This board and any sub-board is not about us, the administrators. This is about all of us and our mutual love for sports. Yes, We have boards here that do not involve sports but the item that drove most of us here is our love for sports and our teams of choice. These rules are not intended to restrict your passion and energy to steal a phrase but instead are meant to allow everyone to equally be able to express those feelings and ideas in a non-threatening and relaxing environment.
All posts will be moderated following the rules dictated by TalkBrick (see etiquette and legal stuff below). If you break any of the rules, your post will be locked or deleted and you may risk being banned from these forums. If you feel that a post or if a poster is offensive or breaks any rules, please report the violation to one of the five administrators.
ALL CAPS I know, I know...everyone wants to be heard. With so many topics and posts, it's hard to stand out from the crowd. But did you know that TALKING IN ALL CAPS online indicates that you are shouting? It's a very aggressive way to post and it doesn't come off as being very friendly. Moderators can (and do) delete any topics or posts that use ALL CAPS. You don’t have to shout to be heard here. We are all friends! Grab a beverage of choice and sit down. Stay a while.
SPAM: It's not just weird meat in a can...it's also annoying online behavior that creates a lot of static in message boards. Spam, for those of you who don't know, can be described as this: the posting of advertisements, abusive, or unneeded messages on forums. You may think it only applies to junk mail or ads, but it also applies to the unnecessary posts that don't contribute any useful information to a topic. Simple rule: don't do it. Ever. Moderators can (and do) delete any topics or posts that are considered spam.<OFF TOPIC POSTS: I think it's great that many of you have found meaningful friendships with other users. I also think it's great that you want to engage them in conversations that have nothing to do with the topic on a given board (OT = Off Topic...in other words, a conversation that is not relevant to the topic.) I've noticed a number of similar OT topics in forums which end up burying the pertinent on topic information. For newcomers, this makes for a very poor user experience. Moderators have been instructed that they can (and should) merge similar topics, so please don't panic if you notice that your conversation was merged with another similar one. We're just trying to keep the information as easy to find as possible. We also may elect to move a post to the topic it should have been posted originally. If you find your post is not where you left it, odds are it was moved. Check your recent post history and see where it is now before automatically assuming it dropped off the server. Odds are we moved it.
FLAMING: We understand how some teams and players may not be liked by all sports fans. But all posters must understand that your favorite teams or players may not be the favorites of every other poster. We are also not saying that you can not say anything bad about other teams and players. If you want to bash a team, have a point. Do not make a post that says Team A is bad and will lose to Team B because Team B is better. That is considered Flaming. Break it down. Explain how team A has a poor offensive line and cant stop Team Bs dominating pass rush which currently leads the league in sacks. Moderators will delete any messages that are considered flames other users.
TROLLS: A troll is a person who enters an established forum and intentionally tries to cause disruption, most often in the form of posting inflammatory, off-topic, or otherwise inappropriate messages. We've noticed a lot of trolls in the new show boards and we're deleting topics posted by said individuals. If you're a newbie and you want to establish yourself as a regular poster, please read the conversations and post relevant questions or posts in response. And you know, it never hurts to introduce yourself when you first join a new forum to let people know you're new and interested in joining the community. A little friendliness goes a long way.
REPRESENT YOUR TEAM: Around here you earn a lot of respect when you post not only after your team wins but also when you post after a loss. We understand things happen and you cant always come in here. But if a trend develops, expect to take a friendly ribbing.
PERSONAL CONVERSATIONS: We understand that friendships are made in forums like these. It is ok to ask a sidebar question or post about a major event in one’s life. Just try to keep it to a minimum. Excessive chatter can be removed. We offer a chat room and private messages to hold those types of longer discussions. You also have your own Instant Messenger service and email to continue that conversation. Be considerate of others.
RESPECT: We expect each poster to respect their fellow poster regardless of sex, creed, race, religious belief, or sexual preference. Any derogatory comments along those lines will be deleted and your account will face termination. There is a zero tolerance here on these lines. Treat others as you yourself wish to be treated.
VIOLATIONS: Serious or frequent violators will find not only their account terminated and blocked but will also find their IP addresses blocked. Criminal action may be taken as appropriate.
On behalf of the management team here, thanks for your participation.
Please, Passion and Energy with a little sports knowledge goes a long way here!
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