Charter

The Deep Sinking Charter

What is this site about?

An interest in quicksand and deep mud, like most childhood fascinations, is usually outgrown during adolescence. But for some the interest continues to develop. Many have sought out their own experiences at natural locations and man-made areas. Others have developed a rich imaginary life from which some of the most intensely melodramatic fiction has been written.

Your interest may stem from your own personal experiences, your imagination, or an interest in the subject as it exists in film, literature or other media. This forum invites your participation through the sharing of your thoughts, from the mythological to the real.

Why is "sticky" off topic?

Mud seldom clings to the extent that it becomes a trap for that reason. If it does in an imaginary setting, there would be little sinking. If there were any sinking involved, the trap would be from suction and not adhesion.

Why is "muddy" off topic?

For muddy to be on-topic in this Forum, it must also be paired with deep mud, where the subject is muddy because they are sinking (as opposed to after they have escaped).

Is this forum about sinking in anything?

Anything deep. However, we actively discourage bringing up substances which are unhealthy or dangerous in any amount.

A lot of pictures of girls, but are guys okay here too?

Yes, while the majority audience of Deep Sinking are males whose interest revolves around female-sinker content, people do exist and participate, both male and female, who are interested in male-sinker content. Deep Sinking specifically allows and encourages sinkers of either gender within our other guidelines.

What's wrong with posting pictures of people and/or outfits for sinking?

Sometimes contributors want to post pictures of people who are not sinking, using a "wouldn't it be great if this person were sinking?" or "would someone please make a sinking fake using this picture?" justification.

Deep Sinking welcomes, and can justify paying the storage costs for, finished graphics that are on topic, but there is an infinite amount of potential source material that has yet to become that could easily overwhelm the actual on-topic content if allowed to proliferate, even if doing so did not raise thorny copyright issues, which it does. (See below.)

Therefore, Deep Sinking does not allow pictures of people who are not sinking to be posted as forum attachments.

We are somewhat more lenient about pictures of potential sinking locations or "backgrounds," as these tend to be community-produced and simply do not have the viability-threatening volume that potential human subjects do.

If you have in mind a subject for one of our artists to merge into a sinking theme, then please post a link to an off-site image. There are several image hosting galleries suitable for this purpose, like Flickr.

I found this thing related to quicksand, should I post it?

The most important thing when deciding whether to post material you've found (like a clip or image) is determining that you have the right to post it. There are three possible justifications for claiming that you have the right to post something:

  1. You made it.
  2. The person who made it gave you permission to post it.
  3. Posting it is consistent with fair use copyright law.

In order to avoid misunderstandings, if you're posting materal not your own, please indicate your basis for posting it.

If you aren't sure whether it's okay to post something, just ask. Remember, nothing bad will happen just for asking. However, if you believe that asking for forgiveness is better than asking for permission, do not assume that you will be absolved.

The issue of fair use is subject to interpretation, and everyone tends to view it in the light that most closely agrees with their motives. Please use your best judgment and do not abuse the principles of fair use.

While the moderators and administrators of Deep Sinking may from time to time remove content believed to be infringing based on personal knowledge, they make no guarantee that any particular piece of content or its intellectual property status have been reviewed. Naturally, the personal knowledge of the moderators and administrators is most applicable when dealing with community-produced material.

Content owners who feel their work is being infringed by appearing on Deep Sinking may contact Foster Blake to have any such issues promptly resolved.

I wrote a story where the character dies. Is that okay here?

One of the primary aspects of the quicksand myth is its almost guaranteed deadly nature. For most of us here, that aspect was part of its original mystery and drama. So it is expected that this aspect find its way into the fantasies of sinking enthusiasts. The reality is that quicksand in itself is not dangerous unless combined with another distinctly life-threatening situation such as a rising tide (drowning) or an unexpected drop in air temperature (hypothermia). But it's the melodrama of the literary quicksand that brings us here, and that tradition is kept in stories and art work.

I wrote a story involving a character under the age of 18. Is that okay here?

The irony of this topic is that we adults who want to continue playing in the "mud" are often invading a territory that belongs to our childhood, and society expects us to have left it there. Since we haven't, the "rules of engagement" in references to anything linking back to childhood must be very specific.

While this forum's mandate is to support the interest in all expressions of sinking in quicksand and quagmire, there is still the primary requirement to obey the laws of the country from which this forum operates (USA).

Because of the sensitive nature of this topic, the following restrictions will be enforced. Be sure you have read and understood each point. The moderators will observe Zero Tolerance toward any submission that conflicts with these restrictions:

  • For photographic media, unless the scene is from a mainstream television program or film, no minors may be depicted in any representation (such as "fakes" or web-based media such as Webshots or sporting events).
  • For graphical media, cartoon, "anime" and illustrated, minor subjects must be properly clothed and in no way provocativly posed (such as "ecchi" or "hentai" fakes).
  • For written media, either in quotations from other sources or submissions by members, no references will be made that emphasize characteristics of a visually provocative nature (such as "budding breasts" or "coltish legs"). Writers should follow the example of traditional juvenile media such as the "Hardy Boys" and "Nancy Drew" stories for their level of narrative style and content.
  • Factual news stories of rescues or historical incidents that are public record are permitted. Most often, a link to the news source in "Into the Swamp" is the best way to direct members to the article.
  • Under no circumstances should provocative underage media subjects be posted in Saturday Evening. Material which conflicts with this requirement will be deleted and its contributor unregistered from forum participation.

For all other material involving children, post it in the Saturday Morning forum. Some rare cases may be better suited to "Saturday Afternoon." If it is not appropriate for those forums, contact a moderator to discuss the matter before posting it.