Wanted to ascertain if the moderator imposed ban on any threads mentioning...........,located in Scranton, PA. was over? My memory says it ended at midnight on the 11th. but I want to be sure before I initiate/paricipate in any conversation on the subject.

As those who participate on other boards are aware there has been a new development there which might have an impact on some peoples schedules/plans.

Please post the answer when you can.

Thanks, Ross Rowland

rrowland@weidel.com

Yes, the moratorium on discussing Steamtown is lifted as of midnight last night.

However, I intend to apply the most strict scrutiny to any discussion of Steamtown for some time to come. Any posts which run contrary to the letter and spirit of our revised Guidelines will be deleted without further ado, and the entire moratorium will be swiftly restored if the conversation turns unproductive.

A few thoughts to keep in mind if you want to post about Steamtown:

1. Identify facts as facts. Identify your opinions as your opinions. Facts are things that can be verified by identifiable printed sources or personal observation. Opinions are your thoughts about the meaning or significance of facts. DO NOT confuse the two.

2. We will not use Steamtown as a reason to debate larger issues of political and economic philosophy which are better debated on other forums. Just don't go there.

3. We will disuss Steamtown in only the most courteous of language. Sarcasm, innuendo, hyperbole, and rhetoric for its own sake will results in posts being delted and the thread ended. Please note, this does not mean you cannot be critical. It is possible to be devistatingly critical while being courteous. It simply means you have to marshal your arguments like a legal brief or an engineering report or a consultant's report, not a stump speech or a tirade.

One final note: I direct this advice at all of us, including myself, not at any poster or posters in particular. Most of us who participated in the Steamtown threads used poor judgement at one time or another, and all of us will collectively do better, or I will ban the topic again.

eledbetter@rypn.org

> Yes, the moratorium on discussing Steamtown
> is lifted as of midnight last night.

> However, I intend to apply the most strict
> scrutiny to any discussion of Steamtown for
> some time to come. Any posts which run
> contrary to the letter and spirit of our
> revised Guidelines will be deleted without
> further ado, and the entire moratorium will
> be swiftly restored if the conversation
> turns unproductive.

> A few thoughts to keep in mind if you want
> to post about Steamtown:

> 1. Identify facts as facts. Identify your
> opinions as your opinions. Facts are things
> that can be verified by identifiable printed
> sources or personal observation. Opinions
> are your thoughts about the meaning or
> significance of facts. DO NOT confuse the
> two.

> 2. We will not use Steamtown as a reason to
> debate larger issues of political and
> economic philosophy which are better debated
> on other forums. Just don't go there.

> 3. We will disuss Steamtown in only the most
> courteous of language. Sarcasm, innuendo,
> hyperbole, and rhetoric for its own sake
> will results in posts being delted and the
> thread ended. Please note, this does not
> mean you cannot be critical. It is possible
> to be devistatingly critical while being
> courteous. It simply means you have to
> marshal your arguments like a legal brief or
> an engineering report or a consultant's
> report, not a stump speech or a tirade.

> One final note: I direct this advice at all
> of us, including myself, not at any poster
> or posters in particular. Most of us who
> participated in the Steamtown threads used
> poor judgement at one time or another, and
> all of us will collectively do better, or I
> will ban the topic again.
Thank you Erik for the ground rules should one want to post something about...................., located in Pa.

I've got something constructive to say---I'm working on getting it into PC form. Be back later.

Ross Rowland

rrowland@weidel.com