User Guidelines

General:

Improve the conversation

Share your knowledge

Create connections

Encourage each other

Include quality citations

Respectfully disagree

Know your participation is valued

Your right to an opinion

Overcoming conflicts

Guide To Warnings and Suspensions:

No-Nonsense Diagram

FAQ’s:

Frequently Asked Questions

User Terms and Restrictions:

Boring, But Necessary

1. Improve the Conversation

It is our aspiration that HISTО̄R is a place for meaningful and open discourse. Help us by adding your voice to the conversation in ways that will benefit everyone. Look out for interesting topics and ideas to share. Comment and support the topics created by others.

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2. Share your Knowledge

Never be afraid to share what you know. If you have an area of expertise, share what you know with the rest of the community – especially if there are not many threads on your given topic. This is how everyone can learn as a community.

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3. Create Connections

Let yourself enjoy human contact. As access to the internet has dominated our daily lives, the art of communication and the simple enjoyment of connecting with others has somehow been lost along the way. This is a place where you can exchange ideas, information and humor with others who are just like you in their love of history.

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4. Encourage each other

Don’t hold back when you see something praiseworthy shared on HISTО̄R. Sharing your positive feedback will help shape the friendly, supportive network we want to build. If you wish to comment in disagreement with a person’s point, do so in a way that constructively adds to the conversation.

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5. Include Quality Citations

When presenting you knowledge, try to include quality sources. When selecting sources to support your information or stance in a debate, chose those that are considered credible, reliable, an authority on the subject. Be aware of any potential bias or objectivity of the source. Primary sources are those of contemporaries who witness and wrote about or otherwise recorded an event. Secondary sources interpret a historical event using primary sources to guide their critique of the event after the fact. Remember that opinions do not require citations.

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6. Respectfully disagree

Civilized confrontation and friendly debate are encouraged as a means of sharing and refining ideas and historical perspectives. Many of the textbook interpretations of history are multi-faceted and complex – the conversation surrounding those topics should reflect the many vantage points. If you choose to disagree with another user’s comment, be sure that you address and refute the idea itself, not the individual who expressed the idea (no ad hominem attacks). Try to avoid responding to tone, but only to material. Try to avoid knee-jerk reactions to new ideas.

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7. Know your participation is valued

We are powered by the collective contributions of the individual. You are the key to making this forum an interesting and dynamic environment. You directly influence the future and overall success of HISTО̄R by engaging in quality interactions, sharing your insights, ideas and opinions.

8. Your right to an opinion

Everyone on HISTО̄R has a right to hold an opinion – no user should be forced to defend themselves for simply thinking outside of the box. There are no right or wrong opinions. It is not the job of moderators to police the opinions of community members. Remember that this does not mean that your opinions will be exempt from criticism – you are free to express your opinion, just as others are free to disagree.

9. Overcoming conflicts

Try not to respond to troublesome posts or users. Investing your time in replying to ad hominem attacks or other abusive, bullying or trolling behavior wastes your energy that could be otherwise spent in positive, fulfilling interactions. If a comment seems inappropriate – or the intensity of a debate gets out of hand – flag the posts and a moderator will help all parties come to an amicable outcome, if possible.

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Guide to Warnings and Suspensions

(just so we are all on the same page)

Guideline Violation	First Offense	Second Offense	Third Offense	Fourth Offense
Creating Spam Threads	Warning via PM and thread removal	24 hour silencing and thread removal	7 day suspension and thread removal	Banned from the Forums
Evading a Ban	Banned from the Forums	Banned from the Platform
Revealing Personal Information About Another User	Warning via PM and post-removal	Banned from the Forums and Platform
Harassment/Name Calling/Bullying	7-day Forums suspension	24 hour silencing and post removal	7 day suspension and post removal	Banned from the Platform
Racial Intolerance / Hate Speech	Warning via PM and comment / thread removal	24 hour silencing and post removal	7 day suspension and post removal	Banned from the Platform
Posting Overtly Political / Religious Content	Warning via PM and post removal	24 hour silencing and post removal	7 day suspension and post removal	Banned from Episode Forums
Inappropriate or Sexual Content	Warning via PM and post removal	24 hour silencing and post removal	7 day suspension and post removal	Banned from Episode Forums
Multiple or Shared Account Holding	Private message sent to inquire about the particular circumstances	Private message sent with option for user to keep two accounts and have other suspended	Suspension of all but original account two accounts.	Banned from the Platform.
NSFW (Not Safe for Work) Content	Warning via PM and post removal	24 hour silencing and post removal	7 day suspension and post removal	Banned from the Forums
Plagiarism	Warning via PM and post removal	24 hour silencing and post removal	7 day suspension and post removal	Banned from the Platform
Threats of Physical Harm Towards Others	Banned from the Platform
Trolling/Baiting	Warning via PM and post removal	24 hour silencing and post removal	7 day suspension and post removal	Banned from the Platform
Vulgar/Obscene/Offensive Avatar/Bio/Content	Warning via PM and content removal	24 hour silencing and content removal	7 day suspension and content removal	Banned from the Platform

