15 Minutes of Fame Guidelines

There has been some confusion as to just what the 15 Minutes section is about, and what subjects are acceptable.  We have put this little section together to help readers understand what is acceptable, and the types of subject material that we are looking for.

This section is set up as an open forum for readers to speak out on issues of interest to them.  It's sort of like what we do with the opening piece, where we bring something up and then readers react to it.  This is your chance to bring something to the discussion table, without having to wait for it to be brought up by someone else.

There are very few guidelines to what is acceptable, but one thing we want to avoid are issues that are strictly American in nature.  Imagine how relevant a discussion of illegal immigration into South Africa might seem to you, and it becomes apparent that illegal immigration into the U.S. holds little interest for someone in Canada, Australia, or South Africa.  Things like idiot drivers, morning people, low wages, chronic pain, crime and punishment, or obesity are just some of the examples of things that fit well in this spot.  It doesn't matter what country you're from when issues such as these are raised, since they're part of the human experience and we can all relate to them.

The other major thing to avoid, which sort of goes hand in hand with the first, are directly political issues.  The very first submission ever received after opening this piece for commentary was a well-written and empassioned piece about the Arab-Israeli conflict.  It isn't the writer's viewpoint that troubles me, but the subject matter itself.  We have worked hard to keep politics out of RGQ as best we can, even though some political issues do slip in from time to time.  A great example of what is inappropriate are discussions of party-bashing or party-loving, or some directly political discussion of current events and/or the leaders who are driving them.  Whether you love or hate a Cabinet member or a national leader, this is not the place to bring those issues forward.

There are some things that straddle the line between issues and politics, such as our frequent discussions of issues like privacy.  They are issues that affects us all, while refraining from directing commentary toward the policymakers responsible for them, or the policies themselves.  If you can find that balance, then such issues are more than acceptable here, but the basic point is simple.  We are looking for issues that unite us as humans, and that we all have a stake in.  We are very determined to keep RGQ as apolitical as we can possibly keep it.

Please feel free to email us at reallygoodquotes@gmail.com if you have any questions about what is or is not acceptable for publication.  We will be more than happy to work with you to create a piece that fits our theme.

Thanks to all, and we look forward to your submissions.

Expectantly,

The RGQ Staff