# Board Rules



## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

We realized that the board rules were no longer posted at the top of each forum so am posting them again. 

ADMIN


*Board Rules* 
Considering the real-time nature of this Web Board, it is impossible for us to review messages or confirm the validity of information posted. Please remember that we do not actively monitor the contents of and are not responsible for any messages posted. We do not vouch for or warrant the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any message, and are not responsible for the contents of any message. 

The messages express the views of the author of the message, not necessarily the views of germanshepherds.com or any entity associated with this site. 

Any user who feels that a posted message is objectionable is encouraged to contact us immediately by email or by using the "report post" button. We have the ability to remove objectionable messages and we will make every effort to do so, within a reasonable time frame, if we determine that removal is necessary. This is a manual process, however, so please realize that we may not be able to remove or edit particular messages immediately.

You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use this WB to post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise volatile of any law. You agree not to post any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you or by this WB.

Although this WB does not and cannot review the messages posted and is not responsible for the content of any of these messages, we at germanshepherds.com reserve the right to delete any message for any or no reason whatsoever. You remain solely responsible for the content of your messages, and you agree to indemnify and hold harmless germanshepherds.com, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd. 
SEO by vBSEO 3.3.2 
SEO by vBSEO 3.3.2 (the makers of the bulletin board software), and their agents with respect to any claim based upon transmission of your message(s). 

ANYTHING posted or uploaded on Germanshepherds.com (images, text) allows the owners of the site to use in any way at their discretion and/or allows the site owners to remove or edit at their discretion.

Germanshepherds.com also reserves the right to reveal your identity (or whatever information we know about you) in the event of a complaint or legal action arising from any message posted by you.

Please note that advertisements, chain letters, pyramid schemes, and solicitations are inappropriate on this Board.

INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO THIS BOARD: To be a participating member of this board you must follow these simple rules of conduct:

1. Be courteous to other members at all times;

2. Be respectful of the feelings of others;

3. Do not use untrue or misleading statements;

4. Do not make statements based on rumor;

5. Do not use defamatory statements or statements that attack the character of another;

6. Do not make abusive, hateful, harassing, or threatening statements;

7. Do not use statements that invade a person's privacy or post a persons address or telephone number;

8. Do not use statements that violate any law;

9. Do not use statements that incite conflict among members;

10. Do not use statements that contain sexual overtones, particularly in regard to other members;

11. Do not post PM’s or Emails as they are private messages between people and have no reason to be posted publicly.

12. Copyright rules, it is illegal to post a copyrighted photo unless you have written permission from the copyright holder to post on a public forum. Copyrighted text material, you may “quote” a small portion of text with a link to the balance of the article. Copy and pasting the entire article regardless of length is breaking copyright laws, unless the author as given permission to cross post.

13. Due to the size of the forum all posts should be less than 1,000 words. If you feel the information warrants exceeding the 1,000 word limit you need to get approval from one of the Administrators before posting.

14. Do not include pictures in your signature line.

15. Picture size in any post should be 800 x 600. *Photos that are larger than the allowed size will be removed.* Excessively large pictures are extremely slow for people with dial up and make the page where the picture is placed so that you have to scroll to read the other posts. See the Sticky post in the Pictures, Pictures, Pictures Forum “How to Post Pictures.”

16. Since this is an open forum and we have members of all ages the using of acronyms, replacing letters with other letters or symbols to avoid being censored will be considered as breaking the rules. We can not and will not put every possible acronym or modified word on the censored list. The use acronyms, replacing letters with other letters or symbols as a work around the censor rules we will consider it a violation of the rules and you will be treat accordingly. This is in reference to using swear words or foul language. 

17. There will be no political discussions of any sort. Discussions that involve breed bans or topics involving dogs are allowed as long as nothing is discussed involving political parties. 

18. "Pitbulls" and all topics and references to "pitbulls" is banned from this board. Violators will receive a warning and, if the warning is ignored, the member will receive a time out, and after that, a permanent ban. People who happen to own a breed deemed as a "pitbull" or cross can mention their dogs in stories that have nothing to do with the "breed" or type. 


Further, if you need to discuss a particular dog or person please do so privately. Disagreements between breeder and purchaser, along with disputes between members, are not matters for public debate and likewise also should be handled privately. Members of this board are entitled to a reasonable standard of behavior from other members. A level of respect and courtesy must be maintained at all times, no exceptions. You may not like or agree with a particular person but we all share a love of the dogs and we all have a right to participate in the board’s activities free of harassment. Please do not quote a member's post out of context, using a portion, or portions, of the post that gives it new meaning, one the initial poster never intended to convey. Also, should you feel it necessary to use a quote from a post on this board somewhere else, wherever that may be, please obtain the explicit permission of the author prior to using the quote. This eliminates the possibility of our members being misrepresented without their knowledge.

Usernames will not be change except in extenuating circumstances. Just because you no longer like the name or bought a new dog or changed your name, etc, are not reasons for changing usernames. This is to avoid confusion. Starting a second account is also not allowed. 

Solicitation of donations of money for any reason is not permitted on this board unless special circumstances exist and it has been approved by the board Administration. The solicitation of puppies and dogs is also strictly prohibited on this board. Please do not use this board as your source of free advertisement on the net. 

With regard to the German Shepherd Rescue section, the dogs that are posted there for potential adoption, either in the "urgent" or "general" rescue forums, absolutely must be Pure Bred German Shepherd Dogs. We know many members do not agree with this rule however due to the extremely busy nature of those forums I feel it is essential to the productiveness of the board and the overall goal of the site, which is to promote the German Shepherd Dog. 

Lastly, Private Messages (PMs) and private email is just that, private, and should not be posted publicly to the board unless explicit permission has been granted from the individual. Should a member post something publicly that was intended to be private it will result in a temporary or permanent ban from the board. Use of this board is a privilege, not a right. 

This is a "General Audience" board visited by people of all ages and materials posted here should be appropriate for all ages. Those not able to adhere to the above, or make a positive contribution, can expect to receive a warning, a suspension or be banned from further participation. If you have received a warning any subsequent violations of the board rules will result in an automatic suspension or permanent ban from the board. 

In addition, questionable posts may be edited or deleted without explanation or warning. 

Remember, this is the world wide web now. Germanshepherds.com reaches everyone around the world. If there is material that you do not wish others to copy, do not post it here. Once it's posted, anyone with an internet connection can and will steal your material.

Also, think before you post. For the most part, we do not edit or delete posts and the only time we would consider doing so is in cases that pose as a security risk to the user(s). Anything you post will leave a digital footprint for LIFE. Think carefully before posting.

Please do enjoy yourself here, explore and become a positive part of the wonderful community that we have created. 

Thank You!


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