Blog Policy and Guidelines
First, I want LBF to be a constructive place on the web for Lebanese people. I realize the current hot topic is Hariri and Syria and it is an emotional time. Everybody has the right to speak about this topic here, of course. But I hope we will exchange our opinions and/or personal thoughts on a wide-range of topics while expressing the willingness to engage one another regardless of our background and what those opinions or thoughts may include. In this spirit, we are each as Lebanese as the other even if we see things differently. We are equals, in other words. Besides, if we each have the same opinion it won't be as interesting.
I look forward to inviting every Lebanese blogger to participate here. We will get in a better rhythm as some time passes. It's all so new still! But it's very exciting.
So, with the help of Eve and co-opting the policy of a Lebanese yahoo group she directed me to, I've decided to apply a few simple guidelines to ensure civility and constructiveness (; and I am fully aware I'm guilty of flying off the handle earlier, so I want to ensure that doesn't happen again).
So here it is!
Please refrain from uploading political pages or parties or links to them. News is no problem, polls either bas khaleh il a7zeb bil bet a7ma la2im w 2awis. However, hyper-linking is encouraged for sourcing in the context of one's own words. Refrain from personal attacks and be respectful of the opinion of others when engaging one another to ensure a constructive exchange of ideas. We are Lebanon, and we will be representing Lebanon online. Only blog in pajamas once a day.
See it as Cyber-Ambassadorship. So, dress well and use good cyber-hygiene! I'm open to adding a couple things if they are precise and important, but this will be the operating basis of LBF from this day forth. I apologize for not having one immediately when it was started.
Lets spread the Lebanese Love
xxxliminal
ps
i've put a list of the contributors thus far at the end of the sidebar. if you think they should be at the top of the bar (i couldn't decide which was best), make your voice heard...if you like where they are, stay silent.
posted by liminal @ 12:20 PM
32 Comments:
I definitely think they should be at the top. The blog looks empty this way. Anyway, I don't know if this is a common problem or not, but I can't even view them at the bottom. They just appear for a second at first, and then..pouf! disappear.
you really cannot see the links on the right in the sidebar? what browswer are you using? and how long do they flash there?
etrange, non?
everybody visiting please give me the information above please! ;)
lets figure out what's going on.
lim.
if you're not using firefox, i highly recommend you get it. it's the least buggy browser out there. people can mess with you easier if you've got internet explorer.
open source is for lovers,
:) lim
LIMINAL,HI
HI EVERBODY ,
IN THE MIDDLE EAST WE ARE STILL BEYONG AMERICAN SOPHISTICATED TECHNOLOGY ,WE ARE USING INTERNET EXPLORER.DAMN
ANYWAY ,I HAVE NEVER USED THIS FIREFOX AND I AM NOT INTENDING TO START USING IT NOW
USUALLY MOST OF MY VISITORS TO MY SITE ARE USING INTERNET EXPLORER.
PLEASE HELP US AND PUT THE WHOLE LINKS AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE.
I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM LIKE EVE.
I SORT IT OUT BY MAKING SELECT ALL,COPY AND PASTE THE WHOLE FRONT PAGE TO WORD TO SEE WHAT WE HAVE IN THE BOTTOM,STUPID FROM ME AND I THOUGHT IT IS MY STUPID BROWSER.
I WILL READ AGAIN THE RULES TO ANALYSE WHAT IS THE POLICY OF THE BLOG
انشالله ما تكون القوانين متل قوانين حزب البعث
THANKS ALL
OK I READ THE POLICY ,FINE WITH ME
BUT WHAT ABOUT OTHER TOPICS LIKE RELIGION AND SCIENCE
I CONSIDER MYSELF I AM NOT A BELEIVER IN ANY RELIGION,DOES THIS BLOG ACCEPT MY IDEAS REGARDING THE SAME OR I HAVE TO AVOID SUCH ARTICLES ?
DO YOU WANT ALL SUBJECTS TO BE RELATED TO LEBANON ,I AM NOT SAYING AM AGAINST IT BUT TO DRAW THE LIMITS OF MY SUBJECTS.I AM TRYING TO AVOID FUTURE ARTICLES BY ME TO BE DELETED BY YOU.
