HTAdmin
02-13-2006, 05:19 PM
Welcome to Hawaii Talks!
This site was created in response to the growing need for an impartial, politically-free community forum where all may speak their mind without consequence. You will not be banned for questioning the way we run things or simply speaking your mind (as long as it is done in an appropriate, civilized, & non-threatening manner). We fully respect your rights as an individual and as a member of this community. That is our goal and our wish, and the reason for Hawaii Talks' existence.
Hawaii Talks prides itself on promoting a friendly, open, and fun atmosphere for all of it's community members. To do this, there are set rules and guidelines that need to be adhered to. As responsible community members, it is your duty to read and comply these rules. Failure to comply with these rules will result in restricted user rights, penalties, and ultimately, banning from the forum.
Also, it should be noted, that this is a very new community...and the Site Rules will be constantly changing. It is important to check back here regurally for rule updates. Any suggestions for rule changes or additions will be strongly considered.
_______________________________________
Site Rules v1.8
General Forum Rules
1. Be courteous and use common sense when posting. Just because it is not listed in the forum rules, does not mean that it is okay to do. Vulgar remarks will be moderated strictly. Swearing should be kept to a minimum, and is not recommended. When in question, the forum administrators/moderators will make the final decision.
2. No personal attacks of any kind against other members will be tolerated! This includes, but is not limited to, vulgar profanity, harassment (sexual or otherwise), confrontational posts with malicious intent, racism, bigotry, stalking, or otherwise slander. ANY violation of this rule will result in the possibility of immediate banning after review. This board is for public use, and you should carry your conversations with respect and courtesy. We understand that the issues are not always black and white, and will try our best to work through issues as they arise.
Hawaii is known as the biggest melting pot of cultures in the United States. It is well known and appreciated for it's diversity. This community reflects that, and in no shape, fashion, or form will we support any disruptive behaviour that affects that balance. Remember to have Aloha in your heart, and your mind. There will be many times where your viewpoints will differ from those of another, even to the point of frustration. This forum is primarily for discussion and debate of a large variety of topics. It will serve you well to remember that you must approach all of this with an open mind, and discuss things with tact.
3. Spam will not be tolerated. Any and all spam, regardless of content, will be immediately deleted, and the responsible poster will be dealt with according to the severity, including the possibility (and in some cases, definite) of immediate banning. Spam consists of, and is not limited to, spam posts, threads, photos, scams, marketing schemes, and links to outside content. URL?s that lead to affiliate programs are absolutely not allowed. Users are advised to be wary of outside links. Hawaii Talks will not be held responsible for any links posted. Spam generated solely for the deliberate increase of a user's post count is frowned upon, and excessive spam will result in moderation. Hawaii Talks should be a place with quality topics and quality posts...we do not mind a bit of "fluff", but it does not help the forum in any way.
4. No illegal activities are allowed. If it's against the law, then do NOT post it here. Posting anything illegal, or any links which lead to anything illegal such as warez, crackz, hackz, or the discussion of such things as theft, violence, rape, etc will result in IMMEDIATE banning. No ands, ifs, or buts...Hawaii Talks will NOT TOLERATE THIS. We have seen too many good people robbed of their posessions by the slimy, underbelly of Hawaii. If the discussion warrants, all users and their IPs will be reported to the proper authorities in such cases.
5. No nudity is allowed in any forum other than Adult Discussion. No vulgar or graphic nudity is allowed, period, including such subjects as bestiality, sadomachoism (BDSM), child pornography, or otherwise distasteful topics. If it is questionable, it will be removed immediately, and the poster punished accordingly. No nudity of any kind is permitted to be posted to the Photopost photo Gallery...ANYWHERE...regardless of whether its a member or public gallery.
6. Any topic within Adult Discussion with pornography must have the term *WW* in it's subject box, which stands for Work Warning. All members are reminded that the Adult Discussion is just that...adult discussion, and it is recommended NOT to be viewed in a working environtment. Hawaii Talks will not and cannot be held responsible! Also, any topic posted in Adult Discussion that gets out of hand, or seems overwhelmingly questionable in nature will be edited or deleted. It's Adult Discussion, but not an excuse to perv out!
7. POST IN THE CORRECT FORUM!!! Any post that belongs to a specific HT section will be moved. The General Discussion area is the only area where topics will be considered to have a slight grey area. Posts of obvious relevance and importance to the HT Community that do not normally enter a specific forum will be allowed to stay...BUT...if it's obviously belongs in another forum it will be moved! (for example...posts such as "How do wax a surf board?" or "where can I buy an RC car?" will be moved to the appropriate forum.) Any post with nudity will NOT be moved...but will be DELETED.
