Last Updated: 10/25/2018
Welcome to the Van Halen News Desk – the most popular Van Halen website on the internet. Our Comments section is a place for our community of passionate Van Halen fans to share lively and spirited discussion. We encourage all our readers to get involved and share their thoughts! In order to keep the exchanges civil and to promote intelligent discussion about all things Van Halen, here are the basic rules of VHND etiquette.
On-Topic Conversations
We encourage discussion of all things Van Halen. We also understand that many people here have become part of a community. While we permit discussion of current events and music-related issues, some topics (e.g. politics and religion) are not allowed. Please note that some off-topic comments may be removed in order to maintain a calmer atmosphere or to keep off-topic conversations from detracting from the goal of the site.
Haters Not Tolerated
Hateful rants against a Van Halen member, former member or against other commenters are not allowed. Disagreement and constructive criticism is understandable. Personal attacks aren’t.
Trolls, as they are identified, will be removed. A troll is a person who enters an established forum and intentionally tries to cause disruption, most often in the form of posting inflammatory, off-topic, or otherwise inappropriate messages.
We appreciate your assistance in quickly getting rid of hateful commentary and trolls. After you’ve “earned your keep,” you can flag inappropriate comments. Our system will analyze flags and may throw such comments or entire discussions into moderation so our mods can take a look. PLEASE DO NOT ENGAGE TROLLS. This creates more work for everyone and lessens the VHND experience for all concerned. The best way to deal with a troll is to ignore him or her and flag appropriately.
Profanity…in Moderation
We understand that sometimes no other word fits. However, in most cases, profanity adds nothing to intelligent conversation. Excessive use of it will be edited or removed. This way we can cater to the broadest of audiences that fall under the VH fan umbrella.
No impersonating
Impersonating anyone, whether it be another user, a band member, or anyone from the Van Halen camp is not allowed.
First Time’s a Charm
Please don’t make repetitive posts about the same concept, idea, etc.
Help Us Fix Problems
The staff isn’t perfect. If you spot an error or typo in a VHND story, we ask that you email us at news@vhnd.com rather than posting a comment about it. After the error is corrected, your comment will remain, and people won’t know what you were talking about.
Respect the Moderators
You might not always agree with them, but the mods are here to keep the peace and encourage great conversation. Abuse of moderators (signified with a “MOD” after their username) will not be tolerated. If you have an issue with a VHND moderator, please email us privately at news@vhnd.com.
No “Guest Posting”
Because of issues with a few persistent trolls, we do not allow anonymous posting. VHND requires all who wish to comment to register with a working email address.
*** SPOILER ALERT ***
We understand that users may discuss off-topic items. When discussing newly released movies and TV shows, live sporting events, or other topics that include a reveal that would ruin viewing for others, the comment should be prefaced with *** XXX SPOILER ALERT ***. XXX should be replaced with the type of spoiler. For example, *** STAR WARS SPOILER ALERT *** would be used when discussing the latest Star Wars movie. Admins have authority to add this component to comments that are void of this indication.
Incognito Flagging/Reporting
Any member found to be using shadow accounts for the purpose of flagging comments or reporting others will be banned.
No Whining
It’s sad that this rule even needs to exist, but when disagreement or lack of understanding turns into whining, the comment may be removed. Whining is counterproductive and drives current and potential members away. VHND’s goal is to create an inviting place for everyone, without the typical junk you find on other sites or social networks.
Moderated Comments
Any comments containing web links, video or images must be moderated. This can take up to 24 hours. Please note that we do not allow linking to illegal or adults only sites, or content that apparently infringes one’s copyright. By posting photo and video, you hold VHND harmless of any legal issues that may arise. VHND will remove upon request any photo that violates copyright or trademark.
On rare occasions, we may reject content if we are currently working on a detailed article that utilizes the same photo, video, etc.
Thanks for respecting the rules and enjoy the VHND!
HOW TO POST COMMENTS
Posting on VHND is easy. Our commenting system is powered by Disqus, which is used by millions of people across some of the largest sites on the web. You can comment with Disqus using your social networking accounts (such as Facebook or Twitter), or by setting up a Disqus account. (Setting up your Disqus account is very simple and only takes a minute or two – just click on the Disqus button above the comment field for information.) This allows you to post comments immediately.
HOW TO REGISTER
Under the appropriate news story, type your comment in the comment field and then click the “Post as” button. Then, in the new window, either sign in through Facebook, Twitter, etc. or click the “Register a new Disqus profile” link. You’ll simply type in your email address and create your username and password. Disqus will immediately email you a link, which you’ll use to verify your email address. That’s it – your account will be set up and you’ll be able to post on the many sites that use Disqus.