Antoine
03-12-2006, 09:00 PM
(attn) Special thanks goes out to jersey_emt for drafting up a new version of our site rules! I also want to thank the Moderators for their valuable input!
Mazda Forums Rules and Guidelines
Welcome to the Mazda Forums. The purpose of this board is to serve as a community of Mazda owners and enthusiasts and as a database of information on Mazda's vehicle lineup. In order to provide the best environment for everyone, we promote a spirit of tolerance and mutual respect between users. These are our rules and guidelines. Please read and understand them thoroughly, and direct any questions to a member of the forums team. These rules and guidelines are subject to change and revisions as deemed necessary by the forums team.
I. User Accounts, Registration, and User Levels
1. Users must have a valid and active e-mail account in order to successfully complete the user registration process. Upon registering, a confirmation e-mail is sent to the address specified during sign-up. This e-mail message contains an activation link that must be visited in order to verify your e-mail address and allow you to post messages. The confirmation e-mail is sent out immediately upon registering, but, depending on your ISP and e-mail provider, may be delayed for several minutes or hours. If you do not receive this message in your inbox, be sure to check your 'spam' or 'junk mail' folder, as many mail filters have been known to incorrectly mark this message as spam.
2. Absolutely no distinction or benefits are given to users with high post counts. All profile options, including signature, avatars, and custom title are immediately available upon registration.
II. User Profile
1. User signatures may contain both text and images. User avatars may contain a single image.
2. The maximum size for signatures including all text and images is 750 pixels wide by 300 pixels high, or 250 KB, whichever is smaller.
3. The maximum size for avatars is 100 pixels wide by 100 pixels high, or 50 KB, whichever is smaller.
4. All images and text for avatars, signatures, and all profile options including custom user title must abide by the decency standards outlined in Section IV.
5. Each user account receives 100 MB of storage space to upload files in any of the following formats: asf, avi, bmp, doc, gif, jpe, jpeg, jpg, mov, mp3, mpeg, mpg, pdf, png, psd, txt, xls, zip.
III. Posting
1. Because Mazda Forums is an extremely large online community, many questions have already been asked and answered sometime in the past. Before posting a new thread, click on the search button; there is a good chance that your question has already been asked before in an existing thread. Words of less than 3 letters are not indexed and cannot be entered in as search terms. If you have any questions about the search feature, please contact a member of the forums team.
2. Mazda Forums is split into many different sections and sub-sections to help organize threads. On the main forum page, short descriptions of each section can be found under the sections’ names. When posting a new thread, post in the forum that most closely relates to your question. This will ensure the quickest response. If a moderator must move your thread into the correct forum, you will probably not receive any responses until the thread is moved.
3. Posting the same message in multiple sections (also known as "double posting" or "cross posting") is prohibited without the consent of a super moderator or administrator. If the content of your post spans multiple categories and you are unsure where to place it, contact a member of the forums team for assistance.
4. The creation of useless threads and replies for any reason, especially for increasing your post count ("post whoring"), is prohibited.
5. Placing personal items for sale is allowed only in the For Sale / Group Buy (Non-Vendors) forum (http://www.msprotege.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=131). All items put up for sale must follow the forum's For Sale Rules and Guidelines (http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=98864).
6. If you are a vendor and wish to sell products on this site, you must be an "Authorized Vendor" (AV). Being an "Authorized Vendor" means you are trusted by the administrators, moderators and members of this site. Any violation of that trust and your vendor status may be terminated. To obtain "Authorized Vendor" status, fill out the AV Application (http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54156).
7. If you are a member who does not have an official business but you produce a limited or custom product independently (at home for example) for sale in the forums, you will need to be an "Approved Merchant Member" (AMM). To obtain "Approved Merchant Member" status, fill out the AMM Application (http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54156).
IV. User Conduct and Decency Standards
1. Be respectful of others at all times. The purpose of the forum is to provide a platform for the exchange of ideas. Occasionally, there will be conflicts that arise when people voice opinions. Be courteous when disagreeing with others. It is possible to disagree without being insulting.
2. Personal attacks are prohibited. Commonly known as "flaming", personal attacks are posts which are designed to personally berate or insult another member. Posts of this nature are not beneficial to the community spirit and will not be tolerated. Personal disputes should be settled through the forum’s private messaging system.
3. Be tolerant of new members who are unfamiliar with how the forums are set up or with the search function. Instead of "newbie bashing", politely give them the information they are looking for and point them towards the search button.
