There Are Rules - Welcome to DFWM!

[BarneePhife]

A friendly reminder to all who frequent ducatimonsteroforum.org...

http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=107.0

This is a public forum, a community, and a collective gathering of similarly-minded Ducati enthusiasts.

The forum consists of multiple sections, each dedicated to different topics each dedicated to focusing discussion for efficient contribution and consumption.

Unfortunately, due to enthusiasm for their bikes and personal interests, many people may forget to read the rules which have been designed to protect the forum and its members.  We're fortunate in that we're not forced to read these rules when we create our personal account.  However, we're also sometimes unfortunately affected when someone doesn't read the rules or even know that they exist.

With that in mind, I'd like to help out by reminding all DFWM readers that the Ducat Monster Forum does have rules, and moderators who (from time to time) will enforce those rules.  Rules are good.  Without rules, this website would just be called forum.org and consist of millions of random posts of willy-nilly minded folks.

Don't be a willy-nilly... Please read the Forum Guidelines.  Please do your best to follow the guidelines.  Nobody is perfect, and nobody is policing every post.  Let's do our parts as individuals to maintain the forum as one which is conducive to supporting one another, supporting the purpose of the forum, and helping to attract and retain more enthusiasts like ourselves.


---- Here’s a quick and easy guideline that is posted on the Forum Guidelines thread.  It seems to sum it all up very concisely.  ---

Make sure that before you post you ask these questions:

1)  Will others think I'm being a jerk?

2)  Would I say this in front of my mother?

3)  Does this post contribute to the board or add value to this thread?

4)  Is this post on topic? Should I begin a new thread?

---

(Copied from the Forum Guidelines post on 9/13/08)

Forum Guidelines

We're completly nuts about monsters.  We just are.  We welcome all Monster enthusiasts, riders, and gawkers to share their knowledge, questions, experiences and lives with one another.  We hope the board can provide a fun, irreverent, but mature environment to share our fanaticism.  To keep our happy little family functioning smoothly, we've come up with some guidelines. 

                 Members' Privileges

1.  Visitors and members can find pertinent motorcycling information quickly.

2.  Visitors and members can expect to not be subjected to inappropriate graphic content.

3.  Visitors and members can find relevant content in the forums they choose to browse.

4.  Members can interact in a respectful and mature environment filled with spirited discussion.  We want this community to be fun and welcoming for all.

5.  Members can expect that other members will contribute their knowledge and passion to the board.  The community can only exist if people help out others, occasionally write a "How To" thread, or find some other way to give back. 

6.  Members can read quarterly accountings of the board's finances.  This is forum was not designed to make us money.

7.  Members can be heard regarding any major decisions affecting the forum or the community.

8.  Members can expect that the board will always be owned, run and administered by enthusiast members.  ALWAYS!

9.  Members can voice their opinions as long as that it does not conflict with another privilege.

10.  If such action is necessary, members can expect to know why their membership was suspended or banned in a timely manner.


                 Members' Responsibilites

1.  Introduce Yourself before posting.

2.  Posting

      2.1  Members will conduct themselves in a respectful manner. Members shall not engage in disrespectful posting, personal attacks, name-calling, flaming, baiting, inflammatory posting or language, juvenile, chauvinistic or demeaning posting, post whoring (posting with the sole purpose of increasing their overall post count), trolling, e-sniping, e-stalking, indirect attacks, and other such activities not conducive to a positive and productive environment.  This includes posts or threads of a purely sexual nature.  All posting in violation of the Guidelines will be acted on by interpretation of moderators.   

      2.2.  Posting about religion or politics or cop-talk are allowed on a probationary basis, but limited to the Politics board.

      2.3.  Do not threadjack.
     
      2.4.  Members will not post other members' personal information.

      2.5.  Members should not post copyrighted materials without permission of author or photographer as applicable. Links to other publications or materials are allowed along with a short introduction to the material.

