Code of Conduct for Forum Members
Updated May 27, 2008
The following is the Code of Conduct for members of the ShowBizPizza.com Forum. It applies to each and every member, and as a member of our online community you will be expected to adhere to it. This Code of Conduct replaces any older versions of forum rules that have been posted previously.
PART 1 - Usage of the SP.com Forum
1.1 - Privilege vs. Right in the SP.com Community
By becoming a member of the ShowBizPizza.com Forum, you agree to adhere to our Code of Conduct which may be more constraining than on other forums. It has to be this way since this board is viewed by children, based on the content and subject of the website itself. Even though membership has an age requirement of 15 years of age, we want to respect the rights of any readers that may be young children. Members who engage in actions that are in violation of this Code of Conduct will be disciplined as outlined in the Disciplinary Code.
1.2 - Freedom of Speech
Freedom of speech is a term that’s thrown around regularly and most are probably unsure of its true meaning. The first amendment of the US constitution specifically states that Congress shall make no laws prohibiting free speech. It does not prohibit the right of a private entity (such as SP.com) from putting restrictions on one’s language and speech. As a member of our community you are essentially a guest in our house, and as such, we expect you to adhere to our rules laid out in this Code of Conduct.
PART 2 - Forum Member Conduct
2.1 - Language Expectations
Our Forum is equipped with an automatic censor that is set to mask a pre-set list of expletives. Its purpose is to disguise any foul language and prevent it from being seen by the community. However, it is not full-proof so we ask that members keep their language clean and presentable.
Attempting to circumvent the automatic censor is not acceptable. This includes but is not limited to using slang abbreviations of expletives, using symbol characters as replacement for letters, and posting images containing expletives.
2.2 - Images and Media
The SP.com Forum allows users to customize their profiles and posts with images, and other outside materials. It is a violation of the Code of Conduct to post anything obscene, crude, sexually oriented, or in plain bad taste. Just as with language, we expect our members to keep it clean when posting any attachments to the Forum.
Photo Albums on user profiles are also held to the rules above. Photos uploaded are to be on-topic or at least loosely related to the topics and theme of the SP.com Forum. Photos that are uploaded and/or posted on the Forum become the property of ShowBizPizza.com, and may be used in any manner without further compensation to the photographer. This includes but is not limited to submission to the "Photo Gallery" portion of the website.
2.3 - Fighting / Harssment
Members shall act in a civil manner toward one another. Although we want members to have the ability to express dissenting opinions, it needs to be done in a professional manner and presented as an alternate viewpoint, not an attack on someone else’s character.
Fighting and harassing (flaming) will not be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to:
– Making a personal attack on another Forum member
– Posting harassing message or images of a Forum member
– Engaging in mobbing tactics (ganging up on a Forum member)
– Patterned condescension or sarcasm directed at a Forum member
– Acts of blackmail and/or threatening intentions
Those found to be engaging in such conflicts will be disciplined for violation of the Code of Conduct. Instances that involve several guilty parties will be dealt punishment unilaterally – not just to who started it. If someone is harassing you, please contact a member of the Forum staff for assistance. To fight back on your own accord could put you at risk of violating the Code of Conduct.
2.4 - Attitude Issues
We want everyone here to contribute to our common goal – a happy and peaceful online community of fans. Unfortunately there are some bad apples that only make negative contributions. If you are having a bad day we ask that you cool down and come back when you can contribute something positive.
We expect members to act politely among one another and keep comments from being overly snide or rude. Please keep posts intelligent. Members that continually act in a rude fashion with constant eye-rolling, demeaning sarcasm, unwarranted criticism, shouting, etc, may be in violation of the Code of Conduct – especially if it is aimed toward another member. Members who engage in constant unnecessary drama will be spoken to by members of the staff and, if the behavior continues, begin to receive further discipline.
2.5 - Spelling / Grammar
Please use proper spelling and grammar. This includes using your shift and caps lock key the right way, there's no need to SHOUT all the time. It’s OK if you accidentally spell one or two words in your post wrong, but if you spell half the post wrong it will be hard for everyone to read. Any posts deemed too difficult to read face being edited/removed by the moderators or admins. Also be sure to keep your text a light or bright color to insure it will be able to be read against our darker Forum backgrounds.