FAQ’s

Why The $#%& Can’t I F^@#-ing Use Swear Words on HISTО̄R?

We understand that you may want to express yourself in 4-letter words, but we ask that users refrain from using foul language, curse words, or course euphemisms, in order that we may remain inclusive for people of all ages and that individuals with different comfort levels can engage on HISTOR.

Can I Promote My History Related Business on HISTО̄R?

We appreciate businesses that are history focused, and encourage business owners to add quality content whenever they make a plug for your wares. Don’t simply post a link randomly, but use opportunities created organically through conversation to mention your history related business. Any links shared without following the spirit of these guidelines are subject to removal as admins see fit.

User Terms & Restrictions

(boring, but necessary)

Other than the content you own, under these Terms, HISTО̄R owns all the intellectual property rights and materials contained in this Website.

You are specifically restricted from all of the following

• publishing any Website material in any other media;
• selling, sublicensing and/or otherwise commercializing any Website material;
• publicly performing and/or showing any Website material;
• using this Website in any way that is or may be damaging to this Website;
• using this Website in any way that impacts user access to this Website;
• using this Website contrary to applicable laws and regulations, or in any way may cause harm to the Website, or to any person or business entity;
• engaging in any data mining, data harvesting, data extracting or any other similar activity in relation to this Website;
• using this Website to engage in any advertising or marketing.

Certain areas of this Website are restricted from being accessed by you and HISTО̄R may further restrict access by you to any areas of this Website, at any time, in absolute discretion. Any user ID and password you may have for this Website are confidential and you must maintain confidentiality as well.

4. Your Content

In these Website Standard Terms and Conditions, “Your Content” shall mean any audio, video text, images or other material you choose to display on this Website. By displaying Your Content, you grant HISTО̄R a non-exclusive, worldwide irrevocable, sub licensable license to use, reproduce, adapt, publish, translate and distribute it in any and all media.

Your Content must be your own and must not be invading any third-party’s rights. HISTО̄R reserves the right to remove any of Your Content from this Website at any time without notice.

5. No warranties

This Website is provided “as is,” with all faults, and HISTО̄R expresses no representations or warranties, of any kind related to this Website or the materials contained on this Website. Also, nothing contained on this Website shall be interpreted as advising you.

6. Limitation of liability

In no event shall HISTО̄R, nor any of its officers, directors and employees, shall be held liable for anything arising out of or in any way connected with your use of this Website whether such liability is under contract.   HISTО̄R, including its officers, directors and employees shall not be held liable for any indirect, consequential or special liability arising out of or in any way related to your use of this Website.

7. Indemnification

You hereby indemnify to the fullest extent HISTО̄R from and against any and/or all liabilities, costs, demands, causes of action, damages and expenses arising in any way related to your breach of any of the provisions of these Terms.

8. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid under any applicable law, such provisions shall be deleted without affecting the remaining provisions herein.

9. Variation of Terms

HISTО̄R is permitted to revise these Terms at any time as it sees fit, and by using this Website you are expected to review these Terms on a regular basis.

10. Assignment

The HISTО̄R is allowed to assign, transfer, and subcontract its rights and/or obligations under these Terms without any notification. However, you are not allowed to assign, transfer, or subcontract any of your rights and/or obligations under these Terms.

11. Entire Agreement

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between HISTО̄R and you in relation to your use of this Website, and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.

12. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

These Terms will be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Pennsylvania, and you submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Pennsylvania for the resolution of any disputes.