Tailfeathers Network: Rules

[Dan]

The Tailfeathers Network is a network dedicated to birds. We are here to help all bird owners learn about their birds, how to properly take care of them, and more. Bird owners can get ask questions at our message board, view pictures and submit their own pets' pictures to the gallery, read articles with great information and tips, chat with other bird lovers, and much more.

Please take the time to read the following rules and guidelines carefully to ensure a good experience at Tailfeathers and its other parts.

By posting and using this message board as well as the rest of the network, you agree to these rules.

Treatment of Others

No insulting or rude comments will be tolerated, regardless of the circumstance. Be courteous to fellow members.

Discrimination of any sort, regardless of a person's race, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, national origin, status, or disability, will not be tolerated.

Treat everyone with respect.

We expect everyone to act maturely. Thus, making fun of others, among other things, will also not be tolerated.

For those of us who have birds, keep in mind that we were all beginners once. Treat new bird owners nicely and remember that no questions are "dumb" or "silly," as you would expect yourself to be treated if you were in their position.

Etiquette

The following is from our netiquette, partly written by former featherjinxer.

#1 Capitalizing, Punctuation, and Grammar

Typing in all caps is considered shouting. Who wants to read a post where the person screams at you the entire time? The majority of users simply ignore those posts, and any valuable information is lost. Please thus refrain from typing in all caps, though of course this can sometimes be relevant for emphasis.

Use correct spelling and grammar. We understand not everyone has the best spelling or grammar -- and of course, plenty of members do not have English as their native language -- and thus tolerance and understanding when it comes to spelling and grammar should also be shown to fellow member. Tailfeathers supplies a spell check. When posting, just click it, and double-check what you have written- it can prevent many misunderstandings.

Finally, type in complete sentences and use spell check, please! Incomplete, fragmented sentences, cryptic, text/sms talk, jumpy thoughts are hard to read. Do skip a line between paragraphs, it makes the message infinitely easier to read. The written word is a wonderful medium of communication, so use it to its fullest potential!

#2 Smilies

I'm sure everyone enjoys the cute smilies. However, they lose their cuteness and effectiveness VERY quickly if overused. Generally, there should be no more than three per reply. Emoticons can help to convey much, but if not used appropriately they can convey a sense of immaturity and inconsideration to a reply that is meant to be taken seriously.

#3 HTML Formatting

HTML formatting refers to the bold, italicized, underlined, font-size, color, and font in posts. Again, this heavily emphasizes the tone of the message, as well as its intention. A large font size conveys yelling. Constantly switching colors is VERY hard to read, and most will simply skip the post. Use discretion when applying the HTML formatting -- you don’t want the purpose of your post to be lost, or ignored!

#4 Subject Headers

Subject headers- the name of the post you may decide to click on. Giving your post an appropriate title makes a HUGE difference in the type, and length of responses, which you will receive. Chose a title that concisely conveys the question you will ask. If you want to know about what different diseases affect budgies, and how to prevent them, the post would be titled something like “Budgie Disease and Prevention.” For me, it is easier to write the post, and then look for the line that asks the question- that contains your title. Titles like “HELP” or “URGENT DYING” instead of “Throwing Up” usually have the reverse affect- people will avoid these posts. Usually, once the post is posted, the title should NOT be changed unless it is by the original poster. It can become very confusing when a post is constantly changing titles-some of us go by the responses' title! You are much more likely to receive a response if you title it appropriately, then someone who has knowledge in that field is much more likely to stop by!

#5 Signatures

Signatures, aka custom signatures, can be cute, and a way expressing a bit of your personality to your posts. They will not be discussed here but rather later on in this post -- keep reading.

#6 Acronyms

Usually, they are not used when posting; acronyms are a chat room medium. Use these with great discretion-and be prepared to explain what they stand for. Over usage-more than two or three per message- results in you being perceived as a major newbie! Some of the more commonly used ones I have noticed on Tailfeathers are as follows.

