Forum Rules

[Liz]

Civility, a.k.a Use the Manners Your Mama Taught You

* Please remember that other people, as bright and well informed as you, can come to vastly different conclusions. It's ok to talk about how we all arrived at our personal position, not to bash others or explain at length why their opinion is wrong.
* If any particular member has opinions that simply make you crazy, add them to your “foes” list in the User Control Panel and you won't have to see their posts any more.
* No bashing! Please, feel free to “talk it out” and resolve a difficulty you're having. If you want to talk about what a horrid person your spouse, in-law or someone else is, please step away from the keyboard and phone a friend. “Help! My MIL is coming to visit and our personalities are so different, I need some coping strategies” is fine. “My MIL is such a b!@&$ ! She does XYZ!”, not so much.

This goes for the public schools as well. Feel free to share your experience, but let's remember that the people who work there are earnest, competent and caring (mostly, there are weirdos in any group) and they deserve the respect of not being torn apart on a cyber forum.

If you have some insight (or would like some) about a particular person / situation / whatever, please offer/request the discussion be had by “PM” (private messaging, accessible from the User Control Panel).

* Political and religious discussions... well, these can be hot topics. (But, then, among homeschoolers, so can books, curriculum, educational styles...) For now, they are fair game and we'll see how people keep their heads about them. Once again, remember we are an inclusive group, and not everybody sees things the way you do. If you want to discuss these hot topics, let's try to keep them positive; talk about why you LIKE a candidate, or why a practice resonates with you, not why Candidate X will destroy life as we know it or why everyone else is going to Hell.
* TYPING IN ALL CAPS IS SHOUTING. Use your indoor voice.
* Wry wit does not covey well in a typed format. If you're making a joke, please make sure people know. Using smilies, or something more pedestrian like “(<- that is a joke)”, will help keep feathers unruffled.

In summary, let's all come to the forum with the understanding that everyone here approaches life, parenting and educating their children from a perspective that they feel is right for their family, after the same due diligence you have put forth.

Spamming – as in, don't, please

* If you sell something, please refrain from telling us about it at every perceived opportunity. Really, we like to support other, local homeschoolers, but constant marketing is a drag. Put a small, discreet link in your signature. Please feel free to answer questions about a product you sell, as the resident expert; you know the difference between answering a question and marketing. If you would like to add a link to your business, please contact the moderators.
* The Swap Meet forum is provided for forum members to – we know this will be shocking – sell and swap their old or unused curriculum. In the interest of everyone's security, there is a 50 post minimum before anyone is allowed to post in the Swap Meet (live co-op members are exempt from this as they are actually known to the moderators). This is not a place for dealers to post!

And those are the rules. The moderators, of course, reserve the right to change them, add to them, etc, as we see a need to do so. Please, don't give us that need.