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| Rule #1: Respect your fellow members | All registered users must address fellow members with the utmost respect at all times. If you do not agree with a fellow member, be courteous in your response. Thomas Jefferson said it best: "When I hear another express an opinion which is not mine, I say to myself, he has a right to his opinion, as I to mine".
Because of the limitations of text based communication, the expression of intent can be tricky. One of the most common triggers of rule violations is the misinterpretation of intent behind a post. Use smilies often, and remember, it never hurts to begin a response with "In my opinion"...
If you do not address everyone on the board with respect, be prepared to lose your membership. |
| Rule #2: Do not post profanity | | Because this forum is viewed by bassists of all ages, all posts must be suitable for viewing by minors. All profanity must be completely covered with asterisks, completely substituted with "@%$#" symbols. Better yet, leave it out. Any use of creative lettering or partially masked profanity is not allowed. Obscene material is not permitted, nor are links to websites containing such material or anything deemed inappropriate for minors. If what you have to say wouldn't be suited for network TV, don't post it here. |
| Rule #3: Off-limit Topics & Forum-Specific Rules | Controversial topics will be VERY closely moderated. Politics and religious debate/discussion are not allowed in any forum unless specifically allowed by the forum's posted rules ("sticky" threads).
Do not denigrate or defame other discussion forums on our boards.
All gear 'for-sale' and 'wanted' text must be limited to posts in the TalkBass Classifieds category. The Bass Guitar Classifieds are open to Supporting Members only.
Price check/"How much is this bass worth"-type threads are limited to supporting members only. Post them in the appropriate forums for the item in question (A question related to the value of a bass guitar should be posted in the Basses[BG] forum, an amplifier in the Amps[BG] forum, etc.)
Solicitations for charity are not allowed in the public forums. For more information see This thread
You are responsible for noting any forum-specific rules pinned to the top of any forum. For example, please note the Bass Guitar Classifieds Rules and the Off Topic forum rules
. Please feel free to contact a forum moderator or any of the site administrators if you have any questions regarding any of the rules |
| Rule #4: Cultural Sensitivity | Negative remarks based on race, ethnicity, disability, gender, gender preference, or religion will not be tolerated. Using terminology such as "gay" or "retarded" in a negative manner is not appropriate here at TalkBass. Negative remarks about secondary language skills from posters whose mother tongue is not English will also not be tolerated. Talkbass is a worldwide bass resource - please do your part to make it friendly to everyone, even if they seem to having difficulty expressing themselves in English.
Under NO circumstances is the N-word appropriate at TalkBass.com. If you must convey the term in a neutral manner, use "the N-word" instead. The same goes for other derrogatory terminology and slang for different ethnicities, religions, gender/gender pref slang or slang for disabled individuals - it is -never- appropriate at TalkBass.com to use this kind of demeaning terminology. |
| Rule #5: Do not question moderation policies/actions in the forums | If you have a disagreement with a moderator (If your thread gets deleted, if you get a warning, etc.), DO NOT post your complaint publicly on the forums. If you have a problem with a moderator's actions, PM or email the moderator privately. If the moderator's response is unsatisfactory, email the administrators (username: Paul, Chris Fitzgerald, john turner, David Wilson) or use the Contact Us link at the bottom of every page of the site.
We take all complaints seriously, but posting your dissatisfaction publicly will result in a rule violation. |
| Rule #6: Use Courtesy via PM & IM | Please use courtesy when using the E-Mail, ICQ, PM or IM functions of the board. All the rules governing appropriate posting in the forums apply to the use of the these private message systems as well.
Any complaints of members abusing these messaging functions may result in the responsible party's account being terminated. |
| Rule #7: Spam = BAD | The posting of non-solicited advertisments in the forums will not be tolerated. If you own, operate, or are employed by a music-related business be sure and read the Commercial User Policy for specific participation guidelines. Please contact TalkBass to discuss advertising opportunities.
Classifieds Forums are provided for personal sales, however a Supporting Membership is required to post. Non-Supporting Members must also refrain from posting 'for sale' ads or links to ads in their profile signatures. Posting links to personal ebay auctions is not allowed for any members, in posts, signatures, or elsewhere.
Threads soliciting donations (for charity) are not allowed in the general forums; Donation solicitations are not to be sent via PM, or TalkBass email. If you have a charity to promote, please contact us. |
| Rule #8: Represent yourself truthfully | Please be honest when representing yourself on TalkBass.com. Using two or more user accounts concurrently for any reason is prohibited. Registering duplicate accounts to circumvent a ban is not only prohibited but may result in account deletion and permanent ban from the site.
If you receive remuneration (financially or in kind) from a company and post as a shill, or register a duplicate username to act as a shill, the entire posting history of both accounts will be wiped from TalkBass, and the action will be made public. TalkBass.com reserves the right to check internet IP addresses for verification.
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| Rule #9: Endorsed Artist / Remuneration Disclosure | If you are an artist who endorses a music-related company, or if you receive remuneration (financially or in-kind) as the result of a relationship you have with a company, please disclose this via the "Disclosures" field in your profile. The text should be plain and clear, with no disclaimers, hype etc. For example: "Endorsing Artist: Joe Doe Basses" or "Affiliated with JD Amps" or "Discounted Gear: JD Amps", etc.
Please note : Abuse/Misuse of this field is prohibited. Do not use this field unless you have an actual established relationship with the companies you list. Other profile fields are available for you to list your favorite gear.
Also, please preface any relevant gear reviews on product you're affiliated with, with a brief disclosure in the post itself.
The purpose of these disclosures is to provide those who read your posts with the full knowledge of your situation, when considering your opinions on gear. We recognize the fact that in some circumstances a minor discount or other "non-endorsing" remuneration may be too insignificant to consider for disclosure. We trust that as honest bass players you'll use your best judgment and moral guide to determine if your fellow members would benefit from the disclosure of this information. TalkBass reserves the right to require disclosure of precise nature and amount of endorsement if the remuneration is deemed significant.
In addition, TalkBass reserves the right at any time to decide that an endorsers posting history has moved them from 'happy endorser' to 'free advertising mouthpiece'. From that point forward, until further notice is provided to the contrary, the endorser shall be considered to be a full Commercial User for purposes of discussion of the gear in question. All future posts must then be made in accordance with the TalkBass Commercial User Policy |
| Rule #10: No Trolling | Trolling threads and posts will not be tolerated. Trolling is defined as making inflammatory posts, lacking in substance pertaining to the thread topic, simply to elicit a negative emotional response from the thread participants. Moderator discretion applies.
Being that, by their very nature, they contribute nothing positive but rather celebrate the negative direction a thread may have taken, "IBTL" posts and their ilk are considered trolling. |
| Rule #11: Profile Signature Rules | | All registered members can include a one-line signature (editable via "My TalkBass") with their posts. By default, only plain text is allowed. Registered members must not post 'for sale' ads, or links to ebay auctions in their signature.
Supporting Members can include a multiple-line signature with text formatting and hyperlinks. Links to items for sale in the TalkBass Classifieds may be posted, as well as links to Ebay auctions, IF the item has spent 1 week in the TalkBass Classifieds with no sale. "For sale" text and links must be in the default forum font and size (no additional text formatting). |
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