1) Civility is encouraged but the Ethic of Reciprocity applies. If someone gives you insults back for insults given? That’s just what you deserve. If one has a position and advocates it, one owns it unless stating the position is some form of Devil’s Advocacy. If it is an abhorrent position that causes recoil and/or social rejection, then the problem might rest with the position first and the holder as consequence. If one does not like the consequences of being seen in a negative light, one should revisit their position(s) or live with it. If disruptive behavior (or inherently disruptive or dishonest trollish behavior – flooding/spamming, manufacturing false consensus, deflection, etc.) becomes a persistent problem and disrupts the peace and utility of the commons that are the threads? You will be warned. You might get a time out. You might get banned. This soiree has (very minimal) rules and bouncers. This is not a troll friendly forum. Agreement is not required. Argument is a cornerstone of the marketplace of ideas. You will not run afoul of this rule for simply having and voicing an unpopular opinion. Disagreement does not constitute trolling. Your choice in tactics does. A good rule of thumb is DBAD.
2) Anonymous posting is allowed and encouraged. Feel free to post under an assumed identity as anonymous political free speech is your legal right in the United States. Your posting information will never be disclosed by any FFS editor and/or author to third party posters on this blog absent your consent and it is expressly forbidden for posters here to post personally identifying information about third party posters here absent consent. There is no wiggle room on this rule. Do it and you’ll get banned. This rule does not apply to valid warrants or criminal investigations.
3) No hijacking other poster’s identity. If you pretend to be someone else posting here? You’ll get banned.
4) Threats of physical violence, stalking and inciting violence are not allowed. Do it and you’ll get a (note the singular article “a”) warning. Do it again, you’ll get banned. The standards/definitions are:
a) “Direct threat”, to wit, “to place any person in fear of imminent serious bodily injury”.
b) “Stalking” is “any person who intentionally and repeatedly follows or harasses another person and who makes a credible threat, either expressed or implied, with the intent to place that person in reasonable fear of death or serious bodily harm”. This standard may be used in conjunction with the standard of persistent disruptive behavior found in Rule #1 as a reason for banishment. Stalking behavior may also be used as a reason for banishment in conjunction with either Rule #2 and/or Rule #3.
c) “Incitement” is “urging or instigating other persons to riot or commit crimes and/or acts of violence”. This does not mean the mere oral or written (1) advocacy of ideas or (2) expression of belief, not involving advocacy of any act or acts of violence or assertion of the rightness of, or the right to commit, any such act or acts.
5) No commercial placements in comments. No flogging your own blog. If you want to link to your own blog? Do so by linking it to your WP sign-in. Offending comments will be deleted.
6) All posters must obey gravity. It’s not just a good idea. It’s the law.
7) If the subject in the comments naturally meanders? Go with it if you like. The columns are intended as jumping off points for discussions. Meandering happens. That doesn’t mean hijack every thread you post to for your pet cause. If you want to do that, get your own blog. It’s easy. Hijacking will get you warned. Persistent hijacking will get you banned.
8) Have fun.
Nicole Plyler Fisk
Gene Howington
FFS Guest Blogger
Joy of Fishes
Chuck Stanley
shortfinals
Terry Welshans
ann li-summers
wordcloud9
Flowers For Socrates 