Current accounts are intended for contributing content, participating in discussions, and voting on items on Current.com.

These Community Guidelines are intended to help new community members understand what it means to participate on Current. Keep in mind, your participation on Current is subject to these Guidelines and our Terms of Use.

* Be respectful.

Our community is made up of a wide variety of people, and we want everyone participating on Current to feel comfortable expressing their opinions. It's important to understand that not everyone will agree with you, or see things from your perspective, so while we encourage discussion, be mindful when you post and respond to others with comments, submissions, and private messages.

* Take a deep breath.

Wherever thoughtful discussion is taking place, things will get heated from time to time. It's important to remember that when it comes to opinions, everyone is typically right -- as long as your opinion isn't trampling on someone else's ability to express the contrary.

* Share your Current with your friends.

Your contacts are more than welcome on Current, so feel free to share your stories, discussions, and contributions with your social network. We have plenty of tools that help out with this, so give that share button a whirl.

* Send us a flag.

Let's face it, we're only human and we can't be everywhere on the site all the time. If you come across something that violates our Community Guidelines or Terms of Use, send us a flag. We'll take a look and take action if necessary. Remember, the flag button is not a toy, so please don't repeatedly flag the same item.

* Be open to learning from each other.

Because our community comprises of such wide-ranging views and opinions, use the discussion as an opportunity to better understand how someone with a different opinion thinks and feels. Chances are, you might learn something that either reinforces your opinion, or changes it slightly.

The bottom line: Most of the time, people deserve a second chance. We understand things get heated, so if you cross the line we'll send you a warning message. Sometimes comments can be fixed through simple editing, other times they need to be removed altogether. However, if these issues become an ongoing problem, your profile could be subject to removal without warning.

* Theft.

Uploading photos, videos, and text that are not your original content can be subject to removal. If you submit a link to a story, blog post, or news item, it's perfectly fine to quote sections from the original article, just don't copy and paste the entire article. Instead, share your perspective on the item and encourage discussion with others in the community. Remember, taking things that aren't yours and claiming them as your own isn't cool. Don't do it.

* Throwing processed meat.

Spam. We all know this isn't referring to processed pork & ham in a can, but yet questions remain. Most people think spam is just annoying robotic emails for "male enhancements", but there's more to it. Advertising, self-promotion and repeatedly posting the same content, even a well thought out comment, are all considered spam on Current. Additionally, jamming your posts or comments into areas that they don't belong can also be seen as spam (e.g. "Hey, this Obama inauguration video doesn't belong in Comedy!"). Keep in mind, we reserve the right to re-tag items submitted to Current. This isn't just limited to the news stories, blog posts, and videos that you post on the Current website, it also includes your activity in private messages, sharing, and the signature line used on comments.

* Bearing cyber arms.

We cannot stress this enough: we encourage discussion and debate on Current.com, but personal attacks on others are not acceptable. An opposing opinion on a sensitive subject is not an attack, but ridiculing someone for sharing a different point of view is. If someone shoots an arrow your way, don't retaliate. Instead, send us a flag. We're not children and don't like the"they did it first" excuse, so don't fight back. Current is a diverse community with a variety of views and opinions. Please respect these views, even if they are different from your own. Your parents had it right: if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all.

* Starting fires

Our community is not shy about discussing tough issues and sensitive topics, and the wrong comment posted in these discussions can quickly turn a meaningful debate into a blazing flame war. Baiting people into personal attacks or intentionally jumping into a sensitive thread and posting an insensitive or hurtful comment intended to set either side off won't be tolerated. Having a differing opinion is one thing; repeatedly spoiling for a fight is another. Put down the matches and back away, otherwise your comment will be subject to removal.

* Sharing TMI (too much information).

No one wants to see the latest porn you found on the web. We all know how to use Google, so spare the rest of us and keep gratuitous nudity and sexualized content to yourself. This includes your profile, avatar, comments, and any of the content you upload to Current.

* Administering the Ludovico Technique (it's from Clockwork Orange - see Wikipedia!)

