our COC

[moon/Laura]

The short version: Treat your fellow posters with courtesy and respect. This means no personal attacks, racial slurs, stalking, etc.


* Profanity is permitted as long as it's not excessive. Excessive would be a sentence/series of sentences/ series of posts that used a string of expletives, one right after another. You can use the f bomb, and variations of it, as an expletive, or an adjective. You may NOT use it in a sexual context.

* No spam or petitions will be allowed. These will be deleted at the least, and further action may be taken depending on the situation .

*If you have an article from an outside source to share, DO NOT copy and paste it in its entirety! You may paste a short excerpt to make your point, and then provide a link for the remainder. We must take care not to violate copyright laws. In addition, if someone is not interested in reading the article, it's rude to make them scroll past it all. EDIT NOV 25, 2015 - If you post a "wall of text" - all or most of an article, in other words - it will be deleted, even if the source link is provided. No longer will we allow you time to correct your error.

*Only ONE account per person will be allowed. If you want to multi-nick, go elsewhere. Anyone using more than one account will be banned with no warning. At mod discretion, there may be a rare exception to this. Questions should be directed to moonbeam. Screen name changes are permitted.

* Update May 28, 2011
Private messages are called "private for a reason. They shall not be posted on the board, in whole or in part.

Penalty will be 24 hr ban.


* Update August 18, 2011
Addendum 1

Posts that:
are designed to bait someone into saying something against the CoC
are filled with insults
are deliberately inflammatory towards another poster will be deleted.

Further actions, such as bans, will be determined by moderators depending on severity.


Addendum 2

Posters who choose not to use the IGNORE button for posters they do not care for should not expect moderators to be overly sympathetic to complaints that are not serious in nature. If there is a threat made, or a real personal attack, then yes we want to hear about it. If, however, you just don't happen to like them/ their point of view or feel like they are 'picking on you', we are probably not going to get involved.


* UPDATE AUGUST 25, 2012
Posters who deliberately start threads on topics that are not PG-13 (or are otherwise against either our CoC or Proboards' Terms of Service) will receive an immediate 5 day ban.

* UPDATE DECEMBER 17, 2014
People leave the board for various reasons. Sometimes it's because they're banned, but usually it's because they CHOSE to leave. If that member starts their own "goodbye" thread to share those reasons, fine. But if they do not, then please respect their privacy and do not gossip or speculate about it on the board. That doesn't mean their name can't be mentioned, but posts and/or threads about "why did <poster name> leave?" will be removed.

UPDATE JANUARY 28, 2017

When referring to political figures, both past and present, legal names must be used. You may use initials, i.e. HRC, BHO, or George W/George H., and referring to Hillary Clinton as 'Hillary' and Pres. Trump as 'the Donald' (including 'the') are both permissible since these are terms of endearment endorsed by the candidates themselves. Admin reserves the right to except other terms of endearment in future.

Nicknames, even if in the public domain, will no longer be allowed, nor will physical descriptions (the orange guy in the oval office, etc.).

You may freely state your opinion of said figures provided your statements don't violate the ProBoards Terms of Service and aren't excessively vulgar, profane, or repetitive (subject to mod discretion).

Posts going against this criteria will be deleted, as will quotes of them.

(1/31/2017) Foreign honorifics such as "President Trump", "Sayyid Obama" prohibited for violating the spirit of the rule


On a more legal level, these are some excerpts from the Proboards Terms of Service, found here: proboards.com/tos



PROHIBITED USES
You will not: (a) "stalk" or otherwise harass any person, or contact any person who has requested not to be contacted; (b) impersonate, or otherwise misrepresent affiliation, connection or association with, any person or entity for purposes of gain; (c) harvest or otherwise collect information about ProBoards users, including email addresses and phone numbers; (d) use or attempt to use any engine, software, tool, agent, or other device or mechanism (including without limitation browsers, spiders, robots, avatars, or intelligent agents) to harvest or otherwise collect information from the Website for any use, including without limitation use on third-party websites; (e) interfere or attempt to interfere with the use of the Website or Services by any other user, host or network, including, without limitation by means of submitting a virus, overloading, "flooding," "spamming," "mail bombing," or "crashing"; (f) forge any TCP/IP packet header or any part of the header information in any e-mail or in any uploading or posting to, or transmission, display, performance or distribution by means of, the Website or Services;


OBJECTIONABLE CONTENT
You represent and warrant that you shall not use the Website or Services to upload, post, transmit, display, perform or distribute any content, information or materials that: (a) are libelous, defamatory, abusive, or threatening, excessively violent, harassing, obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, or pornographic; (b) constitute child pornography; (c) solicit personal information from or exploit in a sexual or violent manner anyone under the age of 18; (d) incite, encourage or threaten physical harm against another; (e) promote or glorify racial intolerance, use hate and/or racist terms, or signify hate towards any person or group of people; (f) glamorize the use of hard core illegal substances and drugs; (g) advertise or otherwise solicit funds or constitute a solicitation for goods or services;


RELIANCE ON THIRD-PARTY CONTENT
Opinions, advice, statements, or other information made available by means of the Website and Services by third-parties, are those of their respective authors, and should not necessarily be relied on. Such authors are solely responsible for such content. PROBOARDS DOES NOT: (I) GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, OR USEFULNESS OF ANY THIRD-PARTY INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE; OR (II) ADOPT, ENDORSE OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY OPINION, ADVICE OR STATEMENT MADE BY A THIRD-PARTY BY MEANS OF THE WEBSITE AND SERVICES. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL PROBOARDS BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE RESULTING FROM YOUR RELIANCE ON INFORMATION OR OTHER CONTENT POSTED ON THE WEBSITE OR TRANSMITTED TO OR BY ANY THIRD-PARTY.

