New Community Guidelines

Around July 1st, SB Nation will be presenting uniform community guidelines for all 300 plus team sites. Here are the 11 rules enforced in comments, Fan Posts, and usernames.

1. Excessive profanity. As most of us are adults, and in sports profanity can be common, it is allowed in small doses. You'll even see it in stories from time to time. Just don't go over the top.

2. Creating multiple user names for the purpose of trolling or disrupting the community is not permitted. Persons creating such user names will have those names banned and/or deleted without notice. Similarly, posts made for such purposes are subject to deletion without notice.

3. Posts created for the sole purpose of advertising or other commercial purposes will be deleted without notice.

4. Personal attacks or threats on community members, directly or through sarcasm/belittling.

5. Comments, FanPosts or usernames that are intolerant or prejudiced (sexist, racist, homophobic, etc.) in nature.

6. Gendered insults of any kind, in comments, FanPosts or usernames.

7. Comments, FanPosts or usernames that make light of serious crime of any kind; specifically domestic violence, DUI, sexual assault.

8. Offensive imagery of any kind is not allowed, including violent, explicit and demeaning imagery.

9. Comments, FanPosts or usernames that make light of any physical, mental, behavioral or psychological disorder.

10. The sharing of illegal game streams is not allowed. Legal streams (via NBC Sports, WatchESPN, etc.) can be shared freely, but links to or requests for illegal, pirated streams are not allowed.

11. The "first post" rule: if you break any of the above guidelines in your first post at the site, it likely means that you are creating an account just to disrupt the community, and that won’t be tolerated. We will ban your account, and you can reach out to us via email if you believe there was a misunderstanding.

One or two of these appear problematic - not in principle but rather in how moderators will interpret (Derek Willis' recent non-DUI, definition of "profane" and "belittling", etc) - but overall this should help establish order across a wide network that's increasingly getting more attention.

These guidelines were created without the input of site managers which has resulted in, let's just say, some consternation. We live in a world where the strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must.

In all seriousness, I don't think we'll have issues. The commentariat around here makes Rupp Rafters look like a white tie affair, and the mods do try and exercise patience most days. We'll get through these changes together.

Questions? Maybe we have answers.