Welcome to the Linux channel on FreeNode. Because FreeNode is dedicated to open source projects, and the Linux channel is one of the first channels many people see when when they join the network, we want this channel to be welcoming to as many people as possible. This includes grandparents, aunts, uncles, religious people and small children. Te ensure that, this channel has a language policy and a behavior policy in place.
The language policy is: "family friendly language only". This means that certain words and certain topics are forbidden. If you use those words or engage in those topics you will be banned from the channel.
The behavior policy is: "be nice". If you are trolling, or deliberately nasty or any other unpleasant behavior you may be asked to stop, or leave the channel.
The full set of channel rules and guidelines are available at this URL: http://tinyurl.com/2khdve
If you break the rules, it may result in being banned from the channel. The duration of the ban is set by the operator who makes it. There are no set rules for ban duration, although in general the bans get longer each time a person gets banned. At some point after multiple bannings, the length of the ban will begin to grow exponentially.
If you wish to talk to someone about the language guideline policy or about a banning you may do so in the Linux Ops channel. Please do not attempt to debate the policy or harass the operator in the Linux channel or by private message. If an operator contacts you by private message to tell you that you are not following channel guidelines the best response is to acknowledge the message and begin following the policy. If you feel the need to engage the operator in discussion go to the Linux Ops channel and do it there.
Re: Enforcement: Coverage by the channel operators is variable and not 24x7. They are here when they can be. If you are upset that someone else got "away with it" we're sorry, it happens. Life goes on anyway.
Forbidden words: There is no list of forbidden words. Nor is there a list of forbidden topics. Since any List would quickly be exposed and people would create alternatives with the same meaning and then cry that their alternatives aren't on the forbidden list. Any context which is non family friendly can be acted on.
"X isn't a bad word": Some claimed that either damn is not a swear word or that they didnt know its a swear word. So here is an additional guideline - Only use words you would use in polite company. If you do not know what that means then figure it out. Remember we are not banning swear words, we are banning "non-family friendly" participation in the channel. In case of a disagreement on this, the op has the final word, and to debate it, go to ##linux-ops
Demographics: Yes we are quite aware that typical person visiting ##linux is not a grandmother or young child. Doesn't matter as goal is to be acceptable to ANY who might visit here.
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