ADMINISTRATION & HELP > FORUM BYLAWS 2019 - ALL MEMBERS PLEASE READ

2019 Beemaster Forum Bylaws - PLEASE READ

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beemaster:
BEEMASTER FORUM 2019 UPDATED BYLAWS

First, all members PLEASE add your location to your member profile. The profile button is on the toolbar tab just below your avatar to the right of the HOME button. Thank you.

About this and every forum... when you joined and agreed to the terms during registration, it clearly states that this forum can ban any member, at any time for any reason at our discretion. Although that holds true here, we try our best to give members fair chances to comply with the following rules also.

RULE 1) KEEP CONTENT FAMILY FRIENDLY

This is a FAMILY FRIENDLY FORUM – if you have no idea what that means; I'll explain. You are expected to keep your language and content so that the youngest member of a family can read your posts WITHOUT the need of supervision by a parent or elder. This does not mean that parents should allow their kids to run free here or on any website on the Internet, but it is YOUR responsibility to be FRIENDLY to members of all ages, both in the wording and the meaning of your posts.

Some posts or replies can have wording that can easily go over the heads of younger members, be careful in this fact and do not use it as a tool in creating your posts. Keep in mind at all times that just because you intend a certain member to read and reply to your post, doesn't mean that EVERY member can also read that post: you need to understand, light adult content occurs and is acceptable, generally speaking we are adults to the most parts - but even adults are often offended by off-color remarks and any member at any age has equal protection against offensive content.

RULE 2) BE KIND and INTERACT, NOT REACT. AGREE TO DISAGREE EVEN IF ATTACKED BY ANOTHER MEMBER - WE WILL HANDLE THE OTHER MEMBER.

If you don't agree with someone's view, EXPRESS your views rather than tear down theirs. You have the option on EVERY POST to report that post to Moderators, use this to quickly make us aware of a possible problem, we will take it from there.

Be kind to other members, do not put them down, bait them into fighting or do anything to create a fight whether in open forum or private messaging. Trashing another member will surely lead you toward the banishment door quickly. New members are expected to abide by the same rules as seasoned members. We believe that Ignorance of a rule is NO excuse to break it – you are expected to read the bylaws and strictly abide by them.

RULE 3) DO NOT TRY TO ADVERTISE HERE, WE ARE COMMERCIAL FREE

We do NOT allow Commercial Advertising, it is not done by us, so it will not be done by you. We strongly believe that our forums shall always be FREE of commercials, we do not promote any Goooogle ads, Beekeeping Supply Companies, etc.. There is a difference if you are asked about a product and reply because you have used it and either like it or don't "compared to" bragging about how wonderful a product is and then we find out you work for the company who makes or sells it. Just use common sense here, if what you post in anyway puts money in your pocket, then you are selling something - your endorsement of such a product is advertising and again advertising is NOT allowed. Bartering in PMs with a product you have to exchange is fine, the interested members will obviously make what they feel is a fair trade offer and if neither party agrees, then so be it, but good old fashion friendly haggling for the best deal is fine - just don't do it in public.

You may notice we have a TRADING POST, this forum is for SWAPPING items for other items. Feel free to detail the items, but only list items you wish to trade or swap, and do not put a dollar value on the product - anyone interested in what you are trying to exchange or purchase, they will contact you. If prices are found in the forums (especially if the "price" had to be removed by a moderator because the member posting is selling something he manufactured or is selling as a business) then the entire post will be removed and you will likely be banned especially if this is a second infraction. Note: all prices if posted in public forums will be removed, along with the post by the moderators discretion - talk about your items in anyway, but keep prices out or likely the post will disappear and you will be notified of why. Blatant disregards to this rule will lead to banishment. Our forums will not be a place where anyone setups up a store front and uses us as their website shopping cart.

This also means that if you have (let's say access to an unlimited supply of feeder jars) you cannot go into the trading post, give the impression you have a few available and spend the next 3 years making money in PMs - go to EBAY where you belong. The trading post is to sell or swap used or excess equipment that you no longer need, not a place to set up a store front. We have all seen these shady businesses who are ALWAYS going out of business, that mentality will not fly here, if you have bought more equipment than you find out you need, then listing it and asking for items that you may need in exchange is the way to post.

NOTE: by not allowing ads by Goooogle and other search engines, we are doing ourselves a disservice, it can reduce our placement in the “Search Engine Ranking's which I think is EXTORTION but that is just my belief on how most search engines work". We'd rather not be no.1 in any search engines, than have their ads plastered on every page of our forums. Again, we don't accept ads or subject you to any, this promotes the idea that we are not swayed by anyone and our forum remains completely neutral - don't try selling things to our members.

