This has been a loosely enforced, unpublished "guideline" that I think needs to be upgraded for a more formal, enforceable rule based on the recent flurry of rants about ranting.

This thing is not yet chiseled into the stone tablets, so if we want to wordsmith it a little, now is the time.

Any word structure I use below that sounds like I've already decided what we're gonna do is just for my own sanity & convenience.

I think this might be a reasonable solution to the rant situation, and am honestly seeking input, and if possible, consensus or agreement.

"Rant threads must provide a useful outcome."

"Printers suck."
"Screw you Adobe."
"My users are so stupid."
"Does anyone else work with stupid managers?"
"I had a crappy day today."

As they appear right there, none of those threads provide the community with a lesson to be learned or a tip or trick to be discussed.

All of those threads (assuming there is no meaningful content in the body of the thread) will now be subject to removal upon discovery or reporting.

However, versions of those same threads that provide the community with some kind of a lesson or tip or trick or benefit IN THE OP are safe from removal.

This applies to threads that are not asking for assistance. Threads that express frustration while describing a problem, as part of a request for assistance are also safe from removal.

A rant that basically ends with a "does anybody else agree?" is just a rant seeking affirmation and is subject to removal.

We've expressed a desire to provide at least some leeway to members of the community to use this as a bit of a water cooler to vent since so many of us are working from home full-time now and have no peers to vent to.

I think we can dial that back and direct those members towards the IRC or Discord channels since those are far more water cooler like environments anyway.