TL;DR

We strive to make this document as clear as possible to avoid most issues. While all the below remain applicable, the heart of the matter is:

• Don’t harm
• Write about what you know
• Be authentic
• Define the problem
• Define the solution if available
• We will clearly communicate why your article did not meet our standards and how you can fix it.
• Fair Use: Your published article is available for use for most types of derivative works. 

Website Content Sections

The website has several distinct areas for submitted content. The Editorial Section, the Member News section, Community, Organization Pages, and Families. The opportunity to have an article published to these various sections depends on your standing and status with Let’s Rethink This and the nature of your submitted work. Information specifically about the guidelines for the various sections are below.

Editorial Content

An editorial article submitted to Let’s Rethink This (LRT) must meet certain criteria to be considered for publication on LRT’s Website in the editorial section. We will work with you, to the extent possible, so that you have all the information necessary on how to fix your article and resubmit. No partnership, sales arrangement, or tacit understanding overrules our editorial guidelines for editorial content.

1. The “problem” that needs to be addressed should be clearly defined. Why, how, and to whom it is a problem should be defined.
2. The article must not be simply informational. For example, an article such as “How to Pay Your Taxes” will be rejected while an article such as “How to Overhaul America's Tax System” would be accepted provided it meets all other criteria.
3. The article must not be a gripe or a rant. The possible consequences of the problem should be clearly defined.
4. If a “solution” is proposed, the solution must be clearly stated.
5. If no “solution” is given, the article should attempt to give the reader some insight into possible areas of research that could possibly lead to a solution. What more information does mankind need in order to start to address the problem?
6. Partners are experts in their field. The article must address either a problem or discuss a solution that is based on the partner’s area of expertise in some fashion. Doing so creates more compelling content and gives the reader a higher degree of trust in our partner content.
7. Non-partner contributors, while not expected to be experts in the article field, are expected to have thoroughly researched the topic on which they are writing and present an informed position.
8. Partners and contributors must not misrepresent themselves.
9. Partners and contributors must declare in a disclaimer any and all employment, stock holdings, product, service, or business to which they belong that could cause a bias in the submitted article.
10. Partners and contributors may mention and/or provide links to relevant organizations, services, and events in their submitted article. Linked content should be in some way relevant to the topic of the article in which it is included. All linked content will be reviewed by LRT staff to ensure those linked web pages are to the best of our knowledge and to the greatest extent possible: low risk of computer security threats, meet our objectionable content standards, and are not spam or otherwise deceitful or fraudulent. 

Non-Editorial Content

Partners and contributors may post content not meeting our editorial guidelines on their Organization page or their Family pages in the Community section of the LRT website. Partners and Site members may also use the Member News section to post other content. Non-editorial content must meet our objectionable content guidelines. 

Objectionable Content

Any content deemed objectionable by our standards will be refused and will have to be altered and resubmitted for approval. Our standards are as follows:

1. No calls for violence against any person, people, nation, tribe, ethnicity, or organization real or imaginary.
2. No incitement to committing crimes in a location where such activity would be a crime. It is acceptable to compare legality amongst various different localities. It is acceptable to discuss whether or not an action should or should not be criminalized or if laws should change. It is also acceptable to discuss appropriate law enforcement response to certain crimes or events in various contexts (e.g.: response to civil disobedience). 
3. No messages of hate or disparaging remarks towards any person, people, tribe, ethnicity, nation, or organization. While bad actors exist in all walks of life, specific issues and grievances with specific individuals or entities should be explained as factually as possible with supporting information from well established sources. 
4. Violence, sex, and sexual acts can be discussed in reference to their impact in relevant areas such as world cultures and vice versa. However, any article discussing such topics must take care to not present these topics simply for shock value or for the explicit sharing of violent or pornographic material. While rulings on this topic may be controversial and subject to individual sensitivity, LRT will work with its partners, to the extent possible, to render the article in question into a format that is acceptable to all LRT and the partner. 

Sharing Ideas

Solving large problems often sparks discussion and debate. That is why we believe sharing, re-posting, and building on top of existing content should be encouraged. Please be aware of the implications of “Fair Use” as it pertains to copyright law. Fair Use is a legal doctrine that promotes freedom of expression by permitting the unlicensed use of copyright-protected works in certain circumstances. These circumstances may include but are not limited to: criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. In case of contention concerning use of the work, several factors are considered beyond just the circumstances alone such as relevance, intention, and degree of "transformation" (furthering or adapting the work). This copyright's purpose is to encourage creative expression. Learn more about fair use here:

https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use

Removal of Published Content

LRT reserves the right to remove any piece of published content which no longer meets our guidelines. Our guidelines may change over time as changes in societies evolve. Previously published content might not meet future standards to varying degrees. If the original author is available and can be reached by our staff, we will first ask the author to submit an updated article. If the original author is not available or reachable, and when appropriate and possible, according to the severity of the violation, LRT may opt to label such content so that it remains published but would henceforth present readers with a disclaimer making them aware of how our guidelines have changed and how the article should be seen in the context of when it was originally published.