New forum, same rules.
1. The Golden RuleTreat others the way you would like to be treated by them. If you disagree with someone do so politely.
I will cut people a certain amount of slack, however, insulting people based on their race or ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or religion may result in the offender being banned from the forum either temporarily or permanently based on the severity of the offense and past behaviour.
Making a threat (or any statement that could be mistaken for a threat) against any other person, regardless of whether they are a member of this forum, will not be tolerated.
2. Posting New TopicsEnsure a topic doesn't already exist before starting a new one. Multiple threads about the same topic can create confusion.
Try not to spread discussions from one thread into another, and don't take a thread off topic.
Also, try to post topics in the proper forum. I can move threads that are in the wrong place, but repeat offenders may be banned.
3. Copyrighted MaterialPlease do not post copyrighted material (images, news articles, webpages, etc.) directly into the forum. Under some circumstances it is legal to do so, but since I am not a lawyer I think it's best to play it safe and just link to the original source.
You can quote small parts of websites or news articles, but not the entire thing.
4. Posting ImagesDo not link directly to images that are on another website without the permission of the owner. Doing so can cost the owner of that website money (due to bandwidth usage) and it is considered stealing.
NASA does allow linking to images on their websites, except in the case of their logo which is copyrighted.
Please don't post images that are larger than 400x400 pixels directly into the forum. Large images make the forum load slower (especially for people using dial-up) and they also distort the forum requiring people to scroll left to right (which is very annoying). Instead link to the picture using a hyperlink.
You can use image hosting services like
Photobucket or
Tinypic to store images that you want to link to in this forum.
5. User AccountsRegistering more than one account is not allowed unless permitted by the administrator. Registering a username with the intention of impersonating another person is also not permitted.
Anyone who re-registers after having been banned will be banned again immediately after being discovered.
6. PrivacyDo not invade the privacy of the other members of the forum. Do not reveal their true full name, contact information (address, phone number, email address, etc.), or other personal information without their permission.
Do not post details of private conversations (emails, telephone conversations, letters, chatroom logs, etc.) without the permission of all participants.
The administrator has access to certain personal information about the registered members of the forum (specifically their email address and IP address). That information will not be shared with anyone.
The administrator will not read private messages sent between users of the forum.
7. SpamSpam may be deleted without explanation or warning. The definition of spam on this forum is:
a) any post that advertises a website, product, or service that is not relevant to the subject of this forum;
b) any post or thread that is duplicated multiple times in the forum by the same user.
Please do not respond to spammers.
You may include a link to your website in your profile and in your signature.
8. TrollingTrolling is not tolerated for very long on this forum, so if you make a claim or accusation you better be prepared to defend it.
The definition of trolling on this forum is:
a) repeatedly making statements with the intention of provoking a negative response (ie. anger);
b) repeatedly making the same claim or accusation while ignoring responses that dispute it.
c) repeatedly making claims while ignoring requests to either support or withdraw them
d) making unfounded accusations against members of the forum (ie. accusing people of being government disinfo agents). If you can't prove it then don't make the accusation.
e) repeatedly deleting (or heavily modifying) posts in order to cover up past statements. If you can't stand behind your own statements then don't make them in the first place.
f) pretending to hold a controversial belief (ie. that the moon landings were faked) in order to waste our time responding to you, or to anger us for your own entertainment. The best way to avoid being wrongfully accused of this behavior is to
defend your claims or retract them.
If you believe someone is a "troll" then the best course of action is to simply ignore them. "Don't feed the trolls."
Once the administrator of the forum has determined that a user is "trolling" they may be banned.
9. Getting BannedI try to be fair and I do not enjoy banning people. If you follow all of the above rules you should be safe, and you might even get away with breaking one or two of them occasionally. However, repeatedly breaking any of those rules may result in getting banned either temporarily or permanently.
I will take a user's past behaviour into account when they break a rule. Good behaviour is rewarded.
I do not ban people simply because I disagree with them. I ban based on behaviour, not on beliefs. If I ban someone I will explain why.
Some examples of banable behaviour are (but are not limited to):
1) Repeated insulting, rude, or offensive behaviour
2) Harassing other members of the forum, privately or publicly
3) Repeated Copyright violations
4) Posting offensive, obscene, illegal, or adult material
5) Invading another persons privacy
6) Trolling
7) Spamming
8) Repeatedly ignoring warnings from the moderator
9) Intentionally provoking the moderator
10) Pushing conspiracy theories that could endanger others (eg. that a global pandemic is a hoax).
Remember: just because something isn't listed above doesn't mean it's safe to do!
You can report violations of these rules to me in a private message.
It is ultimately up to me to decide if a rule has been broken and whether or not a person should be punished.
I will not punish people retroactively, so any violation before these rules were posted will not be held against the offender.
Be aware that the rules are merely guidelines and just because they don't explicitly cover something doesn't necessarily mean it is safe to do it. When in doubt ask me before posting something that could potentially violate a rule. Use your best judgment... if you think something might get you in trouble just don't do it!
These rules may change without notice.
