- Ad hominem insults and personal attacks are not allowed.
- In the interest of dignity, please keep profane and vulgar language to a minimum, and any such terms to a “PG” level if they must be used.
- Use of this blog to promote one’s own website is discouraged. If you wish to participate here, then participation here is expected. Comments may contain a link to one’s own site, but only if they also contain weather-related content. Comments that do not contain any meteorological content, but merely claim that the commenter’s forecast or thoughts can be found at an external link, are regarded as spam and will be removed.
- The correct word is “forecaster.” The use of such contemptuous neologisms as “wishcaster,” “doomcaster,” etc., only brings anger and strife to a community, and the application of any such term is strictly prohibited. If you disagree with someone’s forecast and choose to comment on it, you are expected to state your case, or at least give reasons for your disagreement, rather than simply uttering an insult.
- Shaming people for offering opinions contrary to the official forecast is not well-regarded here and is considered by the blog owner as a damper on free speech. The purpose of this and other weather blogs is not to regurgitate forecasts from the government; there are better and quicker ways to get official information. People potentially in the path of weather systems are responsible for their own decisions, and if they choose to act on something they read on a blog, it is not the fault of the blogger. I got into a vehicle and drove out of the path of an EF-5 tornado once because of information I had received on Twitter and on radar, and I take full responsibility for that choice. Personal responsibility may be a dying concept these days, but this blog still holds to the principle and therefore encourages discussion of the weather beyond the official forecasts.
- Any comment containing forged content will be deleted. This includes (but is not limited to) false NWS advisories, false attributions, fabricated model runs passed off as real, and reference to nonexistent models or sources. Opinions are NOT false information, and disagreement with official sources even about details (e.g., disagreement about a hurricane’s position or intensity) is NOT false information; however, such disagreements are NOT to be stated in the form of a forged advisory.
- The position of this blog is that deliberate, secret government weather modification is not taking place. Discussion of this conspiracy theory is regarded as off-topic and not permitted. Note that this has no bearing whatever upon discussion of anthropogenic climate change (“global warming”), the inadvertent effects of man’s activities upon the weather at any scale, the theoretical aspects of weather modification, or known past attempts at modifying the weather (such as Project Stormfury).
- Being a meteorologist or meteorology student is not a “kill shot” in an argument and is not cause for additional respect. Your forecasts should speak for themselves, and the quality of your forecasts plus your behavior will determine the respect you receive. Using your credentials as a boast, to shut down arguments, or to denigrate other people’s opinions without offering scientific reasons for your disagreement, is not permitted here.
- Debate of certain personal, sensitive matters such as politics and religion is strongly discouraged on this blog. For example: If you want to say that you are praying for a storm not to come your way, that is fine, but do not add any swipes at people who would not make that prayer. Likewise, if you read such a comment and think that such a prayer is a waste of time, keep that opinion to yourself, because the comment does not hurt anything. Whatever position you may take in political and religious matters, it is important to remember self-control and recognize that not every difference of opinion warrants evangelism, insults, or even a statement that you do disagree. “Live and let live” is the policy here. The blog owner reserves the right to remove any comments that appear to be incendiary.
August 21, 2011
Blog Policies and Expectations
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