Here you can find answers to questions about how the board works. Use the links or search box below to find your way around.
What is SPAM...?
By its definition, SPAM is unsolicited information.
Where spam is reported to the Forum Team posts are deleted and the user's Posting Privileges may be removed.
Please don't quote any post that you believe is spam, as this causes the team more work, nor should you reply to any Spam post or engage in identifying the culprit as a Spammer on the Forum... simply advise the Forum Team by using the REPORT button.
Forum users mustn't do anything that spoils other people's enjoyment of the site or which could cause the site any liability or detriment.
Please REPORT any post, Private Message (PM), Visitor Message (VM), Rep Comment or username, which you feel is wrong, incorrect, abusive, illegal, offensive or in violation of any Forum Rules..
To REPORT a post/thread/username:
Look around the Forum panels and you should see the REPORT buttons.
They are also present in Private Messaging (PM)
Different skins/themes use different images
Rep Comments have no dedicated system & should therefore be reported to an Admin Team member using PM, providing detail of when & who left the comment.
We ask that users:
I reported something to abuse several hours ago, why hasn't it been removed yet?
The Forum Team aims to deal with reports within 48 hours of receipt during the working week. Often it deals with them more quickly, but some issues need to be discussed with Team members. In some cases this can take several days. Repeatedly emailing and asking what's been done causes the team additional work and delays the process.
The Forum Team doesn't work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you report something on the weekend, please don't expect action to be taken before Monday. If action is taken before then, consider it a bonus!
I reported something to abuse several hours ago, why haven't I had a reply yet?
The Forum Team rarely replies to a report, unless it's to ask for further details. If you've received an automated reply, then your report has been received, so please don't send further emails chasing the team up. The Forum Team doesn't have the time or resources to respond and for privacy reasons won't necessarily let you know what action has been taken.
Why are posts removed?
Sometimes on the spot decisions are made to protect the site.
The team doesn't have the resources to confer with (very expensive) lawyers on every subject.
The Forum Team's remit is simply 'if a post may be 'dodgy', especially 'legally dodgy', it has to go'.
This doesn't mean it's wrong, but sometimes they have to take that decision.
However, we are here as a community forum and we will endeavour to protect members comment - if it's in our members interest.
If you disagree with a Forum Team decision you may appeal to any Admin Team member directly, using PM.
Please don't question Forum Team decisions on the public forum; they're unlikely to see your post anyway.
What's a Troll/Alter Ego....?
A troll is someone who deliberately joins the forum to cause dispute. It may be someone who already posts on the forum under a long-standing username or someone completely new.
An alter ego (AE) is generally someone who's previously been PPR'd (see What's "PPR" or "Banned" under some people's usernames? ) and has joined under a new username to cause dispute.
If you feel someone is trolling or is an AE who you feel is still causing disruption please REPORT them to the Admin Team.
Do not respond to them on the forum - that makes things worse.
A guide to dealing with trouble makers
Sadly in a forum of this size, and many much smaller, there will always be trolls; people who enjoy disrupting or being unpleasant or abusive. It's a part of human nature; and when arguments or spats happen people tend to get involved and even those who normally behave well can do things they wouldn't normally think acceptable.
We hope that our users can and will behave as adults. If someone is rude or abusive we ask that you REPORT it to Admin Team so it can be dealt with and looked at soon.
Don't respond or engage with trolls
More importantly we ask that you don't respond, get involved or start name calling - that simply isn't helpful and it means in the long run you risk your own privilege to post on this forum being removed just as much as the original trouble maker.
If there is a problem 'don't feed the troll' -; in other words don't engage or let it escalate: report it to us otherwise, you risk that we will look at what you've done & not at what caused it
It is often very difficult to judge who is right and who is wrong in a fight.
Therefore the only way we can do this, without the wisdom of Solomon is to take a step back and look at the way an individual has conducted themselves.
Therefore while you may feel someone deserved nasty treatment, we will simply judge on how you've behaved not why - because we ask that if you've reported it, then leave it and let us deal with it.
No solution is perfect, and a balance must be drawn between trying to keep everything nice and allowing discussion and opinion to take place - we do not want to operate as a police force, yet if we are called to protect users and the forum we will do so.
Use the REPORT function, use the ignore list, don't go into forums that annoy you, don't get angry with cyber people. It shouldn't be rocket science.
What's "PPR" or "Banned" under some people's usernames....?
PPR (Posting Privileges Removed) is the term we use when we stop someone posting on the forum. The majority of banned users are spammers and they will be removed permanently. However, for suspended/temporarily banned users, they will still be able to read the site but they cannot post until the allocated penalty period has expired; (Time Out!).
If someone has been removed, it could be for any of the following reasons:
We don't remove people's privileges (PPR or ban) lightly. However, our first consideration must be towards protecting the Forum from increased cost and legal challenge.. Posting here is a privilege, not a right. We can refuse permission to post without giving a reason.
In the past, we tried hard not to ban long-standing forum users. Sadly, we had so many issues, that protection has had to go. Now, if someone's persistently causing trouble, they're Infracted, PPR'd or banned.
Our decision to suspend or stop any user's posting privileges (PPR) may be final.
The posting ban applies to any/all user accounts used by or in the name of that person.
People who are on here to cause trouble will be penalised immediately. Yet we may be forced to do the same with generally helpful posters, who get in spats or cliques, or push it too far.
Penalties
We use a card system to give people legitimate expectations and opportunity to comply with rules & advisory notices.
Sometimes the Forum Team will give users a quiet word of warning for breaking the rules if they are getting close to a Yellow Card.
Depending on the severity/number of offence, Yellow or Red Card Infractions may be awarded.
If your posting privileges are suspended or terminated, please don't attempt to re-register on the Forum or make any posts in any guise whatsoever.
When banned former users do re-register or otherwise disrupt the Forum, this can cause severe distress to other users. Dealing with unwanted former forum users' posts distracts the team from the core purpose of the site and takes up time. Therefore in such circumstances we may:
