sitting in judgement about whether the next word is "bad enough" or worse yet, trying to gauge user intent. If you want a slippery slope to nowhere, then that's it.

It's not that we don't know what these words are or that they are not in our lexicon, they simply don't need to be HERE. No forum ever achieved high appeal by setting low standards. There needs to be a goodly level of "forum decorum" so that ALL feel welcome.

 

[schmeky]

Absolutely in agreement. 

As far as my posts are concerned, if you feel I at any time I have done anything off color or inappropriate, even a fraction of a degree, please call me out on it.

David

[jwc007]

I quite agree! 

[Hakan]

100% agreed and supporting!

[armoredman]

A note - the title was amended so new members can see this - the 1st Amendment Free Speech does NOT apply to a private members only online forum. If someone wants to shout personal attacks, foul language or racial slurs, do it on your local street corner, stand on a soap box so everyone can see and hear you, but not here - this is our living room, not the street corner. Don't claim you have freedom of speech to say whatever you want - here, you don't, and yes, that is within the law. Amazingly enough, we have done just fine all these years this way, and everyone has had a great time. I am also posting this right after deleting personal attacks and demeaning comments plus locking a thread due to same, so me not happy.