Forum draft posting rules

[vinteuil]

To help maintain consistency, and make the forums easier for people to use, a draft posting rules has been made.
Please feel free to make comments/corrections/additions, etc. These rules are not in place yet, and they are supposed to benefit everyone. If you think that a rule does detriment to a group of users, say so.

IMSLPForums.org - Posting Rules

Preamble

0. The affiliated forum of the International Music Score Library Project/Petrucci Music Library (IMSLPForums) is a safe, friendly forum where members discuss matters relating to IMSLP, and music in general. IMSLPForums assumes no responsibility for information posted in public areas. Members are advised to err on the side of caution when disclosing personal information.

Forum Rules

1. IMSLPForums must be used for lawful purposes only. The posting of material in violation of the laws of your country, the country where IMSLPForums is hosted, or international law, is prohibited. That includes, but is not limited to: material we judge to be threatening or obscene, copyrighted material, material which jeopardises national security, material protected by trade secret or other laws.

2. IMSLPForums members are diverse in terms of age, race, first language, location, and there will be many varying opinions. If debates become heated please avoid attacking the person you are debating with but, rather, address his or her ideas. Words designed to hurt or insult will not be tolerated.

3. Advertising, spamming or trolling is not permitted. That includes use of the private message system.

4. IMSLPForums management reserves the right to take any lawful action deemed necessary to ensure this forum is not disrupted or abused in any way.

5. Messages posted on IMSLPForums express the views of the authors, not those of IMSLPForums management.

6. IMSLPForums, including the private messaging system, must not be used to facilitate the exchange of copyrighted material.

7. Each thread must carry a descriptive title of the thread's content. Members should not have to read a thread to know what it is about.

8. When replying to a thread, ensure (a) the reply is on topic and (b) you are not double posting. Instead of double posting, edit your post if nobody else has replied.

9. When starting a thread spend a few moments making sure (a) it does not duplicate an existing thread and (b) you are posting it in the correct forum.

[Philidor]

* bump *

Internet forum rules are possibly the most boring thing in the known universe (if one discounts the operas of Andrew Lloyd Webber ) so I don't blame anyone for not commenting yet on this thread. However, these rules are likely to be introduced in the next few days so if anything's been missed out, or wrongly included, please say.

In moderation terms, IMSLPForums is a 'light-touch' forum and that's unlikely to change. The right set of rules, properly applied, makes things run smoothly with everyone knowing where they stand. It also makes it easier to recruit moderators: you simply point them to the rules and ask them to apply them.

So if you have comments, criticisms, observations, or proposed amendments, please say. We'll all have to live with them when they're applied.

[Leonard Vertighel]

We'll all have to live with them when they're applied.

It's not like they can't be changed later on if the community so decides. However it certainly makes sense to address any potential issues as soon as possible.

[noqu]

Sounds all very reasonable to me. Probably nobody bothered to answer because everybody just nodded silently (at least that's what I did).

But since you insist on constructive feedback, maybe one tiny suggestion: I would use "should" rather than "must" in rule 7, because that rule (like 8 and 9) appears to me more like a "please try your best" rule, in contrast to the more strict and undebatable rules 1 and 6 (where "must" is definitely appropriate).

[Philidor]

Someone's suggested a rule about not using all caps in either title or body. That seems a good idea. HITTING CAPS LOCK IS GENERALLY SEEN AS SHOUTY AND BAD MANNERS. Added in a re-draft, shown below. If everyone's happy I suggest these rules go live in a week.

IMSLPForums.org - Posting Rules

Preamble

0. The affiliated forum of the International Music Score Library Project/Petrucci Music Library (IMSLPForums) is a safe, friendly forum where members discuss matters relating to IMSLP, and music in general. IMSLPForums assumes no responsibility for information posted in public areas. Members are advised to err on the side of caution when disclosing personal information.

Forum Rules

1. IMSLPForums must be used for lawful purposes only. The posting of material in violation of the laws of your country, the country where IMSLPForums is hosted, or international law, is prohibited. That includes, but is not limited to: material we judge to be threatening or obscene, copyrighted material, material which jeopardises national security, material protected by trade secret or other laws.

2. IMSLPForums members are diverse in terms of age, race, first language, location, and there will be many varying opinions. If debates become heated please avoid attacking the person you are debating with but, rather, address his or her ideas. Words designed to hurt or insult will not be tolerated.

3. Advertising, spamming or trolling is not permitted. That includes use of the private message system.

4. IMSLPForums management reserves the right to take any lawful action deemed necessary to ensure this forum is not disrupted or abused in any way.

5. Messages posted on IMSLPForums express the views of the authors, not those of IMSLPForums management.

6. IMSLPForums, including the private messaging system, must not be used to facilitate the exchange of copyrighted material.

7. Each thread must carry a descriptive title of the thread's content. Members should not have to read a thread to know what it is about.

8. When replying to a thread, ensure (a) the reply is on topic and (b) you are not double posting. Instead of double posting, edit your post if nobody else has replied.

9. When starting a thread spend a few moments making sure (a) it does not duplicate an existing thread and (b) you are posting it in the correct forum.

10. Do not use all caps in either title or body.

[Philidor]

Someone's suggested clarifying the double/triple posting rule to read:

When requesting multiple scores, please use only one thread and name it appropriately.

I suggest that's added at the end of rule 9, so that entire draft rule now reads:

9. When starting a thread spend a few moments making sure (a) it does not duplicate an existing thread and (b) you are posting it in the correct forum. When requesting multiple scores, please use only one thread and name it appropriately.

Complete revised draft:

IMSLPForums.org - Posting Rules

Preamble

0. The affiliated forum of the International Music Score Library Project/Petrucci Music Library (IMSLPForums) is a safe, friendly forum where members discuss matters relating to IMSLP, and music in general. IMSLPForums assumes no responsibility for information posted in public areas. Members are advised to err on the side of caution when disclosing personal information.

