K1200lt.net Behavior and General Guidelines:

 

When writing your messages, please use the same courtesy that you would show when speaking face-to-face with someone. Flames, insults, and personal attacks will not be tolerated. It's fine to disagree strongly with opinions, ideas, and facts, but always with respect for the other person.  Great minds do not always think alike, and that's where the fun is!  Also, note that messages express the thoughts of the writers, not the group Administrators or Moderators.  Here is the list of guidelines for the K1200LT.net community:

 

No Nudity: We have a policy against the posting of images depicting nudity.  Understand that we are not taking a moral stand one way or the other.  This is simply a policy of this group.

 

No Inappropriate Avatars or Embedded Images:  Avatars and images embedded within posts using IMAGE tags must be appropriate for all audiences.  Sexually suggestive images, images depicting violence or any other image that might be deemed offensive or inappropriate to members are not tolerated.  More latitude is given to attached images (not displayed inline within the post), or URL links, provided that suitable warning is given to the reader.  The Moderators shall make the final determination as to the appropriateness of any image.    

 

No Commercial Postings:  This is a private BBS designated for the use of its members.  No commercial posts of any kind will be allowed.  �For Sale� items from individual members will be allowed in the Classified forum only.  Special announcements for dealers or other vendors will be allowed only if they are made by one of the forum Moderators or Administrators.  Any posts to any forum that are deemed to be of a commercial nature will be subject to removal and the identity posting them may be blocked or banned. 

 

Copyrighted materials:   This site is available for the free flow of information among its members; each person is responsible for the content he or she submits to this site.  Posting of copyrighted materials or links to pirated copyrighted materials on this site is not condoned by the Administrators of this site.  Any materials or links posted on this site which appear to be in violation of a copyright will be removed without notice.  The Administrators of this site respect the intellectual property of others and will make every effort to assure those rights are not violated.  The determination of any materials in question will be at the sole discretion of the site Administrators.  

 

Safe place:  This group should be considered a "safe place".  Off-color comments, inappropriate content, personal attacks, harassment, and blatantly offensive posts meant to polarize or incite the group ARE NOT TOLERATED

 

Identity:  You are allowed to participate in our community anonymously but we recommend that you provide a real name and regional information to help continue to provide a real sense of community to all of or members.  We do REQUIRE that you provide a valid email address for membership.  If any account is found to have an invalid email address, that account will be terminated by the Administrators.

 

Lurk: Read the previous postings and just hang out for a while without posting any messages for a few weeks. This is known as 'lurking' and is encouraged. Lurking will give you an idea of tone of the group. Lurking also lets you know who is really in the know and who is just a poseur.

 

Search the Archives: Use the forum search feature or one of the major internet search engines BEFORE you ask your next question.  Being asked the same old question over and over is very irritating.  By not taking the time to search the archives or make a search of other internet resources BEFORE asking the group is like saying, "my time is more valuable than yours, so I'm just going to ask here instead of looking for it myself".

 

Stick to the topic: Know what on-topic is and what is off-limits.  Every forum is a little different in what it talks about and each forum in our group is devoted to clearly defined topics.  Please stick to the topic covered by each forum or for more generalized chatter use the Chit Chat forum. 

 

This is not your personal email: Understand when it's time to go to private emails or private messaging. Ask yourself the following question before you press the send button -- "Am I adding anything to the discussion or would this message be better sent as a private email to the particular individual I'm trying to reach?" If you have something that should be directed to one individual, send them the email or private message, not the forum. That is, unless your answer is of a general interest nature that we all would benefit from.

 

Control the "chatter":  Friendly banter between members is a good thing.  But when it's taken to the extreme, it clutters up the message board and lowers the value of the information contained in the archives.  Each off-topic commentary, witty remark, and me-too post just adds to more messages to search through in the archives.  Use the site's chat system if you want to share one on one conversation.