TF = Tailfeathers
IMO = In My Opinion
IMHO = In My Honest Opinion
LOL = Laughing Out Loud
ROTFL = Rolling On the Floor Laughing
BRB = Be Right Back
NTM = Not to Mention
FYI = For Your Information

#7 Copyright and E-Mail

Tailfeathers has a copyright policy (and general disclaimer) -- please respect it (see below for it). Everything posted IS copyrighted; do not use it anywhere without citing your source, and if in doubt, check with a staff member. When posting information on Tailfeathers from another source, please cite it!

Remember, a member has the ability to say anything they want-they can pass themselves off as anyone, or anything. If something seems fishy, don’t trust it. If you should receive any inappropriate or offensive e-mail from a Tailfeathers member, contact a Moderator or Administrator about it. You will need the original offending e-mail that was sent to you, so do NOT delete it!

#8 FAQ

Tailfeathers has a list of Frequently Asked Questions in the Budgie and Cockatiel forums, so be sure to go there and have a read through them all before you make any posts. It is likely that the questions posted in there will answer some questions you have (and maybe some you didn't even think to ask!) and saves constantly going over the same topics. Of course, if your question is not adequately answered there, feel free to post about it!

#9 Spamming and Flaming

Flaming is posting insulting criticisms, name-calling, and rude remarks aimed at a particular user to incite anger. Such as “Well that is a [insert choice expletive] of an opinion, you are a [expletive] of a moron, etc.

Spamming is posting repeated identical posts to a wide variety of places- such as asking the same question on each forum, or advertising a website. Spamming is not acceptable at any place on the Internet.

Neither of the above are allowed. See below for more on this.

Posting

Besides everything mentioned above, please also respect the following.

Keep topics on topic. Make new topics when you want to talk about something different.

Post one question in one forum only. There is no need to post a question in several forums as it will get an answer in the forum it was posted in and posting it in several forums will just confuse people trying to answer your question.

Read the titles and descriptions of the forums to find the best place to make your thread. Subjects will get more attention from the right people in their correct forum. If you make a post in the wrong forum, simply ask for it to be moved -- don't make a second post.

Keep your messages clean. This board has a strict filter, but unfortunately, there are ways to get through it; don't try to find those ways.

Please do not post for the only purpose of increasing your post count; only-emoticon replies and similar things should be avoided.

Please do not ask for answers to your questions to be sent to your email address and please do not post your email address asking people to email you if they have questions about birds. We would like all questions and answers to stay on the message board so that the information shared can benefit the whole community.

Reporting Posts

The message board has a reporting system in place; if you see a rude/bad post, you can report it to the Tailfeathers staff by clicking the red triangle found on the bottom left area of the post. This should only be used in the case of inappropriate posts; abusing this system is not allowed. One can also report things such as profile photo comments and more -- just look for the red triange!

Custom Titles

Tailfeathers allows users to set their own custom titles (a small line of text that shows under a member's username in all the member's posts and in the member's profile). Do not use any bad language or write anything offensive here; we reserve the right to change and/or completely edit out any inappropiate custom titles.

Tailfeathers staff have either the word "Administrator" or "Moderator" in their titles. These words are banned from user use, but it is still possible to allude to being a Tailfeathers moderator/staff/official -- don't do this.

Advertising & Selling Animals

Advertising is not allowed at Tailfeathers.

However, posting links when it is relevant in posts, to help others or to show them something for example, is accepted. There is a difference between such links and advertising; links posted purely for advertisement purposes will be removed. The decision on this distinction will be up to each individual moderator.

Note that it is okay if you have a link to your boards and sites in your custom signature in forums that have custom signatures enabled.

At Tailfeathers Network, the well-being of our members' birds is a top priority. In order to ensure that members receive honest, quality advice, there are rules and restrictions regarding business and advertising on the boards. This includes the sale of live animals. While members are free to seek help on the boards if they need to rehome their animals, we do not permit advertisements or commercial listings made for the purpose of *selling* animals.