4. Profanity in thread titles, signatures, or public profile options is prohibited. While profanity is permitted within the text of a post, try to keep this at a minimum.
5. Pornography is not permitted anywhere on the forum. Mazda Forums defines pornography as images with exposed genitalia (for images of either sex) or topless images (for female images)
6. Discriminatory remarks and any form of discrimination are prohibited.
7. Make an effort to limit potentially offensive posts or material. There is greater tolerance for potentially offensive posts (obscene jokes, etc.) in the Off Topic and Humor forums. Posts deemed too offensive will be edited, moved to the Dumpster, or deleted.
8. Illegal or "pirated" software or content of any kind must not be accessible via Mazda Forums. Any link or connection between this community and illegal software or content is not permitted.
9. Vendor and merchant disputes from customers must be handled privately. Negative reviews for vendors can only be posted after (a) direct communication to the vendor has failed, and (b) you have contacted a forum administrator or super moderator explaining the situation and have gained permission to post a negative review. Personal attacks towards a merchant or vendor authorized to do business on the forums is strictly prohibited. Mazda Forums has a zero tolerance policy towards unwarranted attacks on vendors and merchants (users with the title "Authorized Vendor" or "Authorized Merchant Member" under their username). They are the "lifeline" of the Mazda aftermarket. Making unwarranted attacks, or negative reviews without proper permission, against vendors or merchants can result in an immediate and permanent ban without warning.
10. Disputes between vendors and/or merchants must be handled privately or off the forum. All Authorized Vendors and Authorized Merchant Members are required to act professionally at all times, including when resolving any disputes with another vendor or merchant. Mazda Forums has a zero tolerance policy towards attacks by one vendor or merchant to another. Vendors or merchants who do so may have their status revoked without refund.
11. The act of intentionally posting inflammatory threads or replies for no other purpose than inciting or provoking others, also known as "trolling", is strictly prohibited. Mazda Forums has a zero tolerance policy towards trolling, meaning users who engage in such activity can be immediately and permanently banned without warning.
12. Spam is strictly prohibited. Mazda Forums has a zero tolerance policy towards spammers, meaning use of this forum for unapproved advertisement can result in an immediate and permanent ban without warning.
13. Circumventing a temporary or permanent ban is strictly prohibited. Mazda forums has a zero tolerance policy towards users who re-register additional account(s) to circumvent their ban, meaning those accounts are subject to an immediate and permanent ban without warning.
V. Disciplinary Action & Punishment
1. Several levels of disciplinary action can be instated when a member breaks any of the rules listed in this document:
a. Informal warning
b. Formal warning
c. 24-hour temporary ban
d. Longer period temporary ban
e. "Purgatory" -- can only post in the Purgatory forum for a period of time. Similar to a "time-out".
f. Permanent ban
2. Informal warnings and formal warnings can be given by any member of the forums team.
3. Temporary bans, placing a member in Purgatory, and permanent bans can only be instated by a forum administrator or super moderator.
4. The exact level of disciplinary action or punishment is determined by the severity of the infringement as well as the user's history of previous infractions.
5. The appeals process for disciplinary actions taken against a user account is initiated by sending an e-mail to appeals@msprotege.com (or mazdaforumsappeals@gmail.com) with the subject "Mazda Forums Disciplinary Action Appeal" and the following information:
a. Forum username.
b. Date the action was taken.
c. Username of the forums team member who instated the disciplinary action (if known).
d. Brief explanation of the situation. Include links to the thread(s) and attach any correspondence to and from members of the forums team relating to the situation.
e. Brief argument(s) for reversing the disciplinary action.
Failure to include all requested information will result in a delay in the final decision. The information will be posted privately, viewable only by forum administrators and super moderators. The top-level members of the forums team will participate in a simple majority vote on whether to uphold, overrule, or lessen the severity of the disciplinary action taken against the user account. Once all votes have been cast, or seven days have passed since the appeal was initiated, whichever comes first, the user will be notified with the decision via email. This decision is final and cannot be appealed. Permanent bans instated for breaking any of the "zero tolerance" rules in section IV are final and are not eligible for appeal.
VI. Mazda Forums Team Members (all in alphabetical order)
1. Administrators: Antoine, derrick1623, enry, katsmp3
2. Super Moderators: jersey_emt, Kooldino, LinuxRacr
3. Moderators: Visit the Forums Team Roster (http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showgroups.php) for a list of forum moderators and the section(s) they moderate.