8. No posting of home addresses, phone numbers, or otherwise personal information of any OTHER user will be allowed. You may post your own personal information if you like...but not otherwise. The fact that we live on small islands should be reason enough not to allow this.
9. USE THE SEARCH FUNCTIONS! If you have a question, a concern, a movie you'd like to share, etc... please use the search functions first before cluttering up the forums with unnecessary posts. Your question might have already been answered or it might be a repost, and instead of showing everyone how clueless you can be, do yourself a favor and do a little research first.
10. The Classified section is where ALL For Sale, Wanted, etc. threads go. Any For Sale posts, etc, found anywhere else will be DELETED. The only exception to this rule is the console section of the site, where it is allowable to post game trades/sales/wants and the R/C section. This is a necessary allowance due to the relevant nature of these sections.
11. Forum Avatars & Signatures are allowed and recommended to be used to help differentiate Community members. Avatars and Signatures should be of good taste and shall not contain any hidden, vulgar, or racist meanings. No nudity is allowed in either the Avatar or the Signature. You may use your photo gallery to host your signature file, and it is recommended. Your signatures should not be larger than 50k, with a dimension of 500Wx200H. Any sig over the specified height requirements will have scroll bars placed around it until set within the proper dimensions. This is to help reduce the workload for Administrators and Moderators. A combination of both text and image is allowed, but you cannot exceed the authorized image dimension. We will try to adhere to this policy strictly, but with all large forums, some signatures may slip by. Self moderation is the key, otherwise be prepared for a deletion of your signature and an adomnishment to follow the sig rules. Remember, this is done as a courtesy for our 56k users, and for the overall community to help provide a speedy experience.
12. As far as links are concerned...no outside advertising, such as links to products or websites that directly compete with our advertisers are allowed. The no external linking applies only to text url links. If you are hosting a sig from imagestation, photobucket, etc...that's allowed. Don't try to be sneaky and make it a hotlink, though. We shall try to be vigilant, but of course, sometimes things may slip by us. As long as there is not a clear case of someone trying to abuse their signature rights, everything will be fine. We are not afraid of competing forums...we encourage the Hawaii community to join together with a strong online bond.
13. Administrators & Moderators have the right to moderate the Hawaii Talks board in performance of their duties. They have the right to censor, modify, move, delete, and perform any other function relevant to their job. If you have a concern with a moderator, do NOT discuss it in the open on the public forums. Take it to PM, and work your differences out. If you have a problem with a specific moderator, and are unable to work things out in an acceptable fashion, PM any administrator (such as HTAdmin), and the problem will be dealt with in a fair and decent fashion.
The Owner of this board will NOT ALLOW any abuse of Adminstrator or Moderator priviledges. No Administrator, Super Moderator, Moderator, etc will be allowed to violate any Member rights. Failure to comply with all rules and guidelines will result in all priviledges being revoked. This includes any organization that has a forum section within Hawaii Talks. Your forum sections are provided free of charge for the good of the community and your business in an effort to enhance your relationship with the people of Hawaii. Failure to moderate your forums in a respectable fashion will result in the deletion of your account and forum section. The Owner does NOT TAKE THESE ISSUES LIGHTLY.
14. Usernames and member titles may not contain any swear or curse words. This is a public forum, and many people may be offended by it. Usernames will be edited once notified of any infraction regarding this issue.
15. Threadjacking is generally frowned upon. It is expected that a discussion may go off course, but for serious posts, please be aware that it is extremely rude to do so. If the original poster feels it is necessary, he/she may make a statement as to "No Threadjacking", and moderators & administrators will moderate the thread as necessary.
16. Multiple usernames will not be allowed. All users are restricted to only one username at a time. If you have multiple usernames, please notify a moderator on which you would like to keep. It's not a large problem now, but as the forum gets larger it will.
16. In an effort to maintain a fair and balanced forum, any serious personal issues between members, must be taken to Private Messaging (PM). If the problem cannot be resolved, only then may a moderator be contacted. This forum is here as a public service, but we are not going to get involved with member's personal issues with one another.
17. Advertising on Hawaii Talks is restricted to paying sponsors only. This is directed towards blatant attempts at advertising services, products, websites, etc to our members. An allowable example is if the topic of "who's the best at ____" comes up in normal discussion. Singular posts specifically directed at sharing one's business or product will be counted as advertising spam and will be edited for content. If you would like to sponsor Hawaii Talks, you'll find our prices are extremely reasonable and will fit into practically any small business budget. See here for our sponsorship packet: Hawaii Talks Sponsorship Packet (http://www.hawaiitalks.net/images/sponsors/HTSiteSponsorPacket.pdf)
This site was created in response to the growing need for an impartial, politically-free community forum where all may speak their mind without consequence. You will not be banned for questioning the way we run things or simply speaking your mind (as long as it is done in an appropriate, civilized, & non-threatening manner). We fully respect your rights as an individual and as a member of this community. That is our goal and our wish, and the reason for Hawaii Talks' existence.