Custom Signatures

No adult, racist, mean, rude, etc. images or text will be allowed in signatures. Links to websites containing such content are also prohibited. All rules of etiquette that apply to posting on Tailfeathers Network also apply to custom signatures.

The entire custom signature should fit into a box that is 630 pixels wide by 250 pixels tall. Within that box, members may use images, text, and links. However, members should limit their use of large font sizes or excessive amounts of text that may detract from the content of a post.

Any images used in a signature should be small. The size of an image cannot be bigger than 300 pixels wide or 200 pixels tall, though if it is really short it may be a bit wider. Members have two other size options to choose from: *instead of* a 300x200 image, a user might opt to include a 400x150 image, or a 500x120 image. Members cannot have a 300x200 image *in addition to* a 400x150 image, nor can they have a 400x200 image, etc. Members are free to use images that are smaller than the maximum sizes stated above; as long as the images fit within one of these three maximum sizes, it is fine.

Regardless of which maximum size is chosen, the combined size of all images used in a signature must fall within that maximum. In other words, you may have one 300x200 image OR two 300x100 images. It is not permitted to have two 300x200 images. Please refer to the visual examples below.

Animated images are allowed. However, members should have no more than two separate animated image files in their signature.

The combined file size for all images in a signature, animated or otherwise, should not exceed 100KB. If you are unsure about the size of your image, right-click on your image and select "Properties." The following screen will tell you the image's dimensions (in pixels), as well as the file size (in KB).

If you have a custom signature that violates these rules, please redo it. Keep in mind that you can take your signature off specific posts by unchecking "Show your signature" under "Additional Options" when posting.

Moderators retain the right to remove or change any signature that fails to meet these guidelines. At their own discretion, moderators are also allowed to ask a member to change their signature if they feel it is too large or otherwise inappropriate, even if the signature is not explicitly against these written rules.

To see examples of acceptable signatures, please see this post.

Trolls and Spammers

Trolls are people that come to the board whose only intent is to harass members.

Spammers are people who either post unsolicited commercial spam (i.e. Great rate on homes!! or Make free money!!) or people who post advertisements with the intent of flooding forums.

Tailfeathers does not tolerate spammers and trolls. We will do everything in our power to make sure that spammers and trolls do not reach our network site and message board, but in the case that they do, they will be immediately banned and their content removed.

Tailfeathers wants to stay a friendly and great place for our users, and thus trolls and spammers will not be tolerated under any circumstance.

As mentioned, insulting of other members, rudeness, etc. will not be tolerated as well.

Outcomes of Violations

Members that break rules from now on will receive either a warning or an infraction. All members are entitles to receive TWO warnings before receiving an infraction. A warning is nothing more than that; a warning. If a member breaks the same rule two more times, they will then receive an actual infraction. (Breaking a different rule will result in a new warning, this time for that rule; however, it has to be a completely different type of rule, for example something relating to advertising versus something related to rudeness.)

Once two warnings have been issued, the member is never entitled to a warning within this same category of rules. However, the good news for those who have received warnings and infractions in the past is that this new system will only apply starting now, meaning you'll not automatically get an infraction if you have in the past gotten warnings or infractions.

So far the new policies are actually much friendlier than before. However here is where it gets a bit harsher, given that it takes a good amount of rule breaking to actually get an infraction.

Infractions carry points with them. The points range between 1 and 5. 1-point infractions include trying to get around the swearing filter, while 5-point infractions are mostly related to being rude in posts.

When a user reaches five infraction points (which can either take a long time or can be only after one infraction, if it was rudeness), he/she will lose the use of the avatar and signature for three months. If a user reaches ten infraction points, the privilege to PM will also be lost.

