FanPost

Special Rules for Participating in Game Threads

Just so we don't have to keep repeating ourselves and boring you with them over and over, we're posting these policies applicable to our open game threads. Please give them a read before thread-diving. They supplement our general site rules and guidelines, which apply to game threads as well as all o ther corners of SS&R.

1. First. Please don't be the guy (or gal) who does the "first?" thing.

2. GIFs: They tend to slow down the thread's automatic refresh functions, so please don't post any until the game in question is over.

3. Pictures: We're cool with these, but try not to go overboard, as a huge accumulation of them will slow down the thread. In other words, be a little more selective about posting pics than you would on our comment boards normally. Bring only the A material.

4. Staying on Topic: We're not goosestepping Nazis about this. We enjoy the tangents and offshoot conversations that flower and bloom on the site. We do, however, like generally to guard the game threads as spaces where people can come to discuss the Lakers. We're not going to hammer you for every off-topic remark, but if there's something non-Laker-related that you'd like to discuss at length, please take it to a Fanpost.

5. Fans of Opposing Teams: They stop by our game threads periodically, and we take pride in showing hospitality to them. Please don't accuse people of trolling just because they're rooting for another team. If they're actually trolling, odds are one of our moderators will be on hand to take care of them. If you're seeing a troll problem and there doesn't seem to be a mod around, email one of us and we'll take care of it. You can find our email addresses at the bottom of the page.

6. Obeying Thy Mods: You must do so. Relative to other sites both inside SBN and out, we lay down very few rules, preferring instead to let free dialogue and self-policing take their course. The flip side, though, is that when we do lay down a rule, it's because we really mean it and think it's important.

So if one of our mods issues an instruction, we expect you to honor it. The game thread isn't the place to complain about a warning you've been given or a site policy. If you really feel that you've been wronged, email one of us. There's no guarantee that we'll agree with you, but we'll at least hear you out. It's a much better way to handle a disagreement than distracting everyone from the game with a public snit.

Thanks much for reading. Our game threads are one of the things about the site that we - and, we suspect, you - most enjoy, and we think the rules above will help keep everything running smooth as Sam Perkins.