I really don't see that there are that many rules. I have got into trouble for heated debates with the "Llama" or  Pbeav before and I now realize I needed my hand slapped. (ouch)

Really? I haven't notice...plus, who said you have to follow them?

RIA actually has an absence of rules that I find wonderful. Maybe others are more sensitive, but I have never felt chained by the format. RIA is what it says it is: an opinion network, which means that the content of a review is mostly controlled by how a writer anticipates its effect on his or her reputation. In other words, it's self-regulating. Contrast this with other ratings sites, and you'll see what I mean. When I was writing reviews for citysearch, for instance, I frequently got reviews rejected because some editor felt that the reviews were too harsh, even though I never used profanities. And the same goes for amazon and a lot of other sites which have a large number of reviews. Freedom from rules is one of RIA's strongest points.

This website is actually very good because their rules are common sense rules. Maybe I could understand if they were too restrictive.

I don't do well with rules, never. I think the rules change according to the personality of the RIA reviewer.

Well, every website has its own rules. This is Lawrence's website, and he can decide the rules. Anyone who has a serious problem with the rules has the option of leaving.

The rules are very flexible and usually you only end up getting a warning if you've posted something that is an obviously in violation of the RIA policy. I'm glad that this site has rules because without them, the integrity of the site would be diminshed.

It's getting worse. People seem to be unable to (1) control themselves or (2) deal with any naughty-naughty words that offend their Puritan sensibilities. It is a shame to watch the inevitable slide downward. . .

Not any more than any other sites do, from what I've experienced.

Not really. It is as it should be. I have been to forums and message boards where there wasn't much of a code of conduct to follow, and as a result, things were a mess. The rules (and most of the time, everyone here is good about heeding them) serve as a great guideline so as to maintain order. I really like that!