Some of our older members might not be aware of it, but our rules have been expanded significantly in the most important areas over the years. At this point, they cover pretty much everything we've encountered here over the years, and also a few tips on how to avoid bigger messes than necessary when either you or someone else is breaking the rules.

The rules #20 and #21 are especially important when it comes to not derailing topics due to a certain member's ignorance of the rules (intentional or not).

So if you haven't read over the rules in a few years (or even worse, ever), please do so now: http://www.sorcerers.net/ubb/rules.htm

Feel free to ask serious questions about any of them here.

Additionally, the AoDA and AoLS forums have certain additional guidelines that everyone posting in the forums is expected to follow. Those rules are stickied on top of the thread lists of both forums. For reference, I'll link to them here as well:

AoDA: http://www.sorcerers.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?/topic/20/171.html
AoLS: http://www.sorcerers.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?/topic/34/1.html

I have a question about rule 13. What else would constitute a topic about something "too personal." I understand the suicide thing (as I started a topic about it because I had forgotten it was in the rules a while back), but what else is something that would fall under rule 13's list of No-no's?

Well, start with personal information that could be exploited and go from there. Overly personal information would be someone's street address, phone number, financial situation, etc.

Our members are smart enough to keep it to themselves for the most part, but it's still in the rules just in case (suicide contemplation is probably the most dangerous and hence exposed). Financial situation is another one that, when public, can be abused. An example here is people posting that they are in financial hardship (and often more or less openly soliciting donations through sympathy), though the situation could easily be fraudulent.

These are all situations that we've seen here on the boards over the years (and are common on most online message boards), and it's in everyone's best interest that we don't see them repeating again.

Hopefully this makes it a bit clearer...

Ah, I see what you meant. I had taken that for granted (that people wouldn't go about spreading their financial status around). Although, would talking about suicide in an impartial way (as in, not talking about contemplating it, but discussing it like we would discuss... abortion, for example, which could end up being very personal for people involved with it) still be too personal?

Technically, as an AoDA discussion of the topic in general, like abortion, it would be fine. But this is assuming that none of our members get too personally involved in it, which might be difficult.

I think we could do it, but yes, I agree, there is a fine line we would have to tread. Better to be safe than to have someone accidentally reveal something they might not want to. Thanks for the clarification.