2.6 - Unnacceptable Posting
Forum members may not post any material which is false, defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise in violation of ANY law. This is not only not humorous, but legal actions can be taken against you.
Spam, flooding, advertisements, chain letters, pyramid schemes, and solicitations (not adhering to the provisions of the "For Sale" Forum) are also inappropriate.
Any posts that are blatantly posted to increase post count, and do not add anything to the discussion are unacceptable and could be removed by a moderator or an admin. Continued attempts to blatantly increase post counts will be dealt with by warnings and possible further discipline.
2.7 - Abuse of the PM System
Members are to recognize that the Personal Message System (PM System) is a part of the SP.com Forum and thus the Code of Conduct applies there as well. Members are to treat the system with respect and not use it to harass other members, for making shady dealings, or to solicit other members for personal information. PMs are to be kept clean whether meant for personal eyes or not.
Although the PM system is outside of the Community’s view, it is not outside of the view of the Forum admins. Random sweeps are conducted of PMs and instances of violation and abuse are documented. Anyone engaging in wrongful or illegal dealings or other abuses of the PM system will be subject to the provisions of the Disciplinary Code.
2.8 Abuse of the Chat System
Members also recognize that the Flash Chat system is a part of the SP.com Forum and thus applicable to the Code of Conduct. Members are to act in a civil manner and adhere to the same Conduct rules while chatting with other members.
Flash Chat conversations are logged and archived automatically. Random sweeps are also conducted of past chat logs by the Forum moderators and admins. Instances of Conduct violation and abuse are documented here as well. Anyone engaging in wrongful or illegal dealings or other abuses of the Flash Chat system will be subject to the provisions of the Disciplinary Code.
2.9 - Usage of the "For Sale" Forum
Our Forum includes a special section for buying, selling, and trading items with other fans. All members are free to use this section however they are encouraged to do so at their own risk. SP.com does not endorse or take responsibility for transactions that occur between members that use this forum as means of conducting business with one another, so be sure you know who you're dealing with before sending any money or items to others. Our recommendation is that you conduct deals via the PM system so there is a record of the deal in the event a problem should arise.
Members using our For Sale Forum agree to not post items for sale or trade that directly infringe upon trademark or copyright. These violations of intellectual properties will not be tolerated, and violators will be reprimanded by SP.com staff and also turned over to the copyright holders. This includes but is not limited to: bootleg copies of showtapes, self-made scrapbooking materials, homemade latex masks, or any merchandise created by unauthorized means and meant to pass as officially licensed items.
SP.com is not responsible for authenticating any items that do not fall into the above category of bootleg/copied items. That means that we have no way of determining if something was legitimately obtained or was obtained through ill-gotten means - ie whether or not a used character mech was stolen from a store / warehouse / dumpster or was purchased at an auction after a store has closed-down. Please use caution when making deals on this forum.
Members found to be in violation of the For Sale Forum may face disciplinary action for not completing deals made in good faith. They may also have their right to use this particular Forum revoked.
2.10 - Abuse of Social Groups
Members are to recognize that the Social Groups are part of the SP.com Forum and the Code of Conduct applies here too. Members are to treat the groups with respect and not use them to harass other members, for making shady dealings, or to solicit other members in any way. Social Groups are owned and controlled by SP.com, regardless of who "created" the group, or if the group setting is made private.
PART 3 - Legal Rights / Responsbilities
3.1 - Responsibilities of SP.com
SP.com assumes no credit or responsibility for posts made by our Forum members. This Forum is to be used at one's own risk, and there is no guarantee of service. We will not be held accountable for posts that evade our notice.
Although this is a moderated board we cannot man it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There will be posts that may be in violation of our rules and regulations that remain posted for public view. We shall do our best to attend to such posts in a timely manner. If there's a post that you feel needs to be deleted, there is an icon featured in the top of every post that is made (
) that will alert our moderators. This icon is available to any member to use, however we ask that you use it only when appropriate. If a post is very inappropriate and is something in need of immediate attention, please e-mail a member of our forum staff and we will look into the matter to decide if a member is in violation of our Code of Conduct.
