Slug-Fest Guidelines

1. All Terms & Conditions apply. This is not a free-for-all. Remember that the AboveTopSecret.com Terms And Conditions Of Use apply in Slug-Fest!

2. Cooperate with the moderators. With the exception of truly gross and egregious T&C violations (like posting porn or lots of profanity), ignoring the mods or giving us static is about the only thing anyone is likely to get a red-flag warning for here. Work with us and all will be right with the world.

3. No personal attacks. This might seem like an odd guideline for a forum like this, but personal attacks invariably drive threads off topic, and when that happens, threads become pointless and a myriad of other problems follow. Say whatever you want about the topic or the opinions other members -- if they suck, they suck -- but don't take personal shots at other members.

4. No stalking. Don't take what's said here and drag it into other threads or -- Mod forbid -- into other forums. This is what shut down the Mud Pit (what this forum used to be) in days of yore. Say what you have to say here, and leave it behind when you go. Ignore this guideline at your peril.

5. Relax and have fun! Again, this may seem like an odd guideline for a forum like this, but long ago when I used to troll alt.flame (a USENET newsgroup where flaming is always on topic), I learned a very important lesson: Never flame when you're angry. If things get hot and heavy, take a break. If you're not having fun, you're doing something wrong.


NOTE: If you don't like reading long posts, you've already read all you need to know about Slug-Fest. However, if the guidelines leave you wanting more, here it is...


Welcome to Slug-Fest!

With a name like "Slug-Fest", you might well expect this forum to be a bit more rowdy than other forums on PTS, and you would be right.

However, despite the name, all the AboveTopSecret.com Terms And Conditions Of Use apply. Yep, every one of them.

So what makes Slug-Fest different?

The more relaxed way in which the rules are enforced.

Mods As Referees

In all ATS domains and forums, moderators are encouraged to try to work with members and avoid taking punitive action without good cause. And indeed we do.

Nonetheless, ATS standards for conduct are high, and I for one am doing everything I can to push them even higher, because the reward comes in the form of threads worth reading and a forum worth participating in.

Slug-Fest is no exception. I want you to be happy with this forum, and I want you to be inspired to say what you really think.

Due to the fact that we tend to tackle controversial subjects that other forums won't touch, however, I've asked the mods to be somewhat more forgiving here.

If you post something a little too over the top, a mod will most likely just edit the post and ask you to chill out without issuing a warning.

That doesn't mean anarchy reigns supreme. :shk:

If a mod repeatedly asks you to calm down and you keep going off, you may receive a warning or be subject to other action. But if that should happen, I want to make sure it never comes as a surprise to anyone.

I want you to feel relaxed and comfortable even when the topic you're discussing isn't.

The Goal

The goal of Slug-Fest is to give members a place to talk about things they can't usually talk about in other forums.

That doesn't mean anything goes, but it does mean we're a lot more open to discussing topics that are usually considered taboo, problematic or just plain flamebait.

Threads that are too "hot" for other forums end up here. When they arrive, I want them to be greeted with an environment which is conducive to candid and passionate debate.

Also, almost any topic (within reason) can be started in Slug-Fest, so if you expect trouble, you may want to start a potentially volatile thread here.

Don't worry, if it's too hot even for Slug-Fest, we'll trash it.

The ATS/PTS Family Of Debate Forums

To help understand where Slug-Fest fits in the grand scheme of things, here's a look at the debate forum hierarchy:

Debate Forum: Structured formal debate with strict rules and active moderator involvement. Access to the forum is restricted and all threads must be approved by the staff.

Politics Head-2-Head: Structured short-form political debate with simple rules and active moderator involvement. Access to the forum is restricted and all threads must be approved by the staff.

Slug-Fest: Free-form political debate with simple guidelines and passive moderator involvement. Access to the forum is unrestricted and members are welcome to start new threads.

Discussion

These guidelines are, of course, subject to frequent modification as the forum evolves, so it's a good idea to review them now and then.

Also, please use common sense. Sometimes we get members who go all drama queen over some technicality or start whining about "free speech" or whatever when the mods step in.

Don't even bother.

