By registering at this forum, you agree to abide by the following Rules of Conduct.A repeated failure to abide by these rules can result in your posting privileges being revoked either temporarily or permanently.Questions about these Rules of Conduct can be directed to the Forum Administrator at the following email address:

counterpoint1963@aol.com

1. Purpose:The purpose of this board is to provide a forum where individuals can express their thought, ideas and opinions on a variety of topics that impact the greater-Scranton area.Postings on other topics will be allowed at the discretion of the forum Moderators, provided that the posting(s) in question do not otherwise violate these Rule of Conduct.
   
2. Courtesy and Respect: You will be courteous to others [both members and those who may be the subject(s) of postings on this board], even to those individuals whose beliefs you think are false or objectionable. When debating, express your opinion about a person's ideas, not about them personally. You are not to make negative personal remarks about others, including negative remarks about their age, disability, gender, ethnicity, race, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, intelligence, character, appearance, health, mental health, education or any other personal characteristic. You agree not to create posts and discussions intended to criticize or ridicule others personally.
3. Hate Speech: You agree not to engage in hate speech. You agree not to allege that groups or individuals deserve violence, or attempt to dehumanize or degrade them on the basis of age, disability, gender, ethnicity, race, nationality, religion, or sexual orientation.
4. Public Figures:You agree to limit the subject(s) of your postings to those individuals who are considered to be public figures.This includes elected/appointed officials and others who "thrust themselves to the forefront of public controversies in order to influence the resolution of the issues involved".
5. References to Minors/Children:Postings that mention, reference or allude to minors/children (by name or other uniquely identifiable manner) and are constructed such to be inflammatory or critical are strictly prohibited, regardless of the actions or conduct of the minors/children in question.For purposes of these Rules of Conduct, minors and children are defined as any individuals who are under the age of 18. For example, you can state that as a fact that "John Doe has three children"; however, you can not say "John Doe's 16 year old daughter is pregnant".
   
6. Violence: Youwill not advocate violence against or harassment of any groups or individuals.
7. Disruptive behavior: Youwill notdisrupt or interfere with discussions, forums, or other community functions. Disruptive behavior may include creating a disproportionate number of posts or discussions to disrupt conversation; creating off-topic posts; making statements that are deliberately inflammatory; manipulating topic lists to disrupt conversation; expanding a disagreement from one discussion to another; or any behavior that interferes with conversations or inhibits the ability of others to usethisforum for its intended purposes.
8. Repeating Posts: Youwill notrepeat substantially the same text in more than one location on this forum.
9. Any Posts Violating Copywrite Laws Will Be Edited or Removed.
10. Verbatim Postings of Published Material: You will refrain from posting entire/verbatim articles, stories, etc. from other published sources. Links to articles, stories, etc. are encouraged, provided that the owner of the linked material does not prohibit such activity. Partial postings of articles, stories, etc. done for purposes of providing commentary is allowed, provided that the owner of the original material doesn't prohibit such activity.
11. Vulgarity: You will not post words or display images, videos, etc. that, in the opinion of Forum Moderators, are vulgar, obscene, graphically violent, graphically sexual show or depict the harming of minors/children, exploit images of children, or are otherwise objectionable.
    
12. Illegal Activities: You will not solicit, promote or condone the solicitation or promotion of any illegal substance or activity. You will not discuss the illegal activities in the context of planning/intending to commit them.
13. Business Activity: You will not promote, advertise or solicit customers for any business activity for which you are engaged. The promotion of charitable events is allowed and encouraged, as long as these events are open to the general public.
14. Font Size: You will limit your font sizes to a maximum of 14 pt. Larger font usage is allowed within the context of highlighting specific text.
15. Smilies/Emoticons: You will limit the use of smilies/emoticons to no more than two per posting.
    
16. Avatars: You will not use any picture, graphic, video, etc. for an avatar that is graphically sexual or violent in nature.
    

• The Moderators of this Forum reserve the right to duplicate, copy and store any posting (partial or complete, including the names of the Members creating the material) by any member without reason or notice.
• The opinions expressed by Members of this Forum do not reflect the opinions of the Administrators, Moderators or other Members. Members are solely responsible for their own conduct while participating in this Forum.
• No posting in this Forum should be considered or construed as being legal, financial, tax or any other form of professional advice. Anyone needing this kind of information should get off the Internet, open a phonebook, and find a qualified professional. The Administrators and Moderators of this Form are not responsible for actions/losses/damages taken or incurred as a result of any individual(s) acting on any posting found within this Forum.
• The Administrators and Moderators of this Form do not endorse or support the knowing violation of copyright laws. Anyone believing that a violation of copyright laws has occurred should immediately bring it to the attention of the Forum Administration, counterpoint1963@aol.com .