3.2 - Rights and Abilities of Forum Moderators / Admins
Members are to understand that mods and admins have the right to edit or remove posts found to be in violation of the Code of Conduct, as well as the right to enforce the Code of Conduct according to the provisions set forth in the Disciplinary Code.
Moderators and Admins also have the right to edit, move, combine, or split posts. Even though the postings adhere to the Code of Conduct, sometimes it is necessary to arrange and move posts to ensure proper organization. Double posting (back to back posts) are discouraged and may be combined together by a moderator. Also posts may be moved from one forum to another, if it is deemed that another forum would be a better fit (ie, a post seeking parody posters can be moved from the CEC forum to the "For Sale" forum.)
Forum mods and admins have the ability to read personal messages (PMs) and chat logs recorded by our system. This can be done without reason or warrant. Although this may seem like an invasion of privacy, we need to insure that no illegal activity is taking place on the Forum. Since our website is based around a children’s restaurant, we want to do all we can to fend off any predatory activity. In order to protect against predators, and investigate any children who may have wrongly registered, we need to have access to these (private) channels. While doing these routine sweeps, we will address any Conduct violations that are found and address the situation accordingly.
3.3 - Issues Outside of SP.com
SP.com has no control - and will not assume any control - for instances of harassment and other issues that fall outside of the SP.com Forum or Website. This includes but is not limited to: MySpace, AIM, Yahoo Groups/Messenger/Chat, MSN Messenger, ICQ, e-mail, etc. We realize that Forum members often converse with one another outside of the SP.com Forum however there is nothing we can do about problems that fall outside of our website and domains.
Instances occurring outside of the SP.com domains will be viewed only as educational evidence, and only sought if a problem has migrated here to our domain and we need to ascertain the truth of an issue in order to properly follow the Disciplinary Code.
3.4 - Release of Information
Forum members are to understand that SP.com is prepared to cooperate with any law enforcement agency in the event of illegal conduct by a member. SP.com will voluntarily release any information and evidence needed by authorities including but not limited to PMs, chat logs, records of postings, IP Addresses, etc.
Updated May 27, 2008
The following is the Code of Conduct for members of the ShowBizPizza.com Forum. It applies to each and every member, and as a member of our online community you will be expected to adhere to it. This Code of Conduct replaces any older versions of forum rules that have been posted previously.
PART 1 - Usage of the SP.com Forum
1.1 - Privilege vs. Right in the SP.com Community
By becoming a member of the ShowBizPizza.com Forum, you agree to adhere to our Code of Conduct which may be more constraining than on other forums. It has to be this way since this board is viewed by children, based on the content and subject of the website itself. Even though membership has an age requirement of 15 years of age, we want to respect the rights of any readers that may be young children. Members who engage in actions that are in violation of this Code of Conduct will be disciplined as outlined in the Disciplinary Code.
1.2 - Freedom of Speech
Freedom of speech is a term that’s thrown around regularly and most are probably unsure of its true meaning. The first amendment of the US constitution specifically states that Congress shall make no laws prohibiting free speech. It does not prohibit the right of a private entity (such as SP.com) from putting restrictions on one’s language and speech. As a member of our community you are essentially a guest in our house, and as such, we expect you to adhere to our rules laid out in this Code of Conduct.
PART 2 - Forum Member Conduct
2.1 - Language Expectations
Our Forum is equipped with an automatic censor that is set to mask a pre-set list of expletives. Its purpose is to disguise any foul language and prevent it from being seen by the community. However, it is not full-proof so we ask that members keep their language clean and presentable.
Attempting to circumvent the automatic censor is not acceptable. This includes but is not limited to using slang abbreviations of expletives, using symbol characters as replacement for letters, and posting images containing expletives.
2.2 - Images and Media
The SP.com Forum allows users to customize their profiles and posts with images, and other outside materials. It is a violation of the Code of Conduct to post anything obscene, crude, sexually oriented, or in plain bad taste. Just as with language, we expect our members to keep it clean when posting any attachments to the Forum.
