WSB Forum rules

The owners of this site reserve the right to delete any forum post at any time for any reason. Most of the time, we only do that for a clear violation of WSB Forum rules, which include:

KEEP IT CLEAN: No PG-13-level profanity or other content that could be considered inappropriate for a website that is open to people of all ages.

DON’T GET PERSONAL: Criticize, critique, and comment on the ideas, the events, the concepts, but NOT THE PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN THE DISCUSSION. This needs to be a safe place where no one is going to feel teased, ostracized, attacked, denigrated, dismissed. That doesn’t mean your words and ideas aren’t fair game – they are, but you are not.

“ISM”-FREE ZONE: No racism, sexism, size-ism, or other means of degrading people because of a trait with which they were born (including sexual orientation).

NO ADVERTISING: We of course have ads on WSB, but they are a service for which we charge, and that’s the $ that keeps this site in business. If you are a businessperson and not sure if the topic you want to post would be considered an ad, e-mail us first (editor@westseattleblog.com) for an opinion. Otherwise, anything we consider advertising will be deleted. Businesspeople ARE welcome to post RESPONSES to Reader Recommendation Request posts that are relevant to their businesses, as long as they disclose that they own/work at/etc. the business they’re recommending. One exception: We do not allow responses that “reopen” an old topic – only respond to topics you find in current circulation in the forum (a week or less, generally) – responses that “reopen” older topics will be deleted and the topic will be permanently closed.

DON’T PRETEND TO BE SOMEBODY YOU’RE NOT: Real names are not necessary but obviously-false ones are not allowed.

NO ACCUSATIONS OR INSINUATIONS OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY/NEGLIGENCE UNLESS SOMEONE’S CHARGED (ETC): Our policy for WSB news stories is that we generally do not identify criminal suspects until and unless they are charged. Same goes for any other serious accusations against an individual, group, business or institution – this is not the place to make your case, the courts/Health Department/licensing authorities/whatever, is who you need to be working with.

BE PART OF THE SOLUTION: Like many online communities, this one relies on help from the participants in this one to keep it on track. If you see something questionable, disturbing, or obviously in violation of the rules, please flag us by e-mailing editor@westseattleblog.com — the identity of the person who flags us is never revealed unless she/he suggests it should be (and we agree). If you suspect a violation (or see anything else that should be called to our attention), editor@westseattleblog.com

Thank you for being part of WSB, and for continuing to set an example for the rest of the city as sites similar to this one spring up in other neighborhoods, with their participants looking to you for ideas, inspiration, and examples.