This is the place were we send bad threads to die.... This is where all the dead horses come to be beaten....

Recipezaar respects everyone's Freedom of Speech as long as they do not post obscene material, engage in personal attacks against other members or otherwise violate our Terms of Service (those are the rules of this place, there's a link at the bottom of every page to it). Do stuff like that and you'll get kicked off the site.

Protecting Freedom of Speech can be hard sometimes because, well, people get into fights. So if some thread gets too hot, or someone starts being mean, we'll move it here. We won't censure you (unless you break our rules, see above), but we will put you off to pasture were you can yell amongst yourselves.

Call us crazy, but we like to keep our recipe and cooking site free of the yelling and screaming. That tends to scare off the new folks. We know disagreements can/will happen. Handled politely and respectfully and that's fine. If not, we throw it into The Frying Pan.

(p.s. No one can post new topics here — that would surely encourage folks . They just get moved here by us.)

Is Recipezaar a good place to discuss my strong religious and/or political beliefs?

No, Recipezaar is a cooking site. There are many better places on the web to discuss such topics (let us know if you need help finding those places).

Our experience has shown that these topics often inspire heated debate that devolves into name-calling and attacks, rather than polite respectful discussions. As a result, they are usually thrown in The Frying Pan and the people involved are reprimanded.

Is sending a thread to The Frying Pan like being put "in the corner" for misbehaving?

The Frying Pan is not a punishment, it is a not so subtle hint that this particular topic is "sizzling". We put these topics in this other room, where those willing to discuss such topics can do so. We want these topics out of the mainstream Forums. We don't want to scare off newcomers who might stumble into one of these conversations. By placing them in a separate Forum, clearly labeled, everyone will know what to expect and can choose to stay away.

Why was The Frying Pan created?

Because the biggest problem we have on the site is that newcomers are scared by the community of people who, at times, post replies that make a topic "heated". Sometimes these are misinterpreted by people who are not as familiar with the various people and personalities, and sometimes they are downright controversial topics. Either way, many people shy away from such places. We do not want that. We want people to feel welcome. Putting "heated" topics in the Frying Pan puts them in a more appropriate place — a place where it is clear that this is uncommon and not appreciated by the community.

Isn't The Frying Pan basically censorship?

No. Censorship prevents people from discussing topics entirely. However, it should be clear that continuing to post in Frying Pan topics creates an environment that we feel is inappropriate for the site and the discussion should end.

Am I in trouble if I get a topic moved to The Frying Pan?

No. And you can continue to post. Just be aware that if the topic is in The Frying Pan, then you should be think twice before posting to it, because the topic is already considered unsuitable for the mainstream use of the site. It is a requirement of our Terms of Service that you be polite and respectful of others, something which can become difficult to do when emotions run high.

Why don't you just "lock" or remove threads that are not respectful?

We have seen too many sites take this approach and it simply encourages more anger. For every topic that is locked (preventing any one from posting in it further) or immediately removed, three new threads are created to replace the bad one, and the people running the site are called "censors".

Recipezaar believes strongly in protecting Freedom of Speech on the site. Our experience has shown that having a place to throw the sizzling topics is much better than locking, immediately deleting or censoring topics. That said, we periodically "take out the garbage," as you probably do in your own kitchen, and all Frying Pan threads are removed.

Is there something we should be answering here, but don't? Let us know in the Suggestions and Comments Forum.

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