As an online forum, we have a few rules that govern what you can (or cannot) post on the site.

There is one overarching principle we hope you will follow when using our site: BE RESPECTFUL.

Be Respectful

What does it mean to be respectful? Well, we think you learned all about that in third grade, but in case you forgot, being respectful means that you recognize those around you might have different points of view than you and that you appreciate those points of view for being unique to that individual who has them, even if you disagree with them.

When we are respectful of others, we can have conversations with them even when we disagree. We seek to understand, and sometimes, even to change the minds of others. Conversations can facilitate that type of exchange, can educate, and can foster further discussions. But in conversing, we should never harass, make fun of, condescend, dismiss, or intimidate others just because they have a different point of view. This is especially important on a site like this where so much of our material is the written word, where things like sarcasm can be easily misunderstood. Think about that before posting something that you may think is innocent, but which might actually hurts others or cause them distress.

Sometimes we reach an impasse with others, and when that happens we should agree to disagree and discontinue the conversation. There will be time for other conversations on that topic or similar topics, perhaps with additional points of view or with a different understanding that only time can create.

Freedom of Speech

We strongly believe in freedom of speech. We have an audience spread across many cultures and backgrounds with varying values and our service is designed to let users freely express any ideas and opinions without us censoring or endorsing them. That being said, there are a few categories of content and behavior that we don’t permit because we consider them harmful to the community.

To be transparent about what is and isn’t allowed on this site, we’ve put together this set of guidelines. The following activity/material isn’t allowed on Nearfall.org.

Illegal content and conduct. This is self-explanatory. If it’s illegal, it’s illegal to post online too. Just don’t do it.

Intellectual property infringement. Nearfall.org is a publishing platform, rather than a file-sharing platform, so we recognize that copyrighted materials are often used in fair use context. We strongly support this and urge copyright holders to take this into consideration before submitting complaints. If you’re not sure, the golden rule is to always ask the rights holder for permission before republishing their content.

Mature Content. We know that there may be different definitions of these words, but generally, we define mature content as text, images or videos that contain nudity, offensive language, and mature subject material. Posts with mature content will be removed and the poster will be removed from the site.

Technologically harmful content. Please don’t upload or link to malware, spyware, adware, or other malicious or destructive code.

Impersonation. Don’t claim to be a person or organization you’re not.

Calls to violence. We prohibit content that incites, encourages, threatens, or promotes acts of violence against individuals or groups of people. We also remove content that glorifies acts of violence or its perpetrators. This does not mean that we will remove all hyperbolic or generally offensive language.

Posting private information. Don’t share someone’s personal information without their consent.

Hotlinking. Your posts shouldn’t host files that will only be used on other sites. We’re here for community. That means don’t just use this space to post links to other sites without first telling us why the link is relevant to the readers of this site.

Spam or machine-generated content. You know what this is, but in general, content primarily dedicated to drive traffic to third-party sites, boost SEO, phish, spoof, or promote affiliate marketing aren’t cool. We don’t want you to pollute the community, so we ask you to please avoid sending unwanted or unsolicited promotions or emails.

Bear in mind that these are just guidelines — interpretations are solely up to the administrators. These guidelines are not exhaustive and are subject to change.

If you believe any content on nearfall.org content has violated one of these policies, please report it. There is a report button on every piece of content on this site.

We aim to promptly review and investigate all complaints that we receive, but if and how we respond will depend on a variety of factors, such as the information available to us and the type of violation. We may also contact the poster of the content to inform him/her of the complaint.

That’s it. You know how to navigate the site and you know the rules of the road.

Now, let’s hit the mats!