NewsForge discussions up and running

After many delays, the NewsForge discussion page is finally open for business (and pleasure). There is no such thing as an “off topic” post in any one thread here, unlike a certain other site we could name.Also unlike that other site, only our editors have moderation power so far, but that may change; we’ll see how things go.

We have made our discussions page totally open-ended. Anything you want to say that relates to Open Source or free software in any way is on-topic here, and you are free to set your own subject whether or not it has to do with any stories we have run recently.

You can also use NewsForge discussions to communicate with NewsForge editors or to suggest improvements to the site. We check in regularly and will answer questions and respond to your comments as often as possible.

One thing we ask is that you please refrain from posting obviously unsuitable (as in obscene or blatantly offensive) material. This is a news site, not a free-for-all melee. NewsForge editors can and will remove any posts they don’t think belong here, without explanation.

You can post anonymously or — assuming you are a registered NewsForge user — under your real (or at least login) name. It’s up to you.

If you register (assuming you haven’t already), you can also do neat things like customize your NewsForge home page and see a groovy grey bar across the NewsVac Links section that’ll show you where you left off reading the last time you checked NewsForge. But we can talk about the benefits of having a NewsForge account at another time — like after we get t-shirts printed or come up with some other slick giveaway.

And please, don’t expect anything as fancy as a car if you sign up with NewsForge, okay? We’re focused on news, not glitz, around here. To have a chance of winning the much-ballyhooed Slashdot Cruiser, you need to sign up at OSDN.com, the central site for the whole Open Source Development Network, of which NewsForge is merely one small (although *ahem* vital) part.