MMS Forum Rules & Guidelines - Ford Mustang Forums

chris · #1 (**permalink**) 11-06-2006, 10:24 AM

Below are some basic guidelines to posting and participating on the MyMustangSite.com Message Forums and MyMustangSite.com in general. Please review them before posting on the forums or on the site. These rules will be modified/added to as needed.

A. Behavior rules:
1. No personal attacks. For example, it's ok to say "that opinion is stupid" but NOT ok to say "you are stupid." Also, don't make fun of people because of their nickname. As long as your nick isn't profane or a personal attack, what's the big deal?

2. No senseless arguments: If someone is being really obnoxious, report the post (there is a “report this post” button in the bottom right part of the post framing), or send a private message to a moderator. Do not take the situation into your own hands. It has been proven repeatedly that such arguments destroy the initial topics and cause good discussions to die out.

3. Watch your language: There are no rules against cursing in your posts (unless it's at someone), but refrain from using profanity in your thread titles. If you feel the uncontrollable urge to do so however, please use asterisks. Also, please do not use overly strong sexual innuendo in your posts.

4. Leghumping/Stalking/Threats: MyMustangSite strives to provide a service that promotes safe social networking among its members. However there will be times in which a member may conduct an action which may make another member feel uncomfortable or threatened. Any member who uses the resources of MyMustangSite to threaten another member or make another member feel uncomfortable will be subject to investigation. If the accusations are found to be true the offending party will receive a warning and a temporary suspension at which is will be determined by the administrator’s desecration.

A second offense by the offending party will result in a permanent ban from the site and all its resources. We wish that we did not have to release such a measure but given the severity of the issue and the past actions of the individual that prompted all this we have no choice but to take a stand in order to insure a safe environment among its members.

We ask that you use your best judgment and common sense when interacting with other members. Things are not what they appear to be, do not provide personal information. If you feel uncomfortable or threatened by another member we urge you to report the action to the administrators. We will examine the situation and do our best to find an amicable solution or have that individual’s access to the site removed. If you feel that you are being stalked/threatened please report the user to me immediately.

B. Posting rules:
1. Spam posts and multiple-posting - many people find it annoying if you come in and type three word replies in every thread. We've set up a chat feature for people who prefer to communicate this way. Also, there is an “Edit” button in the top-right of every newly-added post, which will allow you to edit it several times over a period of time provided you made a mistake, you left something out, or it doesn’t show properly.

Addition to spam rules:
-If it's garbage it's spam. If nobody cares but you...it's spam. If you start a topic about "What's For Dinner" not only is it spam...you need help.

-Only paying MyMustangSite.com sponsors can post threads/responses/blogs/bulletins regarding the sale of items, products, or services. If you are not a paying sponsor and you post up a thread selling items, your thread will be considered SPAM and will be deleted without warning. Please contact me if you are interested in becoming a sponsor. Everyone is more than welcome to use the classifieds section to sell items.

2. Stay on topic: Try to respect the general course of a discussion, and don’t change the initial subject to such a degree that the initial idea gets lost. This is important because a title should reflect the discussion. The fact that people don’t find what they need in a discussion compels them to repeatedly create new discussions on the same topic. All this can be avoided. Also, create new discussions in the right place. There are different departments for different topics.. Moderators are always moving discussions around because they’re not in the right place, and it gets confusing when all of a sudden you lose a discussion because it was moved somewhere else.

3. The signature 101: Do not use a very long and meaningless signature. Do not post big and/or obscene pictures in your signature. Links to other sites are allowed in signatures. Do not leave blank lines between quoted dialogue lines. Do not address messages to other forum members in your signature.

4. Use the search feature: There is a search button in the top-right part of every page. Use it to find a certain topic that interests you, and post your opinions/ideas there. After you post, no matter how old the discussion was, it will automatically be highlighted as containing new posts, so you’ll probably get your question answered in a matter of hours.

5. *WW* Work Warning Threads & Nudity: No nudity will be posted in the main forums of the site. Nudity is only allowed in the designated forum for 18 years of age members. If you are posting a pic, video, or thread that contains vulgar language or scantily clad women (or men), you must title your thread with a *WW* (which stands for work warning) in order to give a heads up to members who may be viewing the forums from work.

6. Site Bashing: There will be no site bashing tolerated regarding this site or any other site. If you do not like another site, that is perfectly fine. However, DO NOT make threads or replies where the response is solely intended to instigate a debate of whether one site is better or not than another. Your thread/post will be locked/deleted without warning. Continuously bringing up your dislike for another site may result in further action to be taken (banned membership from MMS).

7. Circumventing a Locked Thread: If your thread gets locked, do not make a new thread asking why. Chances are that it violates the posted rules. If there is not a response in the thread left by the Moderator who locked it, please contact an Admin. If the Moderator locked your thread and left a response, please feel free to contact them via private message regarding the locked thread. Do not publicly create a new thread asking why.

8. Non Sponsored Mustang Parts Links : Paying sponsors of MyMustangSite.com are a huge reason MMS is able to operate for free to the users. Please visit the sponsors when possible when you are looking for a new modification/part to your car. It is only fair that since paying sponsors help MMS pay the bills each month, that MMS will not tolerate blatant "spamming" of links to sites who are not a sponsor of MMS. Blatant "spamming" is along the lines of starting a thread, post, blog, bulletin saying something like "hey, go to www.buystangpartshere.com" or simply if the intent of your post nothing more to push a site that is not a sponsor of MMS. Your thread, post, blog, bulletin, can and will be deleted. We are well aware that there are exceptions to what is spam and what is not spam, and we will use our best judgement of the interest of MMS and our paying sponsors. If you are interested in sponsoring MMS, please get in contact with me.

9. Spamming Links to Other Mustang Sites : Other mustang forums are great as well as just about any mustang site in general. However, DO NOT create a thread/post/bulletin/blog simply to push another mustang site. It is perfectly fine to post a link in your forum sig to other sites, simply DO NOT create threads simply to spam a link to another site. If you do this, your thread will be locked and link will be removed from your post.