LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

I've noticed that our numbers here have been climbing again- slowly but steadily. I want to welcome newcomers here, along with those who just want to lurk and look.

In the course of the lifespan of a community, it changes and grows. For this community, the growth and change have mostly been for the better, which is good. People read and follow the simple and straightforward guidelines on the front page, and the quality of the posts reflect that, for the most part.

But now we've reached a level of maturity and number that that requires another look at the way we do things. This is a living community, which means that guidelines grow and change as the community grows and changes.

One of the things that has made Dark Christianity what it currently is is the rigor and depth of the research and discussion here. We've worked hard to keep this comm from degenerating into a snark, debate, or bashing community, and for the most part, it has worked. We have sought- and have mostly succeeded- in becoming a great launching point for questions, discussion, insight, research, and education.

What does this mean for you, the member? It means that we require a level of responsibility and rigor above and beyond the Live Journal norm when you post about stuff. Do not presume that the readers know what you are talking about. If your subject is the least bit vague or possibly confusing, and requires a bit of explanation, please provide that background and context. Don't just slap something up that might be satire, or from a questionable source, and expect it to go unchallenged. It won't.

There are a lot of highly educated people here. They are the ones who can discern the difference in sources and resources will question you - sometimes sharply. Perhaps you do not have an academic background. That's OK. What we ask is that you do your homework, and think about what you're posting and what its impact will be on the readers here.

The bottom line here is that this isn't a place to stir crap, start 'holy wars', proselytize (any faith!), or anything else of that order. If you toss down a gauntlet, be prepared to have it returned to you. And be prepared to hear from the moderation team, too. While we try to accommodate a large variety of viewpoints and subjects on this board, our ultimate goal is to keep the meta-discussion on-topic. That is your responsibility as well. So, if we ask for more information, or clarification on something posted, it isn't because we're picking on you, it's because we want you to meet the high standards that this community has achieved.

Keep up the good work, folks.