Hawaii Talks prides itself on promoting a friendly, open, and fun atmosphere for all of it's community members. To do this, there are set rules and guidelines that need to be adhered to. As responsible community members, it is your duty to read and comply these rules. Failure to comply with these rules will result in restricted user rights, penalties, and ultimately, banning from the forum.
Also, it should be noted, that this is a very new community...and the Site Rules will be constantly changing. It is important to check back here regurally for rule updates. Any suggestions for rule changes or additions will be strongly considered.
_______________________________________
Site Rules v1.8
General Forum Rules
1. Be courteous and use common sense when posting. Just because it is not listed in the forum rules, does not mean that it is okay to do. Vulgar remarks will be moderated strictly. Swearing should be kept to a minimum, and is not recommended. When in question, the forum administrators/moderators will make the final decision.
2. No personal attacks of any kind against other members will be tolerated! This includes, but is not limited to, vulgar profanity, harassment (sexual or otherwise), confrontational posts with malicious intent, racism, bigotry, stalking, or otherwise slander. ANY violation of this rule will result in the possibility of immediate banning after review. This board is for public use, and you should carry your conversations with respect and courtesy. We understand that the issues are not always black and white, and will try our best to work through issues as they arise.
Hawaii is known as the biggest melting pot of cultures in the United States. It is well known and appreciated for it's diversity. This community reflects that, and in no shape, fashion, or form will we support any disruptive behaviour that affects that balance. Remember to have Aloha in your heart, and your mind. There will be many times where your viewpoints will differ from those of another, even to the point of frustration. This forum is primarily for discussion and debate of a large variety of topics. It will serve you well to remember that you must approach all of this with an open mind, and discuss things with tact.
3. Spam will not be tolerated. Any and all spam, regardless of content, will be immediately deleted, and the responsible poster will be dealt with according to the severity, including the possibility (and in some cases, definite) of immediate banning. Spam consists of, and is not limited to, spam posts, threads, photos, scams, marketing schemes, and links to outside content. URL?s that lead to affiliate programs are absolutely not allowed. Users are advised to be wary of outside links. Hawaii Talks will not be held responsible for any links posted. Spam generated solely for the deliberate increase of a user's post count is frowned upon, and excessive spam will result in moderation. Hawaii Talks should be a place with quality topics and quality posts...we do not mind a bit of "fluff", but it does not help the forum in any way.
4. No illegal activities are allowed. If it's against the law, then do NOT post it here. Posting anything illegal, or any links which lead to anything illegal such as warez, crackz, hackz, or the discussion of such things as theft, violence, rape, etc will result in IMMEDIATE banning. No ands, ifs, or buts...Hawaii Talks will NOT TOLERATE THIS. We have seen too many good people robbed of their posessions by the slimy, underbelly of Hawaii. If the discussion warrants, all users and their IPs will be reported to the proper authorities in such cases.
5. No nudity is allowed in any forum other than Adult Discussion. No vulgar or graphic nudity is allowed, period, including such subjects as bestiality, sadomachoism (BDSM), child pornography, or otherwise distasteful topics. If it is questionable, it will be removed immediately, and the poster punished accordingly. No nudity of any kind is permitted to be posted to the Photopost photo Gallery...ANYWHERE...regardless of whether its a member or public gallery.
6. Any topic within Adult Discussion with pornography must have the term *WW* in it's subject box, which stands for Work Warning. All members are reminded that the Adult Discussion is just that...adult discussion, and it is recommended NOT to be viewed in a working environtment. Hawaii Talks will not and cannot be held responsible! Also, any topic posted in Adult Discussion that gets out of hand, or seems overwhelmingly questionable in nature will be edited or deleted. It's Adult Discussion, but not an excuse to perv out!
7. POST IN THE CORRECT FORUM!!! Any post that belongs to a specific HT section will be moved. The General Discussion area is the only area where topics will be considered to have a slight grey area. Posts of obvious relevance and importance to the HT Community that do not normally enter a specific forum will be allowed to stay...BUT...if it's obviously belongs in another forum it will be moved! (for example...posts such as "How do wax a surf board?" or "where can I buy an RC car?" will be moved to the appropriate forum.) Any post with nudity will NOT be moved...but will be DELETED.