      2.6  Threads posted about current racing results where TV coverage is imminent shall not contain information about the result and will have the word "SPOILER" in the title.

3.  Images. 

     3.1  Members shall not post images or links containing, nudity, partial nudity, sexual acts, or depiction thereof.  This includes pictures for purely sexual purposes.  This isn't a frat house, and the board needs to be work-appropriate.  As a simple example,  the DMF should be able to be up on a screen in anyone's office and not get them in trouble for anything other than wasting time.  Pictures of clothed spouses or significant others are ok.  If questionable, images should be linked and not directly visible in a thread. This link, and if possible the thread title, should carry a warning that such material may be NWS = "Not Work Safe".  Links will be deleted if determined to be innapropriate by the moderators. 


     3.2  Graphic images depicting violence are discouraged, with the exception of those that serve an educational purpose in the motorcycling community. Those that satisfy the educational clause should be linked and not directly visible in a thread. This link, and if possible the thread title, should carry a "GRAPHIC" warning.

4.  Signatures are limited by the software, and shall not exceed [size to be determined as we go...it's an evolving process]

5.  When personal disputes arise between members they should take their squabble to Private Message (PM) and will do so when requested by staff.

6.  Interactions with moderators. 
     
     6.1  Members shall conduct themselves respectfully when in dispute with a moderator.  If a moderator instructs a member to take the discussion to PMs, please do so.  The moderators will determine whether to lock the thread. 

     6.2  Members that smear or otherwise attack the site or moderators are subject to suspension and or removal.

     6.3  Members will not start a thread with the intent of continuing the topic of a thread that was closed or removed.

7.  Multiple logins are not permitted.

8.  Members shall not promote their business or other forums in fashion that can be considered SPAM. Postings of such material may be removed by the moderators and an explanation will generally be provided, but not required. Repeat offenses may lead to suspension and/or removal. Advertisers are exempt and may post specials and/or information about their business.  More detailed vendor Rules are here:  [insert link]

9.  The board is not responsible for policing business dealings in the classified.  Buy and sell at your own risk.
 
10.  Provide feedback regarding vendors or dealers, but do not gratuitously slam a vendor on the board.  Prior to posting, please contact them directly if possible to work out issues.

11.  Moderators have discretion in interpreting the Guidelines.  Their judgment is final.  The moderators will deal--in their discretion and with the best interests of the board and commmunity in mind--with any grey areas not explicitly covered by the Guidelines.

12.  While we will try to keep these guidelines consistent, members acknowledge that the guidelines may be edited and updated from time to time as needed and new issues arrise.  Members agree to periodically review the guidelines.

                  Suspensions & Banning

First violation:  24-72 hour suspension.  Initiated by any moderator.

Second violation:  One week suspension.  Initiated by any moderator.

Third violation:  One month suspension to permanent ban.  Admin decision.

Repeated violations or serious one-time violations or a pattern of conduct that requires disproportionate amount of moderator time will result in the member's access to the board being terminated.  Basically, don't make youself a pain in the butt to deal with.

[Bonwilder]

 ;)thanks for sharing........knowledge is power!!

[swanny]

Thanks for posting.  That is why I do not post as much as I used to.  You have to make your way though all of the threadjacks and pointless posts just to find something that is useful or that you can reply to and add value.

Swanny

[GeorgeInDallas]

Ditto Swanny.  Thanks.

[fastwin]

OK this is too long to bother to read. Can someone post something about bikes? Please.

[NorDog]

There's a Politics Board?  Boy, I'm going to stay away from that one.

Thanks for the reminder btw.  Did SOMETHING happen on a thread around here and I missed it?

[fastwin]

There's a Politics Board?  Boy, I'm going to stay away from that one.

Thanks for the reminder btw.  Did SOMETHING happen on a thread around here and I missed it?

Yeah, I'm staying from that one too. No politics or religion in any more of my posts. Just scooters! [moto]

[Ideapimp]

Subject line took me directly to The Big Lebowski,

"This is not nam, there are rules."

