Keep it clean without denigrating another individual personally or by association, pursuit of happiness, live and let live

Core values

Our comment policy mainly intends to keep things clean and not denigrate another individual personally or by association.
We also want every one of our commentators to pursue happiness, in other words, live and let live.
This is a professional site, and let’s keep it that way.
We don’t allow the incitement of hatred toward any single group, however we do allow disagreements.
Since this site is intended for global reach, and certain definitions differ from society to society and nation to nation, the values common to all societies will be used.
Since the only arbiter of global definitions that exist is the United Nations, we will use their vision as a guide, by having our team members and registered users interpret UN guides, since according to the UN, interpretations do vary from society to society.
It is expected that each nation respects the social norms of another no matter how much they differ or how abhorrent they appear. Change comes from dialog and respect, not war, insults, or angry words. We can all learn from each other.
Let’s try as much as possible to allow people to pursue happiness whatever that may be to any individual, as long as they don’t break the law or our other rules.
We believe in individual freedoms and freedom of speech over collective rights, except when denigrating another user.
We understand that we all make mistakes, including us, but let’s try to correct them when we do, and be tolerant of those who strive to learn.

Scoring system for comment policy enforcement

The comment policy enforcement is based on a scoring system, starting from 100 points.
Points are deducted based on the fault described in the table below.
This point system applies to comments only.
Points are deducted for a fault within a single comment.
If multiple faults occur within a single comment, points will be deducted based on the individual fault that carries the heaviest penalty.
No stereotyping is allowed.
There is no ideal of perfection, and we don’t hurt people based on their inability to comply with some ideal of perfection that doesn’t exist, but at the same time, we must respect all of our readers. Hence we have balanced our responsibilities as best as we can, to a universal audience.
We don’t allow the incitement of hatred toward any single group, however we do allow disagreements.

Syndesi Comment Policy Scoring System

#	Fault	Fault Description	Points
1	Insult any political group or special interest group	A special interest or political group claiming to represent a vulnerable group or other group can be questioned based on the validity of its methods and intent among other reasons	0
2	Insult any religion or ideology	A vulnerable group based on religion or ideology is specific to a nation or a political unit, and thereby not global. See the UN definition of a vulnerable group. As such free speech will be enforced except when insulting any individual for believing in any religion or ideology	0
3	Insult any nation, regional, or global political unit	Insulting a nationality is not cool, but a nation is simply a political unit whose boundaries and leaders constantly change	0
4	Disagree with any belief held by the groups in item 1-3	N/A	0
5	Insult any individual based on their association, agreement or disagreement with any groups identified in items 1-3	This is akin to insulting someone based on their nationality, religion, etc. No ideology, nation, or religion is perfect, just like no human is perfect.	-30
6	Praise a genocidal group, whose origins were genocidal, or whose current mantra is genocidal, or be a practicing member of that group.	Based on the definition provided by the UN office of genocide prevention	-50
7	Apply the term genocide and any affiliated organization, or any term designed to denigrate a vulnerable group incorrectly for political purposes or to demean an individual	Example: Nazi, Fascism, Racist, xxx_phobia, xxx_gyny, xxx_ism. Based on the UN definition of a vulnerable group	-50
8	Insult an Individual directly or by association with a group based on any physical characteristic such as their looks	Insult an Individual directly or by association based on any physical characteristic such as their looks	-15
9	Insult an Individual directly or by association with a group based on their perceived lack of wealth	The poor are a UN vulnerable group in every country across the globe	-50
10	Insult an individual directly or by association based on perceived intelligence or using the word uneducated or low-skilled	An education is not an absolute sign of intelligence and every job has a skill set that other people don't possess, even basket-weaving and especially farming	-30
11	Provide medical advice without being a licensed Physician, without citing a scientific article, or without relevant work experience	You can dispute medical assertions that aren't scientific laws, but can't dispense medical advice as fact	-30
12	Provide information deemed false that can be corroborated in part or in whole by people with relevant work experience, a scientific article, real video, researched articles or original texts.	In other words, information that can't be 100% disputed. It is the expectation that commenters dispute or debate anyone's assertions, politely and respectfully	0
13	Provide completely false information, that is not designated as opinion or perception	False information can't be corroborated beyond a reasonable doubt, or 100% contravenes a scientific Law (not a theory)	-15
14	Provide comments based on religious texts	As long as the comment can't be 100% disputed by a scientific law (not a theory). Theories can be disputed. That's the scientific method.	0
15	Insult or demean any individual based on their opinion which doesn't contravene any fault containing a point item	It's OK to interpret things differently. It is the expectation that commenters dispute or debate anyone's assertions	-50
16	Insult or demean any individual based on their opinion which does contravene any fault containing a point item	It's OK to be wrong. It is the expectation that commenters dispute or debate anyone's assertions	-50
17	Any cursing and all language inappropriate for children under the age of 18, even when used with special characters such as asterisks, except when directly quoting an individual.	This is a web-site not meant for children. If the commenting system automated checks don't catch it, then there is no penalty, otherwise the comment is removed	0
18	Promotion of child pornography or any process that can physically or emotionally harm a child permanently, or directly end its life.	The legal definition of a child will be based on the UN CRC definition.	-1000
19	Insult an individual based on their associated Gender	The World Health Organisation (WHO) characterizes gender as a social construct that differs from society to society. We don't allow any individual to be insulted based on their opinion that is derived from the construct of the society that they live in, or if they disagree with that social construct in a respectful manner	-30
20	Insult a group of people defined by their gender	The World Health Organisation (WHO) characterizes gender as a social construct that differs from society to society. Therefore the common thread when defining gender among global societies is a man and a woman. All other gender groups, are unique based on the political unit/society. To be fair to everyone, any gender as a group can be insulted (Men, Women, Gay, Trans, etc..)	0
21	Deny or dispute any scientific theory	A scientific law is an absolute fact, anything else is a theory, hence an approximation that can be disputed. An example of a scientific theory is Einstein's theory of relativity and Darwin's Theory of Evolution. It is guaranteed that all sides of the evolution debate disagree with Darwin on some level.	0
22	Deny or dispute any scientific law	A scientific law is an absolute fact that can't be disputed. A scientific law can't be a social construct, as society doesn't define scientific laws. Keep in mind that the number of laws in Science is minimal in comparison to the multitudes of theories that continuously evolve.	-30
23	Insult or demean an individual directly or by associating them with a group, based on them disputing a scientific law or theory	it's OK to be wrong. It is the expectation that commenters dispute or debate anyone's assertions	-50
24	Insult any nationality	You can insult the country or region, but not the nationality they represent	-30
25	Stop someone from the pursuit of happiness	This one is tricky, but it pretty much means live and let live	-100

