RULES, Policies and Protocols: PLEASE READ

PENALTIES will be applied by means of a points system which is as follows

1st warning - 0 points
2nd warning - 10 points
3rd warning - 20 points
4th warning - 30 points + one month's suspension
5th warning - 40 points + permanent ban


- points are accumulative and never expire
- when a member accumulates 60 they will automatically get a suspension from the site for one calender month
- when they accumulate 100 points they will be permanently banned and ‘permanent’ will mean permanent.


In matters of egregious behaviour, summary bans may be applied by an admin
Please note that the actions listed above are final and that there is no appeals process on GC.

.

 

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL RULES ARE CONSIDERED BY STAFF ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.

1. NO TROLLING: Members will not make numerous posts of a frivolous, unpleasant or meaningless nature just to be deliberately annoying or insulting. Don't make posts that are inflammatory just to get people riled up. Substance is the key to not being labelled a troll.

2. NO PORNOGRAPHY: includes any and all pornographic, sexually offensive, sexually explicit, or objectifying material or language. Simple rule. Any sexually suggestive images will immediately be deleted and the member banned.

3. NO SPAMMING: This is commercially-oriented posts and flooding threads with useless content (not including games). It does include numerous, identical posts and pms, also pms and posts with primary the intent of leading members to another site or forum.
Members will refrain from COMMERCIAL OR TRADE advertising without permission from the Webmaster.
No topics that are liable to encourage others into illegal activity.



4. NO FLAMING OR AD HOMINEN ATTACKS:: No member is allowed to make personal attacks on any other member or Moderator. Criticize ideas, not people. Personal attacks are defined as Personal, Racial, Ethnic, and/or Gender based insults, slurs, or derisive comments. This includes spite reporting or other similar forms of harassment via private messages or anything similar.

5. NO BYPASSING THE PROFANITY FILTER OR USING PROFANE LANGUAGE. Despite the modern tendency to make normal use of certain ‘cuss’ or swear words or other insulting or potentially insulting words or terminology, their use on this forum will be closely scrutinized and moderated according to staff consensus. Alternative wordings such as bl@@dy or bu99ger come within this rule.
If you see the profanity filter has been activated, please edit your post immediately and correct it.
Posts may be edited or even temporarily deleted until a decision is made.

6. PEACE AND HARMONY OF THE BOARD will not be disrupted. Definition of this will be determined on a case by case basis by the moderators.
This also includes issues that tend to be inflammatory to other members such as cats, foxes, 'vermin' and means of deterring, disposing of same. Posts or threads referring to inhumane or other objectionable means of dealing with any pets or wildlife will be summarily dealt with by moderators and may even incur penalties to the poster.

7. NO OFF TOPIC POSTING : threads will not be deliberately derailed by off-topic posting for the purposes of causing disruption or dissent.

8. NO INVASION OF PRIVACY: Respect the privacy of others. Do not post other's phone numbers, addresses, pictures, private messages, emails, etc., without their permission.

9. NO DISCUSSION OF MOD ACTIONS: Do not discuss staff actions publicly. If you are reported, do not discuss it in public forums. Do not discourage other members from using the report system.
Appeals and/or complaints about staff disciplinary action can be made by pm to an Administrator or to the Webmaster

10. NO BYPASSING BANS: bypassing a ban by creating another account (or sock) will result in the sock immediately being permanently banned; if the member is on a temporary suspension, both accounts will be permanently banned.
~~~ Getting another member to post a message on their behalf also deemed to be bypassing the ban and will add a further week to the suspension. Additionally the messenger will be given an official warning.


Added 4th December 2008
11. NO DISCUSSION OF GOOGLE ADS: NO discussion of Google ads to be made in the forums. This is a contractural issue required by Google.

Added 20th May 2011
12. COPYRIGHT articles subject to copyright may be quoted with the following limitations: only 20% of original text may be copy/pasted with a link to the original site.

Added 7th December 2012
13. Changes in legislation: Please be aware of recent plans to amend the Contempt of Court Act 1981 and not comment on ongoing legal cases within the United Kingdom

Amendment 28th January 09 - Rule 9
Amendment 20th December 09 - Rule 3
Amendment 24 February 13 - Rule 6
Amendment 7th December 12 - Rule 13

Added 20th November 2016

14. Students and other Surveys: Such surveys are not allowed to be posted on the Forum without the permission of the Administrators [it needing only one to give permission for the survey to be posted]. Any surveys that are posted without first asking for the permission of Administrative Staff are to be hard deleted and a pm sent to the author of the Survey explaining why. Such action should be recorded by the Administrator on the Staff Forum , giving or refusing permission, so that other members of Staff are kept informed.