8. No posting of home addresses, phone numbers, or otherwise personal information of any OTHER user will be allowed. You may post your own personal information if you like...but not otherwise. The fact that we live on small islands should be reason enough not to allow this.
9. USE THE SEARCH FUNCTIONS! If you have a question, a concern, a movie you'd like to share, etc... please use the search functions first before cluttering up the forums with unnecessary posts. Your question might have already been answered or it might be a repost, and instead of showing everyone how clueless you can be, do yourself a favor and do a little research first.
10. The Classified section is where ALL For Sale, Wanted, etc. threads go. Any For Sale posts, etc, found anywhere else will be DELETED. The only exception to this rule is the console section of the site, where it is allowable to post game trades/sales/wants and the R/C section. This is a necessary allowance due to the relevant nature of these sections.
11. Forum Avatars & Signatures are allowed and recommended to be used to help differentiate Community members. Avatars and Signatures should be of good taste and shall not contain any hidden, vulgar, or racist meanings. No nudity is allowed in either the Avatar or the Signature. You may use your photo gallery to host your signature file, and it is recommended. Your signatures should not be larger than 50k, with a dimension of 500Wx200H. Any sig over the specified height requirements will have scroll bars placed around it until set within the proper dimensions. This is to help reduce the workload for Administrators and Moderators. A combination of both text and image is allowed, but you cannot exceed the authorized image dimension. We will try to adhere to this policy strictly, but with all large forums, some signatures may slip by. Self moderation is the key, otherwise be prepared for a deletion of your signature and an adomnishment to follow the sig rules. Remember, this is done as a courtesy for our 56k users, and for the overall community to help provide a speedy experience.
12. As far as links are concerned...no outside advertising, such as links to products or websites that directly compete with our advertisers are allowed. The no external linking applies only to text url links. If you are hosting a sig from imagestation, photobucket, etc...that's allowed. Don't try to be sneaky and make it a hotlink, though. We shall try to be vigilant, but of course, sometimes things may slip by us. As long as there is not a clear case of someone trying to abuse their signature rights, everything will be fine. We are not afraid of competing forums...we encourage the Hawaii community to join together with a strong online bond.
13. Administrators & Moderators have the right to moderate the Hawaii Talks board in performance of their duties. They have the right to censor, modify, move, delete, and perform any other function relevant to their job. If you have a concern with a moderator, do NOT discuss it in the open on the public forums. Take it to PM, and work your differences out. If you have a problem with a specific moderator, and are unable to work things out in an acceptable fashion, PM any administrator (such as HTAdmin), and the problem will be dealt with in a fair and decent fashion.
The Owner of this board will NOT ALLOW any abuse of Adminstrator or Moderator priviledges. No Administrator, Super Moderator, Moderator, etc will be allowed to violate any Member rights. Failure to comply with all rules and guidelines will result in all priviledges being revoked. This includes any organization that has a forum section within Hawaii Talks. Your forum sections are provided free of charge for the good of the community and your business in an effort to enhance your relationship with the people of Hawaii. Failure to moderate your forums in a respectable fashion will result in the deletion of your account and forum section. The Owner does NOT TAKE THESE ISSUES LIGHTLY.
14. Usernames and member titles may not contain any swear or curse words. This is a public forum, and many people may be offended by it. Usernames will be edited once notified of any infraction regarding this issue.
15. Threadjacking is generally frowned upon. It is expected that a discussion may go off course, but for serious posts, please be aware that it is extremely rude to do so. If the original poster feels it is necessary, he/she may make a statement as to "No Threadjacking", and moderators & administrators will moderate the thread as necessary.
16. Multiple usernames will not be allowed. All users are restricted to only one username at a time. If you have multiple usernames, please notify a moderator on which you would like to keep. It's not a large problem now, but as the forum gets larger it will.
16. In an effort to maintain a fair and balanced forum, any serious personal issues between members, must be taken to Private Messaging (PM). If the problem cannot be resolved, only then may a moderator be contacted. This forum is here as a public service, but we are not going to get involved with member's personal issues with one another.
17. Advertising on Hawaii Talks is restricted to paying sponsors only. This is directed towards blatant attempts at advertising services, products, websites, etc to our members. An allowable example is if the topic of "who's the best at ____" comes up in normal discussion. Singular posts specifically directed at sharing one's business or product will be counted as advertising spam and will be edited for content. If you would like to sponsor Hawaii Talks, you'll find our prices are extremely reasonable and will fit into practically any small business budget. See here for our sponsorship packet: Hawaii Talks Sponsorship Packet (http://www.hawaiitalks.net/images/sponsors/HTSiteSponsorPacket.pdf)