The rules on OFF-SETTING the values of something you wish to trade or buy are posted in detail in the stickied topic in the trading post. Let's just make it clear, obviously not everything can be traded in equal dollar amounts, sometimes someone will need to monetarily compensate the other member for the difference - this is understandable, but again it is to be done in private messages.

This rule is strictly enforced and at the time of this modified rule message, a member has found himself banned because he openly challenged the rule asking the membership for their input. This rule is not a debatable issue and surely any questions or comments are to be made directly to the moderators in private, not brought to the members as a means to create public a public scene. Members must understand each rule has purpose and all are aimed at keeping our site commercial free and family friendly.

Standard policy of the forum is that anyone can list their website in plain text (which will appear as a link) in their "signature" under PROFILE. The text must be the same generic sized font as the rest of the post - enlarging the web-link isn't allowed and using the web address within the body of the post also should not be done. Whether private or commercial websites, a simple address only link in the signature line is okay, but adding additional information concerning the site is not - just the web address, no commentating or embellishing allowed.  

RULE 4) WE FILTER WORDS and SOME WEBSITES WHICH HAVE TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING OUR "NO FIGHTING and FAMILY FRIENDLY POLICY

We use our forums filtering technology to assist us in protecting the members from spam and from sites that we deem offensive. If a link is placed here, we believe it is the same as placing the content of that page or site here as well. To protect our members from sites or language that is abusive, blocks have been put in place to reduce issues that could lead to conflict or subject members to harmful content.

Purposely posting links to objectionable material likely will lead to immediate banishment here in the forums. Exact details of what is and is not appropriate can not be covered here due to forum security reasons, but if we believe you have "unintentionally" committed an offense, you will be notified and an explanation may be given - at the very least each case is handled by the moderators and whatever is best for the forum is the deciding factor.

If you find a particular website has been blocked and you receive a warning message during your posting, again do not try going around any word filters, they are in place for a reason. We reserve the right to block any website we find to be offensive to the members here. This is an administrative decision that likely is in place due to security reasons. If you knowing break up a websites address so that it gets past our filters, you will be caught and banned with no prior warning given.

NOTE: all new members go through a short period of time that they can not post links to pictures, websites, etc., to protect against pornography or other inappropriate content. If a new member attempts to post a link of photo,  they will get an error message to remove the link.  Again, don't try to bypass this restriction by posting partial or broken up links and telling people how to reassemble the link.  You will be caught and banned with no prior warning given. You can email the link(s) to photos@beemaster.com (please no photos, just links to hosted photos), and a moderator will gladly post the link for you. Shortly after, you gain full member privileges and you can post links and photos here. This step is to assure we don't have a spammer purposely signing to cause havoc to our membership.

CONCLUSION:

Rule Breaking can result from a warning, to immediate banishment – each case is independently weighed by the moderators and is final. All you need to do is treat the forum as a place your children and grandparents BOTH could easily enjoy without being subjected to the wicked things the Internet often fills our screens with.

I hope this simplified Bylaws is easier to follow. The bylaws are subject to modification as spammers or troublesome violators find new and harmful ways to attack our forums. But it all comes down to one sentence: be kind to everyone, make friends not enemies, if you need to sell something go to Ebay and always remember that your children and grandparents alike could be reading what you have written, so be on your best behavior or find somewhere where civility is not a priority.

FEATURE UPDATE and Rules

In late February we added embedded text chat to our forum home page and a full featured chat program accessible through the forum tool bar next to the logout button - called chat and it will show a number of chatters on this launch tab if anyone is on line.

This chat is NOT MODERATED by our Mod Staff, but members online are asked to behave themselves as they do in any other part of the forum. This after all is the MAIN FORUM PAGE and only members can see this chat room - it is invisible to guests and you must be log-in in to use it. And of course as in all forums, the administrative staff has the right to remove any member for any reason, but we strive hard to abide by our bi-laws

Log files are kept automatically, if someone is found to abuse the feature by using severe language, fighting or putting down other members, there is a fully documented log with time stamps of ever post - please just do the right thing and be friendly to each other as you are in the rest of the forum. This Chat feature is already becoming quite popular and it is something we want to have around a long time.

buzzbee:
Bump and a notation:

Just use common sense here, if what you post in anyway puts money in your pocket, then you are selling something - your endorsement of such a product is advertising and again advertising is NOT allowed.

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