Rules as modified by me.

Our Hernando's Hideaway doesn't rely on imposing rules, rather it hopes to attract the type of people who already have the rules imprinted on their hearts.

THE ZEROTH RULE: Have fun and help the other posters to have a good time.

1.) The care for a fellow Hernando is far more important than winning a debate, or even a war. People who are willing to treat people as less than human in order to gain some advantage, are less than human themselves and not fit to join with us.

1. a.) All people are fallible, cut your brother or sister some slack.

2.) Reason can lead to truth. Reason should not be used to attain the humiliation of another Hernando. We are helping each other to truth and knowledge.

3.) Getting angry at an Hernando means something has gone wrong. A break from the keyboard is suggested.

4.) Hernandos try to get information and understanding before they say something is definitely true or false.

4. a.) We will never have 100% complete scientific proof. It is perfectly acceptable to present an opinion based on what information is available, as long as there is a willingness to change when better information is presented. It is perfectly acceptable to say, "Blast! I don't know nearly enough. Let's take this up a week from now."

4. b.) Evaluate the information. Don't reject anything solely because of the source, but it can be considered.

5.) There is nothing wrong with saying "This is as close to agreement as we can get. Let's set it aside for now."

We are a family. Not a dysfunctional one, but one in which we care, at least slightly, for each other. We search for truth. Yelling at one another doesn't further either goal.

1.) If you impugn a fellow Hernando's character, calling him a liar, a thief, a shill, retarded, promiscuous (unless they've already announced that they are), a hater, an "anything-phobe" (because a phobia is a mental disorder), or anything similar (there's the loophole), you've gone wrong and you'll be slapped. How hard the slap is will be based on the severity and frequency of the offense, but I can see a post ban for a serious offense.

2.) I know that talking about other posters and other threads was a violation at TOS, but I don't see it. Everything we put down is open to the world, so why not talk about it if it serves a purpose and doesn't violate any other rule? I didn't like the atmosphere of secrecy there. Privacy is one thing, but invisibly striking and retreating without allowing discussion about it seems like a sign of an evil being hidden.

3.) A general, overall rule can be simply stated. "Don't hurt a fellow Hernando." Which, of course, implies emotionally. Yes, there are some posters with unusually thin skins who need a little toughening up. So not every hurt would be considered a foul. Still, we have some of the country's best posters here. We know how to control ourselves (usually), and we know how to apologize.

4.) Asking for personal information, please don't. Note. This has been altered. If you know they're under 18, don't ask. Otherwise, fine. If you want to show affection, fine with me, the world needs more. I can't imagine you want to get hot and heavy over the Internet (what good does that do anybody?) but we can set up a private room which no other posters can visit. (But we can, so no porn.) In short, if you really want to do something, please ask and we'll try to figure out a way to do it.

5.) Appeals, etc. Of course, any particular staff member can get it wrong, and we will on occasion. You will not be penalized in any way for asking for more information, a clarification, or anything else that will bring understanding. You can even argue the decision with us, explaining where we went wrong. If you are appealing a post removal decision, that's where the appeals stop.

If you're appealing a post or site ban, we can post the information on the board for people to study. If you're still unhappy, we could take the issue to a vote of the members, but if the staff is unanimous, you should take that as a sign. Feel free to talk about it with other members first. If you still want a vote, it can be done, but if it goes strongly against you, say 80-20 or so I'll see that as a sign that you haven't checked with other members first and are wasting our time.

I hate making rules. If you don't like something about these rules, let me know. Same thing if you think we need more rules. Yes, the line on Marijuana is going to be tough to draw, but ProBoards addressed that in their rules.

I suppose that if there's another key rule, it's that if you don't like something the way it is, talk to me. The site is just starting to grow, and we're learning.