User Registration
- Everyone is welcome to register and post. There will be no preemptive bans based on prior reputation (general amnesty policy).
- No usernames that are offensive, obscene, or deliberately distracting.
- One username per person (i.e., no "sock puppets"). Do not impersonate any known poster from the old forum. You may but are not obligated to register here under your username from the old forum.
- New topics: Let's try to stick to our bread and butter, the Holocaust, as well as WWII and other historical subjects. Be sure your topic is relevant and of interest. Do some basic research where necessary.
- Do not derail topics. Keep replies relevant. A bit of topic drift is to be expected and will be permitted as long as the discussion is worthwhile.
- If you share outside content like news stories, videos, or articles, please provide some commentary and analysis along with the link. Explain why the content is of interest.
- "No Dodging" If you make a controversial claim without support, others have the right to request support. You must respond in some fashion, either by explaining your basis for the claim (whatever it may be) or by conceding that support is lacking. All posters need not agree on whether the support provided is convincing, but outright refusal to respond will be considered "dodging." Citing overly vague support (like a lengthy source with no explanation) may also be considered non-responsive. You are only obligated to respond to demands regarding claims you yourself have made.
- Avoid profanity, ethnic slurs, and inappropriate language. Do not insult other posters. In particular, do not attack the intelligence or honesty of others. Rebut the "stupid" or "dishonest" post and allow others draw the appropriate conclusion. If a bad poster is "spamming" such volume of poor arguments and nonsense that it would be a waste of time to respond, notify a moderator.
- Refrain from unsupported disagreement. This means that if you disagree with something or think it is incorrect, you must explain why you disagree or show why it's incorrect. A mere expression of disapproval is not sufficient.
- Observe the principle of charity. "In philosophy and rhetoric, the principle of charity or charitable interpretation requires interpreting a speaker's statements in the most rational way possible and, in the case of any argument, considering its best, strongest possible interpretation. In its narrowest sense, the goal of this methodological principle is to avoid attributing irrationality, logical fallacies, or falsehoods to the others' statements, when a coherent, rational interpretation of the statements is available." ("Principle of charity," Wikipedia)
As this forum is one of the few places where revisionist thought is permitted, we will not abide attempts to sabotage or disrupt this forum. However, we do eagerly encourage intelligent engagement from our critics. It is the intention of the current moderation team to make sure there is a place for “the other side” here on the forum, if there are any who are willing to show up here.
- Stick to the arguments. Do not be gratuitously belligerent. We realize of course that this goes both ways, so the moderation team will make a reciprocal effort to protect you from excessive abuse.
- Pick your spots. Do not derail threads with general talking points. And especially do not attempt to start the same old fights across multiple threads in parallel.
- Important: See the additional posting guidelines for the "Holocaust Research & Discussion" forum and the "Holocaust Debate" forum. The debate forum will be more your scene.
A forum is a shared space. An unmoderated forum devolves quickly to a very base level which often drives away the better posters. People exchanging insults, making unsupported claims, ignoring counterpoints, and pivoting endlessly is not a recipe for productive discussion. Hence, some rules and structure are necessary. The goal of this forum is to find the "sweet spot" between the rigidity of an academic journal and the chaos of a food fight.
Transparent Moderation
Moderator and administrator accounts can be easily distinguished by their accounts (title and username color). Click where it says "the team" at the bottom of the page for a full listing. Each of these users will use the same account when participating in forum discussions.
The moderation team will generally provide public feedback to posters so people can see how the rules are being enforced. We will try to avoid deleting material outright from the forum. We will favor locking or splitting off threads that jump the rails.
Members can offer feedback and suggestions on the "Member Feedback" forum.