Rules of Engagement - Please Read

[Barboo]

Guidelines for PRODOS Discussion Lists

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

The purpose of this forum on Health Care Reform in the United States is to consider the pending bill in the US Congress - a bill that is intended to change the way medical care is paid for and that purports to make that care more affordable.

Anyone who is concerned about the issues involved in this political undertaking is welcome, regardless of your point of view. My aim in creating this forum is to create a place where people of honest intent can explore all sides of the subject. I want it to be a place where the aim of everyone is to get down to the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

That's a difficult target to hit, but the point is to give it our best shot.

This is a PRODOS forum, but moderated by me, Barboo. Prodos is my husband, and he has run moderated discussion forums over many years on a wide range of issues - many of them quite controversial. He has also conducted face-to-face discussion groups, as well as thinking-skills workshops. He's worked out his own guidelines and moderation methods which have proved to create forums that inform without insulting the participants' or readers' intelligence and dignity.

These guidelines bring out the best in participants and head discussion in the direction of objectivity, a concern for getting down to the facts, and a true spirit of exploration rather than confrontation.

The moderator's job is to see to it that the discussions maintain a high quality and adhere to the guidelines, which means that your comments will not appear immediately after you post them. They will go to a "moderation queue" and be checked for adherence to the guidelines.

However, the moderator will not politically judge your post. Your content, your political opinion or affiliation, your point-of-view, will not be under consideration. We want all points of view to be available here, and to be presented in a high quality way.

Please read the guidelines before you post. But don't worry if you can't digest them all before you get started. You will learn as you go, and that's the point!

The most important sections of the "Moderator's Guidelines" to be familiar with in the beginning are the first two: 1."No 'you' " and 2."No Stabs".

You will find a link to the full set of "Guidelines for Prodos Discussion Lists" at the top and at the bottom of this post.

If you have any questions or concerns about the guidelines, please post them to this thread.

And welcome to the Intellectual Adventure!

Guidelines for PRODOS Discussion Lists


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