Community Standards

The Jets stink, we know this.  Fans are frustrated, the team is frustrated; it can lead to regrettable behavior.  It in fact has led to regrettable behavior here on GGN recently, from suggesting the Jets GM should shoot himself in the head to rooting for serious injury to excessive cursing in violation of site guidelines.  So it's time for a reminder of the few rules we have here at GGN.  It seems we may all need a refresher course in some things that are not appropriate.

1.  We attempt to keep this a family friendly site.  That means if Johnny Nine Year Old Jets Fan wanders on to the site, we try to make sure Johnny's parents wouldn't be shocked and appalled to find what Johnny's been reading.  So, no cursing.  We recognize that occasionally in the heat of the moment some of you may become a bit more... ahem... colorful.  But it should only be done rarely, and only in the heat of the moment.  It also should go without saying that there is an unspoken hierarchy in colorful language.  As you should all know, dropping the F bomb is particularly inappropriate, and if you do it you will be warned.   If you continue to make a habit of it, you will be banned.  In addition, replacing a letter or two with symbols so that it technically is not an offensive expletive does not change things at all.  If Johnny Nine Year Old can decipher the meaning, then it's the same as if you posted the actual word.  Don't do it.

2.  Just because you aren't cursing doesn't mean you're in the clear.  Particularly salacious means of expressing excitement involving lurid descriptions of overt sexual acts may not be cursing, but they are equally inappropriate.  Please refrain from doing this.  If you wouldn't want your young child  listening to such a conversation at home, please don't bring it here.  If you are unsure whether it's appropriate or not, err on the side of caution.  Find a different way to express yourself other than NC-17 rated sexual language.

3.  Ad hominem attacks (i.e., addressing the supposed defects of the person you are conversing with rather than the particulars of his argument) are strictly forbidden.  So don't insult people, don't tell people they're stupid or naive, or don't know anything about football, etc.  Tell them why they're wrong.  Argue your points as forcefully as you wish, but don't make it personal.  This applies equally to blanket statements like "some people around here are irrational" or  "typical Jets fans, panicking, etc... ".   Just because you insult a whole group of people rather than just one individual doesn't make it any less of a personal attack.  Again, dismantle the ideas, but do not attack the person(s).

4.  I just had to delete a comment that suggested John Idzik should shoot himself in the head.  Yes, it was a joke. No, that doesn’t matter. I have had to issue multiple warnings about this over the last week.  We at GGN do not condone or tolerate any member wishing for, making threats of, or otherwise talking about violence or death to any other person in an approving manner, whether or not it was a joke.  Violating this rule will get you warned or banned.

5.  Authors of articles produced outside of GGN have intellectual property rights to their works.  That means if you copy and paste their works in their entirety into something here on GGN without the author's express permission, you are in violation of intellectual property laws.  Do not do it.  Every website depends on page views to support the advertising that makes the site's very existence possible.  If you reproduce somebody else's work in its entirety and post it on GGN, then that outside author will not get your traffic on his site. In essence, you are stealing from that author.  The proper way to handle this is to post a few small snippets from the article, then post a link that readers can click through to the original author's site.  That way GGN readers get the benefit of all the good work being done elsewhere, and the authors get the benefit of the page views that their works are rightfully generating.  Everybody wins.  Please note that if you do post items in their entirety without the author's express permission, you will be notified of it and asked to edit your work to bring it within these guidelines.  If you fail to do so, your work will be taken down.

6.  No politics. No politics. No politics.  Also, no politics.  This is a sports blog.  Nobody cares about your political views. Don't bring politics into any discussion.  This includes jokes about politics or political figures.

7.  People in this country are considered innocent unless and until they are convicted of a crime in a court of law.  When discussing the latest transgression of player X, DO NOT SUGGEST IN ANY WAY HE IS GUILTY UNLESS HE HAS ALREADY BEEN CONVICTED. Use the word "alleged" if you wish to discuss unproven allegations or pending charges.

These are basically common sense rules for civil discourse.  The heat of a lost season can sometimes bring out the worst in us.  Please don't let this happen to GGN.

Simple rules to live by.  Please follow them.  If anything is questionable or gives you pause, find a different way to express yourself.  Thank you all for attending to this and keeping GGN the kind of site we can all be proud of.