Guidelines for Posting
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:44 am
As a result of a poster (ASITStands) proposing what we thought a worthy idea, the Management (that's webhick and I, putting on airs) suggest the following as guidelines for posting to this forum. We do this because it can be tempting just to post, "Joe screwed me! He's a thief!" in the heat of anger. Two observations on this type of post: (1) It isn't convincing, because - while you may believe that Joe is an irredeemable miscreant - you give the reader no verifiable reason to share that belief. (2) It may not be fair to Joe. Still, these are guidelines, not hard-and-fast rules.
DO NOTs
DO NOTs
- Start more than one topic on a subject. If you post multiple topics, they are subject to deletion or merging.
- Post under multiple names to try to bolster your story.
- Think that you can post whatever you want and people will take it seriously.
- Make accusations of criminality without support. Especially on complaint, you will have to put up or shut up.
- Back up your accusations with something that can be verified. If there's a court case, at least give the docket number. If you've reported the person to the authorities, say so, and identify the relevant authority. If the person has misrepresented something, link to a website or a document scan. Understand that failure to document your accusations may convince people only that you're a crank.
- Invite other victims to tell their story as well (same rules apply).
- Respond to questions and comments about your subject.