I welcome any questions or comments you may have about the Slug-Fest Guidelines.








[edit on 9/13/2006 by Majic]

Originally posted by Majic
3. No personal attacks.
4. No stalking.
Ignore this guideline at your peril.

Awesome. May I assume that these will seriously be enforced and warnings o'plenty will be given for those who ignore your guidelines?? Is that the 'at your peril' part?

It's an extremely difficult task to create a forum with the goal of providing a place for hot topics, allowing for relaxation of the normal rules of engagement, and maintaining tolerance, while at the same time moderating a thread that may get out of control because of personal sniping. People understandably get confused and frustrated when they see what appears to be inconsistency or favoritism in the application of discipline. But understand that they had to see which way this forum would grow before they made any solid rules. That's totally understandable.

The main problem, as I see it, is that members have not taken enough personal responsibility to help to nurture this garden that we have been provided. By personal responsibility, I don't mean using the Complain feature or sending u2u's to your favorite super-mod or the 3 Amigos. I mean, don't let personal attacks become part of your ATS lexicon. We should all be mature enough to realize that sniping accomplishes nothing.

There might be a newbie that wanders in and gets out of hand. That's where the mods can step in and admonish however they see fit. But for the rest of us, and by that I mean anyone that's been here more than 60 days, we should already know what's acceptable and what is not. Give the mods a helping hand here - they don't owe us a forum like Slug-Fest, in case we forgot.

Fair Warnings

Originally posted by FlyersFan
May I assume that these will seriously be enforced and warnings o'plenty will be given for those who ignore your guidelines?? Is that the 'at your peril' part?

The "at your peril" part refers to the fact that moderators in other forums are likely to take a very dim view of it if anyone brings drama with them from Slug-Fest.

While there will always be plenty of drama in Slug-Fest (would we want it any other way?), what we tend to be casual about here could get a warning elsewhere.

As for personal attacks, I experimented with seeing what would happen if we let those slide, and the stack of Complaints and U2Us I got indicated beyond all doubt that an overwhelming (literally!) majority of Slug-Festers don't want them allowed.

Yes, my friends, I promise I heard you loud and clear. I mean damn!

Personal attacks drive threads off-topic and even minor jabs can turn things into a royal mess, so let's not go there. :shk:

However, that doesn't mean you'll get zapped if you get mad and slip now and then.

We expect people to get worked up here, and when that happens, rather than flag them, we'll tend to just ask them to calm down and -- if necessary -- edit nasty comments out of posts.

On the other hand, those who make a habit of attacking other members personally or trying to skirt the rules are on their own when it comes to moderator leniency, so I don't recommend testing the limits.

But if you honestly just fly off the handle now and then (we're all human -- well, most of us), you should be okay.

We really do try to be cool about it.




[edit on 9/13/2006 by Majic]

Originally posted by Majic
Yes, my friends, I promise I heard you loud and clear. I mean damn!

Okay ... cool.

Oh thank you, thank you, thank you. Did I mention thank you? Anyway, goodluck with that, Majic...I do not envy you in the slightest.

No matter what you do, someone is going to be pissed off bigtime...

New Sheriff in town...

The torch has been passed to me here in the Slug Fest Forum... While the staff member responsible may have taken an evolutionary step backwards, the rules and guidelines have not.

I look forward to spirited debate with the upcoming elections.

Originally posted by Majic
4. No stalking. Don't take what's said here and drag it into other threads or -- Mod forbid -- into other forums. This is what shut down the Mud Pit (what this forum used to be) in days of yore. Say what you have to say here, and leave it behind when you go. Ignore this guideline at your peril.

Forgetting momentarily that this rule is called “no stalking” which implies that the person is purposely hunting an other poster down to berate and attack them, what if something that is said here is pertinent to a conversation else where? In a form of “well you say this today but yesterday you made this comment” as long as the comments were used in context.

reply to post by Mr Mxyztplk


Not being a moderator 'tis true, but I'll be so bold as to try to answer...

I don't see why there would be a problem, so long as it's in context, and as you said today it this way, when yesterday it was that way, so which is it... I certainly don't see any problem with that.