Hi, All -

(Agents: be sure to see my note in the Lounge also.)

It may not always look like it, but the Rumor Mill News Reading Room is an alternative news source and not a 'chat room'. :)

A primary guideline for posting in the RR is "no ad hominem attacks".

From time to time, one or more ad hominem attacks may make it through, though we do our best to abide by that guideline.

"Ad hominem" means "to the man" or "to the person". Differing points of view and impassioned discussion are welcome here - but those should be about topics and issues, and not about the, um, questionable character or parentage of fellow posters or messengers. :)

The way to abide by this guideline is simple: "Express your own truth, something you have personal authority to express - not your opinion about another's truth."

It's okay to say, "I think you're mistaken, here's what I think...", but not okay to continue that with, "...that you're an idiot and your father smells of elderberries!" :) Et cetera.

All Agents need to keep this in mind when writing a post - and all Readers who might e-mail us something you think might be posted should keep it in mind, too.

If you send us something that's basically ad hominem, in all likelihood it will not be posted - it just doesn't belong in the Reading Room.

The "no ad hominem attacks" rule is one of the things that has made Rumor Mill News what it is and has enabled its continued presence on Internet since 1998. The mission is to "shine the light", not to "fan the flames".

Blessings, all.

--hobie