Over sharing doesn't just apply to porn. Remember, we all want to report on the truth, but consider that you're dealing with a captive audience to some extent. Not everyone should be forced to see excessively violent images if they don't want to. If you want to expose the evils of the world, consider posting a link to the photo with a warning "Caution: Graphic Images" instead of embedding it. This is a helpful way to be both a good community member and still report the hardedge truth.

* Ganging up/Harassment.

It takes courage to voice an opposing point of view, so please don't gang up on anyone brave enough to post a dissenting perspective. Opposing opinions help spur discussion, so simply look at it as a chance to better understand an item or issue in ways that you may not have thought about before. If you attack, impersonate, harass, or just venting your frustrations you may find yourself subject for removal from Current.

* Being a hater.

Hate speech, racism, and bigotry are not cool. If you find yourself making sweeping generalizations about a particular group of people, you might want to take a step back and consider what you're saying. But remember - just because someone disagrees with you on an issue doesn't necessarily make their statements hate speech.

* Violating comfort zones.

Meeting people online is fun. But just don't cross the line.

* Creating multiple accounts.

Creating multiple accounts for sock puppet voting, providing false support your own arguments, or violating community guidelines isn't cool. Take note -- the creation of multiple accounts could result in removal of all your accounts.

Other People's Opinions

As mentioned, you're bound to run into differing opinions on Current. Some of these opinions may upset, frustrate, or even offend you. Before you retaliate in anger, keep in mind that we're here to discuss ideas, not attack the people expressing their ideas. Sometimes it's best to agree to disagree and be done, but if you think someone has crossed the line send us a flag and we'll take a look.

Flagging Content

Community members have the option to flag your posts & comments if they believe something may be in violation of our community standards. Once a flag has been sent in, we carefully review the item in depth before taking action. We reserve the right to remove your posts, comments, and profile from the Current website community immediately, whether it was flagged by a community member or identified as a violation of community standards by Current staff. If the flagged item is deemed a violation, we will contact the poster with a warning and remove the post. We will also respond to the person who sent in the flag letting them know the outcome. Remember, the flag button is not a toy, so please don't repeatedly flag the same item.

If you come across any of the following please click on the flag icon, give us a brief description, and we'll take a look:

• Racism or bigotry
• Hate speech
• Physical threats of any kind
• Harassment
• Libel or defamation
• Copyright infringement
• Gratuitous profanity/nudity/sexualized content - the key here is gratuitous.
• Obscenity
• Solicitation
• Spam

Off Topic Comments

Like any conversation, comments and discussions can get off topic, we understand that other community members' comments can irk you and distract you from the discussion at hand, but if it doesn't have to do with the topic, then that probably isn't the place for your comment. We realise that conversations can veer off onto tangents, and that's okay, but if the tangent is getting out of control, it's probably best to take a step back and consider if this is the best place for it. You can always start a new topic if you would like to continue your discussion or question.

Entitlement

We may have levels and badges, but when it comes down to it, no one is exempt from our community standards. We reward our most prolific community members, but being an active participant in the Current community doesn't give someone carte blanche to operate outside the community standards. In fact we hold ourselves to the same standards and we look to our active and long standing community members to help us set an example for everyone else.

Scams and general safety

Unfortunately, community members should watch out for phishing emails in their Current mailbox as well as posts on the site. Phishing is a type of scam where a perpetrator sends out an email or post trying to get a person to respond and give out personal information. If you receive mail or see a post on the site from a user you don't know, and it seems "phishy", then flag it and send the email/post along and we'll take care of it.

Password protection

You're responsible for any activity that happens under your username. Thus, you are responsible for keeping your password safe and secret.

Groups

Congrats on creating your very own group on Current.com! But remember, all groups are subject to Current.com's community guidelines; creating a group where the guidelines don't apply or where they are stricter won't fly.

In Conclusion

We've crafted these guidelines to ensure that everyone within the community has the best experience possible. Keeping Current an enjoyable experience is everyone's responsibility - it starts by being accountable for your behaviour on the site. If you don't feel that you can abide by our Community Guidelines as outlined above, maybe Current isn't for you.