Message Board Statement

If you need assistance in posting to the forums, please use the "Problem Report" form and include a return e-mail address.

Our board layout consists of super-categories and topic categories where you can participate in the discussion. If you'd like to suggest a topic, please email the moderator (forummoderator@aclu.org).

Guidelines for Posting

This is a free speech forum. It is not without rules and regulations or supervision, but it is considerably less regulated than most message boards. If you find that disturbing, you may want to find a more regulated environment.

Violations to the rules could result in an email warning sent to the address used when registering for the forums and/or the removal of the offending post. In extreme situations, no warning will be issued and posting rights will be terminated. Repeat violations or ignored warnings may result in the loss of a poster's privilege and their entire email address blocked without further notice.

There are civil and criminal laws against certain forms of speech like libel, defamation of character, harassment and threats. It is the prerogative of any poster who feels any laws have been violated to pursue legal action. Posters are responsible for what they post, and should realize there may be serious consequences for illegal behavior.

It is impossible to list every actionable post, but here are examples of possible violations:

1) Spamming, the creation of identical messages in various forums, is not allowed. Continued or prolonged spamming may terminate forum access.

2) Posting off-site links that violate policy or present a technical threat if accessed are not allowed. Posters open off-site links at their own risk.

3) Repeated efforts to derail the debate could result in forum access termination.

4) We do not take action against language and content that might be found offensive to posters.

5) Posting advertisements (see 5a), impersonating a staff or forum member (5b) and revealing personal information (see 5c) about a member that has not previously been made public are grounds for automatic forum termination.

5a) Advertising includes the buying, selling or trading of any commercial product or service, like personal items such as want ads, or the solicitation of money for investments, charities or private gatherings.

5b) Impersonating another member is defined as using similar usernames and content intended to deliberately deceive your online identity.

5c) Personal or business e-mail addresses not made public by the member by connecting them to a known screen name used for posting are considered confidential, identifiable information and are not allowed. This includes posting e-mail addresses with the expressed intention to get other posters to spam the recipient with unwanted e-mail, which may also be actionable under ISP rules.

6) The solicitation of names, addresses and phone numbers of minors is not allowed. Polls or surveys that may cause minors to post or submit identifying information will also be removed.

7) Although we are accessible from most ISP's, they do NOT patrol this area. We monitor our forums, however, all ISP rules apply to the forums and private communications like email and Instant Message. All members are responsible for what they write and may find unwanted or offensive material actionable.

8) Encrypted posts that prevent the moderator and members from reading them may be removed.

9) Materials that violate copyright infringements are not allowed and will be deleted if posted.

Ignorance to our policies is not an acceptable excuse for violations. We want to provide a free-speech zone for everyone and protect the identity and privacy of all forums users.

Questions or comments about the message boards should be addressed to forummoderator@aclu.org or the "Problem Report" button.