THANK YOU
CHAO
Good job with the "Rules of Conduct" Liminal, I have no objections at all!
As for the list, sorry but I don't see them either. I use firefox too, so I don't think it's the browser... could it be the CSS?
Thanks for all your work, I never got a chance to say so before :)
Ramzi
ZouNazar,
You think your method of sorting it out is stupid? wait till you hear mine :-) Before the whole page opens, I quickly press stop, so that the links don't disappear. and it doesn't work out all the time, since I use a laptop with no mouse.
I don't know what all fellow bloggers think about topics discussing religion and science. Personally, I think if you have valid arguments, and aren't disrespectful of other sides, it shouldn't be a problem. Aslan, it is mentioned in the guidlines: "refrain from personal attacks...". but anyway, let's hear what others bloggers have to say about this.
CORRECTION: side bar works fine with FireFox
Liminal, do you think you would/should add a poll on the site? How do the bloggers feel about this?
freepolls.com can create (drumroll...) free polls for websites
I can see the sidebar in Firefox, but no sidebar at all in IE. I don't think many users in Lebanon will be using Firefox (mostly due to the slow download speed and the hassle of obtaining it the first time)
zounazar,
try to get firefox. it seems like it will help. and...about topics: i think the focus at LBF should be one's own words. we should be excahnging our feelings, thoughts, and experiences in our own words here. we can bring sources in to flesh-out our own thoughts. that is great, actually. one of the keys to a great blog is using hyperlinks aplenty. but long quotes from something somebody else writes can be very boring. i enjoy the personalizing aspects of blogs. and i enjoy using images to refect certain moods or ideas. so, i recommend you get an account with flickr.com if you like images! it really easy and it integrates into the blogger.com system. you can blog directly from the flickr page.
what else what else...
you can speak about anything as long as you're respectful and follow the code of conduct. if i feel like this has been breached, then don't be surprised to see it gone...or have me ask you to re-write it to either be more sensitive to others, or remove foul language. i expect this sort of thing to pop up. we should just self-regulate...and if that doesn't work...i or another administrator will step in. that's another thing: we're going to learn as we go along. i don't want to squash anybody's expression. i just want the exchange of ideas to be as respectful and polite. again, we're ambassadors of Lebanon. That's how I see it.
eve, ramzi, firas, & zounazar:
About the browser situation,
Ok...I realize IE is dominant in Lebanon. Let's try to change that. I'm serious. Start to use firefox. And tell all your friends about it. Hackers and bad code take advantage of internet explorer to make your life less enjoyable online. I despise IE for this reason. It appears as though it's a problem in our case, unfortunately. I realize it takes a while to download it, but it is well-worth the wait.
and ramzi, yea polls are great...send in your question and i'll try to work it out. i use bravenet, it's great. check it out. i'll check out freepolls.com ...bravenet's cool because you have a number of different services in one spot.
okay everybody! thank you for your feedback! let me know what happens with everything...blog on and send me your links and miscellaneous love
i'll shutup now! :X
EVE,
HONESTLY AND FRANKLY I COULD SAY THAT ANY KIND OF RULES IN ANY SITE IS LITTLE A CONSERVATIVE WAY
SINCE WE ARE LEBANESE WE NEED TO REFLECT OUR THOUGHTS FREELY WITHOUT HIDING OUR IDENTITY.I FEEL THAT THERE ARE SITES WHICH
ARE OPENED AND CRAZY IN IDEAS LIKE LADEENI.NET.
