Just a short set of guidelines that should be followed in this forum. They may seem obvious, but aren't always followed once a thread gets going.

1) No flaming - most important of all of the guidelines. Flaming only shows that you have no more desire to debate and have to resort to name calling in an attempt to win. From now on, meaning any new post from when I posted this, any flaming will be dealt with with 1 warning, and then incremental 1, 3, 5 and maybe even perma-bans if the situation doesn't get solved.

2) Be Open-Minded - this goes for EVERYONE! Even me and QuietChaos. If anyone feels that we(the mods) are being grossly unfair or biased in a thread then let either us or an admin know, and adequate action will be taken.

However, this does not mean that if anyone disagrees with your opinion that this rule applies. It is the debate forum after all. The point is to have differing opinions and to present your case and resulting counter-arguments to each other.

3) Be Diplomatic - what I mean by this is simple. When you make a point, do not act as if you are the supreme ruler on the situation and that your opinion supersedes all others. This is probably the second worst thing after flaming that ruins debates. Every viewpoint is valid, as long as it is being presented seriously, and should be treated accordingly. You have every right to disagree with someone, but again, respond in a way that makes it seem like you know all, because you don't.

4) Don't get angry - this forum is for debating, not killing each other. No two people agree on everything. There is bound to be some contention and disagreement between board members. That is what this forum is for. This forum is not intended to create seperation or animosity between members. Remember that. [edit] None of us have the power to actually make our personaly viewpoints come to pass, so let's stop treating each other like that is the case [/edit]

Now, this thread is subject to changes and additions when QuietChaos gets a look at it. This is not set in stone, but is going to be the general guideline that is followed in this forum. Warnings are given out at QuietChaos and my discretion. Retaliations will be dealt with strictly.

Don't let that ruin the mood of this forum. Debate is how the world became what it is. Things run the way they do because someone argued that it should be that way. And things can change, if people can argue well enough that they should change. So, do your best, and enjoy this forum.

5) When you decide to use evidence from online articles to support yourself, which can often be strong support, follow these guidelines:
a) post the link
b) Take out specific quotes to support yourself.
c) Support the quotes with your thoughts.
d) Opinions are ok, but don't make them the basis of
your post.

6) If you post an article, it must show statistics and valid facts to support or disprove. If the validity is disputed, then the mods and/or David will make the final call on the matter.

This does not apply to all threads, only those where someone requests you show proof. You are not required to use online articles. I just request that if you do, you follow these guidelines.


Looks good to me. Now that Jin is a mod, everything related to mod powers mentioned here refers to him too. I'm too lazy to add his name in everywhere though.

*edited once*

Yes...DEFINETLY...............thanks geeogree

7) Religious topics. Since this is a debate forum and not a religion forum it is requested that you refrain from posting religious topics in this forum. You're more than welcome to post on a wide variety of topics but if a topic becomes too "Religious vs. non-religious" then the thread will either be moved or scrapped.

While we are okay with people expressing their opinions from their personal religious point of view, you must accept that this is a debate forum and there are going to be people who disagree with you and your "sources" (religious texts).

8) Please fact check before you make accusations or major statements, both for your sake and the sake of others.

For example:

Let us say that you decide to make a thread about Bob the Senator and how he's been taking bribes from lobbyists to lessen regulations on tobacco companies. People rant and rave along with you about how horrible Bob is. Then, a random vizzed user we will call "User-X" decides to do a google search on this and the first result, along with numerous others, proves this to be totally wrong.

Firstly, this makes you look bad.

Secondly (and more importantly), say that Bob the Senator decides to google himself and one of the search results is your thread (they do come up, for the record). He clicks on the link, reads what you said and how it's generated a lot of negative opinion of him. He can now legally sue you for libel. For those of you who do not know, libel is the defamation of character in written form (the verbal form is slander). He can also possibly go after David for allowing the libel to be posted here on a highly trafficked website.

So please, verify before you accuse. If you can't verify, but you also cannot disprove, then just make it clear that it is your opinion and that you are not certain if it is true or not. Also, pay attention to your source when verifying... if you're verification about Bob came from a site called "wehatebob.com" then chances are it might not be a legitimate source. Most things can be verified on wikipedia though, so I wouldn't worry too much.