How to gain access to Hot Air

[admin]

"Hot Air" is our forum reserved for political topics. I believe that discussion of some controversial topics among the people that you identify with most (other pilots) is valuable, and I will uphold that. However, in an attempt to appease both the BCP participants who enjoy integrating politics with their flying, as well as those who would prefer not to, I have devised an "opt-in" system. This system works well, as it allows users to tune the site to the experience they want to have. Some would argue "then simply don't click the link," but even the sight of an aptly named link can be very annoying.

Hot Air lists in the View Active Topics and View Posts Since Last Visit pages if you choose to opt-in. You must elect to view/access the forum by joining the Hot Air group. It's simple, just follow these steps once you've logged in:

To subscribe:
1. Click on "User Control Panel" in the upper left hand corner while in the forum.
2. Click the Usergroups tab.
3. Under Non-Memberships, select the "Hot Air" group.
4. Select "Join Selected" from the select box at the bottom.
5. Click the "Submit" button.

You are now permanently allowed to view and post in Hot Air. All Hot Air topics will list in active topics pages. Access will be seamless as long as you are logged in. Nothing will be hidden from view.

To Unsubscribe
In the event you would like to ignore these topics, follow these steps:

1. Click on "User Control Panel" in the upper left hand corner while in the forum.
2. Click the Usergroups tab.
3. Under Memberships, select the "Hot Air" group.
4. Select "Resign Selected" from the select box at the bottom.
5. Click the "Submit" button.

Now Hot Air topics will be hidden from your view. You have the control.

Caution:
Engaging in Hot Air discussions can sour the overall experience of this site, detract from the flying fun, and change the way you feel about other users-- Something that likely would not happen had you never broached certain topics. It is a delicate dance, reserved for adults who can recognize that the primary reason they are on BCP is because of the interest in flying that we all share. Targeted personal insults will not be tolerated and could result in deactivation. Please play nicely.

What do I consider Hot Air worthy topics?

Here's a few criteria:

1. Popular hotbed topics that are frequently discussed in regular media: How bad the President is, gay marriage, gun control, stuff that generally gets too much airtime and ruffles everyone's feathers.

2. Religious debates. This encompasses all topics where any religion is degraded or is the nucleus of the argument.

3. Anything where the controversy is attributed to conservatism or liberalism.

Aviation/flying related topics get a special pass, to a point. The FAA may be a political topic at times, but it is directly related to flying, and discussion of regulations is very important because it had a direct effect on pilots and owners. However, if the discussion degrades beyond intelligent discourse, or becomes unprofessional, it will be moved to Hot Air.

Topics that are political in nature should be started in Hot Air. Topics that derail into inflammatory political territory will be moved to Hot Air. Please be respectful to others' topics, as by posting something overtly political, you can cause their topic to be moved. This is not a reversible action. If you feel it's necessary to insult the moderation staff due to such an action, you will be warned and/or banned from the forum.

Hot Air threads are automatically expunged after 6 months of inactivity.