Rules (last updated September 2009)

Copyrights

Copyright for photo and other images on this site belong to the photo owner - do not take a photo and post it elsewhere without requesting permission first.

All video and audio clips are created for sole use and copyright infringement is not intended. If you believe that an item infringes your copyright please contact an administrator or moderator.

Members messages and posts belong to the owner of the message - again do not reproduce them elsewhere without permission, and that includes in emails or private messages or on the forums of other sites.

Offering or requesting items that breach copyrights or trademarks is not allowed. For example, please do not sell a photograph of a painting that someone else did. The painting is that person's copyright, and you should not financially benefit from the sale of someone else's work.

Members’ Status

Each person may have only one membership and one user ID. Duplicate identities are expressly prohibited. Any member found to have multiple identities will have their membership cancelled. Only one person may use each membership. Please do not allow other people to share your user name and account.

Each person who comes onto the site does so as a guest of the site owner. You enjoy, as a privilege, whatever the site owner may provide for you. You do not have a ‘right’ to be here. We expect everyone to behave politely and with respect for each other. As long as your posts onto the forums make a positive contribution to exchanging information and views, they will be welcome. If your posts are rude, disrespectful of others or disruptive, your membership can be cancelled and your posts can be deleted.

In order to protect our members and avoid the creation of multiple identities, you are asked not to log onto the site using a proxy server. If you do, you will be asked to log off and return using your normal Internet Service Provider. Anyone not responding to this request may have their membership cancelled.

Conduct in the Forums

Post Content

Staying On Topic
The idea of an appropriate thread is one that starts with a particular question or discussion point on a topic of relevance and is continued by additional information or points of view, which develops into a friendly and informative discussion. As a result, each post should be relevant to the sub-forum that it is contained in, and also to the thread that it belongs to. Posts that do not have these relevancies will be moved or removed.

All posts should be made in English. Posts should avoid text talk and one word answers. Such posts will be edited or removed by moderators.

Posts meant for 1 person should be sent via the private message system. Messages should be able to be understood and read by all members. Any messages that appear to be code or only for one person will be removed by moderators.

Posts that are considered abusive, racist, homophobic or generally offensive will be removed by the moderators.

We have members who are minors - please ensure that all topics and replies are suitable for all ages.


Private Messaging

Please be aware that all Private Messages sent and received on this Forum are logged and recorded. This is for the safety of our members and if the Admin Team deem a Private message in need of investigation, it will be accessed without question.

Messages sent to any member, moderator or administrator via the PM (Private Message) system containing threatening, abusive or explicit language will not be tolerated under any circumstances and will result in a permanent ban. Copyright of private messages remains with the member who wrote it originally.

Continual Rule Breaches

A "two strike" rule is in force to deal with members who continually breach the rules of the board. Administrators are able to carry out the following:
i. First Breach: Member is warned privately that his or her behaviour is not in the best interests of the community. The rule will be cited; for example, posting something that is not allowed on this forum.
ii. Second Breach: Member's registration and any registrations deemed to be created by that person previously or subsequently are permanently deactivated. Member is banned from the forum.

Harassment Outside the Forum

If complaints are made to Moderators or Administrators about members harassing other members outside the board, Administrators will turn appropriate information over to Internet service providers and/or appropriate authorities. As this behaviour affects forum interactions, the harasser may receive a forum warning.

The Site and its administrators are not responsible or liable for any opinion, information or advice given by members either on the forum boards or by personal messenger.

The website team may edit, move or delete posts and threads without explanation. The decisions of the website team are final.

Privacy Statement

We are committed to protecting your privacy. We will only use the information that we collect about you lawfully (in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998) and according to the Which? Web Trader Code of Practice.

General

Considering the real-time nature of this message board, it is impossible for us to review messages immediately or confirm the validity of information posted.

Please remember that we are not responsible for any messages posted.

We do not vouch for or warrant the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any message, and are not responsible for the contents of any message. The messages express the views of the author of the message, not necessarily the views of this forum or any entity associated with this forum.

Any user who feels that a posted message is objectionable is encouraged to contact us immediately by email. We have the ability to remove objectionable messages and we will make every effort to do so, within a reasonable time frame, if we determine that removal is necessary. This is a manual process, however, so please realize that we may not be able to remove or edit particular messages immediately.

You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use this forum to post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise violative of any law. You agree not to post any copyrighted material unless the copyrighted material is owned by you. You also agree to use this board in accordance with the rules and policies that we have set forth for it. We reserve the right to delete any message for any reason whatsoever. You remain solely responsible for the content of your messages, and you agree to indemnify and hold us harmless with respect to any claim based upon transmission of your message(s).

We reserve the right to reveal your identity (or whatever information we know about you) in the event of a complaint or legal action arising from any message posted by you. We reserve the right to alter your participation on this forum should your posts, action, or behaviour warrant a forced change.

We neither collect nor have access to any 'sensitive personal data' as defined by the Data Protection Act 1998.

The information we hold will be accurate and up to date. You can check the information that we hold about you by contacting the Admin Team. If you find any inaccuracies we will delete or correct it promptly.