Guidelines for posting
This is an excerpt from the full
newsgroup charter. If you've been referred here directly concerning
newsgroup policies, this is probably all you need to know. However, you may
find the charter useful or interesting for historical and other context.
The group soc.sexuality.general is a moderated forum for the
mature discussion of sexuality, both in a personal or a political
manner. Suitable topics for discussion include, but are not
limited to social issues, discussions of lifestyles both
"alternative" and "mainstream", questions, and advice.
The following types of messages are inappropriate for the newsgroup, and
may be grounds for rejection by the moderators or the moderation software.
This does not imply that they will necessarily be rejected.
- Messages that fit the profile the moderation software is
configured to automatically reject.
- Messages that are excessively or inappropriately cross-posted,
or reposted.
- Binaries or ASCII art, requests for binaries or ASCII art, or
announcements for the availability of such. (Messages that contain
short binary sequences, such as PGP signatures, are acceptable.)
- Commercial ads, except for products that primarily serve an
educational, historical, or advocacy function. Advertisements may
also be rejected if they are of excessive length, or posted
too frequently. Posts that are advertisements should make it clear
in the subject line.
- Stories, or other works of erotic fiction.
- Personal ads, or the solicitation for penpals or face-to-face
meetings of a personal nature.
- Off-topic posts, and posts on topics that, while related to
sexuality, are more appropriate to other newsgroups. (For example,
an argument on the ethics of abortion may be redirected to
talk.abortion.)
- Posts that are adequately addressed by the newsgroup FAQ
("Frequently Asked Questions") or other on-line resources.
- Flame wars (defined for the purposes of this charter as message
exchanges for the primary purpose of trading insults).
- Trolls (defined for the purposes of this charter as messages
posted for the sole purpose of disrupting the newsgroup).
- Posts from bogus addresses or domain names. (Addresses that
are deliberately munged to confuse spam e-mail software is
acceptable, as long as moderators can figure out how to unmunge the
address, if necessary. Posters who munge their address, and who
plan on posting to the newsgroup regularly, are requested to munge
their address consistently.) This clause should not be interpreted
as excluding anonymous or pseudonymous posts.
- Messages from posters or sites that are on the moderation
software's "automatically reject" list. The policies for being
placed on the "automatically reject" list are as follows:
- Advertisements for photographic or XXX BBSes or web sites, for
phone sex or escort services,singles cruises or introduction
services, are not welcome on this newsgroup. Posters of such
messages will be immediately placed on the "automatically reject"
list. Commercial sites that are known to frequently and heavily
advertise themselves inappropriately on Usenet will be placed
on the "automatically reject" list. Posters or sites who are placed
on the "automatically reject" list for any of the above reasons
will remain on the list permanently unless they successfully
appeal to the Moderator Board.
- Posters who violate other charter provisions may
be placed on the "automatically reject" list if the Moderator Board determines
that they have violated the posting guidelines twice within 60 days of being
warned of an infraction. The poster remains on this list for up to 30 days.
Repeated infractions may then result, with each successive offense, of being
placed on the "automatically reject" list for up to 60 days, one year, and
then permanently.
The moderators will endeavor to ensure that the actions listed above will
not be applied to users who commit infractions inadvertently or because of
misunderstandings of newsgroup policy (except as outlined in part a above).
All decisions to place a poster on the "automatically reject" list may be
appealed to the Moderator Board.
Erroneous moderations (due to human or technical error) do happen from time
to time; posters who feel a rejected article was consistent with the charter
are encouraged to contact the moderators for clarification or to appeal.
To reach the s.s.g moderation board in order to appeal a rejection, or for
any other reason, email moderators@socsexualitygeneral.org.
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