USER INFORMATION; PASSWORD PROTECTION
YOU ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER PROBOARDS' MEMBERS. YOU HEREBY AGREE TO EXERCISE REASONABLE PRECAUTION IN ALL INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER MEMBERS, PARTICULARLY IF YOU DECIDE TO MEET ANOTHER MEMBER IN PERSON. IN NO EVENT SHALL PROBOARDS BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO ANY MEMBER'S CONDUCT IN CONNECTION WITH SUCH MEMBER'S USE OF THE SERVICES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, BODILY INJURY, PROPERTY DAMAGE, WRONGFUL DEATH, EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, LOSS OF PRIVACY OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES RESULTING FROM COMMUNICATIONS OR MEETINGS BETWEEN MEMBERS.

FORUM CONTROL; MEMBER DISPUTES
ProBoards does not control the forums made available by means of the Website and Services. Forum owners and moderators reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to delete or modify forum posts, revoke membership to the forum, block access to the forum, modify Your account profile, or modify any User Content (as defined in Section 15 below) on the forum. You should contact the forum owner directly with any complaint, grievance or problem. ProBoards reserves the right, but disclaims any perceived, implied or actual duty, to monitor disputes between Website members. You agree to hold ProBoards harmless in connection with any dispute or claim You make against any other member.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR DEFAMATORY COMMENTS
You agree and understand that you may be held legally responsible for damages suffered by other Website members or third-parties as the result of Your remarks, information, feedback or other content posted or made available on the Website that is deemed defamatory or otherwise legally actionable. Under the Federal Communications Decency Act of 1996, ProBoards is not legally responsible, nor can it be held liable for damages of any kind, arising out of or in connection to any defamatory or otherwise legally actionable remarks, information, feedback or other content posted or made available on the Website

[moon/Laura]

decided updates should be separate entries so they're easier to spot

Updated Jan 21, 2011
*Regarding bans, there will be a "3 strikes" rule.


MODIFIED as of Feb 6, 2011: A third ban within any 12 month period will be permanent. Sufficiently serious violations will result in immediate permaban, whether you have been warned previously or not.

[moon/Laura]

Update Feb 9, 2011

Public "mod bashing", defined here as complaints made in threads regarding how a mod does (or doesn't) do their job, will not be continued. This board is not here to be a complaint forum. If you have a concern, you may PM the mod of your choice for that board. Alternatively, you may PM myself, or email me at my board email address: [e-mail]. Preference is that you work with your board mods first.

Posts and/or threads complaining about mod performance will be deleted, period. Furthermore, action will be taken as follows:

* 1st 5 deletions due mod bashing will result in a 24 hr ban
* 3 more deletes after that = 3 day ban
* next delete = 7 day ban and a "Strike" against the poster.

These are special rules pertaining to this type of infraction ONLY.

Regular CoC rules still apply for personal attacks, racial slurs, etc.

[moon/Laura]

Update May 28, 2011

Private messages are called "private for a reason. They shall not be posted on the board, in whole or in part.

Penalty will be 24 hr ban and a "strike".

[moon/Laura]

Update August 18, 2011

Addendum 1

Posts that:

• are designed to bait someone into saying something against the CoC
  
• are filled with insults
  
• are deliberately inflammatory towards another poster
  

will be deleted.

Further actions, such as bans, will be determined by moderators depending on severity.


Addendum 2
Posters who choose not to use the IGNORE button for posters they do not care for should not expect moderators to be overly sympathetic to complaints that are not serious in nature. If there is a threat made, or a real personal attack, then yes we want to hear about it. If, however, you just don't happen to like them/ their point of view or feel like they are 'picking on you', we are probably not going to get involved.

[moon/Laura]

UPDATED AUGUST 25, 2012

Posters who deliberately start threads on topics that are not PG-13 (or are otherwise against either our CoC or Proboards' Terms of Service) will receive an immediate 5 day ban and a strike against them.

[moon/Laura]

Updated Sept.1 2012 to clarify the definition of excessive profanity and the usage of the F bomb.

[moon/Laura]

An additional note...Profanity has always been allowed, but it seemed like the definition of 'excessive' wasn't really known, nor was it ever stated what context the F bomb could be used.

[moon/Laura]

Updated the section regarding copyrighted material to say that posts with most or all of an article will be deleted, even if source link is provided. Short excerpts/ highlights only, along with source link!!

[moon/Laura]

January 27, 2017 update made regarding how to refer to past and present political figures. 


When referring to political figures, both past and present, legal names must be used. You may use initials, i.e. HRC, BHO, or George W/George H., and referring to Hillary Clinton as 'Hillary' and Pres. Trump as 'the Donald' (including 'the') are both permissible since these are terms of endearment endorsed by the candidates themselves. Admin reserves the right to except other terms of endearment in future.

Nicknames, even if in the public domain, will no longer be allowed, nor will physical descriptions (the orange guy in the oval office, etc.).

You may freely state your opinion of said figures provided your statements don't violate the ProBoards Terms of Service and aren't excessively vulgar, profane, or repetitive (subject to mod discretion).

Posts going against this criteria will be deleted, as will quotes of them.