Life, the Universe, and Everything ~ FAQ

Welcome to the section of the forums that is all about the more serious side of life. If you are looking for advice from people who found themselves in similar situations as yourself, or are looking for a constructive discussion regarding life and all that entails, you are in the right place.

**It’s important to understand that by posting to this forum you agree that you have read all of the rules and agree to follow them. Failure to follow rules could result in anything from locked threads at the minimum, to permanent account banning at the maximum.

Rules

First and foremost, all of the general forum rules apply. This means no site plugging, no spamming, no flaming or trolling, no posting of non-work-safe images, no revival of dead-threads, no AOL/'leet speek, etc. You should also read through the general pet peeves of the mods that often result in disciplinary action against users.

1) What to post

This is all about seeking advice and discussing things that have been on your mind. Before starting a thead looking for advice take a gander at possible answers to your questions. Also keep in mind that some questions are better left to the professionals. See the end of the FAQ for more details.

2) What NOT to post

Do not pose a question without content. Constructive discussion and content are huge here. If a mod feels there is not enough of one or the other, the thread will be locked. As an example; If you want to discuss and debate Plato's views on life, that's fine, but do not ask questions like "What is the meaning of life?" "Does evil exist?" or "Is there a God?" Also, do not start less-than-serious discussions such as "Who's your favourite actor?"

3) This is NOT your blog or on-line journal

If you just want to blow off steam, this is not the right place to do it. Go sign up for one of the countless on-line journals out there. On rare occasions ranting, whining, and the like are tolerated as long as it is in the context of constructive discussion.

4) Keep the subject in mind

This is a very open board and you are allowed to say whatever you want concerning the subjects, BUT KEEP THE SUBJECT IN MIND. Hi-jacking threads and/or going into personal two way conversations is bad. (If you want to have a personal two way discussion it’s ok, just take it to PMs.)

5) No joke replies

As stated, in the General Rules, this is one of the more serious sections on the board. Joke replies and/or one liners to serious questions and/or discussions will not be tolerated. Likewise, feel free to post about things you're wondering about discussion that's been on your mind etc. But if it's less-than-serious stuff such as "Who's your favorite actor", then please post it in Central, thanks.

6) Do NOT give advice unless you have experience

This one is important because not giving any advice is better than giving bad advice. If you don’t have first hand experience you better have a good amount of knowledge about the situation. People who post here looking for advice want to know what has worked and what hasn’t for others in similar situations.

7) Be constructive & respect others

This should be self explanatory and goes hand in hand with no flaming, no trolling and the like. There's a tremendous difference between "Haha, you suck ass!" and "Haha, you suck ass...but I think I see your problem, here's some explanation." The former is not acceptable while the latter is. Insults on people directly, that have no reference to the topic of the thread, are NOT allowed.


Also keep in mind that this is an international board. Because of this there people that come from many different cultures and belief systems. Chances are their mind is just as hard to change as yours is. Offer solutions and keep discussions constructive. Heated debates are encouraged but flame wars aren't.

Here’s a great read on netiquette you should look through if you haven’t already.

8) Read posts and threads in their entirety before replying

People don't need suggestions of "Do this" when they've already stated that "doing that" didn't work. You also don’t want repeat the same advice. More importantly not reading before posting usually makes one look like and idiot and I’m sure you don’t want that.

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Topics such as drug addiction, suicide, abuse (either by family, peers or being abused by your girlfriend or boyfriend), rape or anything of such a serious nature should not be discussed in this forum. This is the last place to turn to for help.

This forum will not, can not, and should not take the place of a qualified therapist, and pretending to will only make matters worse. Very few people here (if any) are equipped to answer those questions, and ignorant people SHOULDN'T be answering them.

There are counselors, help lines, and other professional online resources that are available for serious situations such as those. Here is a list of links to get you started:

For those considering... Good site with several helpful links to getting help.

HERE ! <--gives the numbers for help lines in your area.

In Crisis Covers just about everything and has tons of helpful links, just ignore the cheezy title.