(This article can also be found in a dropdown menu under "About")
We are honored that you have chosen to trust us with your teen’s online safety here on the Thwap House. Online places, especially forums, have had a reputation for becoming toxic and unhealthy due to unenforced rules, inadequate rules, or no rules at all.
Here at the Thwap House, we strive to maintain a beneficial, Christian environment where your teens can discuss the Wingfeather Saga and other lighthearted topics. The purpose of this article is to help you understand the details of how we moderate on this forum.
If you have read the guidelines on the “Rules and Guidelines” page, then you will know that we prohibit the posting of immoral content/topics, which includes sexual immorality. We define this as anything that does not take a Biblical view on sexuality. Cussing or swearing of any kind is prohibited. We also strongly discourage the sharing of personal information, but this is not explicitly against the rules.
While we have rules in our forum to help new members understand the limits of what to post, we also try to make clear that we also need to make decisions based on our own judgment as Christians. While we know that our judgment is imperfect, we also expect our members to bear with us, because they agreed to accept our authority as site moderators when they first joined.
Because there are many types of Wingfeather Saga fans at the Thwap House with different convictions, we try to moderate on the conservative side. We understand that some members want to have deep discussions with one another, but when those conversations become too serious, dramatic, or discuss the many dark and evil things about today’s world, then it can pose a danger to the younger members, and the overall atmosphere. We aren’t saying that these topics shouldn’t be discussed, but since this site is supposed to be a lighthearted place for young people to connect, this is not the place.
Here are some examples of how we handle certain themes in discussions on the Thwap House.
Discussions about World Climate
While we allow our members to have discussions about today’s world, whether it’s theology or even political discussions, all our rules about topics still apply here. Because this site is for ages as young as 13, there are some members that may not be fully aware of the evil in today’s world. For this reason, we expect the older members to use discernment when discussing these topics.
Personal and Family Issues
Even though we do allow members to make posts asking for prayer on certain issues, we encourage them to do so with someone they know personally. We are careful when approving posts that center on serious personal issues and sins. Posts mentioning suicide, self harm, and depression are not allowed.
Harry Potter
Because we know that Harry Potter is a very controversial topic within Christian culture, we have decided to forbid discussion about the movies and books, and generally it’s content. This is mainly to make the moderators' jobs easier, as we have many members who have convictions against it, and we don't want anyone to feel singled out. The Percy Jackson book series is disallowed for the same reasons.
Media We Do Allow
We allow lighthearted discussions about other movies, books, and forms of media. All the rules above about topics, however, still apply. Some examples of media content we do allow are Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia. Feel free to ask a moderator or administrator if you are unsure whether a certain kind of content is allowed.
Links
When a member posts a link to another site in our forum, it is moderated before approval to confirm that it agrees with the site rules and does not endanger other members in any way. Links leading to content that interferes with the site rules are not approved.
Thwapmoots
A thwapmoot is an online video call for Thwaphouse members who would like to see each other in real life. Originally, these were hosted each Saturday after a Wingfeather Saga episode was released, but currently we have no fixed schedule. We welcome parental involvement in these events and moderate the same as we do on the forum. Watchparty was our original platform, but are currently looking for a better, more easily controlled platform. We’re constantly trying to improve the experience and safety of these thwapmoots, as we understand that doing video calls with people online can be problematic with regard to security and privacy.
Roleplaying and Collaborative Stories
Collaborative stories and roleplaying are allowed, but only if there are adequate moderators to keep up with the content being posted.
Writer's Club and Fanfiction
Writer's club is a category where members can share their stories, essays and poems, and Fanfiction is for Wingfeather-related writing. Here are some tips to make sure that your teen's stories are accepted on our site.
Steer clear of adult/teen rated themes. This includes but is not limited to suicide, domestic violence, child abuse, horror, excessive romance, and overly dark themes. Blood and gore is allowed, but be careful with it. Keep it to a minimum, and when writing fantasy violence, keep it tasteful. Consider that kids may be reading what you write. Try to amplify light with your stories. Make the world a better place by writing stories to encourage and bring joy to people.
Contests
We have a seasonal T.H.A.G.S. contest that offers real prizes. Because of this, we require that the members who are below 18 to ask their parents beforehand.
We hope that your teen will enjoy their membership at the Thwap House. If you find anything that concerns you, please don’t hesitate to email thwaphouse.official@protonmail.com. We would love to hear your feedback!