Photo Albums on user profiles are also held to the rules above. Photos uploaded are to be on-topic or at least loosely related to the topics and theme of the SP.com Forum. Photos that are uploaded and/or posted on the Forum become the property of ShowBizPizza.com, and may be used in any manner without further compensation to the photographer. This includes but is not limited to submission to the "Photo Gallery" portion of the website.
2.3 - Fighting / Harssment
Members shall act in a civil manner toward one another. Although we want members to have the ability to express dissenting opinions, it needs to be done in a professional manner and presented as an alternate viewpoint, not an attack on someone else’s character.
Fighting and harassing (flaming) will not be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to:
– Making a personal attack on another Forum member
– Posting harassing message or images of a Forum member
– Engaging in mobbing tactics (ganging up on a Forum member)
– Patterned condescension or sarcasm directed at a Forum member
– Acts of blackmail and/or threatening intentions
Those found to be engaging in such conflicts will be disciplined for violation of the Code of Conduct. Instances that involve several guilty parties will be dealt punishment unilaterally – not just to who started it. If someone is harassing you, please contact a member of the Forum staff for assistance. To fight back on your own accord could put you at risk of violating the Code of Conduct.
2.4 - Attitude Issues
We want everyone here to contribute to our common goal – a happy and peaceful online community of fans. Unfortunately there are some bad apples that only make negative contributions. If you are having a bad day we ask that you cool down and come back when you can contribute something positive.
We expect members to act politely among one another and keep comments from being overly snide or rude. Please keep posts intelligent. Members that continually act in a rude fashion with constant eye-rolling, demeaning sarcasm, unwarranted criticism, shouting, etc, may be in violation of the Code of Conduct – especially if it is aimed toward another member. Members who engage in constant unnecessary drama will be spoken to by members of the staff and, if the behavior continues, begin to receive further discipline.
2.5 - Spelling / Grammar
Please use proper spelling and grammar. This includes using your shift and caps lock key the right way, there's no need to SHOUT all the time. It’s OK if you accidentally spell one or two words in your post wrong, but if you spell half the post wrong it will be hard for everyone to read. Any posts deemed too difficult to read face being edited/removed by the moderators or admins. Also be sure to keep your text a light or bright color to insure it will be able to be read against our darker Forum backgrounds.
2.6 - Unnacceptable Posting
Forum members may not post any material which is false, defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise in violation of ANY law. This is not only not humorous, but legal actions can be taken against you.
Spam, flooding, advertisements, chain letters, pyramid schemes, and solicitations (not adhering to the provisions of the "For Sale" Forum) are also inappropriate.
Any posts that are blatantly posted to increase post count, and do not add anything to the discussion are unacceptable and could be removed by a moderator or an admin. Continued attempts to blatantly increase post counts will be dealt with by warnings and possible further discipline.
2.7 - Abuse of the PM System
Members are to recognize that the Personal Message System (PM System) is a part of the SP.com Forum and thus the Code of Conduct applies there as well. Members are to treat the system with respect and not use it to harass other members, for making shady dealings, or to solicit other members for personal information. PMs are to be kept clean whether meant for personal eyes or not.
Although the PM system is outside of the Community’s view, it is not outside of the view of the Forum admins. Random sweeps are conducted of PMs and instances of violation and abuse are documented. Anyone engaging in wrongful or illegal dealings or other abuses of the PM system will be subject to the provisions of the Disciplinary Code.
2.8 Abuse of the Chat System
Members also recognize that the Flash Chat system is a part of the SP.com Forum and thus applicable to the Code of Conduct. Members are to act in a civil manner and adhere to the same Conduct rules while chatting with other members.
Flash Chat conversations are logged and archived automatically. Random sweeps are also conducted of past chat logs by the Forum moderators and admins. Instances of Conduct violation and abuse are documented here as well. Anyone engaging in wrongful or illegal dealings or other abuses of the Flash Chat system will be subject to the provisions of the Disciplinary Code.
2.9 - Usage of the "For Sale" Forum
Our Forum includes a special section for buying, selling, and trading items with other fans. All members are free to use this section however they are encouraged to do so at their own risk. SP.com does not endorse or take responsibility for transactions that occur between members that use this forum as means of conducting business with one another, so be sure you know who you're dealing with before sending any money or items to others. Our recommendation is that you conduct deals via the PM system so there is a record of the deal in the event a problem should arise.
