Forum Rules & GuidelinesWelcome to the PinkLighthouse Forum! We do insist that you abide by the rules and policies detailed below.
PinkLighthouse.com Forum Purpose: The purpose of the PinkLighthouse.com Forum is to provide support, information and assistance. While we welcome people with other viewpoints seeking to learn more, attacks on others will not be tolerated. Anyone who is hostile to our purpose will be immediately blocked from the community and all of their posts will be deleted. This will be the only warning and no notice will be given.
The PinkLighthouse.com forum is a place where it's okay to be yourself as long as you always act with respect for your fellow members as well as the PinkLighthouse.com forum staff. You are not expected to leave your personality at the door. There are going to be topics and discussions that will have heated debates. Please think before you post and re-read what you type before you post it. Keep your comments limited to the debate at hand and do not make this a personal issue between you and another member.
Considering the real-time nature of this bulletin Forum, it is impossible for the PinkLighthouse.com forum administration to review all messages or confirm the validity of information posted. Please remember that PinkLighthouse.com forum administration does not actively monitor the contents of all posted messages and is not responsible for any messages posted. The PinkLighthouse.com forum administration does not vouch for or warrant the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any message, and is not responsible for the contents of any message. The messages express the views of the author of the message, not necessarily the views of the PinkLighthouse.com or any entity associated with the PinkLighthouse.com .
The PinkLighthouse.com Forum is a provider of an "interactive computer service". Postings on the PinkLighthouse.com Forum are "provided by another information content provider" and not PinkLighthouse.com unless posted by the owner. The PinkLighthouse.com forum is not the "publisher or speaker" of any posts in the discussion forums unless posted by the owner. All posts on The PinkLighthouse.com forum are part of the database and as such, property of The PinkLighthouse.com Forum.
If you come across any violations to these guidelines or have any problems navigating the site, do not hesitate to let us know by sending a Private Message to the Forum Administrator. We'll be happy to address your concerns. Here at the PinkLighthouse.com Forum we encourage everyone to participate in and enjoy the Community while at the same time adhering to these Guidelines:
Be WelcomingWhen newcomers arrive, welcome them to our growing community. Many of our community's senior members are a wealth of knowledge and have much to share. Help new members learn about how to find information and resources, save time, and how to get involved in the Community.
Be CourteousThe PinkLighthouse.com Forum is a place where it's okay to be yourself as long as you always act with respect for your fellow members as well as the PinkLighthouse.com Forum staff. You are not expected to leave your personality at the door. There are going to be topics and discussions that will have heated debates. Please think before you post and re-read what you type before you post it. Keep your comments limited to the debate at hand and do not make this a personal issue between you and another member
Don't attack others. Personal attacks on others will not be tolerated. Challenge others' points of view and opinions, but do so respectfully and thoughtfully...without insult and personal attack.
Be RespectfulThere is tremendous diversity in age, race, gender, language, location (worldwide) and more here and there will be a lot of varying opinions on different subjects. We're all human beings and we're all drawn to this site because we have a common bond. We will willingly listen to your suggestions and complaints, and try to incorporate your ideas into the Forum.
Be EthicalThe PinkLighthouse.com forum, website, resources, articles and discussions are based on basic, appropriate professional ethical behavior. Unethical behavior includes but is not limited to use of member lists for PM invites, email invites, spamming, warez, license sharing, and other illegal activities are completely inappropriate and will result in the loss of membership at The PinkLighthouse Forum.
Freedom of Speech:While we believe very much in the freedom of speech & expression, you DO NOT have an absolute right to say whatever you want in this community. Posts and comments that are meant to incite conflicts between members or outside parties are strictly prohibited. The PinkLighthouse.com Forum Administration has the absolute right to edit, modify, or delete any content found in this community. While this rarely, if ever happens, we will not tolerate individuals or groups creating problems with the overall membership.
