These rules are disclosed to clarify the various responsibilities of all community members here on Middle-earth Journeys. They shall be adhered to by everyone to ensure that our board runs smoothly and provides a fun and productive experience for all of our community members and visitors.
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Middle-earth Journeys Rules of the Road
Welcome to Middle-earth Journeys! This new website, formed by friends who met at other websites, is a place of fellowship dedicated to the continued study of the works of Professor J. R. R. Tolkien. While we are not professional academic Tolkien scholars, many of us are professional and/or academic to some degree, and we all bring a love and a zeal for The Professors secondary world and his insights into human nature and values.
So we hope Middle-earth Journeys will be a place of discovery for all who journey here! While we will host a serious attempt to gain deep insight into Tolkien and his world, we have found that such work, when done together, can also bring joy and fellowship.
Here are a few house rules to ensure that spirit. # - Respect and appropriateness of posts. Respect is the word of the day. Posts that do not exhibit respect, in the judgment of the moderators, will be deleted forthwith. This includes posts that use profanity, personal attacks, grossly lascivious remarks, or hateful diatribes about anyone. We also ask you not to use this website to sell or advertise. If you have any questions or doubts about whether an idea or post is appropriate, please consult one of the moderators. #
- Familiarize yourself with Middle-earth Journeys before you post. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the several threads of Middle-earth Journeys and their purpose before you begin to post. This will help you to remain on topic. While some creative detours of thought may be welcome, when the thought gets entirely lost, the moderators might tow it back on course. #
- Religious, political, and aesthetic beliefs. Professor Tolkien had many strong religious, political, and aesthetic beliefs. So it would hardly be possible for us to avoid these kinds of topics completely. But posts whose sole purpose seems to be to proselytize, which are highly contentious, or which are not remotely connected to the study of Tolkien might be removed by the moderators. #
- The focus of Middle-earth Journeys. Middle-earth Journeys is a website about Professor Tolkien. While many of our members might have been drawn to study Tolkien because of Peter Jacksons movies, the founders of this website feel that it is time now to return to the texts as they are and not as seen through the lens of the movies. So while we might occasionally refer to the movies for some point of insight or distinction, if you are looking for extended discussion of the movies and actors, we would refer you to the many other websites that have this as their focus. #
- Crediting sources. Professor Tolkiens work has been wonderfully inspirational for many scholars and artists, and these secondary sources will be helpful in our study at Middle-earth Journeys. Part of respecting those scholars and artists is giving credit where credit is due. Quotations from any source and any artwork whose source is not properly cited will be viewed as plagiarism, which is really a kind of theft. At first, we will kindly ask you to edit such a post to include the proper attribution. But repeated offenses could result in your suspension from the website. Hotlinking is also a kind of theft and should not be done at Middle-earth Journeys. Courtesy to authors was a strong value for the Professor. We concur. #
- Posting creative work. In addition, we hope that new creative work will be generated at Middle-earth Journeys! None of this work may be used in any way without the consent of the author. #
- Thoughtful criticism. The founders of Middle-earth Journeys have a deep and wide love and respect for Professor Tolkien and his work. While we would welcome thoughtful criticism of Tolkien or his books when it is necessary, continual and/or biased criticism would not be a reflection of the spirit of the place. Again, if that would be your main contribution here, we would ask you to find another website which has that focus. #
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Moderators' decisions. Middle-earth Journeys is the property of the administrators and moderators, and their decisions about what content is appropriate are final. While we believe in free speech to a large degree, at the end of the day, this is a privately sponsored website created for the inspiration and enjoyment of many. We are confident that following these rules will assure a happy virtual fellowship! Then indeed it will be true that
Mae Govannen! Elen sila lumenn’ omentielvo!#
*A star shines on the hour of our meeting.*
(Frodo's greeting to Gildor in The Fellowship of the Ring)