The Hot Topics forums were meant to be the place where members could go and mix it up a bit. It is accepted that the debate in these forums will be more heated and acrimonious than other forums at Military.com.

Vigorous debate is expected, even encouraged. Therefore, a thick skin is sometimes needed here. If the level of debate is too intense for you, there are many other forums here at Military.Com that are more sedate and less "In Your Face", and you may want to try them out. If certain posters tend to enrage you, you can either ignore them, or debate them.

If a Member chooses to make an outrageous claim or statement, they can fully expect to be called to defend, or to back up that claim or statement. BE PREPARED!
If you can NOT back it up, you can EXPECT that you will NOT be believed.

There are very few absolutes in the world, and here in the Hot Topics forums, the only absolute is that members ARE going to disagree, sometimes vehemently. Feelings will be hurt, and some Members will undoubtedly feel that they are being unfairly set upon. If this is unacceptable to a Member, they might be well advised to seek another forum.

With this in mind, there ARE rules and guidelines. Members are expected to have read the Terms Of Service, http://forums.military.com/eve/tos , and to attempt to abide by them.
Members are also expected to have read the guidelines below, and also to abide by them.


READ AND HEED!


(1) Members get ONE (1) warning in a 30 day period.
Let me repeat that: ONE WARNING.
If a Member is seen as being out of line, they will either be reminded in the thread of the rules of the forum, or be told to stand down with a warning issued both in the thread, and via email. If FORMALLY WARNED, no further warning will be issued before the Member is suspended.

(2) Any member who is WARNED to stand down has one option, and one option only. That option is to stand down. If you disagree with the warning, you can make your case, CALMLY, through email to the Moderator giving the warning, or to Lead Moderator or above.
***Anyone who argues the warning in the thread, starts a thread to argue the warning, or who flames the Moderator giving the warning, whether in thread or via email will receive an automatic suspension. ***
Any Member who is SUSPENDED has the option of emailing me, and making their case CALMLY, explaining why they feel their suspension is unwarranted.
Calling out a Moderator will NOT be tolerated. Ever.

(3) Suspension lengths are solely at the discretion of the Moderator! They can range from a one day suspension to allow the member time to think things over, up to a full 60 days.
Suspensions can be appealed to Lead Moderator or above, but be warned, review of a suspension can go both ways: The suspension may be shortened/removed, and the suspension could be lengthened or turned into a ban.
After a suspension, the member must REQUEST reinstatement from either the Moderator who suspended them, or Lead Moderator and above. There are no automatic reinstatement's. After two or more multiple day suspensions, a PERMANENT ban of that member will be CONSIDERED.
Attempts to circumvent suspension by use of alternate Screen Name will result in a permanent ban.

(4)There have been concerns voiced about Moderators baiting members.
If you feel that a Moderator is baiting you or another member, the CORRECT answer is to notify me via email. It will be looked at, and if it is determined to be true, it will not be tolerated. False accusations will also not be tolerated.

Obey the TOS, follow Moderator guidance, and you will have no issues.


DO NOT DISPARAGE ANY MEMBERS SERVICE OR PATRIOTISM

DISRESPECT or DISPARAGEMENT of Another Members SERVICE or PATRIOTISM IS NOT ALLOWED ! There will be no attacks on another member's service or patriotism.
Whether you are Liberal, Conservative, Independent, Libertarian, Gay, Straight, or whatever political or sexual persuasion that you endorse, be warned that attacks on another Members Service to this Country or attacks on their Patriotism, are NOT acceptable.

Respect Veterans and their Service to their Country, whether the service was in peacetime, during wartime, or in combat. There is NO DIFFERENCE in honorably discharged VETERANS! No ones service is any more or less important than any others service!

No disrespect towards a Veterans Service will be tolerated from anyone. Period! Not from other Veterans, and certainly not from those who have not served! For those who HAVE served, NO AMOUNT of service, of ANY type, gives one the right to disparage another Veteran's service, or to question another Veteran's RIGHT to their opinion.
If the difference is not clear to anyone, PLEASE email me for clarification, I will be more than happy to help.

If you can not post as an adult without resorting to excessive personal attacks, then you may wish to sincerely consider ignoring those who ignite your passions.

All who enter Hot Topics Forums are welcome, but all will be held accountable to the same standards.

These standards will be applied at the Moderators discretion. If you disagree with a Moderators actions, you have the same options that are laid out above in the Read and Heed.


Zack

Silent_Surface
Lead Moderator
Hot Topics Forums

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