Given some of the recent activity within the thread, we have noticed there is some confusion over what is and is not appropriate to post in the Vent board. In an effort to be more clear, we would like to offer some clarification with some examples of what can be considered breaching the rules of the thread.

OK: I had trouble with a trade earlier and it's making me feel really frustrated and upset. I think I might be done with trading from now on.
Not OK: I had trouble with a trade earlier and I'm starting to really dislike this user because they ALWAYS do this to me. I hate trading with these types of people.

OK: This constant arguing is ruining my day.
Not OK: The discourse in the cheez whiz thread is so annoying and I'm so tired of seeing (user) post in it. Let it die already.

OK: What a bad day. I'm starting to really feel bad about this situation... it might be time to cut ties with this person.
Not OK: (user) made me feel like crap because of something that happened earlier and now I really want nothing to do with them. 

The reasoning behind these rules is that if you are really having trouble with a user or situation on TH and want to get it off your chest, you should either do it in a way that the people involved will not feel targeted, or you should do it off-site. The Vent Board should be a place where you can vent and let off steam, but we do not want this to be at the expense of other users and their sense of safety on the site. Again, if you feel like you can't talk about what you are dealing with without being very pointed or directly implicating another user, the Vent Board is simply not an appropriate place to put it. A private Twitter or a protected bulletin or a Deviantart journal may be more appropriate for this type of content.

As always, if there is any confusion or any concern over a post or poster within the thread, please contact us via PM and we will look into the situation. Please do not directly attack or respond to a user if you feel like you are being targeted - either message us via PM, or message the user via PM to discuss the matter there. 

Why does the thread exist? The main intention is to provide users with a secondary option and an alternative to the complaints board for those seeking a fresh start - and not necessarily replace it. There are also certain topics that are a part of daily life that users can discuss here that are not allowed in the complaints board (and certainly for a reason, as these topics can get quite heated). The only desire of the Vent board is for users to be able to discuss anything that is bothering them, so long as they do not openly or vaguely attack other members of the community, and do not direct hateful speech at each other. Politics, religion, problems of racism and sexism (not PROMOTING these things, but dealing with them in your life, ie a racist coworker or a sexist ad) -- these are all parts of life and while these topics may be controversial, there should be a space for users to talk about their feelings regarding them.

Given that these topics can create heated discussions and given that there can be a habit of namedropping/vaguing within the community, this thread was created by and will be moderated by a group of several users. This is to ensure that things remain as stress- and bias- free for everyone involved, and serious issues can be discussed from multiple viewpoints. The creation of this thread was discussed over the course of several months and was not a decision made in the hopes of upsetting others or stepping on any toes. This is merely an alternative space for those who whish to post elsewhere; if users wish to post in either or both threads they are free to do so. The Vent board merely wishes to offer a space where users can freely discuss a variety of topics.

If anyone has ANY concerns about this board, its content, or anything related to it, you are always free to contact this account via PM. The account will be checked multiple times throughout the day so there should never be too long of a wait for a response.