Greetings every, this is Marty, one of the moderator/administrators here at the ETS forum.
This is a message directed mostly at our newest members, but all us old farts should read it and brush up on forum policy as well.
Forbidden Content
We have seen an uptick in postings here that have been veering into political territory, and we really need to remind you that this site isn't a radio talk show program, it's called "Equipped.org" - the online presence of the non-profit Equipped to Survive foundation, Inc. This site is about being equipped for emergencies - the gadgets, gizmos, tools and tactics you need to get through a bad situation, ranging from ditching a small aircraft to being adrift at sea to a 4 week long power blackout after severe weather.
Many times, the issue of "how" and "who" enter into the discussion. This is dangerous territory if the "how" involves politicians, as in "If (elected official) had/had not done (something) then the (bad thing) would have (been prevented/been worse).
Here's an easy test to know if you're post is about to go off into the rough, possibly forcing me to totally kill the thread (because I have no interest in pruning at a message level).
a. Your post mentions ANY elected official.
b. Your post mentions ANY law of ANY nation.
(there are a few exceptions to "b" , but I can assure you that gun laws are an immediate target (get it, I said "target" - I crack myself up).
c. Your post mentions any religion in any context.
Manners in "Around the Campfire"
We have a forum - "Around the Campfire" that is ostensibly for topics other than survival equipment. That does not mean it's a free-for-all.
Example of a good topic for "Around the Campfire"
"Say, does anyone have the Dewalt 24 volt cordless tools? Are they worth the extra money? Seems like a big jump in price, but maybe it's worth it?"
Example of a bad topic for "Around the Campfire"
"I heard that the president was behind the project where the trilateral commission is using AIDS as a vector to implant mind-control RNA into the water supply in Afghanistan, and that's why the bees are vanishing - see, the project went wrong when the CIA shot JFK to cover up the fake moon landing, and now the bees have returned to their spaceship and are warming the earth to punish all the Atheists who eat meat as well as people who drive hybrids. Simple enough - and it's all so OBVIOUS but the sheeeple can't even SEE it!"
Simple enough difference, right?
If you have an URGENT NEED to veer off topic, we have a "Private Message" function that allows you to send a private message to other members of this forum, without the public forum seeing it. It's kind of like your own private topic area. You can invite multiple members to a private message. Bear in mind that the private message system is NOT a place for illegal content, hate speech nor is it truly "private" (any administrator of this system can see your private messages at any time, if we want to. I have never read anyone's private messages without their knowledge, but I could if I wanted to.) But the facility exists if you want to debate gun laws with other members, if you want to send personal messages, and so forth.
We especially ask our newest members to be mindful of the rules here, and if we seem a little uptight in our moderation, please know that it's nothing personal against you at all, it's that we've been running this forum with tight - very tight - moderation for a long time now and it's why it's so successful.
Carry on!
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