IMPORTANT: New policy regarding politics and religion

[Cyrano]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We have worked hard to keep the DISboards a place where people can discuss any topic as long as it's not illegal or profane, and as long as the participants can behave respectfully. Unfortunately, politics and religion often seem to bring out the worst behavior in people. Even normally polite posters find these topics pushing their hot buttons, and frequently lose their cool.

This past election season has been especially bad, and the rudeness and sniping between various groups has alienated posters and exhausted our moderators.

As a result, we are announcing a new policy on the DISboards, effective immediately: POLITICS AND RELIGION are no longer acceptable topics of discussion here.

This also will extend to signatures: no political statements, logos, or slogans are permitted in signatures.

Posts and threads of a political or religious nature will be locked or deleted, and are not to be restarted. We will also be updating our site guidelines to reflect this policy.

There are many sites on the web that welcome discussion and debate of a political or religious nature, but we feel that removing these topics from the DISboards altogether is in the best interests of our members. Thank you for your support and cooperation.
__________________
KathyTX@wdwinfo.com

This is a site wide policy and includes chat and O/T threads. The original post can be seen here

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

Does this mean we cannot speak about UK politics either?

 

[Cyrano]

Does this mean we cannot speak about UK politics either?

Unfortunately as this is a site wide policy it means no politics or religion, regardless of location

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

Unfortunately as this is a site wide policy it means no politics or religion, regardless of location

Thats such a shame as things have never gotten out of hand on our side of the UK CB.

Why do some people have to spoil things for everyone else.

 

[Cyrano]

Thats such a shame as things have never gotten out of hand on our side of the UK CB.

Emma we have not seen nor expected any problems here. So on the whole it will be business as usual

 

[davewasbaloo]

Sticking to the letter of the code, we can never explain why fireworks are limited at DLP nor the implications of Hong Kong Disneyland.

 

[Cyrano]

Sticking to the letter of the code, we can never explain why fireworks are limited at DLP nor the implications of Hong Kong Disneyland.

This would be fine to post . Debating the merits or concerns of these polictics would not be allowable with this policy announcement.

 

[ukstitch]

Please don't take this post as a deliberate attempt to be a pain or anything like that... I've tried to write it in as constructive a way as possible without making it seem like I'm just trying to be awkward.

Would it be possible to publish a few small examples (using fake examples if required to steer clear of upsetting people using real life names, countries, parties etc) as to what is acceptable or unacceptable in terms of these new rules?

Religion is generally easy to know what is ok to steer clear of in my opinion, but politics is quite a grey area and different people can class different things as "political". I'm guessing you moderators have some kind of guidelines so you know what to lock and delete etc, so it would be helpful if we could know roughly what was ok so we don't get into trouble by accident (under the theory it's better to not get into trouble in the first place rather than get in trouble and learn the hard way).

A couple of examples I can think of that I wouldn't know whether it was ok or not to discuss under the new rules that seem harmless enough but might get me into trouble:

1) What are you doing this weekend? I'm away at a young persons religious weekend.

2) How was your day at work? Annoying - this new VAT change is giving me headaches as all our automatic forms are wrong now.

I fully support the new rules - if they make your lives easier as moderators and make the DIS a "nicer" place to chat then they can only be a good thing. I just feel that "you may not talk about politics or religion" is a very broad, potentially grey rule that we could easily break completely by accident, so feel some basic examples would help us to help you by making it easier for us to stay the correct side of this rule.

 

[Cyrano]

1) What are you doing this weekend? I'm away at a young persons religious weekend.

2) How was your day at work? Annoying - this new VAT change is giving me headaches as all our automatic forms are wrong now.

I think the opinion would be that neither of these posts would be disallowed.
If other posters were to then open up the discussion about questioning the value of going to the weekend or suggesting that the VAT changes were a result of their party not being in power that is where the grey line becomes more black and white.

For some better examples have a look at the discussion on the Community Board here