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What constitutes appropriate usage of a website that opens up
its pages to comments and dialog from the world wide web? Summitlake.com
first went "interactive"in 2001, with our hand-coded "Megadb" flat-file
database forums. At that time, we wrote:
"Safe Space: Database
records on this site are generally available to all viewers
in Search (browse) mode. The database
services
are offered for viewer pleasure, information and as a community
service. To keep SummitLake's databases a "safe space" for
the general public, please keep entries brief, courteous,
and respectful of others.
All data on this site is the property of SummitLake.com
(unless otherwise copyrighted). This is a private site. Entry
of
copyrighted material, or abusive, defamatory or blatantly
inappropriate
material is prohibited, and may be removed by us without
warning, at our own discretion. Please contact us to report
abuse, or
with any questions you may have about the database or this
policy." |
Our experience as guests on other forums has taught us that guidelines
are most useful as a reference for the "others", the people who
least often need them. High-maintenance users will usually split
hairs
on borderline
issues while continuing to do what they always did. Not only do
we want feedback from our users, we encourage lively discussions
and spirited contributions. For this to work, we do expect invited
guests to behave accordingly.
The WWW doesn't stand for "Wild Wild
West". Check your guns with the marshal before
riding into town.
For the benefit
of the
community at large, and for the benefit of administrators or moderators
who have better things to do than baby-sit each topic or thread:
Common sense is the golden
rule. We provide more specific guidelines
for administrators, moderators and users. Use these ONLY to help
determine what is or might not be inappropriate behavior. Administrators
and moderators
may issue warnings or take stronger preventative action at their
discretion.
This site is under no obligation to arbitrate, discuss or hear
appeals
on
actions
taken
to control
what we consider to be abusive behavior.
| The other golden rule: we publish what we like, at our own discretion. We do not have to endorse or agree with the published material of others, but it has to comply with these Guidelines, and it must (in our opinion) be well expressed, represent a relevant viewpoint or topic, and relate to general interests of readers who would frequent this site or its respective departments. |
- Ad hominem attacks:
a general class of attack upon another's arguments, position
or character which substitutes unsubstantiated falsehoods
or unprovable smear for fact. A smear undermines without actually addressing
any issue. See our article "Rhetoric
001". An ad hominem attack includes defamation of
either individuals or groups. We don't publish them.
- Cuss
words: God
love 'em -- at home. We have a cuss words filter now,
which may or may not be installed on the web application
one is using. The user may or may not get a warning: if someone
had to come here to find out why a word they used caused their
entire
entry to evaporate, they've been warned.
- Race,
ethnicity, nationality, gender:
attacks against entire classes of people are not tolerated.
- Religion and Politics: Tread
carefully. Keep comments focused and substantiable. While not banned outright, public discussions of these
topics often
become
more
trouble
than they
are worth. We harbor little tolerance
for any form of dogma, including any form of dogma which pits
one dogma against another.
- Corporations: Keep
comments focused and substantiable.
- Hate Groups and Certifiable
Bad Guys: Chances are, we don't need
instructions on why we loathe hate groups.
- Off-topic threads: Not too likely here. When we do host an open topic or forum, we reserve the right to lock down runaway threads or comments.
- High-maintenance users: no
one on this site is paid to entertain or adjudicate behavior
problems. Any issues will re resolved quickly on a case by case
basis. "Two strikes" would usually be classified as a "fatal". Summitlake.com is under no obligation to warn of, or
explain,
actions taken
to
correct
problems
of
concern
to administrators,
moderators, or the user community as a whole.
- Subject to change and revision: Since
there is no paid membership or subscription base, no
consideration has been exchanged. There is no "agreement" to be modified or
negotiated. Guidelines are subject
to change without notice at the convenience
of Summitlake.com.
- Links, Advertising and Spam: Do not post any advertising or linked content on this site without our written permission. We do our best to blacklist after a first offense.
Over the years, Summitlake.com readers
have, on the whole, been generously kind and supportive to
us, and we're grateful. Our usage
guidelines are intentionally strict as a way of saying "thank
you" to the 99 percent of you who have been so kind
as to come back to visit us again and again, yet who effortlessly
managed to avoid ever, ever leaving garbage in your wake.
Thanks!
Alex Forbes -- posted May 20, 2004. Last updated October 7, 2007 |
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