Generated by wpDataTables

Scoring rules by comment based on strikes

Syndesi Cumulative Scoring Rules

Point total	Number of Strikes assigned	Action taken
86-100	0	Nothing
71-86	1	Comment flagged
51-80	2	Comment removed
50 or less	3	Comment removed
-500 or more	9	Comment removed and user banned as per our repeat offender policy

Generated by wpDataTables

Repeat offenders, and evaluation cycle

Strikes are accumulated for each comment during an evaluation cycle and then reset at the end of the evaluation cycle.
When a user cumulatively accrues 4 strikes, they are banned from commenting until the end of the current evaluation period.
When a user cumulatively accrues 9 strikes, they are banned from commenting until the end of the evaluation period that follows.
We do not shadowban.
As a company we choose redemption, no matter how long that takes, over a lifetime of punishment.
These are the evaluation cycles:

1. 1. January 1st to February 28/29
  2. March 1st to April 30th
  3. May 1st to June 30th
  4. July 1st to August 31st
  5. September 1st to October 30th
  6. November 1st to December 31st

Dispute and appeals mechanism

A ban can be reversed based on the discretion of Syndesi for all of its websites/apps or a community vote initiated by any of Syndesi’s websites and apps.
A 2/3 majority from any vote is required to remove a ban to ensure its universal acceptance.

Comment moderation procedure

Syndesi arbitrarily scans comments and assigns strikes
Any user can report a comment until it is reviewed. A reported comment is not removed until the evaluation is completed within 72 hours.
As a transparent organization, Syndesi will provide the exact reason for a temporary ban.
We base this procedure on innocent until proven guilty.

Feedback

Any changes to our comment policy based on user input will be evaluated by the staff of Syndesi or its direct affiliates.

Regional laws and UN guideline references

We will work with any national regulatory agency within reason and adhere to their decisions.
A vulnerable group based on religion or ideology is specific to a nation or a political unit, and thereby not global. See the UN definition of a vulnerable group. The exceptions are the poor which are part of every nation and every political unit.
The definition of genocide is provided by the UN Office of genocide prevention.
The legal definition of a child is based on the UN CRC definition.
The definition of gender as a social construct is defined by the World Health Organization

Disclaimer

Last updated May 01, 2024

The information provided by SYNDESI SINGLE MEMBER P.C. (‘we’, ‘us’, or ‘our’) on our affiliates https://www.thehillbillystore.com and https://www.theworldcanbeyours.com (collectively known as the Site) is for general informational purposes only. All information on the Site is provided in good faith, however, we make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on the Site. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHALL WE HAVE ANY LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE USE OF THE SITE OR RELIANCE ON ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED ON THE SITE. YOUR USE OF THE SITE AND YOUR RELIANCE ON ANY INFORMATION ON THE SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.

General terms

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You agree to indemnify and hold Company and its officers, employees, and agents harmless, including costs and attorneys’ fees, from any claim or demand made by any third-party due to or arising out of (a) your use of the Site, (b) your violation of these Terms, (c) your violation of applicable laws or regulations or (d) your User Content. Company reserves the right to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter for which you are required to indemnify us, and you agree to cooperate with our defense of these claims. You agree not to settle any matter without the prior written consent of Company. Company will use reasonable efforts to notify you of any such claim, action or proceeding upon becoming aware of it.

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Comment and Acceptable Use Policy

Keep it clean without denigrating another individual personally or by association, pursuit of happiness, live and let live

Syndesi Comment Policy Scoring System

Syndesi Cumulative Scoring Rules

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