Forum Rules

1. IMSLPForums must be used for lawful purposes only. The posting of material in violation of the laws of your country, the country where IMSLPForums is hosted, or international law, is prohibited. That includes, but is not limited to: material we judge to be threatening or obscene, copyrighted material, material which jeopardises national security, material protected by trade secret or other laws.

2. IMSLPForums members are diverse in terms of age, race, first language, location, and there will be many varying opinions. If debates become heated please avoid attacking the person you are debating with but, rather, address his or her ideas. Words designed to hurt or insult will not be tolerated.

3. Advertising, spamming or trolling is not permitted. That includes use of the private message system.

4. IMSLPForums management reserves the right to take any lawful action deemed necessary to ensure this forum is not disrupted or abused in any way.

5. Messages posted on IMSLPForums express the views of the authors, not those of IMSLPForums management.

6. IMSLPForums, including the private messaging system, must not be used to facilitate the exchange of copyrighted material.

7. Each thread must carry a descriptive title of the thread's content. Members should not have to read a thread to know what it is about.

8. When replying to a thread, ensure (a) the reply is on topic and (b) you are not double posting. Instead of double posting, edit your post if nobody else has replied.

9. When starting a thread spend a few moments making sure (a) it does not duplicate an existing thread and (b) you are posting it in the correct forum. When requesting multiple scores use only one thread and name it appropriately.

10. Do not use all caps in either title or body.

[daphnis]

I would use "should" rather than "must" in rule 7, because that rule (like 8 and 9) appears to me more like a "please try your best" rule, in contrast to the more strict and undebatable rules 1 and 6 (where "must" is definitely appropriate).

That's why they're called "rules" and not simply "requests". Just like other forums around the internet, if rules aren't followed (such as appropriate thread titles) then moderators will come behind posters and make sure they are followed. To say that such rules are "demands" is too strong, but they are most certainly requested and REQUIRED.

[Philidor]

I would use "should" rather than "must" in rule 7, because that rule (like 8 and 9) appears to me more like a "please try your best" rule, in contrast to the more strict and undebatable rules 1 and 6 (where "must" is definitely appropriate).

That's why they're called "rules" and not simply "requests". Just like other forums around the internet, if rules aren't followed (such as appropriate thread titles) then moderators will come behind posters and make sure they are followed. To say that such rules are "demands" is too strong, but they are most certainly requested and REQUIRED.

Doh! I've taken the 'please' out of revised rule 9 above.

[daphnis]

Revised rules look fine. Good work.

[Philidor]

Revised rules look fine. Good work.

Cheers! It's been a joint effort and forum rules are not the most, ahem, riveting subject. I say we give them a further week in draft, so no one can claim they've been 'bounced' then apply them, assuming no further amendments are made. There's no rush. This forum's worked well without formal rules for long time. A few days more won't hurt.

[daphnis]

That sounds good. Also, I haven't heard anything from the current moderators listed on the forums. Moderators need to be established who will patrol the forums on a DAILY basis and monitor for these rules. So if anyone can't or isn't willing to do this after being specifically asked, they need not be moderators.

[Philidor]

That sounds good. Also, I haven't heard anything from the current moderators listed on the forums. Moderators need to be established who will patrol the forums on a DAILY basis and monitor for these rules. So if anyone can't or isn't willing to do this after being specifically asked, they need not be moderators.

There's not much to do. Anti-spam security's good - preventing auto link spamming by programmes such as XRumer - and human spammers who break through get banned and their spam deleted quite fast. People on this forum tend to be intelligent and courteous and there's a comradely atmosphere, so no big flame wars to moderate.

One thing that helps enormously is if members hit the 'report post' button when they spot a spammer, particularly (for me) in the non-English language areas. It's normal on forums for members not to be keen on 'grassing up' other members, i.e. reporting them to forum management. People don't come on IMSLP to act like police informers.

But please: don't anyone be squeamish about reporting a spammer. It's probably a robot run by a spotty nerd via XRumer making cash through dumping cr*p on the internet. Be ruthless! When you report spam it makes it easier and quicker for a moderator to remove it, so you're helping the community.

[daphnis]

Spam is a simple matter to deal with, but I'm speaking mainly of keeping things orderly in the score requests forums where things like double posting, non-descriptive thread titles, and the like occur frequently.

[Philidor]

Spam is a simple matter to deal with, but I'm speaking mainly of keeping things orderly in the score requests forums where things like double posting, non-descriptive thread titles, and the like occur frequently.

Well, using the report post button would help there too. People just hit the button and describe in the report (a) what's wrong and (b) how it should be put right. A mod, alerted by the report, then comes along and, if he agrees, implements (b).

[Philidor]

The forum rules have been amended, with a new clause 11:

11. Irrelevant posts, and posts probably written by a robot, e.g. "Thank you for the great information" may be deleted without notice.

If someone -- or a robot -- adds rubbish to a thread it's a waste of time for everyone. There's been a spate of such posts recently and the mods have agreed the above wording so they can be dealt with.

That shouldn't curtail the usual jokes and friendly "mucking about" that occurs on all good internet forums between established members (and is 100% welcome here). It's to stop new members, potential spammers* and robots from posting rubbish (garbage). The above rule also covers robots which re-post fragments of other posts.



* A forum spam technique is to post, say, 20 rubbish posts -- "Oh, cool!" "Thank you for the great information!" "I love Michael Jackson!" etc -- and then quietly insert a signature link. The link appears in all 20 rubbish posts and IMSLPForums is used as a link farm.

You can help by pressing the report post button if you spot a rubbish post.