FAQ
Main »» About GLOAMING.us| What is GLOAMING.us? |
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| GLOAMING.us is a web portal. That is, it's a place where you can find several different kinds of content in one place: the latest news, your local weather, polls, files, links to important places on the internet, and discussions with other intelligent people who share a curiosity for new ideas and an interest in sharing a dialog. The heart of GLOAMING.us is our Discussion Forum. Here, members of the community (because that is how we view ourselves) can share their thoughts and ideas. We ask only that discussions there be reasoned, respectful, and based on facts, not passions and prejudice. All visitors are encouraged to visit the Discussion Forum, and members are highly encouraged to participate. After all, the exchange of ideas is what we're all about! |
| What is the purpose of this site? |
| GLOAMING.us is designed to be a place where people can meet and discuss issues in a rational, mature manner. It was developed largely in response to the growth of "trash debate" forums on both commercial radio and the internet. While billed as "free for all discussions of current issues," these forums were typically places where people of like persuasion trashed people who disagreed with them. The end result was a festering hole of hatred where name-calling, innuendo with no basis on fact, and the spread of disinformation became the norm. GLOAMING.us was set up with a different philosophy. Instead of being a place for trashing others, the purpose of GLOAMING.us is to provide a place where people can discuss the positive and negative aspects of legal and social policies. Here, issues are discussed, not personalities. To that end, we deal with facts; if someone can't provide a source to verify an assertion, (s)he withdraws it. Innuendo, rumour, and outright lies are forbidden in this forum. |
| So are my views welcome? |
| GLOAMING.us welcomes all views, no matter how "mainstream," "fringe," or "radical," as long as they are backed with verifiable facts. Diversity is encouraged, not attacked. Respect is a key undercurrent here, and that respect goes beyond fellow users; it applies to everyone, even public figures with whom one may or may not agree. Criticising a public figure for taking a hypocritical position or making a bad policy move is fine; name-calling aimed at that figure is not considered consistent with the purpose of this forum, and making an insinuation about a public figure that lacks the kind of verifiable references needed to sustain such a charge is forbidden. This is necessary to ensure an atmosphere of mutual respect and honest intellectual exchange. Conservative? Liberal? Libertarian? Communist? Neo-hippy? We don't care; we want your input. As long as you follow the rules, you'll be welcome no matter what your viewpoint. |
| What are the rules? |
The rules for participating in the Discussion Forums at GLOAMING.us are simple:
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| How are the rules enforced? (How is this site managed?) |
| GLOAMING.us is operated by SYSOP, who has full control over the system and who has final say on all administrative decisions. SYSOP can edit, delete, and move messages, validate users, and perform all other administrative functions. SYSOP is the only user with the ability to permanently ban a user, make significant changes to user accounts, and perform technical changes to the site. In addition to SYSOP, there are other folks who, on a volunteer basis, help manage the site. Administrators assist SYSOP in the operation of the board. Like SYSOP, Administrators have the ability to edit, delete, and move posts on any thread in the Discussion Forums. Administrators have the authority to temporarily suspend users pending a final decision by SYSOP. Administrators can also make minor changes to user accounts as necessary. The Moderators are like Administrators, except that their abilities are limited to a specific area of the site. A moderator may edit, delete, or move a discussion thread, but only within the specific area of the site to which (s)he has moderator powers. Moderators cannot ban users, but can restrict them from accessing some portions of GLOAMING.us. They can also request that an Administrator suspend a user pending a decision by SYSOP. All other users of this community who have valid accounts are Members. Members can post messages, create new topics, and perform most basic functions necessary to participate here. Moderators, administrators, and SYSOP are strictly forbidden by GLOAMING.us policy from deleting, editing, or modifying posts because they disagree with the point of view expressed by the author of the post. Deletions, changes, etc. are only done for the following basic reasons:
Users are only banned for the following reasons:
Users are not banned on the basis of their viewpoints. |
| If I register with GLOAMING.us, will I start getting spammed? (PRIVACY POLICY) |
| GLOAMING.us wants members to feel safe, secure, and comfortable when they register and use our service. We are dedicated to protecting members' privacy. (Hey, we hate spam and junk mail just as much as you do!) Therefore, the following privacy policy has been adopted to ensure the safety of our members' personal information:
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| What do I do if I feel my privacy has been violated? |
| Questions about or reports of violations of this policy can be emailed to SYSOP@GLOAMING.us |
| What are the guidelines on content at GLOAMING.us? |
At GLOAMING.us, we are strong proponents of the idea of free speech. However, we have to balance the interests of our members with these concerns. As such, we have decided that our policy will be that members should simply use common sense when posting. This is a public forum that anyone can join, from young children to post-octogenarians. We do, therefore, ask that unnecessary profanity be avoided. We also prohibit certain types of images, usernames, messages, links, files, posts, an other content that are:
SYSOP has final authority on whether or not these guidelines have been violated. In addition, all of the guidelines set forth in the rules of this site in terms of flamebaiting, posting unsupported accusations and assertions, name-calling, and so on also apply. Content that violates any of these guidelines is subject to deletion and the party responsible is subject to sanction up to and including permanent banishment from GLOAMING.us. |
| How do I report content that is in violation of these guidelines? |
| Questions about or reports of violations of these guidelines can be emailed to SYSOP@GLOAMING.us. |
| Why in the heck is it called "GLOAMING"? |
| "Gloaming" is an old English (or, we should say, "Olde Anglish") word for "the time immediately following sunset." It is, in other words, a synonym for "twilight," which brings us to the first reason for the name: this site is designed, maintained, and owned by Twilight Media & Design, so there's a natural connection between the names. The other reason the name is appropriate is because of this site's vision. Our goal is to help promote a new, more productive way of considering contemporary issues through discussions that rely on facts, respect, and sound reasoning. Metaphorically, we are ending the old way of addressing issues (by shouting epithets at each other to support knee-jerk positions) and ushering in the dawn of a new day, in which people do the smart thing: listen and learn before taking positions. Thus, GLOAMING.us becomes "The Smart Before the Dawn" of a new day. (Incidentally, the name was selected by a vote of existing users at The Power Station BBS, the forerunner to this site, in 2002. Other candidate names included DuskFall, TheGreatCouncil, and TheSociety.) |
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