Dancing Lawn Principles

holyboy

Retired Purplemite
Royal Guard
Emeritus
THIS ARTICLE IN A NUTSHELL, BY HOLYBOY

(This does not mean that can ignore the below statement. Because all of this is important. Read it, then come back here so you KNOW what we expect from all members. So stop reading this and go to the bajillion hashes (----- times a bajillion) and read this)

1. Narniafans is cool because it's about Narnia. Not Harry Potter. Not Lord of the Rings. Not what is underneath your bed. Hence, make an effort to talk about Narnia every once in a while.

2. Paul Martin, aka Specter, is the Narniafans god. Not God with a capital G. But he does have the power to create and destroy this page, this forum, and your account. Follow his rules.

3. We are Family Friendly. If you would not show a 10 year old your post, then don't post it. And a ten year old should not be swearing, so that is out.

4. Respect. If you don't know what it is, listen to the song by Aretha Franklin. It even teaches you how to spell it, although you already know how to spell it, since it was the first word of this paragraph. If you are posting on the forum and you get mad, stop posting. If your post is going to get other members angry (not annoyed, but angry) don't post it. Think before you post. And in general, respect the other person's view.

5. Mods. If Specter is god (not God) then the mods are the police. Even though they are unrelated, it's still true. We have most of the powers that Specter does (the only thing he can do that we can't is create an awesome-cool website about Narnia in less then a week). Therefore, if we tell you to stop, then stop.

\/ Bajillion hashes

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Main Message by Prince of the West

The Dancing Lawn forum section of the NarniaFans website exists for positive, constructive discussion and interaction among members. Though open to discussions of many topics, the site has a particular focus on the works and imaginative vision of C.S. Lewis, author of the Narnia Chronicles. Our membership, interests, and backgrounds may vary widely, but for almost all of us, the reason we're here is our love of Narnia.

This forum exists through the generosity of our sponsor, Paul Martin, who goes by the forum name of Specter. He's the one who pays for the server that hosts the site, and the network access that allows everyone to participate. All of us are here at Paul's sufferance. He has a particular vision and set of expectations for the forum, and has chosen a set of moderators to help administer the forum and insure it stays true to its vision. We wanted to spell out some particulars of that vision so that participants can understand the purpose of The Dancing Lawn. That has also led to some rules which we enforce, and we hope to explain those as well.

Family Friendly Since the Chronicles are the common interest that draws us here, and the Chronicles are a work of fiction for youth, it's understood that many members here will be young people in the junior high to high school age. Because of this, this forum is "family friendly" - meaning that threads and conversations should be strictly "G" rated. No profanity, abusive conversations, or anything else that you wouldn't want going on in your living room when youngsters are present. This also means that certain topics of conversation are going to be off limits - such as anything you'd want young people to be discussing with their parents before they stumble across them on an Internet forum.

Imaginative Vision of C.S. Lewis Part of the power of the Narnia Chronicles is the Christian imagination of their author, C.S. Lewis. We seek to honor and preserve that vision, and encourage discussions that respect it. Though we appreciate other artists such as J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling - and even have a whole section devoted to them - we try to focus on Lewis' works.

This means we discourage imaginative visions that run counter to Lewis'. An example of this would be stories or Role Playing Games that focus on things like werewolves, vampires, or other dark creatures (which in Lewis' world are monsters). There are plenty of places on the Internet for these things; the Dancing Lawn is not one of them.

Thought and theology Lewis also wrote several thoughtful works, and discussion of them is encouraged, particularly in the area called The Socratic Club and Christianity and Narnia. Since these conversations can get intense, participants must remember that participation requires courtesy and tolerance of other points of view. Though Lewis was a Christian and many members are Christian, it is not required to be Christian to participate. What is required is mutual respect of all and by all.

Positive, constructive discussion As mentioned, this forum exists for positive, constructive discussion. Positive means uplifting to self and others. Constructive means building up. Discussion means interacting with others. Being a member here means you agree to respect all those criteria. Members who are negative toward one another, or members who are destructive in their postings, or members who are not here to discuss (such as those who just want to get on a soapbox and rant, or come to do nothing but be disagreeable), are not welcome.

The moderators are judges of when these guidelines are being violated. It is our responsibility to maintain the Dancing Lawn as a friendly, enjoyable place for people of all ages. If we find that someone is violating these guidelines, we will warn that member and then, if our reminder is ignored, that member will be banned. (Flagrant violations will be banned without warning.) We moderators don't want to be seen as Electronic Enforcers, stalking the forum with big virtual clubs looking for violators to bash into line. We enjoy being here and participating as members, and we want members to enjoy being here without worrying about a long list of rules. This is why we're making this post - so that everyone can understand why we do what we do. So please make it easy on yourself, your fellow members, and us - respect these principles.
 
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