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The Napoleon Series Discussion Forum is the oldest forum about Napoleonic
History on the Internet. It has been in existence since 1995! Certain
standards of behavior have emerged, meant to ensure its smooth operation,
particularly with the diverse array of international users who may not
be using their primary language.
Chief among these customs is that each person uses his or her own name
and email address when posting a message. This is to encourage open,
honest discussion in which individuals remain accountable for their
statements and their conduct. Anonymous postings are considered rude
and are not permitted.
The Forum is a dialogue, a venue for the lively exchange of ideas,
information, and opinion. That means everyone has to at least
respect each other's right to post. Dialogue needs more than one
side in order to thrive. It must permit room for questions to
be posed by newcomers and veterans alike, as well as for well-intentioned
responses. Users can disagree without being disagreeable.
The Forum welcomes participants of all levels of interest and knowledge.
Well-informed enthusiasts all had a starting place, and we hope the
Forum may nurture new beginnings, as well as deepen the knowledge of
the more advanced.
Acknowledging that participants come from a wide array of backgrounds,
nations and cultures, please be sensitive to the sensibilities of others.
Although it may seem obvious to state it, please champion values of
mutual respect and intellectual integrity while presuming them in others,
however much such behavior may seem to be unreciprocated by someone
else. Disagreements may be robust, but descent into personal attacks
upon other participants (including in regard to their opinions, level
of knowledge, race, gender, religion, nationality, political beliefs,
education, or personality) rarely lead to a constructive outcome, but
rather are indications when a dialogue has reached its
particular limits and merits termination. Ideally, the Forum is
self-policing, requiring tolerance of disagreeable opinion and restraint
in the face of perceived behavior of others. Assertions that are
polite and well documented usually stand the test of time and are of
the greatest value to all visitors. All questions posed courteously
and in good faith are always welcome.
Not all postings require a response; sometimes ignoring a post is more
effective than responding. If you wish to explore a contentious issue
outside of these guidelines, doing so off-Forum, in a direct communication
may be a better choice. Equally, if you should wish to pursue
a subject unrelated to the Napoleonic period, or delve into aspects
of a theme you feel does not cater to general interest (although the
range of interest in what each participant has to say may be surprising),
then direct communication off-line may, again, be preferred.
The following are the few rules that govern our Forum. Strict observance
is required.
1. Never make a personal attack; be respectful. Stay focused on
the subject, not the participant.
2. Do not use improper language (if you have to ask, assume it is).
3. Be tolerant of dissenting opinion. Everyone has the right to say
their piece.
4. Do not advertise.
5. To be able to use the forum you must set up a profile. Your profile
must contain your real name and a valid e-mail address.
6. Avoid Copyright Violations: While welcome (even invited) to share
information about sites offering relevant publications available for
download, in your posts do not encourage, arrange, or otherwise facilitate
file-sharing of copyright-protected materials from other than their
legitimate sources (please see FAQ below). All works are protected
by copyright until 70 years
after the death of the author / creator of the object or if the
author is not known, than the copyright is from 95 years from date
of publication.
Please ensure that you do
not violate the following:
-- Images (e.g. pictures and maps): you
can only post an image if it is out of copyright or with
permission of the copyright holder (which you must indicate in
the post). Google has authorized the Napoleon Series to post up
to two images from any “Google
Book”. Serial posting is not permitted.*
-- Embedding a non-text image (picture) from
another website: you
may not, unless you have permission of the website owner legally
authorized to give it (which you must state in your post).
-- Text of Books out of Copyright:
--- Transcription: unlimited, but please
keep it appropriate to a manageable posting.
--- Your own scan: unlimited, but
please don’t exceed about five in any one posting.
--- Google has authorized the Napoleon Series to post up
to two images from any “Google Book”. Serial posting
is not permitted.*
-- Text that is still protected by copyright: your post
must meet "fair use" criteria. This includes text copied
from other websites. As administrative guidance for the Napoleon
Series Discussion Forum, "fair use" limit for any single
post may be considered as follows:
--- Transcription from books: 500 words
that you type out or paste into your post.*
--- Transcriptions from articles in journals, magazines, or
anthologies in which chapters have separate authors: 250 words
that you type out
or paste into your post.*
--- Scans – no scans from a book
of less than 100 pages, and no more than one scan (1 page) from
a larger work.*
* Serial posting to exceed the limit not permitted.
The posting individual bears responsibility for verifying the
copyright status of text and/or scan, conforming to the proportional
limitations, and must provide attribution to the scan’s and/or text’s copyright holder.
With regard to text pasted/copied from another website, the absolute
limit is 500 words, though the poster should bear “fair use” and
proportionality in mind, applying a lower the limit from small
sites. Again, serial posting* to exceed the limit not permitted.
The posting individual bears responsibility for verifying the copyright
status of text and/or scan, for conforming to the appropriate limitations,
and must provide attribution to the copyright holder of the text
and/or scan (e.g., author and title, website url, etc.).
The Napoleon Series will remove posts that, in its judgment, appear
to constitute "serial posting" (material from the same
source, posted across a sequence of messages, developing the same
line of inquiry) in a way that may create a risk of exceeding "fair
use" of any copyrighted material. The Napoleon Series also
reserves the right to remove postings that, in its judgment, may
infringe copyright. Ultimately, the each participant is primarily
responsible for adequately evaluating copyright limitations and
applying the “fair use” guidelines when posting.
Enter
the Napoleon Series History Forum!
Frequently Asked Questions about the Napoleon Series Forum:
1. How do I post a message on the Forum?
2. How do I change my password or other
information in my profile?
3. How do I use smilies in my posting?
4. How do I place a picture in a posting?
5. How do I place a link to another site
in my posting?
6. Can I place html code within my posting?
7. Is there a need to change the subject
line if I respond to a post?
8. How do I avoid having my messages being
deleted when archiving is being done?
9. E-Books, the Forum & Copyright Infringement
Students: Though the Napoleon Series will not necessarily do
all your research for you, we encourage students post questions on the
Forum. Please check the Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQs), articles, Statistical Abstract and other
sections of the Napoleon Series before posing your questions.
Profiles: Some of the Discussion Forum Members present themselves
here
in the “User Profile” section.
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