"Guidelines (Forum Etiquette) for how to treat others in the RMP forums" - Russian Ukrainian Belarus Travel Music Woman Dating News

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"Guidelines (Forum Etiquette) for how to treat others in the RMP forums"
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Posted by: Khashyar

Hello Everyone,

We welcome you to the Russian Meeting Place Discussion Forum, and welcome everyone's participation and contributions here.

Our intention with this forum is to provide a positive community whereby everyone has a chance to learn and share their experiences about Russia and Russian-Western relationships.

So that we can create and maintain the best environment possible here, here are some basic social guidelines that we ask that you please follow as to how to treat and respect others...

We certainly don't want to "police" anyone or our discussions. Rather, we want to enable and encourage the free-flow of ideas and conversations that at the same time respect others and help maintain and foster a good beneficial feeling of community here.

Here are the guidelines that we ask that you follow:

1) It is obviously o.k. to disagree with someone and express differing views. Please express your thoughts freely while also respecting others.

2) Perhaps a good way of visualizing and approaching this forum is to imagine that you are attending a dinner party at Khashyar and Lena's house. Have great and lively discussions, but speak and write in a way that would respect your hosts and the others who you would meet and speak to at a dinner party.

3) Just as you would not do if you were invited to our house, please do not make personal insults or attacks in the forum. Personal insults create negative feelings, and is contrary to creating the friendly, good-natured and beneficial atmosphere that we would like to create here. It is important for Lena and I to host and maintain a positive helpful atmosphere here, and we thank you for your helping us create this. We are all co-creators of this forum based on how we participate in these discussions.

4) Please be aware of the impact of what you write will have on other readers, and particularly if you are addressing or responding to another person or another person's ideas. Of course, express your thoughts freely and sincerely, but please be aware as to how they will affect others. We are not writing alone in a room, we are writing in a community full of real people who are gathering in Lena and Khashyar's internet home.

5) A good rule of thumb is to be aware of speaking to others as if you are speaking with them in person. Sometimes, because of the anonymity of the internet, it is easy to write or express something without thinking of the impact on readers of your message.

6) If you feel that someone has crossed the line and is not being respectful, please do not fan the flames (or flame

, and please do not respond in kind ). Perhaps the appropriate thing to do would be to remind them in a private message or email to please keep with the forum guidelines, etc...

7) As a general rule, post responses, thoughts and feedback about the subject of the thread, and not directed towards the poster of a message.

8) Take personal disagreements off the public forums and threads, and try to resolve them through Private Messages (PMs).

9) If you have tried, and cannot resolve a personal conflict with someone, then add them to your "ignore list," which will make their posts invisible to you, and will prevent them from sending you Private Messages.

10) Another way to deal with a flame, personal attack, or otherwise inappropriate post, is to notify me (Khashyar) or a moderator and let us deal with the possibly inappropriate post.

11) If there are those who continously and knowingly break our forum conduct guidelines and impact the RMP forum in a negative way, then, although I personally don't like to do this, for the sake of maintaining a positive environment in our discussions in which all of us can benefit, that member will be asked to leave the forum. But, certainly, Lena and I wouldn't want it to go that far, and we know that most everyone will work within these guidelines to help create the most positive atmosphere possible.

12) Please follow and respect the leadership of the forum moderators. Lena and I have personally selected each one of them, and we trust their judgement in making sure that threads follow the forum guidelines. Please contact Lena or me if you have a disagreement with any of the moderators about their leadership.

Thank you very much for helping us make the Russian Meeting Place the best meeting place to speak and share ideas about Russia and Russian-Western relationships.

Khashyar

Posted by: Khashyar

I have expanded the guidelines today. Please re-read the forum guidelines when you have the chance.

Thank you,

Khashyar

Posted by: searcher

I am replying today because of recent events and the overall tone of the forum.

There are some members which have chosen to stay away from the forum because of the insults and general LACK of etiquette shown by other members.

Please read the rules at the beginning of this thread again if you are in need of a reminder of the rules, etc.

This forum is available to the public which does not mean it is owned by the public.

Here is the dictionary definition of etiquette:
The practices and forms prescribed by social convention or by authority.

This is a PRIVATELY owned forum, I think everyone is aware of this and it should not be necessary to issue frequent reminders.

Everyone here are ADULTS, lets behave as such......

WHen you have something to say there are appropriate and inappropriate ways of saying things... There is saying,

"Its not what you say but HOW you say it!"

Perhaps some people find it constructive to be called "Stupid", "Dumb A**", etc... [Those are just examples] however, IF YOU don't like SUCH words being used in REFERENCE TO YOU then REFRAIN from using such words in reference to other members!!!!!!!!!!

This is NOT a bar/pub nor should we have the mindset or mentality of some bar/pub patrons.

Simply, KEEP IT CIVIL! Need I say more?

If you do not like the tone of the forum under these rules, if you can not refrain from insults or name calling, you are welcome on other forums but this is NOT the place for such behavior!

If your age is greater than the sum of all of your digits (fingers and toes) then i'm sure you can abide by these rules, if not find another forum.

Thank you.