dcdeb Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 (edited) 25 March 2008 Dear MikaFanClub.com members: MikaFanClub.com (The MFC) is a worldwide community of Mika fans, and as such we feel it is important that we make sure to treat everyone with respect and contribute to an open, comfortable atmosphere for all members. As we have grown significantly over the past year, and in light of recent events, it has become clear that we need some better defined guidelines for forum behavior. We have therefore developed these guidelines to help both new and established members as we move ahead. Keep in mind that these guidelines apply to posts made on the forum and should also apply to any private messages you send. Please take the time to read through the guidelines and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact one of the moderators (listed at the end of this post). Many thanks to all those whose efforts and input contributed to these guidelines, including the authors of the awesome FAQ (read it HERE) which we used as our starting point. We hope that these guidelines will allow for a more enjoyable forum experience for all. The Guidelines 1. Hateful language, including but not limited to racist, sexist, homophobic, and/or bigoted speech is prohibited here. Personal insults and attacks are also prohibited, and will result in a ban from the forums. These include name-calling or insults about a person's religion, sex, sexual orientation, race, age, nationality, physical impairment, etc. Do not mock someone because of their appearance, or the way they speak/write, or the amount of time they spend on the forum. And please do not hide behind saying your comment was meant as "a joke", or use the rose-colored glasses icon or white text to disguise a nasty remark. Just saying you didn't mean something as an insult doesn't make it any less of one. Relating to this, avoid spreading propaganda of any organizations, movements, religions or political parties. This includes using avatars and signatures, other symbols, texts and links to websites, to advertise principles related to such groups. (rev. 8/8/08) 2. Posts containing obscene or pornographic material will be deleted, and can also lead to a ban. Moderators may edit or delete any post deemed unsuitable. 3. Adult topics are not directly prohibited, but we have many younger members, some under 13. Keep in mind MFC's universal audience, and avoid profanity, explicit sexual posts, or other content that may be inappropriate. This would include posts that describe a sex act, or strongly imply one. The forum system automatically blanks out certain curse words, but there are some that it won't catch and you may be asked to stop using those words by a moderator. 4. Since Mika's family are not public figures, posting photographs of them that are not officially taken at publicity events, or soliciting personal information about them, is not permitted. Keep in mind that Mika, his band and management, and his family and friends read these boards at times. 5. Any Mika-related material that can be purchased through regular channels cannot be posted. This includes all studio recordings, clips from the Live in Cartoon Motion DVD, iTunes files, etc. In addition, we ask that demos and studio outtakes not be posted on MFC, as Mika has specifically requested those items not be shared. NOTE: When posting links to other content (such as TV appearances, live recordings, etc.) please be sure to read the terms of use for the external sites you are using. YouTube in particular has been known to pursue claims of copyright infringement, even shutting down the accounts of users who post content against the terms of use. MikaFanClub.com is not responsible for any repercussions that may occur in regard to content posted on external sites. 6. Respect the privacy of others. Do not post personal information (i.e. personal photographs, addresses, phone numbers, passwords, or any other private information) without permission. 7. Spamming is not permitted. Posts that are seen as spam will be deleted and the spammer will be banned automatically. We consider spam to be: - advertisements (including ads for items on sale on eBay) - multi-posting the same word or link in a thread, without contributing anything else to it 8. Multiple threads on the same subject will be closed, with a redirect to the other thread on this subject (which is usually the one started first or with the most posts in it). Use the search function to determine if a similar thread already exists before you start a new thread. Also, name your threads clearly, so that a reader has a good idea of the content without opening the thread. 9. In general, avoid condoning illegal activity. This includes sharing copyrighted material, as well as promoting illegal drug use, fraud (such as failing to pay for tickets that were purchased on your behalf), and other illegal activities. This also includes "scalping" or reselling tickets to a show at a premium in order to make a profit. 10. Do not register multiple accounts. If a member is found to be using multiple accounts for inappropriate reasons (to avoid disciplinary action for example), moderators may take steps to disable the secondary account(s). (rev. 9/19/08) Violation of the above guidelines can lead to either infractions or temporary or permanent banning from the forum. When any of the forum guidelines are violated, the MFC mod team will determine an appropriate action. This includes (but is not limited to) public warnings, private warnings, temporary account suspension, permanent account suspension and server bans. Note that there may be occasions when a situation calls for a moderator to make a judgement call that strays from the stated guidelines. An infraction is a notice applied to a user's account to denote that he/she has somehow violated the forum guidelines. You'll see the infraction in the user profile, with the reason the infraction was given. The member will receive notification whenever he/she receives an infraction. Multiple infractions lead to a ban. If the moderators ban a user, that means the user will not be able post on this forum. A temporary ban means that the user will not be able to post for a specific period of time. A permanent ban is only applied if a user is persistently abusive or otherwise continuously disregards the forum guidelines. If a banned user returns to the forum using a different screen name and continues to disregard forum guidelines, the moderators may issue a ban against the person's IP address. In general, moderators do not want to ban any members, although spammers and those who post pornography will be immediately banned. In other situations, here are the general guidelines for issuing a ban. 1. If a user violates the forum guidelines, a moderator first sends a warning via a private message (PM) or publicly. 2. If the user continues to disregard the warnings, an infraction is placed against the account. 