Any user who feels that a posted message is objectionable is encouraged to contact the Administrator or a Moderator immediately by PM or email. The PinkLighthouse.com Forum Administration has the ability to remove objectionable messages and will make every effort to do so, within a reasonable time frame, if it is determined 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, in fact, we may not edit or delete posts that break our rules at all. While we make every effort to take appropriate action, we have many time constraints on us and cannot guarantee that we will be able to edit or delete posts that break the rules/user agreement.
Copyrighted Material:Information copyrighted or owned by any individual or entity other than the member should not be posted on the discussion forums or software libraries without the consent of the owner. If such an event occurs, the individual posting the information shall be held solely responsible. The PinkLighthouse.com forum shall not be held responsible for member-posted information that may violate copyright law.
You cannot legally post entire articles or news in the forum without permission from the copyright holder. Even if you attribute the article correctly it's still copyright infringement. Copyright law does not care if you make any money off of the work or not, what matters is if you hurt the potential income of the copyright holder. In this case you would be depriving them of ad revenue and it is illegal. If you are not sure if you can copy something then always err on the side of caution and simply post a link to the material.
Advertising & Promoting: Do not heedlessly place your advertisements through the discussion Forums. This will be considered SPAM and could result in the loss of your PinkLighthouse.com Community Membership. Please use our Tell Us About Your Business board to inform others of your business.
Inviting outside Contact: Inviting is defined as a post where you invite other members to contact you to find out more information, rather than post it in the forum. This is not allowed and any posts with emails or invitations to contact for more information will either be edited or deleted entirely. Repeated abuse of this may result in loss of posting privileges.
Abuse / Flaming / Derogatory Comments: Abusive comments, flaming, or derogatory insults or comments are strictly against the rules. If you disagree with another member's point of view, do so in a mature and civil manner. If someone posts to discuss their personal problems or seeks help from other forum members, please do not respond unless you have something positive or helpful to add. If you find yourself being flamed or insulted by another member, please do not dignify that person with a response. Notify the Administer or a Moderator and let us handle it. If you feel you must respond to a flame or insult directly, please do NOT do so on the board. Use Private Messaging, but make sure you do NOT threaten any member.
Spamming, Cross Posting & Double Posting: Crossposting is the act of posting the same message to multiple forums, mailing lists, or newsgroups. Members are strongly encouraged to not cross post. Repeated cross posting may result in suspension of posting privileges, suspension or revocation of membership.
Spamming is posting unsolicited bulk and/or commercial posts or posting multiple copies of the same message. Members found to be spamming will be warned the first time and additional posts will be removed. Repeat offenders may have their posting privileges suspended or revoked.
Double Posting is intentionally posting the same information or content (full or partial) in two or more posts. We understand that some topics might fit into more than one forum or category but we ask that you please pick the best one and stick with it.
Language & Profanity: While we understand that the members here are grown adults, we also realize that many people are offended by vulgar language. If you feel you must swear to get your point across or vent, please censor your language appropriately so as to not be overly offensive. (e.g., S**t!). There are also several smilies available such as
, to get your point across.
Private Messaging (PM) System: Private Messaging is provided to the members of the PinkLighthouse.com Forum as a service intended to enhance the Community experience. The purpose of private messaging is to allow for discreet conversations to take place between members. This privilege is not to be abused! Solicitation, spamming, or harassment of any kind is strictly forbidden.
ALL of the general rules listed in this forum apply to the Private Messaging system, especially soliciting, advertising and sexually related PMs. Violating any of these rules in the PM system will result in immediate removal from the community. Any member receiving an inappropriate private message should forward that message to an Administrator or Moderator right away. Although private messages are normally only accessible by those who send and receive them, they are part of the database and as such, property of The PinkLighthouse.com Forum.
In addition, Private Messages are not intended to deprive the Community of valuable information or experiences which could benefit the entire group. Please do not use private messages if the content of the message can be helpful to others.
