Recently a thread was locked by , the forum moderator. He was right to do so. The post had severely veered off course, but that wasn’t the reason for locking it. It was locked because there were replies that were getting too political and apparently also too much poor language being used.

I am asking the good folks here to remember what this forum is for. This forum is generously provided for us by SolidWorks. They do not censor it like I have heard other companies do for the forum they provide. We, the SWX users, are free to come here and complain about the software, ask for help, share tips and tricks, request new features, etc. This forum is not intended to be an alternative to Facebook or other social media.

Though my own profile lists my occupation as Party Pooper , I do not want to throw cold water on the fun we have sharing in these topics and having some laughs at the same time. The purpose in writing this post is to provide a gentle reminder of what this forum is for and for us to be mindful of each other and our SWX host.

To that end I ask that anyone that posts a reply to any post keep in mind the following:

1. Is the reply on topic or is it going too far off topic? (Try taking the off-topic posts here: )
2. Is the reply helpful? Does it provide an answer, suggestion, request for more information, or otherwise make a positive contribution to the thread’s subject?
3. Is the reply only a few words with no contributing value? Is it merely an effort to log another reply and get a few points? (“LMAO” as the main or only part of a reply makes me want to stop following the post.) Please make your posts meaningful so folks don't waste their time checking it and finding only an inane response.
4. Is the reply delving into religion or politics? Please don’t. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and mine are just as strong as others, but this forum is not the best place for that. The politics slant is mostly what caused Richard to act.  Politics and religion are extremely personal.  Respect that!  Keep your religious/political criticisms out of this forum!
5. Is the reply insulting or attacking another person’s position? Please be mindful of not just what you are saying, but how you are saying it. (There is one person that used to be on here a lot and I now have a filter to block him from my email notices for his hateful and insulting responses.)

I feel like I have made some really good friends here on this forum, though I have yet to meet you in person. Some of you are across the street (for all I know) and some of you are halfway around the world. This forum is a great place to learn from and share with each other. Let's not pollute it with inane or inappropriate posts. Let's keep it lively, fun and helpful.

Respectfully submitted,

Dennis Dohogne, Party Pooper

Edited 11-2-2017 to add: Also please see this thread to make your responses easier for others to follow:

Message was edited by: Dennis Dohogne