# Guidelines for the Clean Debate Forum



## Meister

*A new forum has been added to the board with the intent of having civil debates or discussions on a wide variety of topics without the flames, name calling, trolling, hijacking, etc.

This forum will be heavily moderated to protect the integrity of the content within.

Warnings, infractions, and bannings will be enforced at the discretion of the moderators. A 3 strike rule will apply. After 3 warnings for failing to follow the guidelines posted below a members privileges will be PERMANENTLY revoked in this forum section. This is done to protect the integrity of this forum.* *Do NOT respond to a member who violates the guidelines with a like minded post; REPORT IT.

*
*No Name Calling Or Putting Down Posters
No Trolling and/or Troll Threads
No Hijacking
No Personal Attacks
No Neg Repping
*


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## flacaltenn

*Zone 1 Enforcement of Existing Rules*

All rules from the "Site-Wide" section apply and they will be more stringently applied in this zone. Most of these have to do with STARTING threads and in particular -- the Opening Post is gonna get a lot of moderation scrutiny.

For instance -- From the Site-Wide rules section--



> Furthermore, when starting a new thread and declaring something as fact in your opening post, you must also link to a source. For example, "Polls say 2/3 of people think x, y, z." You need to link to a source for one of those alleged polls. Telling others to Google it on their own is not acceptable."



This especially applies especially to "opinion" threads if you make gross stereotypes or generalizations about people by religion/race/ethnicity/sex orientation. You cannot use stereotyping or generalizations which include NEGATIVE biases. Like "All (or most) purple people are lazy/stupid/dishonest/racist" without any evidence to support that linked in.

The bar for Zone 1 Opening posts is that they have to be primarily a single topic.
That they are done clearly and supported by links when required.
And that the Oposter has made CONSIDERABLE EFFORT to justify their assertions/opinions.

Moderation wants to see Thread Starter MAKE THE CASE for that opinion IN the OPost BEFORE the discussion even starts.

Report Zone 1 violations -- Do NOT engage or respond to illegal posts.

We will continue to hold the Oposters responsible for being in their threads (not abandoning them) and to focus SOLELY on THEIR topic - doing what THEY can to KEEP the discussion going in the right direction. USMB moderation has ALWAYS had the policy of closing/warning threads that are abandoned or where the Thread Starter is diverting the topic or "going personal" responding to troll bait or flaming.

Zone 1 forums are going to REMAIN Zone1. They MAY shrink in page hits, but only the folks who RESPECT the difficulties of the topics will remain. OTHand, MORE people might make use of them if moderation can keep the discussion civil and the members cooperate.  We expanded Zone 1 because of the ultra-volatile nature of the topics that are on the table. Can't control the playing field of concepts, ideas, opinion. And the WINGS of this "dialogue" -- border on dogma, bias, and dishonesty. That's the playing field here.


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