Mazda Forums Rules and Guidelines
Welcome to the Mazda Forums. The purpose of this board is to serve as a community of Mazda owners and enthusiasts and as a database of information on Mazda's vehicle lineup. In order to provide the best environment for everyone, we promote a spirit of tolerance and mutual respect between users. These are our rules and guidelines. Please read and understand them thoroughly, and direct any questions to a member of the forums team. These rules and guidelines are subject to change and revisions as deemed necessary by the forums team.
I. User Accounts, Registration, and User Levels
1. Users must have a valid and active e-mail account in order to successfully complete the user registration process. Upon registering, a confirmation e-mail is sent to the address specified during sign-up. This e-mail message contains an activation link that must be visited in order to verify your e-mail address and allow you to post messages. The confirmation e-mail is sent out immediately upon registering, but, depending on your ISP and e-mail provider, may be delayed for several minutes or hours. If you do not receive this message in your inbox, be sure to check your 'spam' or 'junk mail' folder, as many mail filters have been known to incorrectly mark this message as spam.
2. Absolutely no distinction or benefits are given to users with high post counts. All profile options, including signature, avatars, and custom title are immediately available upon registration.
II. User Profile
1. User signatures may contain both text and images. User avatars may contain a single image.
2. The maximum size for signatures including all text and images is 750 pixels wide by 300 pixels high, or 250 KB, whichever is smaller.
3. The maximum size for avatars is 100 pixels wide by 100 pixels high, or 50 KB, whichever is smaller.
4. All images and text for avatars, signatures, and all profile options including custom user title must abide by the decency standards outlined in Section IV.
5. Each user account receives 100 MB of storage space to upload files in any of the following formats: asf, avi, bmp, doc, gif, jpe, jpeg, jpg, mov, mp3, mpeg, mpg, pdf, png, psd, txt, xls, zip.
III. Posting
1. Because Mazda Forums is an extremely large online community, many questions have already been asked and answered sometime in the past. Before posting a new thread, click on the search button; there is a good chance that your question has already been asked before in an existing thread. Words of less than 3 letters are not indexed and cannot be entered in as search terms. If you have any questions about the search feature, please contact a member of the forums team.
2. Mazda Forums is split into many different sections and sub-sections to help organize threads. On the main forum page, short descriptions of each section can be found under the sections’ names. When posting a new thread, post in the forum that most closely relates to your question. This will ensure the quickest response. If a moderator must move your thread into the correct forum, you will probably not receive any responses until the thread is moved.
3. Posting the same message in multiple sections (also known as "double posting" or "cross posting") is prohibited without the consent of a super moderator or administrator. If the content of your post spans multiple categories and you are unsure where to place it, contact a member of the forums team for assistance.
4. The creation of useless threads and replies for any reason, especially for increasing your post count ("post whoring"), is prohibited.
5. Placing personal items for sale is allowed only in the For Sale / Group Buy (Non-Vendors) forum (http://www.msprotege.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=131). All items put up for sale must follow the forum's For Sale Rules and Guidelines (http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=98864).
6. If you are a vendor and wish to sell products on this site, you must be an "Authorized Vendor" (AV). Being an "Authorized Vendor" means you are trusted by the administrators, moderators and members of this site. Any violation of that trust and your vendor status may be terminated. To obtain "Authorized Vendor" status, fill out the AV Application (http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54156).
7. If you are a member who does not have an official business but you produce a limited or custom product independently (at home for example) for sale in the forums, you will need to be an "Approved Merchant Member" (AMM). To obtain "Approved Merchant Member" status, fill out the AMM Application (http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54156).
IV. User Conduct and Decency Standards
1. Be respectful of others at all times. The purpose of the forum is to provide a platform for the exchange of ideas. Occasionally, there will be conflicts that arise when people voice opinions. Be courteous when disagreeing with others. It is possible to disagree without being insulting.
2. Personal attacks are prohibited. Commonly known as "flaming", personal attacks are posts which are designed to personally berate or insult another member. Posts of this nature are not beneficial to the community spirit and will not be tolerated. Personal disputes should be settled through the forum’s private messaging system.
3. Be tolerant of new members who are unfamiliar with how the forums are set up or with the search function. Instead of "newbie bashing", politely give them the information they are looking for and point them towards the search button.
