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Wrap10
Administrator
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Posted: Wed Mar 12th, 2008 01:01 am |
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You do solemnly swear to abide by the following.
The "rules" here are pretty straightforward. Basically, use your common sense. Debating is great and is welcome here; but if you find yourself thinking that Darwin's theory about decending from apes is apparently correct where at least one person is concerned, please keep it to yourself. We want to share opinions and information, not degenerate into a mud-slinging contest.
The same holds true for the usual suspects - no derogatory comments about race, religion, ethnic background, etc. And no, you can't accuse someone of being a Damn Yankee. If you absolutely must though, the proper spelling is "damnyankee." (From time to time, some of you may be tempted to use this phrase to describe the board administrator. He'll try not to take it personally, even though he does seem to have Yankee tendencies.)
Also, as to language, I'd appreciate it if you refrain from using profanity as much as possible. In fact, I'd appreciate it so much that if you don't use it you'll be allowed to continue posting on the board. Now how's that for a good deal? Seriously, I'm not going to be a fanatic about it, as the occasional "gosh darn it" isn't going to rattle my cage - but as before, just use your common sense. If it isn't something you'd say around your family, maybe it doesn't belong here either.
In short, feel free to express your opinions and defend them when and where necessary, but please don't become vulgar or attack those who disagree with you. The best advice I've ever seen about online discussions put it like this - attack the argument, not the person making it. You can even attack my arguments if you want. But I wouldn't make a habit of it. (Just kidding.)
Quoting from books, magazines, and web sites
Sometimes when making a point about this or that, many of us will quote a passage from one or more authors, using a book, magazine article, or web site. I've done this myself quite a few times. It is perfectly fine to do so, but there are a few guidelines that you should always keep in mind when you quote from another source.
First, always, and I mean always, cite your source. If you're not sure of the exact source, do your absolute best to find out, or barring that, paraphrase the quote rather than posting it word-for-word. The point here is quite simple: You're borrowing someone else's words, and you have to give credit where credit is due. Always. No exceptions.
Second, long quotes from books or magazine articles that are still under copyright could infringe on that copyright. What qualifies as a "long quote?" That seems to be a bit hazy. The vast majority of the time, this isn't going to be an issue, and as long as you cite the source of your quote, it probably won't be a problem here. But, a safe approach to take is to see to it that the quote or quotes you borrow do not constitute the bulk of your post.
In other words, you want to make your point mainly using your own words, and inserting quotes here and there to add emphasis, or to back up whatever opinion your putting forth.
Quotes from books or magazines that are no longer under copyright are not an issue in that regard, and you can quote away to your heart's content, although I do still request (read: insist) that you cite the source of the quote.
Also, if you find an article on a web site somewhere that you think would be of interest, you can always post a link to the article. That's fine. You can also quote from that article, again, so long as you credit the author, and tell us the source where you found the quote.
Don't get too hung up on all this. The main point is that you want to credit whoever you're quoting. That's the main thing to keep in mind. Beyond that, just try not to quote their entire book or article in your post.  If you're not certain about something, you can always ask, or go ahead and post the note. If there's a problem, I'll let you know.
Web sites and books
For now at least, the forums under the "Back to the Future" heading will remain open to general posting. So if you know of a good web site on the battle and/or park, or have a book to recommend that you don't see listed among the titles, feel free to add your own entry. If the web site you recommend is of a commercial nature, please mention that in your post. We don't want folks thinking they're getting something for free that actually requires paying for to receive.
Also, if you do post a link to a web site, please try to limit it to sites related to the Civil War or American history. If you want to post a link to a site that is not related to either of those, send me the details in an email, and I'll let you know. But be aware, unless you can convince me that the site has some sort of value for the board members here, the answer will be no. This is not an advertising outlet.
So that's it as far as rules. As stated above, they're pretty basic, and I do try to give folks the benefit of the doubt whenever possible. However, anyone who consistently shows that they can't abide by these simple rules will be marched away to face a cyber firing squad and be zapped from the board. Either that or suffer a visit from Braxton Bragg's ghost. Which amounts to the same thing.
Perry
Last edited on Sat Apr 4th, 2009 04:16 pm by Wrap10
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"And all is hushed at Shiloh." - Herman Melville
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