 

What's said behind closed doors stays behind closed doors:  Don't air your (or anyone else's) dirty laundry in public.  There is absolutely NO NEED to post a private email in a public forum.  It is inconsiderate and violates an unsaid trust between you and the sender.  Treat private emails the same way you would a telephone call.  How would you like your private conversation between you and another member of the group played out on CNN?

 

Keep some things to yourself: Treat all posts you place in this forum as PUBLIC information. Anything you put in a post is potentially there for the entire internet to see. Home addresses, phone numbers, or other personal information is better left to a private email and not posted on the group.  Would you walk down the street of a major city yelling out your phone number, home address, and how many toys you have parked in the garage with the key most likely in the ignition?   Think about it.

 

Just the Facts (not FAQs): Concise and to the point is more important than showing off your expressive nature. If you have something to say, then say it. Include enough so we all know what you're talking about, but please be brief about it. Nobody really cares what your deep philosophical stance is on some mundane or off topic subject.

 

Don't shout: TYPING ALL IN CAPS IS CONSIDERED SHOUTING. Reading a lot of text in caps is hard on the eyes and is considered very rude. Plus, everyone thinks you're a complete moron without having to read anything you have to say.

 

Don't over quote: Copying a long post (more than 20 lines) just to add "I agree" or "me too" is considered bad form. Be original, bring something new to the discussion.

 

Context: Just as you shouldn't over quote, at least give us some idea what you're talking about when you do post that "I agree" or "thank you" message. Nothing like having to track back on a "thank you" message and read through an entire thread of "motorcycle camping" as it morphs into some other completely unrelated subject to get to the original post.

 

Don't beat a dead horse:  Read through the entire thread BEFORE you post a response.  Chances are if you are reading a message that is several days old, the subject has been covered ad nauseam and your two cents really doesn't matter.  If, however, you find there is still some valuable information yet to be added to the discussion which hasn't already been covered, then go right ahead.  Just take the time to be considerate and read the entire thread before responding.

 

The Golden Rule: Treat other users with the same respect you would like to receive yourself.  Remember that every expert was a newbie once; we all break this one from time to time.  And usually when we do, we feel bad about it.  Then there are some who don't.

 

Don't be too thin skinned: Try not to take things too personally. If you can't take the heat, then do not participate.

 

Name without a face: On the Internet and in newsgroups especially, people don't see you, just what you post. Because of that, you need to be careful of what you write because that almost completely determines how you are perceived by others. So, if you want to be taken seriously, it's a good idea to double check the spelling and grammar of a post before sending it. It's also a good idea to double check any facts you state in a post -- there is always someone who has enough free time to go checking on anything you post; and it can be embarrassing to be called on a factual error.

 

Show some emotion: Because email is a text form of communication, it lacks the subtleties and nuances of verbal/face to face communication. Take a moment to learn the various methods of expressing a level of "internet body language" in your posts (a.k.a. emoticons). Some basic emoticons and acronyms can be found at http://www.pcmedixwebs.com/emoticons.htm  

 

Ignore "trolls": Some people get a thrill from posting "flames" (really obnoxious messages) just to get a rise out of people. Sad, isn't it?  If you see a flame war going on between two members, just stay out of it.  Anything you have to say on the subject will just propagate the thread and add fuel to the fire.  Be responsible and just stay out of it.

 

Enforcement of the Guidelines:

 

Enforcement of the guidelines is at the discretion of the Moderators with oversight by the Administrators.  This group has proved to be a very responsible self-policing community.  Everyone on this group should be treated as an adult.  However, as with any community, possible problems may arise.

 

Minor infractions will most likely be handled via the Moderators and warnings may be issued.  Serious infractions will be handled with a warning, with any further infractions resulting in having the offending member removed by the Administrators.  Repeated violations may result in a permanent ban.  Attempts to circumvent the ban by subscribing under a different ID or extreme violations of these guidelines will result in a permanent ban.

 

Revised: October 27, 2004