4. Profanity in thread titles, signatures, or public profile options is prohibited. While profanity is permitted within the text of a post, try to keep this at a minimum.
5. Pornography is not permitted anywhere on the forum. Mazda Forums defines pornography as images with exposed genitalia (for images of either sex) or topless images (for female images)
6. Discriminatory remarks and any form of discrimination are prohibited.
7. Make an effort to limit potentially offensive posts or material. There is greater tolerance for potentially offensive posts (obscene jokes, etc.) in the Off Topic and Humor forums. Posts deemed too offensive will be edited, moved to the Dumpster, or deleted.
8. Illegal or "pirated" software or content of any kind must not be accessible via Mazda Forums. Any link or connection between this community and illegal software or content is not permitted.
9. Vendor and merchant disputes from customers must be handled privately. Negative reviews for vendors can only be posted after (a) direct communication to the vendor has failed, and (b) you have contacted a forum administrator or super moderator explaining the situation and have gained permission to post a negative review. Personal attacks towards a merchant or vendor authorized to do business on the forums is strictly prohibited. Mazda Forums has a zero tolerance policy towards unwarranted attacks on vendors and merchants (users with the title "Authorized Vendor" or "Authorized Merchant Member" under their username). They are the "lifeline" of the Mazda aftermarket. Making unwarranted attacks, or negative reviews without proper permission, against vendors or merchants can result in an immediate and permanent ban without warning.
10. Disputes between vendors and/or merchants must be handled privately or off the forum. All Authorized Vendors and Authorized Merchant Members are required to act professionally at all times, including when resolving any disputes with another vendor or merchant. Mazda Forums has a zero tolerance policy towards attacks by one vendor or merchant to another. Vendors or merchants who do so may have their status revoked without refund.
11. The act of intentionally posting inflammatory threads or replies for no other purpose than inciting or provoking others, also known as "trolling", is strictly prohibited. Mazda Forums has a zero tolerance policy towards trolling, meaning users who engage in such activity can be immediately and permanently banned without warning.
12. Spam is strictly prohibited. Mazda Forums has a zero tolerance policy towards spammers, meaning use of this forum for unapproved advertisement can result in an immediate and permanent ban without warning.
13. Circumventing a temporary or permanent ban is strictly prohibited. Mazda forums has a zero tolerance policy towards users who re-register additional account(s) to circumvent their ban, meaning those accounts are subject to an immediate and permanent ban without warning.
V. Disciplinary Action & Punishment
1. Several levels of disciplinary action can be instated when a member breaks any of the rules listed in this document:
a. Informal warning
b. Formal warning
c. 24-hour temporary ban
d. Longer period temporary ban
e. "Purgatory" -- can only post in the Purgatory forum for a period of time. Similar to a "time-out".
f. Permanent ban
2. Informal warnings and formal warnings can be given by any member of the forums team.
3. Temporary bans, placing a member in Purgatory, and permanent bans can only be instated by a forum administrator or super moderator.
4. The exact level of disciplinary action or punishment is determined by the severity of the infringement as well as the user's history of previous infractions.
5. The appeals process for disciplinary actions taken against a user account is initiated by sending an e-mail to appeals@msprotege.com (or mazdaforumsappeals@gmail.com) with the subject "Mazda Forums Disciplinary Action Appeal" and the following information:
a. Forum username.
b. Date the action was taken.
c. Username of the forums team member who instated the disciplinary action (if known).
d. Brief explanation of the situation. Include links to the thread(s) and attach any correspondence to and from members of the forums team relating to the situation.
e. Brief argument(s) for reversing the disciplinary action.
Failure to include all requested information will result in a delay in the final decision. The information will be posted privately, viewable only by forum administrators and super moderators. The top-level members of the forums team will participate in a simple majority vote on whether to uphold, overrule, or lessen the severity of the disciplinary action taken against the user account. Once all votes have been cast, or seven days have passed since the appeal was initiated, whichever comes first, the user will be notified with the decision via email. This decision is final and cannot be appealed. Permanent bans instated for breaking any of the "zero tolerance" rules in section IV are final and are not eligible for appeal.
VI. Mazda Forums Team Members (all in alphabetical order)
1. Administrators: Antoine, derrick1623, enry, katsmp3
2. Super Moderators: jersey_emt, Kooldino, LinuxRacr
3. Moderators: Visit the Forums Team Roster (http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showgroups.php) for a list of forum moderators and the section(s) they moderate.