Posted: September 06, 1999 at 17:11:47: by The Administrators
Members of the White Council recently became concerned over the "No Commercial Announcements" rule we have implemented for Xenite.Org's message boards since we first started creating them. We plan to eventaully revise the FAQs to clarify the rule but will for now post advisories to the more active boards which some concerns may exist.It is our intent to restrict off-topic, exploitative, or misleading content, not to prevent legitimate commercial concerns who may provide a service or product of interest to visitors on our message boards from connecting with the fans. However, we also do not wish to see these boards become systematic announcement forums. There are classified ad sites which serve that purpose better. The Xena Online Resources Message board is the only board which was created for the purpose of announcing Web sites, but it has since moved on to general discussion because Xena Online Resources is now able to be more responsive to new submissions. We still welcome Web site announcements there, but our focus is more on general discussion, answering fans' questions, and providing links to information. Occasional update announcements are reviewed by one or more of the administrators at Xenite.Org. If you see the announcement is still on the board after a day or two, then you may assume we have approved its content. In rare situations we may be delayed in removing unacceptable messages. Hence, in the FARSCAPE MESSAGE BOARD's case, Brian Knatchbull's occasional announcements for the Henson Web site are most welcome, and none have been deleted. Responsible communication from members of the business community and "official" entities associated with fandom is a reasonable use of these message boards. Announcemebts of auctions on Ebay, as are common on the Andre Norton Message Board, are preferable to conducting auctions on the Xenite.Org boards. We feel that as long as general discussion is not stifled (and this may include threads on collecting, the care and value of collectibles, resources for collecting, etc.) then occasional auction announcements are welcome, too. We much prefer to let each message board community evolve in the direction it most naturally seeks to go rather than dictate iron-clad policies on content, topicality, and behavior. In general, common sense prevails and we are pleased with the broad participation we have received from the science fiction and fantasy communities. Thank you all. The Administrators
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