User Accounts: A maximum of ONE account is allowed per person. We have the ability to track and match IP addresses on accounts. If you are found to be using two or more accounts, one or more of them will be deleted and you may be banned from the PinkLighthouse.com Forum all together depending on the situation. The bottom line here is to register one account and stick with it. If you have account problems, contact the Administrator and state the problem you are having. The Admin may recommend that you re-register if the problem cannot be solved but in most all cases a problem with an account can be corrected by an Administrator.
Impersonating Members & Accessing Other Accounts: You may not impersonate another board member or create an account for the purpose of provoking other users. This includes creating an account very similar to another member as to confuse others by the similarity in names. Accessing or using someone else's account or attempting to access another member's account is strictly prohibited.
Trying to Circumvent a Ban / Block: If you log onto the PinkLighthouse.com Forums and receive a message that you have been banned, please submit an un-ban request the forum Admin will get in touch with you. You may NOT re-register under a new name if the software lets you. But, if you try to sign up again and we catch you, then it will become a permanent IP Ban. We rarely send out notices that you have been banned.
Posting Links / URLs / Email Addresses: While we prefer that all content be posted in the forums themselves (unless it is a copyright violation to do so) so our members will always be able to access it, we realize that some information must remain on remote sites as it may be too extensive to re-post. Posting links/URLs in the PinkLighthouse.com Forum is allowed as long as they substantiate a post, or are summarized. Please don't post links with a comment such as, Check out this link. Let members know what the link is about, rather than surprising them with it.
We also do not permit the posting of personal email addresses in public forums due to privacy issues. If you want someone to contact you privately, please post a note at the end of your post to be contacted via PM as long as it is a personal issue. The posting of your personal email address in ANY public forum invites SPAM from people creating mass email listings. Believe it or not, there are people who get paid to spend all day searching newsgroups, message boards, discussion forums, and chats just to collect email addresses that are posted.
Posting Personal Contact Information (Address / Phone Number):Members may not post personal contact information such as home address, work address, home telephone number, work telephone number, etc., in the public forums. ANYONE, including guests to the PinkLighthouse.com forum, can read the public boards. This policy is in place for YOUR safety and protection.
Posting Harmful URLs: Any Member of the PinkLighthouse.com forum that posts malicious or harmful URL links that cause:
- other members' PCs to become locked or have to be rebooted in order for the PC to regain functionality; or
- screaming, (cannot be viewed safely for content or sound at work)
- commercial/advertising "popup" windows
Will lose posting privileges for 3 days. A repeat offender may be permanently banned from the community.
Threats, Racism & Sexism: Threads or replies promoting or expressing intolerant views towards minorities (race, religion, sexual preference, interracial couples, etc.) will not be tolerated. Consider this the only warning. Violators will be banned.
Sexual Conduct: It is the policy of the PinkLighthouse.com forum that sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, or harassment in any form will not be tolerated. Sexual misconduct, sexual harassment and harassment include: unwelcome sexual advances (verbal, written or implied), requests for sexual favors, suggestive talk, name calling, discriminatory or derogatory remarks, and other verbal, written or implied abuse of any sexual or other nature.
Trolling / Inciting Conflict: Trolling or making posts with the intention of creating problems on the forums is obviously against the forum guidelines. This includes registering an alternative ID for the sole purpose of creating problems on the forums. Troll IDs will be locked immediately and permanently, and the primary account holder may be banned from the PinkLighthouse.com. Members that visit PinkLighthouse.com only to participate in conflict threads may be designated as Trolling and have their account temporarily or permanently suspended.
Attacking PinkLighthouse Forum Moderators & Administrators: Posting a thread or reply to question or criticize the action of a moderator or the administrator is not appropriate in a public forum. Please utilize the board's Private Message function, or email, if you wish to discuss these issues. As long as you bring up your concerns maturely and civilly to the moderator or administrator in question, we will do our best to address your concerns fairly and promptly.
