There is a new Code of Conduct that is going into effect immediately. It can be reached at any time from the link at the bottom of the page, but here are the contents.If you do not wish to abide by this code please let me know and I'll be happy to take immediate action.
https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/forums/conduct.php
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Code of Conduct
We promote the idea of lively debate. This means you are free to disagree with anyone on any type of subject matter as long as your criticism is constructive and polite.
Community forums are at their best when participants treat their fellow posters with respect and courtesy. Therefore, we ask that you conduct yourself in a civilized manner when participating in these forums. Remember, that your opinion is not a fact and repeating the same criticism over and over again is unlikely to change anyone else’s mind. Think about how your post comes across to readers and be mindful of how you’d like others to respond before you post. The guidelines and rules listed below explain what behavior is expected of you and what behavior you can expect from other community members. Note that the following guidelines are not exhaustive, and may not address all manner of offensive behavior. As such, the forum moderators shall have full discretion to address any behavior that they feel is inappropriate. Your access to these forums is a "privilege," and not a "right." Sideshowcollectors.com reserves the right to suspend your access to these forums at any time for reasons that include, but are not necessarily limited to, your failure to abide by this code.
Respect the Forum Staff
We provide a service in our free time to keep the forums running efficiently. We are all volunteers. Feedback is welcome in Forum Questions area, this is also the place to request assistance with forum software issues. If a member feels an infraction or ban is unwarranted that member can appeal to the Administrator. However the Administrator is not likely to overturn a moderators decision.
Respect the Product Creators
We encourage professionals from the collectibles industry to interact with members and provide information and solicit feedback from their fans. When posting remember that someone worked very hard to bring that collectible to life and be respectful of that hard work. Criticism should always be constructive and generalizations such as calling items "crap" or similar terms will be deleted. Persisting in this behavior will result in infractions and/or banning.
Trolling, Attacks and Flaming
Our first priority is to the members that have come here because of the flame-free atmosphere we provide. There is a zero-tolerance policy here against personal attacks. We will not tolerate anyone insulting other's opinion nor name calling. This includes the companies and individuals that create the collectibles and/or toys being discussed.
· Trolling is posting in a way that provokes emotional responses.
· Attacks and derogatory terms of any kind are not welcome. This includes references to any collectible or the companies that produce them.
· Flames are messages that personally attack or call any people names or otherwise harass. These, along with any generally condescending posts will be edited or removed at the moderators discretion.
· If a thread is flame-bait (appears to be intended to start an argument or is likely to cause an argument rather than enhance discussion, as in trolling), it will be locked or removed without notice. Individual flame-bait comments in a post may be deleted or edited at the moderators' discretion.
· If the thread turns into an argument, it can be closed to further comment or removed without notice.
Spam (unsolicited advertising)
Spam will be reported to spam blacklists and the account posting it will be banned. You are allowed to have links to personal sites in your signature and in your profile, and may post them in threads on occasion (just not often, please) as long as the content of the site linked does not include material that violates this code of conduct and if you are not posting any other form of advertising.
Profanity
We have users of all age groups and of all tolerance levels where profanity is concerned. A language filter is in place to catch most major forms of profanity that may accidentally be used. Do not attempt to circumvent the language filter by using variations or slight misspellings of profanities.
Politics, Religion, Sexual Orientation
Discrimination of any kind is not allowed on this forum. Our call is to be supportive, not divisive. Because of this, discrimination, racial vilification and offensive generalizations targeting people of other races, religions, sexual orientation and/or nationalities will not be tolerated.
Thread Drifting/Steering
Please keep discussions on topic.
Report Posts
If you have found a post or receive a private message that you feel is inappropriate or that violates the forum code of conduct, please use the report function to notify staff. Do not attempt to moderate discussions or correct other users yourself.
Libel
Do not post libelous information about a person, company, dealer or entity. Any post which is in violation of any law or is invasive of a person's privacy will be taken down immediately Posting of personal information (i.e., phone numbers, addresses, employment) within topics is not allowed, even if the subject is a known re-caster, thief, or pain in the butt.
