We (the Authors and Mods of OTB) wanted to take a moment to remind everyone* of the site’s Terms of Service (TOS) and, in particular, the portions on civility:
- Remember that the people under discussion are human beings. Comments that contain personal attacks about the post author or other commenters will be deleted. Repeated violators will be banned. Challenge the ideas of those with whom you disagree, not their patriotism, decency, or integrity.
- The use of profanity stronger than that normally permitted on network television is prohibited. A substantial number of people read this site from an office or in a family environment.
As of late, we’ve been a bit lax in enforcing these rules. Our hope was that the community would self-regulate. Unfortunately, phrases like “blow me,” “fvck you,” and/or “STUF” have gotten far too common. The commenting feature here is meant to inspire conversation, not personal attacks. It’s time for that to stop.
We appreciate that this is a moment where political tensions in the U.S.** are particularly high. That said, it’s worth taking a step back and reminding ourselves that — by and large — when it comes to the day-to-day political ins-and-outs of the U.S.*, we’re all spectators hoping for what we think to be the best outcome.
We (the Authors and Mods of OTB) ask everyone to take a deep breath and then a step back from the edge. Otherwise we are going to have to break out the moderation stick. And following T. Roosevelt’s advice, it’s a big stick — you don’t want to be on the receiving end.
If there are any questions or issues that need clarification, please feel free to respond below.
* – This is truly directed at *everyone.* Complaining that you are being singled out — or that someone else is getting a free pass — is missing the point of this post. What is past is past. This is focusing on the future. Wasting space complaining about *your* treatment is in violation of the TOS, in particular:
- [posting] Comments that are completely off topic.
- [and] Any form of trolling, defined as comments that appear intended to send the discussion in a fruitless direction, including repeated raising of only tangentially related points.
** – To our International readers: Rest assured, we don’t think the US is the whole of the world. But just because we didn’t call out your home country by name, doesn’t mean that the TOS doesn’t apply to you.
