Stepping up our involvement

Hello everybody,

We feel that lately, the discussions on therianthropy have become somewhat watered down, and as a result we have decided to step up our involvement in the discussion, including on Discord.

You can expect us to now care if you break the forum rules. They also apply to Discord, please be sure that you are familiar with them.

We will no longer tolerate open discussion on the subject of politics (particularly extreme positions). This has always been the policy here on the forums and we are extending it to Discord in fullest.

We will be paying more attention to the kinds of statements that are made in regards to one's therianthropy. As you know we are generally open-minded and accept that the personal experiences of therianthropy are best defined by those that experience them, however -- lately people have been coming up with more and more fantastical stories on what they have experienced. We need to remain grounded. If you're going to make outrageous claims, be prepared to back them up. You can do so in the appropriate discussion forum. If you cannot handle your beliefs being questioned, you may leave.

Our mods have been equipped with new superpowers. If you ignore their verbal warning, be prepared to face an immediate ban of a few days, during which time you can reconsider your position, without bothering other people around you. Short bans are at the discretion of the mod in question.

We are not working out of a strict rulebook, the mod may rely on their own judgment when determining their course of action. If you are doing something that is disruptive or is bothering other people, you could be banned.

We are doing all of this for the benefit of our community and to ensure that Therian Guide continues to be the best resource for learning about Therianthropy on the Internet.

Thank you for understanding.

LP,
Dusty

I am unsure about the reasoning behind the restriction of open political discussions, so I cannot comment on that.

But I fully support the other statements made. It looks like the same procedure, just with the suspension.

Im positive the mods will do their best in decision making, although, I feel it should be made clear that members are welcomed to submit an appeal should for whatever reason, they feel they have been mistreated

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Also, to clarify for others, private political discussions are still fine to have, right?

Is it safe to assume that we will be told why we were banned?

(2018-02-18 6:06)WildWolf Wrote:  Is it safe to assume that we will be told why we were banned?

When a member on the guide is banned, the next time they attempt to login onto the forum, a message is prompt on their screen indicating why they have been banned.

I am no staff member, but that is my understanding of the system.

(2018-02-18 2:42)Cuddles Wrote:  I am unsure about the reasoning behind the restriction of open political discussions, so I cannot comment on that.

Because this has been a rule from the start and when you join you agree on these terms.

Quote:2. Discussions involving political parties and candidates are not allowed on the forum. Discussions about recent events relevant to all are allowed in threads designated by staff.

(2018-02-18 2:42)Cuddles Wrote:  Also, to clarify for others, private political discussions are still fine to have, right?

What members discuss in private is not of anyone's business, including the staff. You're free to discuss what you'd like. The staff will only interfere when harm is done in any kind of way, like threats, any kind of harassment etc.

(2018-02-18 6:06)WildWolf Wrote:  Is it safe to assume that we will be told why we were banned?

Yes, we will not ban you without letting you know why. We also hear you about your side of the story or issue at hand.
The short bans in particular is a 'time off' and is meant for you to think about the actions we have disapproved of. We are serious about keeping TG a safe place for everyone and a place where everyone feels welcome.

Thank you for reminding me about that rule Lupa. In the past, I've seen many polite and open political discussions, so, that part is a bit surprising. But, thanks for reminding me

(2018-02-18 2:42)Cuddles Wrote:  Im positive the mods will do their best in decision making, although, I feel it should be made clear that members are welcomed to submit an appeal should for whatever reason, they feel they have been mistreated

It may not have been publicly stated enough times, but any long-term ban can be reversed.

Anyone who is banned can contact us on our email address:

Quote:appeal.ban@therian-guide.com

...or trough our Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TherianGuide

If your request is justified, your ban will eventually be reversed (we need to sit down and think it trough).

Thus far, all the people who claim they were banned unjustly have never bothered to try and talk to us about it.

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(2018-02-18 10:43)Cuddles Wrote:  Thank you for reminding me about that rule Lupa. In the past, I've seen many polite and open political discussions, so, that part is a bit surprising. But, thanks for reminding me

The problem with politics is that, Therians are very different people coming from all sorts of places. It is very easy to make someone uncomfortable with talking about politics, because they do not share your political perspective.

For example, a certain widely unpopular activist organization, in the USA, is a small group working to protect the values of war veterans in certain parts of Europe. You may think you've done nothing wrong talking about how bad they are if you are from the USA were almost everyone shares your perspective, but in reality you are hurting a silent party who's grandfather's values you are badmouthing. Here you of course know who and what I mean, but it's just an example; something similar applies to practically any political entity out there.

If we want people to learn about therianthropy here, they have to be comfortable talking to us. Discussion of politics is not significant to the experience of therianthropy and it's basically more damaging than it's worth, so the idea is that we just don't talk about it, so we do not potentially make people uncomfortable. It's not really about the first amendment, it's just an agreement amongst Therian Guide members who are friends and don't want to hurt eachother.

LP,
Dusty

I fully support all of this, especially being more involved in questioning those who make claims that seem very unlike what therianthropy actually is. I think every member on TG should feel more empowered to help steer newcomers in the right direction (in the most polite way possible, of course).

Thanks Dusty and the rest of the admin/mod team for all your hard work!

Sounds good to me. I was unaware staff were being lenient to begin with, the idea of following rules that were already in place shouldn't come as too much of a shock. The fact the staff team went out of their way to announce this at all is pure kindness at this point. Good on ya.