Forum Rules and Regulations

[letterman7]

As evidenced by some recent discussions and private PM's, it's time that I have to introduce something I never thought I would have to do with this community - impose a rules and regulations section. Granted, these r & r are almost verbatim from another forum, but same rules apply.

Posting on SterlingKitCars.com is a privilege, not a right.
We reserve the right to delete your posts and/or ban you from this forum and/or SterlingKitCars.com without prior warning.
It is your responsibility to read and follow these rules.

General Dos and Don'ts

• DON'T post for sale or wanted ads or business advertising in the Forums - Use the 'For Sale' specific thread.
  The exception to this is in response to a request for information, e.g. "Who sells part xxxx?"
• DON'T use the Tech Forums for personal conversation or argument; use email or private messages
• DON'T post political/religious comments, signatures, avatars, pictures, or videos. This includes anything that could be considered a conspiracy theory or anything I can prove false via Google.
• DON'T post non-technical comments or pictures in a technical thread, they will be removed at the moderator's discretion
• DO take administrator and moderator warnings seriously
• DON'T abuse site members or the web site itself on the forums, or through email or private messages
• DO comply with the Terms of Use
• DO take responsibility for your own posts, because we will not

Posting Messages Dos and Don'ts

• DO use the search button before posting; your question may have been answered
• DON'T post nudity or graphic images, link to them using a NSFW warning (Not Safe For Work)
  
• DON'T post personal attacks based on sexual preference, religion, nationality, race, etc
• DON'T post abusive, inflammatory, or threatening messages
• DON'T post messages for the sole purpose of attacking a person or company or just to start an argument
• DON'T reply to posts with messages that don't add to the conversation. This includes smilies, funny and/or random photo(s), or "PM sent," among others.
• DON'T use excessive profanity
• DON'T use obscene or abusive language or images in avatars, usernames, or signatures
• DON'T use insult or ridicule other members or this web site in your avatar or signature, this includes using another member's picture as your avatar
• DON'T post the same message in multiple forums
• DON'T re-start a locked topic or a topic that has been removed by the moderators
• DON'T post messages asking why something was removed, ask a moderator or the admin (Letterman7 or farfegnubbin).
• DON'T post SPAM about your website, business, eBay ads, or classified ads
• DON'T post links to active eBay auctions / craigslist ads unless the purpose is to highlight something that is misrepresented/fraudulent OR if you need feedback on a possible purchase. Don't post "check this out," "this is cheap," "just wanted to pass this on," or similar messages, unless you are adding additional discussion
• DON'T post people's full addresses or phone numbers without their permission
• DON'T post two messages in a row; edit your original message
• DON'T post complaints about a forum or moderator; contact Everett privately.
  As a general policy, we discuss moderation-related topics only via private contact

Forum Etiquette Dos and Don'ts

• DON'T use excessive punctuation, smilies, annoying or unreadable text colors, or bold text
• DON'T post in ALL CAPS, this means you are yelling.
• DON'T post all your text in bold, in color, or in a large font size. These features are for emphasis only.
• DO think before you type; remember you are dealing with real people and you are not anonymous
• DO lurk before you post. Read the rules and some existing threads. Locate the search button
• DO respect other people's time and bandwidth, you are not the center of cyberspace
  • DO use the private message button or email for personal discussions
  • DON'T abuse the quote button; include only as much as is necessary for context. This includes pictures
  • DO limit the size of your signature or you will lose that privilege
• DO help ensure a useful post or thread
  • DO stay on topic
  • DO use a clear subject line; subjects like "LOL" or "Look at This!" are unacceptable
  • DO provide enough details or pictures in your question so that people can help you
  • DO post in the correct forum
• DO help others. A forum is a community which works best when people share information
• DO welcome newcomers to this community and correct mistakes in a courteous manner

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PM violations to the admin
If you see an avatar, signature, or text that violates the site rules or you would just like the administrators to review it, PLEASE report it. We depend on everybody to keep these forums a useful resource for pop-top and gull-wing enthusiasts!
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Since it is MUCH easier to delete a whole thread than individual messages, if there is a large amount of garbage, the entire thing will be deleted, regardless of whether it had any useful information in it. This includes portions of a thread, i.e. moderators delete "from this point forward".

You can be banned from the forums for violating any of the posted rules, or ignoring specific instructions from the administrator or any moderator. Continued abuse of the Forums or attempts to get around a ban will result in banishment from access to the entire website. If your username is banned understand that it is banned on the entire site. You will not be able to post Classified Ads or Gallery Photos either.

If you don't like a particular forum, find another or create your own. By using this forum you agree to hold SterlingKitCars.com blameless and without responsibility for any trauma experienced here. SterlingKitCars.com reserves the right to update these rules without notice.