Forum Rules Reminder

ferretinmyshoes

Veterinarian
Staff member
This is just a friendly reminder to everyone to visit the site rules from time to time. The rules are in place to keep this community a friendly, cooperative environment and since Chameleon Forums is in fact one of the most active and friendly communities of the animal forum world the rules are important. They help foster the continuation of this type of community and as such are taken seriously. Luckily we do not have to enforce the rules very often since so many here follow them already. If you know of rules being broken or bent, either by the direction of a thread or an individual please help us keep the peace by bringing it to our attention. You can either private message a moderator directly, or you can use the report feature of posting (the red triangle in the top right corner of each post) and we will look into the issue. Thank you for your continued cooperation and please let us know if you have any questions about them.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/index.php?page=rules
General
1. Members must show respect for others at all times. This is crucial to maintaining a friendly environment. There are no exceptions.
2. Each user is allowed one account. Registering or using multiple accounts is a serious violation of these rules.
3. Advertising your business for commercial sales or services is strictly prohibited. If you are interested in advertising on this site, please see our advertising page.

Posting
1. Do not post any material that you know to be false, misleading, or inaccurate.
2. Chameleon Forums will not tolerate rudeness, personal attacks, derogatory insults, bigotry, defamatory comments, or purposeless inflammatory behavior. Our decision is final in these matters.
3. Conflicts between individuals and/or businesses should NOT be debated in the public forums. Chameleon Forums should not be used as a tool for resolving personal or commercial disputes.
4. Advertising, spamming, flooding, and trolling are not allowed. This includes using the forum email and private message (PM) systems to spam other members.
5. Except for the classified forums, do not use this website as a commercial tool. There are limited exceptions for site sponsors.
6. Threads and posts should remain on topic. Thread titles should be short yet meaningful enough for future reference and searching.
7. Posts should be in English only. Non-English or unreadable posts will be removed. We don’t ask you to be perfect, only that your posts be readable to moderators.
8. Content submitted should be appropriate for all ages. Please refrain from using profanity and discussing adult topics.
9. Always consider copyright laws when posting. Do not take credit for someone else's work or leave the impression that the work is yours.
10. Do not post full articles or hotlinked images on this website without permission from the content owner.
11. Members may not solicit for fundraisers, donation drives, or charities. Also, do not solicit for or create contests in the forums or other site features.
12. Chameleon Forums can't be used as a development tool for other websites, nor can it be used to solicit help for the development of other websites.
13. Discussion of real world politics, nationalism, religion, war, or other similarly controversial topics is NOT acceptable or appropriate for this forum.
14. Members must respect people’s right to personal privacy and will not post any identifying information (including their names, contact information, and any other relevant information).
 
I believe it would be a good idea to outline consequences of breaking the rules to make it clear exactly how serious they are.

Making distinctions such as how many warnings will be given, length of site banning as appropriate, an appeals process / email address for those who feel unfairly dealt with.

I think it sounds rather silly myself but to foster long term site loyalty and attract as many new and experienced keepers as possible I feel it is important to make these distinctions so nobody feels picked on or harshly treated.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to link these in a tab right on the top of the main page as well. When I first joined I had a heck of a time finding the rules which I always read before joining a forum to get an idea of the level of behavior expected.
 
The action required for violations depends on the violation itself and other factors involved. Each one if handled on an individual bases. Often the only action needed is to remove the offending post. Each issue is dealt with taking all factors into consideration and we often consult privately to determine what is fair without bias. A temporary ban is often 10 days, however can be extended depending on the circumstances. If action (more than just removing a post) is taken due to a violation that person will be notified by the moderator explaining why, what further action may be taken (if any) and guidelines on how to prevent further action from being needed. They are welcome to ask questions at any time for further clarification or to address concerns about how they felt it was dealt with. And they are welcome to contact another moderator if they would like. I have always made an effort to respond very quickly with a thorough explanation so there is no confusion. If the guidelines are not followed then further action is taken as needed.

Usually serious disciplinary action is not needed thankfully. And banning is very rare. Make no mistake - if we get to that point, then you have done something very wrong, and you were adequately warned about why and what would happen.
 
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