The California Golden Blogs is a very open, free-flowing community.  The moderators of this site would much prefer not to have to bother with any community guidelines at all, but as we've discovered, a bit of politeness greases the wheels of social interaction quite nicely.  The basic overarching principle here is one of respect:  we want this site to be as welcoming to as many Cal fans as we possibly can.  We know we can't please everyone, and we definitely don't want to stifle the unique mixture of intelligent banter and irreverent inanities that have come to define this community, but this is our best shot at a compromise.

 • Please treat each other with respect.  When you disagree with another commentator, please do so without personal attacks, instead relying on the force of your arguments to carry the day.  Note that we moderators can tell the difference between playful joshing and vicious invective; as long as everyone's having fun, we won't stand in your way.

 • Please extend the same philosophy when commenting on other articles written around the web or elsewhere.  If you want to take a particular ESPN personality to task for his or her general lack of understanding of quarterbacking, football, logical reasoning and a basic grasp of the English language, by all means, be my guest.  Just don't descend into simply calling them a douchebag, however.  Attack the argument, not the arguer.

 • No slap fights, please.  Many CGB commentators have shown themselves extremely adept at engaging in reasoned debate on any manner of topics, and we have no desire to limit such discussions.  Occasionally, however, topic subthreads have descended into commentators spouting unjustified opinions and mindless talking points at each other in an uncivil manner, making everyone else around them uncomfortable.  These slap fights add nothing to CGB, and the moderators will henceforth be making a greater effort to quash them as they crop up.

 • Content that is overtly racist, sexist, or otherwise objectionable to decently-educated members of society will not be tolerated.

 • Posting large, potentially risqué images could get people people in trouble if they were seen viewing such images at work.  If you're thinking of putting up a hilarious image that you would hesitate to show to you boss, grandmother, second-grade teacher or rabbi, please instead simply provide a link, and clearly label it as NSFW (Not Safe For Work).  People who feel safe checking out your racy images may do so at their own risk, and everyone else gets to skip on by.

 • No spamming, please.

 • Finally, within the comments section of main page posts, please try and stay on-topic.  We understand that comment threads may veer off into tangentially-related topics; this is how conversations naturally evolve, and we think this is perfectly fine.  However, if you want to talk about something completely unrelated to the topic at hand, the Daily Bear Dump is your place for free-form inanity and open discussion on whatever topics you like; please take any off-topic discussions there, thanks.

So, what happens if you violate the above guidelines?  Well, moderators will initially try to quell any disruptions before they become big problems.  We may end up deleting offending posts, though if we do, we will also leave a note explaining why some comments were moderated.  You may get a private message from one of us, telling you where you crossed the line and that you should knock it off.  Repeat offenders may be subject to sanctions, possibly including Hydro's legendary Banhammer, though we've yet to have to do that to anyone, and I'd hate to have to start.

On the whole, CGB has had no problem with 98% of the commentators on the site, and few problems with the rest.  For the most part, you guys have made our jobs easy, and I don't want you to feel like we're laying down some sort of odious new restrictions on you.  Mostly, I just want to make sure that all of us are on the same page regarding what we expect of commentators on this site, so that when issues do arise, there's no confusion, and no one feels persecuted.

You stay classy, CGB, and thanks for stopping by.  Go Bears!