Code of Conduct, v2.0

Good-Bye OTPI

After much discussion, we have decided to close the doors of Off Topic: Politically Incorrect for good.

We support Off Topic because it is a place to build community, goof around, and blow off steam when necessary. OTPI seemed to only get members all riled up, hurt a lot of feelings, and result in a general breakdown of the community. OTPI just doesn't have a place here at FatWallet.

What this means going forward...
If a topic would previously belong in OTPI, it does not belong in Off Topic now...or anywhere else on FatWallet.

Code of Conduct, v2.0

The Rules
1) No profanity, graphic violence, or nudity - Please check pages you link to as well as secondary links
2) No advertising, referrals, or self-promotion of any kind
3) No personal attacks
4) No politics or religion
5) No Alt IDs - If you make an alt user id, and we find out, you will run the risk of having ALL of your FatWallet user IDs being banned. It is against policy for users to have more than one ID for posting.

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”
- Article One of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

We affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person without distinction on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, language, religion, or country of origin.

Please use your own good judgment when posting and try to keep it family-friendly. If a topic is deemed inflammatory or offensive it will be removed at the moderator's discretion. End of story. Likewise, threads that descend into squabbling will be locked or deleted. These decisions are not up for appeal. We repeat, all actions are final.

Off Topic is here because we support and encourage growth and development as a community. We will not be spending our time moderating personal disputes. We want to be devoting our energies to improving the deal forums and making FatWallet the best it can be. If all goes well and everybody plays nice, we won't ever need to step in and lock or delete. Off Topic is a fun extra, a bonus. Please treat it as such. Enjoy

What We Expect from our OT Members
(For a bit more descriptive version, go here.)

• Treat others with respect
  
• Contact the Mods when issues with other members arise
  
• Writers are responsible for what they write
  
• Members are responsible when they push the envelope
  
• Politics and religion need to be avoided
  
• Members need to address concerns regarding moderators and moderation in an appropriate manner
  
• If a member receives a timeout and would like the decision reviewed, s/he should send in a Support Ticket

Expectations of Forum Tone & Behavior:

Be nice.

You want more? Okay, I'll explain.

Be nice because it promotes better discussion. When people feel attacked they get defensive. The topic gets derailed onto personal issues, and productive discussion ends. Nobody wins here.

If you were sending a friend or family member to the forums, how would you want them to be treated?

Stick to the topic. Criticize the argument but not the individual. If you have a strong case, there's no need to attack the other person's character to make your point.*

And let me be clear, personal attacks aren't just direct namecalling. These are all attacks to the intelligence and character of the poster and not acceptable:
- "Even you can understand this."
- "Let me put this in simple terms you can understand."
- "Only an idiot would think that."
- "I think I lost IQ points just reading that."
- "I will not dignify that nonsense with a response."

Be respectful and bring value to the conversation. Explain your criticism. Differences of opinion are great! ...if both sides take the time to explain themselves. Don't just have a duck season/rabbit season argument.

Good examples:
- "I hate to burst your bubble, but that hard drive has gotten some pretty terrible reviews: Link"
- "Good price, but mine broke after a week"
- "Found it cheaper here: Link"
- "Rebate kills this deal. Company XYZ is notorious for not honoring their rebates."
- "I'll have to disagree. In my experience..."
- "Really? I was just reading this article that says the exact opposite..."

Want to avoid the drama and running afoul the moderation team? I'll let you in on this simple, time-tested strategy:

Be more polite than you think is necessary.

*Excellent video discussing "What You Said vs. Who You Are". Hint: You want to be having the first conversation.
It has examples specific to discussing race, but the basic principle applies to any conversation.