3. If a user receives three infractions, they will be banned from the forum temporarily, usually for one week. 4. If, after returning from a temporary ban, a user continues the pattern of negative behavior, they may be permanently banned. Note that a ban will normally be determined by a majority of the moderators/admins whenever practical. There may be times where this procedure can not be followed (not all moderators/admins can be contacted, for example). At those times, the moderators who are available will make every attempt to confer and decide on an appropriate plan of action, at their discretion. If a situation requires immediate action, a moderator may give a 24-hour ban until a majority of the mods/admins have been consulted. ======================================== You will note that most of these guidelines fall under common courtesy and common sense. If you have any concerns or suggestions, feel free to let the moderators know. The MFC Mod/Admin Team dcdeb happikali Niki27 Diana Queenie lollipop_monkey Christine robertina guylainem123 FREDDIESDOUBLE (admin) StandardToaster (admin) Edited January 19, 2009 by dcdeb updated guidelines Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xBillyBrownx Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Thanks Deb and everyone else who helped. I hope this helps make the MFC a more fun and peaceful place to be. Let's put an end to the drama. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinkunicorn123 Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Thats me and half of the mfc banned on just point one then lol No more - Noooo! Thank you for making this clear Deb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diana Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Hope this will give you the clarity you've been asking for! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinkunicorn123 Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Hope this will give you the clarity you've been asking for! Except it doesnt say no Dutch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyD Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 GLAD to finally see clear set rules!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabdash Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Well said!! Here Here! Or is it Hear Hear? I never know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diana Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Except it doesnt say no Dutch Don't push it now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandra26 Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 4. Since Mika's family are not public figures, posting photographs of them that are not officially taken at publicity events, or soliciting personal information about them, is not permitted. I totally agree with that :thumb_yello: and for everything else, of course:wink2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinkunicorn123 Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Don't push it now. Ik zou het niet doen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mika4Life13 Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 I agree, with everything. hope i didnt break any rules Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finkster Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Thanks for this Deb and all the other wonderful mods and admins. I'll keep this in mind when posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xBillyBrownx Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Except it doesnt say no Dutch oh no:fisch: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cintia_Jenny Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 I agree with everything!! thanks for explain!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Sky Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Mods thankyou. I am sure this took a lot of careful consideration. May I make one suggestion? I think having a stated avenue of appeal or grievance procedure might also be helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcdeb Posted March 25, 2008 Author Share Posted March 25, 2008 Mods thankyou. I am sure this took a lot of careful consideration. May I make one suggestion? I think having a stated avenue of appeal or grievance procedure might also be helpful. Thanks, Blue Sky Would you believe that as I was hitting send, I thought to myself, "Hmm... maybe we should have something about what to do if you don't agree with a mod's decision..." GMTA But... we can modify this. And in a day or so, I plan to have the guidelines emailed to every single member on the forum, so that everyone has the chance to look them over. dcdeb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guylainem123 Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 thank you for the guidelines and also for all your hard work... it's not always an easy and pleasant job i imagine! to you all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAK1 Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Great work Debs, very thorough, even moreso when you incorporate the grievance procedure. Not a criticism, but maybe we should have had this up and running on day 1, then we might not have had the problems we've had over the last month. Just an observation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Does anyone have an infraction yet? I want to see what they look like on the person's profile. But don't give me one. *duckduckgoose's Jessica* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcdeb Posted March 26, 2008 Author Share Posted March 26, 2008 Does anyone have an infraction yet? I want to see what they look like on the person's profile. Well, if you're really curious I could... But don't give me one. Rats! If only I hadn't kept reading... dcdeb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finkster Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Does anyone have an infraction yet? I want to see what they look like on the person's profile. But don't give me one. *duckduckgoose's Jessica* That's the last time I lead prayers for your dinner parties! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Rats! If only I hadn't kept reading... dcdeb I'm too quick for ya. You know how we PA girls are. That's the last time I lead prayers for your dinner parties! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
englishrose Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Thanks to the mods for making this clear! (I expect we'll see a bit less of now.... ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 I use quite a bit, but I usually do it when the other people in the conversation know it's a joke. Like: "Sarie, are you going to the Paramore concert in April?" "Duh.:mf_rosetinted:" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelzy Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Read & Agree with everything. Especially about it being common decency and common sense. I'm wondering about how the sexual remarks or innuendo guideline will go, however, as 'girls will be girls' sometimes. I assume this means the Knitting thread and Mikagasmic threads will be/are already heavily modded? I take that for a comment to lead to an infraction or banning the remark must be extremely graphic. Is this the end of "chicken"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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