HOW DO YOU WANT ME TO HIDE ONE SIDE OF MY PERSONALITY AND SHOW YOU THE FACE WHICH EVERYBODY LIKE AND FEEL SECURE.IT IS ME ,I CANNOT HIDE MYSELF ,LEBANESE ARE VERY CONVERSATIVE IN OPENED IDEAS
I THINK IT IS KIND OF NAZI THOUGHTS TO AVOID RELIGION DISCUSSION WHICH WILL DEFINITELY WILL HURT MANY PEOPLE
ALSO I THINK IT IS A KIND OF BAASI REGIME TO AVOID SCIENCE WHICH WILL NOT ADOPTED BY MANY
SO WHAT LEFT OF ME
GHOST WITH SOME IDEAS
IF WE ARE LEBANESE WE HAVE TO DISCUSS ALL
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO VISIT LADEENI.NET AND SEE ALL KINDS OF DISCUSSION
CURSE IS NOT ALLOWED AND PERSONEL ATTACK
END OF STORY
I AM A MEMBER IN LADEENI.NET UNDER SAMIR YOUSEF NICK NAME
ANYWAY IT IS NOT MY SITE AND I WILL LEAVE THE DECISION TO THE OWNER
RAMZI I ADDED YOUR SITE TO MY FAVORITES LINKS
GOOD BLOG RAMZI
CHAO
wait, one other thing before i :X
look at it like this...when you have your own blog. that's your space. you do whatever you want on it. but when you agree to come into an electronic community like LBF, it's like a public space that belongs to everybody. you have the right to express yourself, but you can't prevent or intimidate anybody from expressing their own thoughts as well.
don't tuzzz in the busss! you know what i'm sayin?
haha...
liminal
FIRAS ,HI
I ADDED YOUR SITE TO MY FAVORITES LINKS
GOOD WORK FIRAS
CHAO
Eve said:
I don't know what all fellow bloggers think about topics discussing religion and science. Personally, I think if you have valid arguments, and aren't disrespectful of other sides, it shouldn't be a problem. Aslan, it is mentioned in the guidlines: "refrain from personal attacks...". but anyway, let's hear what others bloggers have to say about this.So, I don't think you two disagree. Again, refrain from personal attacks and let your argument speak for itself.
And again...this is a public space. Like I said just before.
peace, lim.
>Ok...I realize IE is dominant in
>Lebanon. Let's try to change that. I'm
>serious. Start to use firefox.
Can we at least do something about the sidebar template code so as at least it shows on IE? I'm a fan of firefox, but its us trying to reach a larger audience and not the other way round. For many lebanese, demanding that they sit down for 5 Megs to download so that they can see our links can come across as, well, snobbish. People will just click away.
Open source activism doesn't echo much in Lebanon I'm afraid.That's mostly due to the rampant piracy. No one pays for anything anyway! :)
firas,
open source is just friendlier lower-impact code. it's not about money. it's about morality. and defeating microsoft at something would be nice. if i sound snobbish, i'm sorry. i don't mean it like that at all.
there's no way to aviod that problem as far as I know of...if you find out any way, then i'd be glad to apply it.
peace, lim
I'm no CSS expert, maybe it has to do with the position style property or sthg, i'd be glad to tinker with it, but would rather defer to you.
And, no, you didn't sound snobbish :)
LIMINAL,
I AM VERY SORRY BUT TO BE SELF REGULATE WILL NOT WORK WITH ME
HONESTLY ,I FEEL STUPID WHEN I DID IT ,WHAT IS THAT ? SELF REGULATE
SELF CONTROL,SELF SELF SELF
I WILL TRY TO FIGURE IT OUT ,PLEASE DO NOT LET ME FEEL THAT I AM IN BAAS PARTY
I AM REALLY CONFUSED WITH THAT
REFLECTING LEBANON ,WE ARE THE AMBASSADORS OF LEBANON
WHAT IS THAT ??
SO WHEN I WILL SAY SOMETHING AGAINST RELIGION I AM NOT AN AMBASSADOR OF LEBANON ,SO WHAT IS LEBANON ,I COULD SEE IT LIKE GEBRAN KHALIL GEBRAN AND RAHBANI FAMILY ,DO YOU THINK THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT AMBASSADORS OF LEBANON
I AM NOT ATTACKING YOU ,PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT
WE ARE IN 21 CENTURY ,AND I WANT TO BE MYSELF ,I CANNOT BE MYSELF IN MY BLOG AND HERE ANOTHER SELF ZOUNAZAR
I COULD SAY : TWO SIMPLE SENTENCES AS A POLICY
NO CURSE AND NO PERSONAL ATTACKS
BELEIVE ME EVERYBODY WILL BE HAPPY WITH THAT
WHAT IF I WANT TO DISCUSS SEXUAL MATTERS ?
PERSONAL ATTACKS : NO
WHAT IF I WANT TO TALK ABOUT RELIGION ?
