Be humble

Post your opinions and your experiences, but remember that other families may have different experiences than yours — and may reason their way with impeccable logic to different conclusions. Posts which "lay down the law" may be deleted.

Be civil

Don't attack another poster's background, religious convictions, experience, or parenting style. Above all, resist the one-liner subject-header put-down. Nasty cracks will be deleted.

No politics

Even threads that start off civil can quickly devolve into mayhem. If you have questions or comments about political parties, candidates for positions, or currently (or recently removed) officials, don't post them on these boards.

Don't insist on the last word

Some disagreements will result in a draw. Be willing to let a thread end on someone ELSE'S opinion. "Last words" which have no purpose other than to assert that, after all, you're REALLY right will be deleted.

Do not assume that everyone on the boards shares a particular religious conviction

These boards are inclusive. You are welcome to ask theological questions, but don't post as though everyone who frequents the boards shares your ideology. Offending posts may be deleted.

Don't use inquiries as an excuse to proselytize — for anything

Answer questions that are posted — but don't use these questions as an excuse to springboard into criticism. For example: If someone asks, "What are your kids dressing up as for Halloween?" don't launch into an explanation of how evil Halloween is. If someone asks, "Is Halloween evil?" have a ball. (Conversely: if someone posts, "We don't do Halloween; what can we substitute?" don't take this as an opportunity to prove to them that Halloween is really just fine.)

If you're joking, say so

Really. Humor doesn't come across in cyberspace. Honest.

No advertising

If you are the publisher or author of home schooling (or other) materials, or have a financial interest in a particular program, you may answer direct questions about those materials — but don't use a general query ("What science/language arts/history materials should I use?") as a chance to promote your product. When these questions are posed, we hope that parents will hear from other parents — not from those who may have a vested interest in the use of a particular program.

Don't get too attached to those off-topic threads

Posts take up memory and bandwidth — both of which are paid for by Susan Wise Bauer, who maintains this site out of her own pocket, AD-FREE. You're welcome to chat about the weather and pregnancy woes on the General board, but those threads will probably disappear shortly after they become inactive; they won't be archived for future reference. If you want to save a message, print it out.

Don't resurrect deleted threads

At times, when threads get too intense, we have to delete them. Please don't ask why the thread (or your post) was deleted. It wasn't necessarily something you said. Very likely, somebody before you or after you posted something that had to come down. Sometimes, the only way we can remove the troublesome posts is by removing the whole thread. And a question like "where did my post go?" or "where did the ________ discussion go?" only serves to bring the discussion back to the boards. Posts that ask "where is X post?" will be deleted.

Don't announce that you're leaving and never coming back

Posts along the lines of "I'm not appreciated here, so I'm leaving" really aren't necessary. If you post something like that, know that we'll be deleting it. It's not that we don't appreciate you ... we just don't appreciate those posts.

Don't post images

Yes, we know, the board script allows you to post images. Please don't; they take up an immense amount of space.

Remember that this is not a public space

The Internet may look like a public space, but everything on it is paid for by SOMEONE. This site is funded and maintained by Susan Wise Bauer as a place where devotees of classical education can discuss educational issues. Deletion of posts by the Webmasters is final (although you can always e-mail for an explanation, which may or may not be forthcoming).

Don't post anonymously

Everyone likes to know who they're talking to, even if it's just a first name. Anonymous posters may start to think they can post anything they want, which isn't good.

No Spouse Bashing

The Internet (and this site in particular) is not the appropriate place to complain about your husband (or wife) or to ask for marital counseling. Call a friend instead.

Use Your Inside Voice

Posting a message in all caps is the cyber-equivalent of yelling—please don't do it. It's rude. Really.

Sale/Swap Board

Please don't post more than 4–5 items per month. We understand that you want to sell all your used curricula, but it makes it hard to tell whether you are a parent with lots of books or a dealer. And, please, no dealer posts.

If you post a single item, it's a good idea to just use the resource name in the Subject Line. You might also consider putting the cost, the condition of the materials, or the grade level in the Subject Line as well.

If you have multiple items, please group them by type of resource. Buyers will be able to look into a thread that applies to what they are looking for, and those who aren't looking for that type of resource can scan on.