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Gossip Rules Reminder


Alexandra

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We hope you'll read our Rules and Policies; it's on the About This Site forum. There aren't many, but we do want members to be aware of what's on and off limits here.

Here's our gossip policy:

Gossip: What is and is not allowed on this board.

We know it's enticing to know what goes on backstage, but when it's posted, it can cause problems. We've addressed this in several threads as issues have arisen, but it seemed time to have a policy.

The Golden Rule is that we use the same rules for posting news that a newspaper or magazine, with trained journalists, use.

1. Asking questions or posting information about about who's seeing who, or who broke up with who, or who the artistic director does or doesn't like, or anything of a personal nature are OFF LIMITS. Period.

2. Posts about watching classes or rehearsals that are not open to the GENERAL PUBLIC are private as far as the dancers and the company are concerned and that privacy will be respected. Posts describing or commenting upon such events will be deleted.

3. Regarding injuries, if someone falls on stage, or misses a week of performances, people will be curious and concerned and query posts are permissible. The moderators will try to check with the company about the injury and post if there's an official response. But we won't allow speculation on the nature and extent of the injury. We will regard the company's answer as the official word on such matters; disputes are inappropriate. We don't want to become a ballet version of The Drudge Report.

4. If you post "Company X is going to visit City B" or "John Jones will take over the lead in X's new ballet because Tim Smith is injured" or anything of that sort, please quote the source -- a weblink or article in paper, or that it's info on a poster, flyers, etc. "I heard" is not a source. (Does the person intend for his/her words to be posted on the internet? Not likely. If s/he does, s/he is welcome to come to the site, register, and post them.) Company or dancer news you've overheard from someone in the audience or as you walk by people talking backstage is gossip.

What's an allowable source? If it's in print -- in a newspaper or magazine article, on a web site, in a brochure, a newspaper ad, or on a poster outside the theater, that's news. If not, it's gossip.

We will delete gossip posts -- many of which are made in all innocence and with the sweetest of intentions -- leaving a message

A reminder: if you take the information from a web site, please credit that web site, whether it's a personal web site or a company one -- and especially if it's another message board! We'd also ask that people who first find information on this web site credit it if posting it elsewhere.

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Addenda, May 25, 2003:

We hate to do this, but the posting of gossip is becoming a problem that needs to be solved. Someone posts a rumor, and, perhaps before the moderators get a chance to see it and delete it, others have commented -- so when we do edit or delete, there are bad feelings all around.

Consequently, we're initiating a "three strikes and you're out" rule. Once is an understandable mistake; please read the rules. Twice warrants a reminder and a clarification. Third time, posting privileges will be suspended unless and until we are assured that the poster understands the policy and will adhere to it.

We've also had problems with people coming on, registering under pseudonyms, obviously with an agenda: a dancer with a grudge against an artistic director, a close relative or friend of a dancer whose sole purpose here is to boost them. We don't want our forum to be used in this way, and will contact such posters and

ask for their real identity (which we'll check) and connection with the dancer or issue. If they don't wish to give it, that's their choice, but then their posting privileges will be revoked and the suspect posts deleted.

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