Rules of the Forums. (revised 12-08-2004)

[Chris Aguilar]

Below is a current version of the basic forums rules. I invite comment/constructive criticism. Use of the forums constitutes acceptance of these rules.

• Posting – It’s my goal to give a great deal of leeway in posting. I want our members to feel that they can post freely here without fear of undue moderation.
  
  Threads that go off topic or become contentious will not automatically be deleted/expurgated as they sometimes are elsewhere. The posts in question will be split off into separate topics or moved to different (and more appropriate) forums at my discretion.
  
  At the discretion of the site Admin/Moderators, such threads will be allowed to continue until such time that they become repetitious or devolve into a series a personal attacks devoid of salient conversation.
  
  
• Flaming – How will I define “flaming” for this forum? I’ll use the standard that “flaming” consists of purely personal attacks on another without addressing the topic at hand. Starting (or continuing) a thread with the express purpose of launching a personal attack (or attacks) will not be tolerated. It's quite ok to launch a thread disputing someones position on an issue (even if you choose to do so in a vociferous manner), but purely personal attacks will be split off and potentially locked after a period of time. If one cannot refrain from the continued issuance of personal attacks after the locking of a thread (or otherwise being warned by myself), it's possible that access to these forums may be rescinded. Basically, if you have a personal issue with someone, I prefer that you settle such matters personally face to face, via private message, e-mail, etc. I believe that we should have the ability to disagree without undue censorship, but I also feel that we should attempt to do so in an thoughtful and civil manner.
  
  If one wishes to post attacks, bear in mind that I may lock them or move them at my discretion. What I will not do is automatically delete them (unless they violate the law in some way). I feel that people sometimes post overly contentious material with the express purpose of getting a whole thread deleted or locked. I ask that you be responsible for your words here. If I do have to delete any post for whatever reason, I'll do my best to let that person know and post the reasons for doing so publicly if need be. Flaming seems to go hand in hand with topics concerning religion and politics. As there are many other forums out there where such discourse can be found, such topics will not be welcome here.
  
  
• Issues with other members - If one has a personal issue (don't like their language, their way of expressing themselves, etc.) with another member (including myself), I strongly prefer that such issues be dealt with privately (either via the private messages function here or perhaps via e-mail or instant messaging) If one cannot hammer out the issue with the other member, you are free to contact me (again privately please!) to help facilitate/mediate any dispute.
  
  
• Spamming – Whilst I do not foresee a problem with spamming in this private forum, I would ask that threads not be "cross posted" and that advertising threads be posted responsibly in the correct forum and be limited to one thread per product. That being said, I have no problem with creators starting a thread in the "Commerce Center" forum to announce any new products they may have.
  
  
• Copyrighted material - Please do not post the copyrighted materials of others unless you have their express permission. Please do not post material posted here elsewhere without the express permission of the author. Of course you are free to post material of your own if you wish. You retain all rights to any copyrighted material of your own that you may post here. I do retain the right to store your posts in the database for the sole purpose of displaying them on this website at my discretion.
  
  
• Exposure – We're a private board and discussion of methodologies is fine.
  
  
• No "sharing" of your account/password with others. Doing so will result in a warning and likely loss of your membership privileges. I have fairly effective ways of knowing if a P/W is being shared, so I'd appreciate it if you refrain from doing so.
  
• Profanity will be allowed unless it becomes excessive or is used solely for “shock value”. I am not a big fan of excessive profanity, but I believe in allowing adult folks their freedom of expression and thus tend to be pretty lenient about it.
  
  
• Reserved Rights of the Administrators – We reserve the right to lock, move, or delete any message for any or no reason whatsoever . You remain solely responsible for the content of your messages, and you agree to indemnify and hold harmless Chris A*****r (the operator of this BB), phpBB (the makers of the bulletin board software), and their agents with respect to any claim based upon transmission of your message(s). We reserve to the right to terminate any account at any time. We reserve the right to update these rules at anytime.