Forum Rules and Code of Conduct

Who we are and what we're about

Postby mnp13 » January 20th, 2008, 11:13 pm

Welcome to our forum! We hope you enjoy being a member here. The staff works very hard to make this an enjoyable place to visit, and to keep things moving along smoothly we have some conduct guidelines and rules that we need you to follow.

To start off with, there are three types of members in our forum community - the forum administration, the forum "helpers" and, of course, our general members. The staff consists of Admins and Moderators (usernames in red). Our helpers are the members of the "Welcome Wagon." (usernames in orange) Both groups are essential to our forum community; however, in this post, and on the forum in general, when someone refers to "forum staff" they are referring to Mods and Admins.

By posting on this forum, you have agreed to the following rules and are doing so at your own risk. PitBullTalk.com retains the right to delete and/or modify any postings without notice that are part of this forum or even ban you from the site. Also, by posting on this site, you certify that you are at least 16 years of age. If you have any concerns or questions please report to our staff and we will be happy to help.


Forum Code of Conduct
  1. Please be respectful towards others in the community.
    1. This means no "flaming". Flaming is defined as bashing, calling out, name calling, or any other rude/unnecessary behavior. There will often be a wide range of opinions on any given topic. You are not expected to agree with every suggestion offered on the site, but you are expected to respect the opinions of other members. Intelligent, courteous discussion is welcome and encouraged; pointless bickering is not permitted. If you disagree with posted information, post your alternative suggestion and let the matter drop. Members who cannot adhere to this will be in violation of the forum rules. It doesn't take a whole lot of effort to be civil, and we expect that out of each and every member of the site. If someone tries to bait you into an argument, be the bigger person and find another thread to read and/or contribute to.
    2. No profanity or curse words are to be used. This includes variations of curse words, or using symbols as letters. Please do not try to defeat the word filter; we'll just add your version anyway
    3. When posting something graphic, please post a warning in the title.
    4. Avoid references to illegal activity, hate speech, drug use, etc.
  2. Do not attack a moderator for doing his/her job (e.g., locking threads, issuing warnings, deleting posts). If you disagree with a mod, send a private message to the forum admins with a link to the post(s) in question
  3. Regardless of which staff member actually makes the post, any posts regarding "forum policies" are representative of the staff as a unit. We discuss all forum decisions before anyone makes a staff post. Please do not confuse "staff" posts with the posts that are made as personal opinions of the individual staff member. If you are unsure about any post, please ask any staff member.
  4. We strive to keep this forum "PG-13" rated. The vast majority of our members are adults, but our content is available to anyone and everyone on the internet. Controversial topics are fine, explicit ones are not. Discuss whatever you would like, however, if a staff member asks you to tone it down, do so immediately.
  5. DO NOT bring other drama/issues from outside places on to this forum to cause problems.
  6. No solicitation of funds for any reason. If you have an idea for a fundraiser, you MUST get permission from the Staff. If we find out you are soliciting funds FOR ANY REASON or FROM ANYONE without permission, you will be banned.
  7. If you don't want questions or constructive criticism on a subject, don't post it. This is a discussion forum, as such; all topics are open to discussion.
  8. Do not tell people how to behave, act, or what they *should* think.
  9. Initiating or continuing rumors about the staff or the forum will not be tolerated. We work very hard to keep this forum running smoothly and the reputation of the forum is very important to us. If you have proof of a problem, please let us know; if you "heard something" please consider the source and get proof... and then pass it to us to address.


Forum Rules
  1. Freedom of Speech is a Constitutional right, but does not apply to a privately owned forum. If you want to be able to say whatever you want, you are free to create your own forum and make your own rules.
  2. We do not allow dog sales on the forum. To list your kennel in your profile, you must meet at least most of our 'breeding' criteria and be approved by the staff. Any links to kennels without prior approval will be removed without notice.
  3. No photos, graphics or other non-text items in signature files.
  4. No offensive/obscene/stolen photos.
    1. Stealing of photos will not be tolerated and action will be taken against you. What is a "stolen" photo? Any photo you did not personally take or do not have specific permission to post.
    2. Offensive/obscene photos can be deleted by mods/admin without prior notification. The definition of offensive/obscene is up to the discretion of the moderation team.
  5. Multiple/fake accounts will not be tolerated.
    1. Making multiple accounts to mess with other members will not be tolerated.
    2. Making fake accounts with the intentions of being dishonest will also not be tolerated.
    3. Anyone found to have multiple accounts will have all of their accounts terminated and will not be reinstated as a member
  6. If you would like to advertise your dog related business or products please post in the Marketplace section.
  7. If you have a favorite dog related website to share please post it in the Places to Go section.
  8. Do not request for your posts to be deleted. By posting on this site, you have willingly put your information on the Internet and will have to deal with the consequences that come along with that. Changing the content of your posts to "hide your tracks" will not be tolerated.
  9. ALWAYS consult your veterinarian about medical issues, this forum is to help but we are not vets and do not claim to be. We will not be held responsible for any poor advice you may take, remember you are here at your own risk.
  10. When posting anything that you didn't personally write, please put the information in a quote, post the source and provide a link to it.
  11. If you have an unexpected medical issue or need funds for a rescue, you may post about it with contact information, people who are interested in helping out will contact you, and at no time is anyone to be approached for donations.
  12. Abuse of the PM function (IE spamming, puppy sales, harassing other members) will not be tolerated & will result in the temporary loss of your ability to send & receive PMs. If any member suspects another member of abusing their PM privileges, please send the PM to a staff member and we will review it and take action if necessary. Any member not having enough posts to PM staff, please post in the Questions / Problems sections and a staff member will privately contact you ASAP.
  13. The report button is not to be abused. Only one report per person is needed. We are not on this board 24/7. We all get the notice of a reported post & it will be dealt with by the first Staff Member to see it. Reporting someone for baiting you, calling names or attacking you while you are doing the same thing will not be tolerated. If you report someone's post, do not continue to participate in the thread, if we have to warn one we will warn both, whether or not you reported the post.

Punishment for breaking these rules will be considered on a case by case basis. Punishments may vary from removal of PM privileges to a permanent ban.

Please note that after any offense, moderators may decide that the suspension should be increased or turned into a permanent ban. The suspension schedule is a set of guidelines that we follow in most cases, but special circumstances may require special handling of offenses.

These rules are not set in stone; specific exceptions may be made by the staff and are on a case by case basis. All members are welcome to inquire about staff decisions, but you have to accept that we need to bend rules occasionally.

The owners and staff of this forum make no warranties or representations about the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this site. The owners and workers of this site are not liable or responsible for damages caused by any advice, suggestions, or information found on this site. If you do not wish to be bound by all of the terms and policies of this site please do not use or visit any of the pages of this site.
User avatar
mnp13
Evil Overlord
 
Posts: 17234
Location: Rochester, NY

Return to Forum Information and Rules

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users

cron