PinkLighthouse.com Bashing: Threads/replies attacking the PinkLighthouse.com Forum will not be allowed. Further, any member found to be bad mouthing the PinkLighthouse.com community at an outside location will be subject to having their membership blocked. If you do not care for this community, you really have no business here anyway.
Nudity / Pornographic & Adult Material: Nude and pornographic material is not acceptable anywhere in the PinkLighthouse.com Forum (Did you somehow think it would be) Overly suggestive photographs/pictures will most likely be considered adult material and removed.
Directing Contact Outside of the PinkLighthouse.com Community: Directing members to contact you for more information at your Website, via email or PM is not allowed, unless the information is sensitive or of a personal nature. One of the purposes of our forum is to provide our members with information on a variety of topics. Promoting discussion outside of the forums will prevent this information from helping others in the future.
Legal Related Posts & Issues: The PinkLighthouse.com forum DOES NOT endorse any legal advice given any place within the PinkLighthouse.com community. We highly recommend that members and guests get the advice of an accredited legal expert whenever possible and never rely on just one source.
Use of the PinkLighthouse.com name: No PinkLighthouse.com Forum member is permitted to use the PinkLighthouse.com name in any cause that is not specifically authorized in writing by the owner of PinkLighthouse.com. It is sincerely appreciated when our members assist us in spreading the word about the PinkLighthouse.com community, but creating products or making statements to imply directly or indirectly that you represent or are affiliated with the site is not permissible.
Illegal Activities: Threads/replies encouraging illegal/unethical action will not be allowed. Posts such as these will be deleted and may lead to you losing your posting privileges.
Signatures: Signatures are allowed but please don't abuse them. Signatures may not contain advertisements, nor can they contain images of any type of sexual or risqué content (completely up to Admin discretion). Signatures also may not have links imbedded which cause commercial popup windows to pop up in threads. Anything that causes the forum load time to become substantially lower or hinders the forum in any way may be prohibited at the discretion of the Admin.
Free & Junk Posting: Free or Junk posts are (repeated) posts that do not add to the overall positive content in threads, or are postings solely for the purpose of boosting your post count. Many people judge a member's credibility based on post count, so we ask that you obtain your post count legitimately. Furthermore, free/junk posts add up over time and waste server space and ISP bandwidth unnecessarily.
Posting in the Appropriate Forum: Please post your topics in the most appropriate forum If you post a thread that would be more appropriate in another forum, a moderator will move it for you. Use your judgment to determine which forum best suits your topic. If you are dealing with a topic that could appropriately fit in more than one forum, please pick the one you feel is closest to your topic.
Thread Subject Titling: As the PinkLighthouse.com forum grows, it becomes increasingly important to properly title the subject of new threads. People find the threads that they are interested in mostly by scanning the titles, even when searching with our site search engine. Moderators or the Administrator may change the title of any thread to assist in describing the content of the thread without notifying the member who started the thread.
Moving of Posts: PinkLighthouse.com forum Moderators and Administrators may move threads and replies to the most appropriate forum often without notice to the member who started a thread
Deleting Posts and Closing Threads: The PinkLighthouse.com Forum Administration has the right to close or remove any post or thread we deem inappropriate. The decision to close or delete a post/thread is solely ours. Posts that create an unnecessary amount of conflict and serve no further purpose may be closed at the Administrator or Moderator's discretion.
Administration Dispute Resolution: If you are having a problem on the PinkLighthouse.com forum that you feel you cannot solve by any other means available to you, we invite you to contact the Administrators via PM or email. (Laura J., a.k.a. UYC). The Administrator has the final say with anything in this community.
Contact Information: Please be sure that if you change your personal email address that you do so here at the PinkLighthouse.com forum as well. If you lose your password in the future, you will need to have a current and valid email address in your profile to receive the lost password, and verify any changes with the Administrator.
Oh...and one more thing: HAVE FUN!
Laura J.
The PinkLighthouse.com Forum Administrator
