READ ME: Regarding Politics - What you need to know

[Badpaladin]

Politics are home to some of the most interesting and enlightening discussions out there. But they can also incite a lot of anger if mishandled. Here's what you need to know about MMO-C politics. I'm going to assume all the posters here have good judgment, but I'll outline a few things here.

The Good:

- Current Events

- Political spectrum discussion(ie...liberal versus conservative).

- Somewhat dated but relevant topics, such as the Gulf Oil Spill for Americans.

- Somewhat dated but relevant political arguments(ie...Iraq war and its consequences).

- Introducing politics from other parts of the world in a related discussion, if they are applicable.

- Opinions, so long as they are not intended to insult and are backed by valid evidence. See "THE BAD" for more details.

THE BAD:

- Strong opinions with no backing. Your posts will be deleted if they make a strong statement about a subject or a people without something to support your claims. Saying, "Homosexuality is bad" in a discussion about same-sex marriage will earn you a ban. Saying, "these studies suggest that same-sex couples don't offer as quality an upbringing for children as heterosexual couples"*insert link* will mean that your posts will be watched for any insults, but your post will remain in the discussion as it is a fair point in an argument.

- Just straight up insults. I want it to be abundantly clear that if you insult any person, place or thing for the sake of insulting, you will be banned without question. This is non-negotiable. I don't care if they insulted the hell out of you, just report and ignore. If you partake in a hissy-fit over anything, you will be banned. Note that the 25-point infraction is very much applicable in most situations here, so be wise with your words or be prepared to take a long vacation.

- Old, irrelevant topics. If they aren't harmful, you'll receive a warning and the post will be deleted. Not too bad a bunch of bananas, but I'd just avoid doing it. If you keep doing this you will receive spam infractions.

So, in conclusion, I'd like to restate that you need to just use your head here. The mods will not be very forgiving if you slip up. I'd love for some serious political discussion to take place here, it's amazing how much information about the world you can absorb by taking part in a good discussion. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to PM any one of the moderators here and we should give you a decent answer.

Cheers, and keep it clean!