Yellow Diamond

For the sake of clarification, I have unilaterally added new text to the NSFW rule: None of our past decisions are affected by this text -- but if you have a clopping thread locked, there is absolutely no excuse now.

The rules are hard and binding, but they cannot hope to cover every case under the sun. In many cases we invoke a portion of the rules which would apply to instances that aren't otherwise explicitly covered; therefore, although we adhere closely to the text of the site rules, we aren't so slavish as to ignore potential infractions because the text says little or nothing. Our utmost priority is to protect the community and its members; as Simon said, sometimes that means we need to make judgment calls without drawing up a new entry into the FAQ section. Simon is also correct with respect to the fact that we aren't legislators or lawyers: we don't have the time or resources to develop an intricate and comprehensive set of rules. Besides, in the vein of practicality, who would read them all? A number of members barely read over the the rules we currently have on the books! (That we have a rule on plagiarism is probably more comprehensive than most other forums.) Writing down more specific rules wouldn't necessarily enhance the justification of our decision making. In the case of clop threads, we have chosen to cite precedent (or tradition) and experience. Those are perfectly legitimate tools for interpretation, especially since they are derived from the rules: Note that "some discussion" is emphasized. This means we retain discretion regarding what is appropriate for the forums. The subsequent example does not box us into a corner, either, as experience, combined with the text, informs us that many discussions about clopping lead to that which is NSFW. In sum, if someone takes the time to read the rules and quickly browse through the topics that have been closed, they should understand why such discussions are very often locked.

Even in that case, Baltoist, we will very likely approve of such a topic in a speedy manner, provided it isn't just a troll thread. Since we don't leave posts hanging in the mod queue indefinitely -- in fact, we often rapidly approve or disapprove of queued posts -- there shouldn't be any concern over whether other members will have the time to respond to a topic. As SCS also mentioned, the mod queue is a global function, so it isn't technically possible to omit a section.

Hey there, everyone. In the interests of avoiding redundancy, as well as promoting inclusion as opposed to the potential of balkanizing different groups of people here on MLP Forums, the staff has decided this thread is to be locked. You may nonetheless find an appropriate area for discussion/support in our existing LGBT Support Thread. Thanks for your understanding.

Not groundbreaking insofar as what, though? Remember that Sailor Moon is responsible for revolutionizing the magical girl genre; so while it may seem rather dull and unoriginal by today's standards, it should be watched bearing this fact in mind.

The subject of this topic has little potential to spark discussion between many members and, as such, would be better suited to a status update or a blog. When creating a thread, please remember that the goal is to start a conversation with room for many people to chime in and give their own viewpoints on, and that sharing events of an anecdotal nature would be better done elsewhere.

I got 12 out of 13 correct -- not bad for a Liberal Arts student.

There is no strict line in the sense that any one example could encapsulate every case. The rule is applied on a case-by-case basis, though some are clearer than others (or should be, as the case may be). In the spirit of Justice Stewart, we know it when we see it. More specifically, though, context is by and large our guide. But tell me, what guidelines would be sufficient? What would they entail? You've dedicated a lot of energy to decrying the current system, but I have yet to see you propose a suitable alternative. That was not what was going on here. We had multiple members dragging in warning histories -- some of which were not even their own -- not out of academic interest but because of personal qualms. It was becoming a tremendous mess and distraction. Hence why I said "generally speaking," which is to say in most cases but not all. We are not obligated under every circumstance to PM a member regarding offensive content. The other fail-safes, i.e., PMing a moderator or submitting a support ticket, are still at your disposal.

I'm sure you've encountered one or two people who claim to be offended by the simplest things. It happens, and we're often left to deal with it. Suffice it to say that my point was a simple way of exemplifying how nebulous borderline cases are by their very nature. I would think "borderline" would in fact imply a lack of clear guidelines. Also, I wasn't accusing you of being snarky or rude, Prodigy. Your post was respectful and to the point. I was more responding to the general attitude held by some that challenging the rules is an excuse to snap at the moderators. I'm want to cut mean spirited responses off at the pass.