Adult Content
Messages containing violent, sexually oriented, or illegal content or links to sites with this content will be recorded as evidence. Messages with links to or suggesting illegal activity will also be saved. Posting or linking to any of these could result in a ban.
Copyright
Do not post material that infringes on the Intellectual Property Rights of any other individual or corporate entity unless you own or control the rights thereto or have expressly received all necessary consents. Please see the Intellectual Property Policy for details. Do not download any file posted by another User of a forum that you know, or reasonably should know, cannot be legally distributed in such manner. Do not falsify or delete any author attributions, legal or other proper notices or proprietary designations or labels of the origin or source of software or other material contained in a file that is uploaded, or impersonate any person or entity or falsely state or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity
Viruses
Do not post files or content that contains viruses, corrupted files, or any other similar software or programs that may damage the operation of another’s computer.
Advertising
Do not advertise or offer to sell any goods or services for any commercial purpose outside of our designated sales areas.
Contests
Do not post surveys, contests, pyramid schemes or chain letters.
Interference with other Members
Do not restrict or inhibit any other User from using and enjoying any public area of the Services.
Promotions
Do not post any messages anywhere on this site that are primarily for the promotion or advertising of any website, email address, business, activity, personal blogs, or other entities that you have an affiliation with (ie. no self-promotion). You may not make any self-promotional post announcing websites to gain exposure, including non-profit sites.
Solicitation
You may not invite, solicit or coerce others to join other community websites through posts, email, PM, use of Sideshowcollectors.com membership list or any other resource within the Sideshowcollectors.com. We allow linking to other information websites, as long as it is for informational purposes and not for self-promotion advertisement. Staff members may remove or edit links at its discretion.
Post Spamming
Please do not spam forums with multiple posts in multiple forums. Moderators may move to most appropriate area. You can use the "search" feature to find topics of interest.
Language
While Sideshowcollectors.com hosts visitors from around the world, it is based in the United States and much of our membership is English speaking. Due to our inability to moderate threads in other languages, we ask that interactions be in English for the enjoyment of as many posters as possible.
Grammar
Please do not type entirely in capitals as it is considered shouting on the Internet. “Text speak” (also known as chatspeak, txtspk, texting language or txt talk) is discouraged. Along with using proper English spelling and punctuation, this shows respect for the owner and other board members, and makes it easier to read your message.
Thread closings
Problematic posts/threads may be deleted or closed. Threads are closed to cool down passionate postings that have strayed off the original topic; we will attempt to post warning notice before taking this action if observed early.
Infractions
Members that violate this code will be issued infractions by the moderators. We reserve the right to evaluate each incident on a case by case basis. The action we take may be more lenient or more severe than those listed under each category. In addition to the list below moderators can assign custom infractions and points at their discretion. Infractions and their points are:
INFRACTION POINTS EXPIRES IN
Signature Rule Violation 1 14 Days
Inappropriate Language 1 14 Days
Bypass language filter 1 14 Days
posting questionable material/images 1 3 Months
attempting to bypass sales rules 1 3 Months
General unpleasantness and/or trolling 1 Never
Insulted Member(s) or Collectible Creator 2 Never
Spammed Advertisements 15 Never
Points level before being Banned
5 points total 2 week ban
10 points total 1 month ban
15 points total permanent ban
How to Handle Personal Attacks or Objectionable Material
Presently, we have 20+ volunteer moderators and admin staff who monitor this board periodically throughout the day. They are here to help -- please feel free to contact them with any problems you may have. On the other hand, they have been instructed to enforce our zero-tolerance policy. Our biggest concern here is the quality of membership not the quantity. We have no problem removing any individual who disrupts this bulletin board.
If you are ever in a position where you feel you have been personally attacked, do not respond to that attack. Please report the post by clicking on the report button found within the message. Let the staff deal with the problem, if you respond to that attack, you may find yourself removed as well, and we don't want to see that happen.
