Community Guidelines
for the Forum

To provide a space for meaningful, constructive, and respectful interaction, reader analysis, and feedback around our content.

Good faith

We interact in good faith, treating fellow community members with fairness and integrity.

• Examples of what to do:
  • Give others the benefit of the doubt if a comment seems ambiguous.
  • Keep discussions focused on story analysis rather than personal conflicts.
  • Engage with a mindset of shared enjoyment rather than competition.
• Examples of what to avoid:
  • Spreading rumors, making personal accusations, or posting retaliatory comments.
  • Dynamic pile-ons or targeting individual readers or creators during disagreements.

Privacy and trust

We build community trust through authentic participation and respect for privacy.

• Examples of what to do:
  • Represent yourself honestly and own up to mistakes or misunderstandings with a simple apology.
  • Respect boundaries and keep private conversations or personal details off public boards.
  • Report platform issues or rule breaches through official moderation channels.
• Examples of what to avoid:
  • Sharing another user’s personal information, real name, or images without explicit consent (doxxing).
  • Misleading claims, fake accounts, unsolicited self-promotion, or spamming links across unrelated threads.

Respect for every reader

We uphold everyone’s dignity and welcome diverse perspectives, preferences, and backgrounds.

• Examples of what to do:
  • Use correct pronouns and respect personal identity labels.
  • Critique story elements, tropes, or plot beats—not the author or fellow readers.
  • Acknowledge that taste in fiction is subjective; what works for one reader may not work for another.
• Examples of what to avoid:
  • Hate speech, personal insults, slur usage, or hostile language.
  • Mocking someone’s reading preferences, favorite tropes, or character interpretations.
  • Relying on heavy sarcasm or "inside jokes" that serve to exclude or belittle others.

Language, content warnings and spoilers

We choose language and formatting that keeps discussions accessible, welcoming, and spoiler-free.

• Examples of what to do:
  • Use proper content/trigger warnings and apply spoiler tags when discussing major plot points or twists.
  • Keep explicit discussions, heavy NSFW feedback, or media restricted to designated NSFW areas.
  • State your viewpoint as an opinion ("I felt that...") rather than an absolute truth ("This chapter was...").
• Examples of what to avoid:
  • Posting untagged spoilers in public feed headlines or thread titles.
  • Assuming negative intent behind someone's creative choices or reading habits.
  • Using passive-aggressive teasing or boundary-pushing jokes under the guise of humor.

A supportive community

We foster a supportive space where readers and creators can discover content and learn together.

• Examples of what to do:
  • Recommend stories, lists, or threads that match what a user is searching for.
  • Help newer members navigate site tags, content warnings, and platform features.
  • Offer constructive, thoughtful feedback when creators explicitly invite it.
• Examples of what to avoid:
  • Shaming or gatekeeping readers for what they choose to read, skip, or bookmark.
  • Leaving unsolicited, purely destructive criticism on stories when non-critical feedback was requested.

How moderation works

Our goal is to maintain a supportive space where everyone can discuss and enjoy fiction safely. When conflicts or guideline slips happen, our moderation approach prioritizes education, de-escalation, and opportunity for repair over immediate punishment.

We view moderation as a collaborative effort to keep our community healthy.

Except in severe cases involving safety, doxxing, or illegal activity, we follow a step-by-step approach to resolve issues:

1. A reminder

• What happens: A moderator reaches out privately or leaves a light inline comment (e.g., reminding users to add spoiler tags, move NSFW discussions to designated spaces, or adjust tone).
• Intent: Assume good faith. Most minor slips are accidental. We aim to clarify site expectations without penalty.

2. Content and thread moderation

• What happens: If a discussion becomes heated or strays from our values:
  • Content Edits/Removal: Out-of-bounds comments or untagged spoilers may be hidden, edited, or removed.
  • Thread Cleanup / Locks: Moderators may temporarily or permanently lock a thread to allow tempers to cool and prevent further conflict.
• Intent: Protect the community space and de-escalate tension before personal conflicts escalate.

3. A private warning

• What happens: If minor issues recur or a clear boundary is crossed (e.g., persistent rudeness, boundary-pushing jokes, or ignoring previous reminders), a moderator will send a private message detailing:
  • The specific guideline involved.
  • Why the behavior was harmful or out of step with our values.
  • Clear guidance on how to adjust future interactions.
• Intent: Provide a direct, confidential opportunity for learning and self-correction.

4. A temporary pause

• What happens: If warnings are unheeded or a moderate breach of guidelines occurs (e.g., targeted harassing comments, deliberate spoiler dumping, or repeated spam):
  • Account access (posting, commenting, or messaging) is paused for a set duration (e.g., 24 hours, 3 days, or 7 days).
• Intent: Give all involved parties time and space to step back, reset, and re-read the community guidelines.

5. Removal from the community

• What happens: Reserved for severe or persistent violations where a user repeatedly demonstrates an unwillingness to align with community values.
• Immediate Removal Offenses: Zero-tolerance violations bypass progressive steps and lead to immediate permanent removal. These include:
  • Doxxing or sharing private information without consent.
  • Hate speech, slurs, or targeted harassment campaigns.
  • Malicious spam, scamming, or intentionally malicious acts.

Communication and appeals

• Respectful Communication: Moderators will communicate clearly, calmly, and privately regarding enforcement actions.
• Appeal Process: If you feel an enforcement action was made in error or was misunderstood, you may submit a polite appeal via our primary support/moderation contact channel. We ask that appeals be conducted with the same respect and good faith we ask of all community interactions.

Forum moderation appeals: appeals@adrianthorne.com

Return to the Forum