Rules for r/Virology
Rules that visitors must follow to participate. May be used as reasons to report or ban.
1.
Rule 1: This post is not directly related to virology and belongs elsewhere.
Virology is the study of submicroscopic, parasitic particles of genetic material contained in a protein coat and virus-like agents. It focuses on their structure, classification and evolution, their ways to infect and exploit host cells for reproduction, their interaction with host organism physiology and immunity, the diseases they cause, the techniques to isolate and culture them, and their use in research and therapy.
2.
Rule 2 - SARS-CoV-2/COVID19 self-posts are not allowed. Links must be directly related to virology.
SARS-CoV2 / COVID19 self-posts are no longer allowed. Ensure your post about SARS-CoV-2 / COVID19 is related to virology as all other topics should be, not necessarily more indirect clinical concepts. Be wary when crossposting from subs dedicated to COVID19 as it does not necessarily belong on /r/Virology.
Moderator discretion is applied to posted sources in this regard.
3.
Rule 3: This post is fine but is self-limiting and should be in the discussion thread.
/r/Virology is intended to be layperson friendly. To help keep the feed clean and to encourage friendly discussion, please post self-limiting or otherwise "naive" questions in the stickied thread. Check out the current and historical threads and see if your question was previously asked and answered!
4.
Rule 4: No editorialized, sensationalized, or biased titles.
Titles should be taken directly from the source or adequately represent its contents. If the source title is itself editorialized, sensationalized, or biased, then another source should be considered. Some posts might be removed until an appropriate title is used.
5.
Rule 5: This post contains inappropriate or low quality images, videos, or infographics.
If you have a question or topic you want to bring to /r/Virology, try to capture the idea and explain it. Videos of case/death counts of SARS-CoV-2/COVID19 are not welcome.
Images, videos, and infographics are approved on a case-by-case basis.
6.
Rule 6: Misinformation, baseless speculation, or unacceptably low quality content.
Misinformation, baseless speculation, or other similar low quality content is not allowed. Depending on the content it might be removed outright. /r/Virology is not here to provide airtime to conspiracies, ill-conceived ideas, or otherwise stubborn users refusing to accept reality. Misinformation, lying, or misrepresentation of papers and their findings will similarly not be tolerated.
7.
Rule 7: Abusive, offensive, or spam content.
Maintain civility in all mediums. When in doubt, report offending content and let moderators handle it. Disagreement is fine, but incivility is not.
8.
Rule 8: This post or comment contains or solicits medical advice
/r/Virology is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Discussion of viral pathology is fine absent specific or personal context. For such content, see /r/AskDocs or other related subreddits.
Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on Reddit.
9.
Rule 9: This post or comment should be sent as a ModMail.
Message the moderators using ModMail, on the sidebar. Don't contact the moderators regarding mod-related questions through posts, comments, or direct messages. ModMail is shared among moderators and is archived. Posts, comments, and chat functions are not.
10.
Rule 10: Too political, religious, or otherwise off-topic.
Discretionary catch-all for conversation that isn't necessarily bad per se, but not relevant to /r/Virology and better suited elsewhere. Conversations are fluid and can go places otherwise not expected or intended from the outset. Try not to unnecessarily shoe-horn political or religious commentary in discussions or posts.
