by John McDevitt

Created on: February 13, 2009   Last Updated: February 20, 2009

Flagging an article as inappropriate is a positive action. It sends a signal that something is amiss. Your flag is a valuable tool that helps Helium put a stop to people thumbing their noses at community standards. Your flag can help identify and correct serious abuses that threaten or compromise the integrity or safety of the Helium community. Your flag can help an otherwise conscientious writer, who may have drifted off course, reset their compass and regain their sense of direction.

To flag an article while rating, simply click on the flag icon under the article. A new window will pop up that explains the flagging process, includes the text of the article and provides a drop down menu with a list of reasons for the flag. Choose the appropriate reason (explained below) and submit. You may also include a short explanation in the small window.

When you see a questionable article while browsing the site, click on user tools at the top of your screen to bring up a new window that will allow you to flag the article. The only difference between this window and the window you see while rating is the choice between Flag Plagiarism and Flag Inappropriate. The drop down menu is the same. The special Plagiarism flag is explained below.

Sometimes a writer will include their name or other identifying information within the text of their article. This is not permitted because it destroys the anonymity of the rating system. When you flag for self promo, the writer's identifying information will either be edited out of the article, or in some cases, the article will be deleted and sent back to the writer for correction and resubmission.

Adult content is not permitted on our family friendly site. Helium's minimum age is 13 years. Flagging this content helps protects our children and Helium's reputation.

Profane or foul language is never allowed. Please flag when you see inappropriate language. We're not prudes, but we hold to a high standard. If you aren't sure, follow your instincts and flag. Your opinion is valued. If the language is inappropriate, the article will be deleted. If not, no harm done.

Illegal activities or products are never permitted in Helium articles. Sometimes these articles slip through the cracks. Please flag for illegal whenever you find one of these.

Plagiarism is theft pure and simple and is never tolerated. If you suspect that an article has been copied from another source, please use this flag. If you're flagging from the rating screen, choose Plagiarism

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