GPD Facebook Posting Rules

The Great Pagan Debate Posting Rules

Updated June 2013
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These are the posting rules for the The Great Pagan Debate group on Facebook. If you are a new member and just starting to post, please take a minute to review the rules so that we can ensure a high quality group experience.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at JD Hobbes. These rules may change from time to time, so if you're unsure about something, feel free to ask me about it!

I do hope you enjoy your stay and experience in this Facebook group! But please remember that this group is simply a tool that allows you to connect with other people. It DOES NOT replace a community in any way, nor does it accurately represent the active community at large. The only way to connect with the active Pagan community is to go out there and meet real people in real life. The group can help with that, but it doesn't not replace that need.

Posting Rules

When discussing topics on this group, please remember that it falls to you to keep this community group a positive and safe place hold a discussion. With this in mind, please keep personal attacks, slanderous statements, witch wars, flame wars, and all other forms of text-based abuse off the group as much as possible.

Inflammatory or derogatory statements about other religions, no matter how truthful or accurate you think they are, are unwelcome on this group. This doesn't mean you can't be critical, but it does mean you need to be respectful in your critique.

The concept of respect applies to the people you like and agree with, but it especially applies to the people you disagree with and that you dislike. Remember that not everyone needs to see it your way, that they are entitled to their own opinions, and your interrogation must remain on the ideas rather than the people.

If that's too subtle, here's an example.

GOOD: I disagree with your statement for these reasons.
BAD:  I disagree with your statement and I think you are a poophead for thinking that way.

Of course, we all make mistakes and click Post without thinking it out first, so please try to be tolerant. But if you are really offended by a post on this group, please contact the moderator (JD Hobbes) and let him deal with it.

Public Accusations

Related to the restriction of public attacks, slanderous/libelous statements, and witch wars, this group is not to be used to publicly accuse others of wrong-doing. This includes posts that accuse a person or persons of immoral actions and posts that point to external websites that do the same.

However, you can address the wrong-doing in a conceptual manner (i.e., community predators, plagiarism, substance abuse, etc.), but you cannot name names. For example:

ACCEPTABLE
"Keep your personal safety a priority. While most people are ethical, we are no different from any other section of society. We have our predators too. Secrecy is important to some paths but if that secrecy involves something which runs contrary to your ethical code or could compromise your emotional, physical or spiritual safety….run don't walk to the nearest exit. In other words, if it doesn't feel right, it isn't. Remember that drugs are still illegal and there are certain herbal preparations that can impede your judgment. Be careful."

UNACCEPTABLE
"Keep your personal safety a priority. While most people are ethical, Bob the Bad Pagan is a known predator and is using the community for his own selfish ends. Bob the Bad Pagan uses illegal drugs in his practice and I've personally seen him impose these drugs on others in the guise of being spiritual. Ban Bob the Bad Pagan from your events! He's bad!"

I'm not concerned whether your accusations are legit or not. I'm not concerned with how valid your information is. This group will not be a vehicle to gossip about members of the community, nor will it be a vehicle to point judgmental fingers at anyone, whether it is justified or not.

This group was founded and designed to promote our community events, share information, and support the members of our community. It will not be used to divide our community by singling out any one person or group.

Re-use of Posts Outside of this group

Any post placed on this group is to stay only on this group. If you wish to forward or repost something on this group (that you did not write) in another space on the Internet, you need to request two things:

1. The original poster's permission
2. The group's moderator's permission (optional)

Exceptions to this rule include:
* Cross-Postings to multiple groups
* Announcements of public events or workshops
* Forwarded posts

If you do not require permission for a post to be forwarded to other places, add a note to the bottom of your post ("Feel free to repost or forward this post") and mention if you require credit. Otherwise, we will assume that you intend your post to remain on this group.

This isn't a question of legality or copyright. If you don't want the public to see it, don't put it on the Net. However, this is a question of courtesy, respect, and being a responsible adult. If you see a post that you wish to re-post somewhere else, be a courteous, respectful, responsible adult and ask for permission first.

If the moderator discovers evidence of irresponsible re-posting, the violator(s) will be warned once. If the warning is ignored, the violator(s) will be removed from the group.

About Spamming

ABSOLUTELY NO SPAM WILL BE TOLERATED. This includes marketing ads and invitations to join unrelated groups. Doing so can result in your immediate removal from the group.

If you are unsure whether your post may be considered spam, send it to the moderator (JD Hobbes) and he will decide whether it is suitable or not.

Post Moderation

If the owner/moderator of this group feels that your posts violate the rules stated above, the following will occur:

1. You will receive a warning and suggestions on how to improve the quality of your future posts.

2. If the poster cannot conform to the posting rules or the spirit of this group, he/she will be removed from the group.