We actually already have a policy on the books. Everyone is free to read it here: http://mlpforums.com/page/faq/_/moderation/what-exactly-counts-as-excessive-vulgarity-r83 Basically, vulgar language is not strictly prohibited -- but as Peppy Hare said about bombs, use them wisely. A post overflowing with vulgarities is both distracting and needless. Besides, we like being able to cater to a younger teenage demographic. Because this thread isn't raising a new issue or policy proposal, I'm going to lock it. In the future, if you have questions or suggestions for MLP Forums, please make a post in Feedback and Suggestions. Thanks!

I'm only going to say this once: everyone is free to discuss potential alternatives to the rules, but rehashing or challenging past warnings should be left to report tickets or PMs; furthermore, attacking each other is off-limits. Handle your personal grievances elsewhere, hopefully in a productive manner. For the time being, I'm leaving some of the questionable posts in place. If it comes to my attention that members are fighting again, then expect punitive action. Strong opinions are no excuse for poor conduct. The difficulty with setting out strict guidelines for Borderline NSFW content is that such content does not always have a clear marker. People often have different standards of what is acceptable, borderline, or an outright violation of decency; thus I'm disinclined to believe a strict definition, if it were possible to render, would settle the matter beyond dispute. There would always be the potential for a case in which a final definition could not effectively cover, and a judgment would need to be made on the spot. The best answer I can provide at present is this: Borderline NSFW comprises content which is made in poor taste and is inappropriate for general audiences. Someone might consider "Grammar Nazi" inappropriate, as it makes a comparison to a deplorable regime; on the other hand, general consensus -- and this where things get fuzzy -- is that the phrase is doesn't raise any offensive red flags in and of itself. If one were to start posting pictures of ponified Hitler, however, that would constitute inappropriate content. Posting photographs of corpses from concentration camps or mutilated animals would likely net a full NSFW warning. In the end, though, we're caught between a rock and hard place. Someone might just find ponified Hitler funny and therefore not inappropriate. And posting lists of examples would invariably leave gaps for people question. ("Why is X subject considered borderline when Y is allowed?") Here we tread into the need for interpretation -- and though the current staff is far from perfect, its deliberations are rarely if ever made in undo haste. Generally speaking, a member will receive a PM about such content, unless said content is considered outright NSFW or if the member in question has a history of ignoring the rules. We also have PMs and the support ticket system. These are the fail-safes designed to help prevent difficult cases from going unaddressed. Finally, even if you are upset with the current rules, please be respectful. It appears to be far too easy for someone to assume the staff is composed of soulless automatons who would like nothing better than to punish people. We really don't enjoy pestering people via PM or handing out warning points. Getting snarky with us only muddies the waters and undermines your position. We're not asking folks to get obsequious and butter us up with niceties -- but it's no fun reading through responses that effectively assert how wrong we are because we don't know how to enforce our own rules.

You're absolutely right. I would likewise emphasize repetition of proper form with lighter weights before moving on to heavier weights and shorter reps. One of the dynamic issues is getting a sense of how many calories you might need in order to build and maintain the muscle you desire. A person will likely need to compensate more if they add on intensive cardio routines to their weight lifting regimen.

If you're looking to build muscle a la bodybuilding, then cardio and weight training would conflict, yes; however, if you're looking to increase strength while losing some weight, you can mix in both routines without missing a beat. Cardio should be about building some strength anyway (e.g., cardiovascular efficiency; leg strength), so it's not as though cardio comes entirely at the exclusion of muscle -- and since you'll need to build strength in order to later increase muscle size, you might as well prioritize exercises geared toward steady repetition. Don't so much count calories as you should make certain you're taking in enough fuel to keep your body running through your workouts; additionally, watch what you consume. As they say, it's the garbage in, garbage out principle: if you put crap into your body, your body will feel like crap. Balance out your diet first; then you can start to look into adding calories for muscle building once you've gotten a healthy baseline.

The subject of this topic has little potential to spark discussion between many members and, as such, would be better suited to a status update or a blog. When creating a thread, please remember that the goal is to start a conversation with room for many people to chime in and give their own viewpoints on, and that sharing events of an anecdotal nature would be better done elsewhere.

Don't fiddle too much with the server: I've got some expensive silverware stored in some of the cabinets!