C'mon, dude, back me up here. 

[pipeliner1978]

;)thanks for sharing........knowledge is power!!

yeah, knowledge is power, but being anal makes you an ass......

If we all followed every rule that was posted up there, then all of the "active members" would no longer be able to post on here.  And quite frankly, this forum would be just as active as the other local ones that we make fun of, or don't want to be like.  When we get to AR and we are out in the country on wide open roads and the speed limit reads 35, are we gonna follow that rule, or are we gonna bend it and have a little fun?  We have an amazing online social community that draws us all in and makes us want to be a part of it.  I love it, and all of the members too.  But seriously, is it really possible for us to have a 2.5 - 3 month old thread topic about a 3 day ride and think that you wont have to sift through pages of bs to find content?  Look at the new one, the no bs or thread jacking one, one person mentions checking tires before the trip, and now that's the new topic.  It's still about the Arkansas trip......  There are pages on the original thread about whether or not people are going......is that fluff you have to sift through to get meaningful content from the thread?  Maybe we can just utilize a little common sense in our threads and if there is meaningful information that is changed or updated, we can post it on the first page.  That way the new comers or the people who only visit us weekly or montly can go straight to the 1st page and get all the info they need.  And then we can continue to talk about the trip on the rest of the pages.  i mean think about it.  We are going on a 3 day trip and its been on here for almost 3 months.......people gotta get over the fact that there are 10 (or more) pages that talk about who's going, what you need, where you're staying, who's meeting up with who, tire, gear, beer.........blah blah blah.
So, again, lets just keep page 1 updated for actual trip information, and have an "open forum" on the rest 
That's just my $.02.  I hope I didn't ruffle any feathers or cause people to get their panties in a bind. 
Swanny, man, I really appreciate the work and effort that you have put into the ride.  I look forward to meeting you and buying you a beer. (I might even slap you on the ass and tell you good job......I don't know, we'll see how the evening plays out  )
So.......peace out pregnant doges, see you all Saturday  [moto] [moto]

[RichD]

...If we all followed every rule that was posted up there, then all of the "active members" would no longer be able to post on here.  And quite frankly, this forum would be just as active as the other local ones that we make fun of, or don't want to be like.  When we get to AR and we are out in the country on wide open roads and the speed limit reads 35, are we gonna follow that rule, or are we gonna bend it and have a little fun?  We have an amazing online social community that draws us all in and makes us want to be a part of it.  I love it, and all of the members too.  But seriously...   ....blah blah blah.
...So, again, lets just keep page 1 updated for actual trip information, and have an "open forum" on the rest  ...

For a mid-grade piece of luggage, well said... well said.

(I must be low-end luggage -I couldn't have put my sentiment more even handed and sensible)

[pipeliner1978]

TOO CUTE!! 

[swanny]

It is not just the AR trip thread that gets jacked or goes down hill, it seems that almost all the threads go that way on the board.  We have lost several great contributors to the board and this is one of the main reasons.  I have had them tell me that is the reason that they do not post very often or ever anymore.  Some people will say "Oh well, their loss!" but it is also our lost.  These people are knowledgable and can help people out when needed.

Tommy, why not take the chatter to threads like "The Local Say Anything Thread" instead filling all the other threads with pointless posts and making the thread starter shift though all the "open forum" posts and then update the original post. 

[bryant8]

I have to agree with Swanny.

The thread jacking is out of hand. There are inside jokes and other bs on every thread. The important info is lost in the shadows of the thread. Tire conditions and things like it are on topic when it comes to a ride thread, but innuendo and one liners aren't.

The community we have is great, but our content is lost in the white noise.

[RichD]

I have to say this all smells of the "Ducati-Vixen" thread.

Ya'll take care.

I'll check in after all the bullshit-self-imposed-drama stops.

maybe.

[never2loud]

Thanks Jim, good post.