Community Guidelines

Effective: June 14th, 2024

Rail aspires to be a place for individuals to unite and drive meaningful change, leveraging peer-reviewed facts, solid evidence, and maintaining a standard of professionalism and decorum. Recognizing the political nature of our platform, we are aware it may attract attempts to disseminate misinformation or cause harm. Such actions are unacceptable on Rail. Our community guidelines are explicit: any infringement will result in the immediate removal of content, or the termination of a user's account. We will ensure any action we take is shared with the responsible party via email.

However, it's important to note that our expertise does not extend to legal, scientific, or policy-making realms. We are committed to ensuring fairness on Rail, offering every user the opportunity to contest violations by presenting supporting evidence for their case. We welcome your suggestions on enhancing the comprehensiveness and transparency of our guidelines, or improving our process for handling violations. Should you have any feedback, please reach out to us at: contact@railpolitics.com.

Our role is not to oversee the community with a heavy hand, but to ensure that, within the boundaries of our guidelines, you have the liberty to voice your opinions, regardless of whether they are contentious, divergent, or challenge conventional wisdom. Our commitment is to enable dialogue, not dictate it. With this in mind, we present our guidelines:

Coordinated Efforts

We are committed to fostering a respectful and safe community environment. As such, we strictly prohibit any form of coordinated abuse or harassment on our platform. This includes organizing, participating in, or encouraging others to engage in campaigns aimed at harassing individuals, manipulating content, or disrupting the community's harmony. Such actions undermine the integrity of our platform and the safety of our users. We urge all members to contribute positively and respectfully, ensuring our platform remains a welcoming space for everyone.

Content Integrity

In our commitment to maintain the quality and relevance of content on our platform, we strictly prohibit spamming activities. This includes, but is not limited to, repetitive posting of the same content, unsolicited promotional or commercial content, and any form of fraudulent or deceptive practices. Our aim is to ensure that all interactions and content shared contribute constructively to the community and the topics at hand. We encourage our community members to focus on sharing content that is relevant, engaging, and adds value to the discourse, helping us keep our platform informative and enjoyable for everyone.

Constructive Dialogue

We strive to create a community where everyone feels safe, respected, and valued. As part of this commitment, we have a zero-tolerance policy for trolling, gaslighting, and any behavior that is intentionally divisive or inflammatory. Such actions not only undermine the trust and safety of our community but also detract from the constructive and supportive environment we aim to uphold. We encourage open and respectful dialogue, and we ask all members to contribute positively, fostering a community where diverse opinions can be shared without fear of harassment or hostility.

Information Accuracy

In our pursuit to foster an informed and enlightened community, we uphold the highest standards for information accuracy and integrity. Misinformation, or the dissemination of false or misleading information, poses a significant threat to the quality of discourse and decision-making within our community. Therefore, we require all members to diligently provide credible sources for the information they share and to thoroughly vet these sources for reliability and factual accuracy. Additionally, both the information shared and its sources should demonstrate a competent understanding and analysis of the subject matter.

Inclusivity and Respect

We are dedicated to maintaining a community environment that is welcoming and inclusive to all. To this end, we strictly prohibit the posting of any content that could be considered defamatory, offensive, profane, descriminatory, or unlawful. This includes, but is not limited to, content that promotes hate speech, bigotry, racism, sexism, or any form of discrimination. Our community thrives on respect, kindness, and understanding. We believe in the power of words to either uplift or harm, and we choose to foster a space where everyone can engage in discussions and share their experiences without fear of encountering material that is not constructive or productive.

Personal Conduct

Our community is built on the principles of respect, dignity, and inclusivity. We firmly prohibit any form of personal misconduct, including but not limited to doxxing (publishing private information about someone without their consent), sexual harassment, ad hominem attacks (attacking someone personally instead of their opinions or arguments), and name-calling. Such behaviors not only violate the trust and safety of individuals but also degrade the quality of discourse within our community. We expect all members to engage with one another in a manner that is constructive, respectful, and devoid of any personal attacks or invasive actions.

External Promotions

In our effort to maintain the focus and integrity of our community, we strictly prohibit the use of our platform for external promotions. This includes, but is not limited to, the advertisement or endorsement of other groups, websites, commercial entities, political parties, or any personal agendas that do not directly contribute to the discussions and purposes of our community. Our platform is designed to foster genuine interactions and discussions, free from distractions and conflicts of interest that external promotions may introduce.

Legal Compliance

Upholding the law is paramount in our community. We strictly prohibit any activities, discussions, or content that violate local, national, or international laws. This includes, but is not limited to, the promotion of illegal drugs, copyright infringement, fraud, hacking, and the distribution of pirated materials. Engaging in or advocating for such activities not only undermines the safety and integrity of our platform but also places our community members at risk. We are committed to cooperating with law enforcement and will take necessary actions, including reporting to authorities and suspending or terminating accounts involved in illegal activities. We urge all members to act responsibly and adhere to the legal standards governing their actions online and offline.

Authenticity

Our community values authenticity and transparency. As such, we strictly enforce policies against creating fake or duplicate accounts and impersonating others. Creating an account that does not accurately represent a real person, fabricating multiple accounts for oneself, or impersonating another individual or entity not only breaches the trust of our community but also disrupts the genuine exchange of ideas and interactions. These actions are deceptive, undermine community integrity, and can lead to confusion and mistrust among members.

Content Appropriateness

Posting content that is sexually explicit or not safe for work (NSFW) detracts from our core mission to foster a welcoming space for productive dialogue and collaboration. Such content can be offensive, distracting, and potentially harmful, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere for community members. It undermines the inclusivity and professionalism we strive for, and as such, we strictly prohibit the sharing of NSFW material. We encourage all members to contribute to creating a respectful and safe environment.

Public Safety

Posting content that is harmful, dangerous, or encourages such behavior is fundamentally at odds with our commitment to safety. This includes, but is not limited to, content that promotes self-harm, violence, illegal activities, or endangerment to health and safety. Sharing or advocating for such content not only violates our community standards but also poses a real risk to individuals' well-being and public safety. It can lead to real-world harm and distress, undermining the trust and safety we strive to maintain within our community.

Residential Eligibility

Rail is committed to fostering a community that aligns with specific legal and regulatory frameworks, which necessitates restrictions on user eligibility based on residential status. Accordingly, our platform is open to US Citizens, legal residents, undocumented residents, and individuals of similar status who are physically located within the United States. Unfortunately, we are unable to extend participation to foreign nationals, governments, businesses, tourists, visa holders, and other non-residents. This policy ensures compliance with legal standards and maintains the integrity of our community's focus.