PERSONAL ATTACK : NO
WHAT IF I WANT TO TALK ABOUT LEBANESE PARTIES
PERSONAL ATTACK : NO
WHAT AND WHAT ????
TWO STUPID RULES ARE CONTAINING THE BEST RULES IN ANY FREE SITE
I AM JUST TRYING TO BE AN ACTIVE MEMBER NOT A STUPID MEMBER IN THE SCHOOL OF BAAS PARTY
NO PERSONAL ATTACK
PLEASE UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION
CHAO
Zounazar,
yo chill on the caps man. first, what i wrote as the code of coduct will remain the code of conduct. if you can't dig it, then I'm sorry. constructive and respectful are the key words. you can be yourself and be respectful and constructive at the same time, can't you?
it's not about topics. it's about method.
lim.
firas,
css...hm, well...yea, but...i'll see what i can figure out. but meanwhile if you see any solution, please let me know.
and good...i didn't want to sound snobbish. :)
lim
LIMINAL,HI
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY :(what i wrote as the code of coduct will remain the code of conduct)
SORRY FOR INTERFERING
I WILL RESPECT THE POLICY OF THE BLOG
THANKS
The only rule I want to lobby for is "please take it easy on the caps". My ears are hurting.
The guidelines seem logical to me. I understand 'self-regulation' to be equivalent to 'use your freedom of expression responsibly'. Hope this pacifies you zounazar. I don't think anyone's trying to enforce any conservative values down anyone else's throat.
Zouzou,
please stop begging for confrontation. woah man, i'm not even trying to confront you. i think it's just appropriate to explain clearly what the guidelines are...not just in two simple sentences like you are suggesting. no curse and no personal attacks that's all...i'm saying this with a smile on my face, not with a frown and bad attitude. i want you to participate and enjoy this place.
and firas,
you don't have to lobby any more for that rule. please, let's all take it easy on the caps. simply, caps does not encourage interaction when used in abundance. is that ok zounazar? i mean, please don't take offence. i just think it's better...and firas seconds it. so i hope that's cool.
okay, i hope everybody has a good night.
:)
peace,
liminal
Kilna ikhwi :)
More on nettiquettes and confrontations. (hilarious)
Kilna ikhwi
FIRAS ,THIS SENTENCE WILL KILL ME
I PREFER TO DIE AND NOT LISTEN TO THIS SENTENCE
HAHAHAAH
IT IS REALLY CONFUSED SENTENCE I REALLY HATE IT
CHAO
OK Zounazar, you are the official rebel of this forum. Sorry for trying break to your spririt, or your Caps Lock key.
Moving on, Lim, can you add me to the contributor list please.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Sorry Zounazar,
3 strikes, and you're out...
There's no room for that here. If you don't want to contribute here, then you will make it aware by your willingness to chill out. You can do something silly one more time. After two more, then I will remove you.
If anybody has a problem with this, please email me in private. This comment thread is shutting down.
Peace out,
Liminal
In the spirit of revolution, I'm leaving this thread open.
But the guidelines still apply.
And Firas,
I'm putting your blog up now.
Thanks man,
Lim.
Also, I can put the "Contributors' Blogs" list above the "Lebanese Blogs" list...
let me know if you'd like that...
Aight...
G'night!
;)
Liminal
Ok, I know Lim wants to shut this comment thread down, but I just want a chance to throw my two cents in!
As for the all-caps, no objection. It's taken for shouting or stressing and you can't be shouting all the time.
As for the "no politics, no religion" rule, I think it's a little too broad a definition. Maybe if it's narrow it down we can get to the core of the disagreement here. It's true that everything in Lebanon involves politics or religion in some sense or other, so we can't avoid the issue entirely. But I also agree that this is not the place for purely religious/political debates as these can very easily disintegrate into endless arguing.
Zounazar, first of all thanks for adding my blog and I'm glad you like it. I also understand that you dislike feeling constrained or censored. So how about a compromise? You can tone it down on this blog, and post a link to a more radical post somewhere else?
Lim, I'll check out bravenet now, and I'll email you a poll question soon.
Just trying to help...
Ramzi
Hey! I think you're doing a gr8 job and I believe your rules are gr8.
am interested to help anyway I can... so let me know what u need.
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