Members using our For Sale Forum agree to not post items for sale or trade that directly infringe upon trademark or copyright. These violations of intellectual properties will not be tolerated, and violators will be reprimanded by SP.com staff and also turned over to the copyright holders. This includes but is not limited to: bootleg copies of showtapes, self-made scrapbooking materials, homemade latex masks, or any merchandise created by unauthorized means and meant to pass as officially licensed items.
SP.com is not responsible for authenticating any items that do not fall into the above category of bootleg/copied items. That means that we have no way of determining if something was legitimately obtained or was obtained through ill-gotten means - ie whether or not a used character mech was stolen from a store / warehouse / dumpster or was purchased at an auction after a store has closed-down. Please use caution when making deals on this forum.
Members found to be in violation of the For Sale Forum may face disciplinary action for not completing deals made in good faith. They may also have their right to use this particular Forum revoked.
2.10 - Abuse of Social Groups
Members are to recognize that the Social Groups are part of the SP.com Forum and the Code of Conduct applies here too. Members are to treat the groups with respect and not use them to harass other members, for making shady dealings, or to solicit other members in any way. Social Groups are owned and controlled by SP.com, regardless of who "created" the group, or if the group setting is made private.
PART 3 - Legal Rights / Responsbilities
3.1 - Responsibilities of SP.com
SP.com assumes no credit or responsibility for posts made by our Forum members. This Forum is to be used at one's own risk, and there is no guarantee of service. We will not be held accountable for posts that evade our notice.
Although this is a moderated board we cannot man it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There will be posts that may be in violation of our rules and regulations that remain posted for public view. We shall do our best to attend to such posts in a timely manner. If there's a post that you feel needs to be deleted, there is an icon featured in the top of every post that is made (
) that will alert our moderators. This icon is available to any member to use, however we ask that you use it only when appropriate. If a post is very inappropriate and is something in need of immediate attention, please e-mail a member of our forum staff and we will look into the matter to decide if a member is in violation of our Code of Conduct.
3.2 - Rights and Abilities of Forum Moderators / Admins
Members are to understand that mods and admins have the right to edit or remove posts found to be in violation of the Code of Conduct, as well as the right to enforce the Code of Conduct according to the provisions set forth in the Disciplinary Code.
Moderators and Admins also have the right to edit, move, combine, or split posts. Even though the postings adhere to the Code of Conduct, sometimes it is necessary to arrange and move posts to ensure proper organization. Double posting (back to back posts) are discouraged and may be combined together by a moderator. Also posts may be moved from one forum to another, if it is deemed that another forum would be a better fit (ie, a post seeking parody posters can be moved from the CEC forum to the "For Sale" forum.)
Forum mods and admins have the ability to read personal messages (PMs) and chat logs recorded by our system. This can be done without reason or warrant. Although this may seem like an invasion of privacy, we need to insure that no illegal activity is taking place on the Forum. Since our website is based around a children’s restaurant, we want to do all we can to fend off any predatory activity. In order to protect against predators, and investigate any children who may have wrongly registered, we need to have access to these (private) channels. While doing these routine sweeps, we will address any Conduct violations that are found and address the situation accordingly.
3.3 - Issues Outside of SP.com
SP.com has no control - and will not assume any control - for instances of harassment and other issues that fall outside of the SP.com Forum or Website. This includes but is not limited to: MySpace, AIM, Yahoo Groups/Messenger/Chat, MSN Messenger, ICQ, e-mail, etc. We realize that Forum members often converse with one another outside of the SP.com Forum however there is nothing we can do about problems that fall outside of our website and domains.
Instances occurring outside of the SP.com domains will be viewed only as educational evidence, and only sought if a problem has migrated here to our domain and we need to ascertain the truth of an issue in order to properly follow the Disciplinary Code.
3.4 - Release of Information
Forum members are to understand that SP.com is prepared to cooperate with any law enforcement agency in the event of illegal conduct by a member. SP.com will voluntarily release any information and evidence needed by authorities including but not limited to PMs, chat logs, records of postings, IP Addresses, etc.