Please feel free to offer suggestions below, as this set of rules is STILL IN "DRAFT" MODE. We'd like to come to a mutual agreement as to what the rules should be.

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Dear TDR subscriber and SmallTalk participant: We have an appreciation for all of our readers. There are those who seem to always see everything through rose-colored glasses, and those who almost always seem to have only something negative to say. It's all good, in our opinion, as long as the few rules we have are maintained (I'll come back and update/expand upon this):

1. Participation in our SmallTalk discussion area is limited to TDR subscribers who have provided accurate information when subscribing to this web-based newspaper. We do not charge a subscription fee… and we invest an enormous amount of time in providing you with news, features, periodic contests and this discussion area. One of the LEAST things you can do in return, is to not disrespect this effort by providing fake, inaccurate, or misleading information when you subscribe (especially since you can opt-out of having this info displayed to other readers). Please go to the "Change My Setting" link to update your information and keep it current, as email addresses sometimes change.

2. No personal attacks (i.e., no flaming). Posts that contain some kind of direct insult to another discussion participant will be deleted. While you are, of course, free to disagree with what someone else says, even to go as far as to say "I think your comment is rather stupid," it's NOT OK to write "I think you're stupid." We trust our readers will understand the difference, and keep far away from that line that should not be crossed.

3. No vulgar language (no matter how those words might be spelled or abbreviated). In particular, we disapprove of words that might still sound vulgar to some readers (myself included actually, even if I hear one word in particular quite often, unfortunately, while riding the NYC subway) and you may also no longer think of it as being particularly vulgar. We ask you to please be ladies and gentlemen.

4. No blind SmallTalk thread topics. A reader should not have to guess as to what the topic is about; should not have to "click in" in order to discover that. For example, "Guess what?" would AT LEAST need to be "Guess what song I just heard on the radio?." Since that still involves a bit of guessing, "Just heard 'One Wish' on WPLJ New York" would be better yet.

5. Please avoid starting a NEW discussion topic, if a previously created topic on this same subject already exists (within recent memory).

6. Only reply if you have something to add to the discussion! Some SmallTalk participants seem to think they have to reply to every single thread, no matter if they have something of value to add to the discussion or not. If you don't know the answer to a question, please don't bother replying with things like "I can't help you" or "I don't know"? Such an answer doesn't help anyone serves only to interfere with someone trying to read quickly through the responses. Similarly, we discourage posts where you have nothing much more to say than "I agree" or "Me too."

7. The Daily Roxette does not allow links to direct downloads, nor the use of TDR for "sharing" songs. [as pointed out in comments below… this rule needs further clarification]

8. If you have something to say, don't repeat words thinking it has more impact. Example: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, YES!!!!!!!! It's just a waste of space. Is the same point not conveyed in THIS example: Yes, yes, YES!!! Therefore, no more than three (3) repetitive words OR punctuation marks!!! (one, two, THREE exclamation points… and I've reached the limit)

9. We do not allow comments, or any portion of a comment, to be in any language other than English. There are some exceptions to this rule: a) This rule does not apply in the International discussions section. b) A short sentence or two is allowed, as long as a translation into English is included in parenthesis: Förstår du? (Do you understand?) c) The only other exception we can think of… would be in an article or thread that was set up (by TDR) for use in an "Ask Per" scenario. Questions posed in Swedish would not be deleted in this particular case.

10. No one may join a discussion topic simply to sabotage it, or in an obvious attempt to "bait" others into responding to him/her in a negative way. Some needy people crave attention so much, that they get some kind of perverse "kick" out of stirring things up… just so they can come back and see the mess they created. This will not be tolerated here.

11. There will be no hijacking of discussion threads. Stick to the original topic. Consider starting a new discussion topic, rather than make the current one into a discussion about something that was not originally intended.

12. Contrary to popular belief (or so it seems sometimes) this is NOT a completely open "forum." How many times have we read some ill-informed subscriber state "I have the right to my opinion. I have the right to say anything I want to here, you can't tell me to shut up" or something quite similar to that. First of all, no reader should ever tell another reader to "shut up" (see Rule #2). But we've said many times, in many places, that TDR reserves the right, like any other publication (especially a news-oriented publication), to edit (for brevity, clarity or violation of a set rule) or to completely unpublish any comment. Just because we currently give you the privilege of self-posting without prior review by a moderator, that doesn't mean you have the right to "free speech" here, as the concept of free speech only applies in a public forum (a public park for example), and this is a privately-held publication. If you want to exercise that particular right on the Internet, start your own website or blog.

13. TDR does not wish to publish comments that appear to be racist, homophobic, or non-tolerant of any other group of people.

14. Just like everywhere else on SmallTalk, the subject of new discussion topic in the MarketPlace section must clearly and simply indicate what is for sale, and not contain "promotional fluff." "Look at this GREAT eBay item!!" for example would NOT be allowed, whereas "eBay auction: Roxette Times Square t-shirt" would be. We would also ask that some self-constraint be shown… and that the privilige of posting here not be abused by a seller coming back to "bump" his/her post back up to the top (or having a friend post to the thread for this purpose).

15. Finally, allow us to encourage you to BE NICE to each other. We're all brothers and sisters here in the usually happy, sometimes slightly disfunctional family that someone many, many years ago called "Roxers." [does anyone remember who coined this term?] Please have respect for others, and try — as best as you can — to think through what you have to say here BEFORE YOU POST IT, as much as we take the time to write, edit, and re-edit what we publish ourselves.

 

RELATED THOUGHTS: We worked very hard over the years to establish The Daily Roxette as the premiere source of credible information about all things Roxette-related. Ever since Visa Kopu, our Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, first established this website, he had the idea to do so using a newspaper model. Not only have we been fortunate enough to gain the respect of fans… and enjoy very robust, sometimes amazing circulation figures (that would be "number of hits" for those of you not quite in the newspaper mindset), but we've been honored to be recognized as equally entitled to be part of the "press" or "media" by Roxette's management, record label, and for that matter, Per and Marie themselves. While we often cite other publications, we have to admit we're thrilled when some other newspaper picks up on one of OUR stories, and cites "The Daily Roxette" as their source. Most of our readers would probably be shocked to learn how much time has gone into all of this…. how much time it takes just to write, edit and publish ONE news article. All of us on staff are unpaid. TDR does not charge a mandatory subsciption fee (although we do solicit voluntary contibutions). All we ask of our subscribers, is to understand what this newpaper is all about, and to honor our work here by not making it more difficult for us. We consider it a HUGE waste of our time to have to go in and edit out something that the writer should never have included in the first place. We'd much rather spend what time we have available to devote to TDR in providing content.