The good news is that after three months after an infraction is given, the points are erased from your record. The bad news is, of course, that after receiving two warnings for rudeness for example, any future rudeness will result in, at the very least, the loss of avatars and signatures. This is where the system has become harsher.

We appreciate everyone's understanding in our attempt to keep Tailfeathers a friendly, welcoming community. We hate to have to issue warnings and infractions, and we will often try our very best to not do this or intervene in a thread unless completely necessary, given that we like to allow members to speak freely without a big brother. However, rudeness is not appropriate and will not be tolerated.

(Note that these rules are guidelines that we try to stick by but that moderators are free to do as they wish. This means, most often, maybe simply issuing a warning in a post instead of directed at one specific member via the system. This can of course (though much more rarely) mean jumping straight to an infraction without warnings. Though we always try to err on the side of caution and avoid being the mean guys whenever possible.)

General Disclaimer

All information on the Tailfeathers Network and its corresponding message board [Tailfeathers will hence refer to the Tailfeathers Network, message board], is from both experienced bird owners and new bird owners who offer knowledge from their personal research and past experiences to the Tailfeathers community.

This means that though you will most likely get information from several people while at Tailfeathers, and the information will be as accurate and correct as the Tailfeather's staffs' knowledge, Tailfeathers cannot be held responsible for inaccurate information.

Most Tailfeathers staff members are picked because they are helpful and knowledge bird owners; this does not mean, however, they are are "all knowing" and thus simply because they have the title of moderator does not mean that the information is guaranteed.

Tailfeathers is not responsible for the content and information presented on off-network links.

We do, however, strive to the best of our abilities to make sure that incorrect information is not accredited, and is corrected and/or removed.

Tailfeathers and its staff does not assume any liability for any damages arising from the use or inability to use any and all advice given.

No pornographic or adult-related advertisements shall ever be on Tailfeathers. Besides that, however, Tailfeathers does not review or monitor the content found on our advertisements and we will not be responsible nor liable for what is found on their webpages.

Tailfeathers Message Board Community & Pet Image Gallery Disclaimer

Tailfeathers and its staff reserve the right to ban, change, or remove any member's membership at the Message Board Community or Pet Image Gallery at any time for any reason without prior notice.

Advertisements Disclaimer

No pornographic or adult-related advertisements shall ever be on Tailfeathers. Besides that, however, Tailfeathers does not review or monitor the content found on our advertisements and we will not be responsible nor liable for what is found on their webpages.

Tailfeathers Gold Paid Subscriptions Disclaimer

Tailfeathers Gold Paid Subscriber Subscriptions may be changed at any time without any prior notice. New features and benefits for paid memberships will be added at no extra cost to you, and you will start receiving these features and benefits immediately. In the event of a major outage of the Tailfeathers message board, Tailfeathers may recompense paid subscribers with extra day(s) added to the end of each paid members' subscription (length to be determined based on the outage length), though this is not guaranteed. Your subscription may be removed or revoked at any time without prior notice due to rule violations, banning, or any other reason we see fit. New subscriptions may be added at any time.

If you made your subscription prior to June 9, 2005, your subscription will not renew automatically but you will be alerted when it is about to expire so you may do so manually. If you made your subscription after June 9, 2005, your subscription will automatically renew at PayPal after six or twelve months, depending on your subscription's length, though automatic renewal may be easily and quickly cancelled at PayPal's website; cancelling automatic renewal will not remove your benefits and features but rather just put you back on the former manually-renewing system. While Tailfeathers will try to not change the price of subscriptions and if it were to happen would go up to a vote, we reserve the right to do so at any time without prior notice. Price changes will not affect current subscribers; they will only affect new subscribers and those subscribers renewing under the manual system. Automatically-renewing subscribers will keep their old price permanently. Those under the manual system may ask to be transferred to the automatic system at any time.

Subscriptions are non-refundable, though members may purchase or transfer a subscription to any other member at any time by simply asking the administrator.

Notice Regarding the Rules

These rules are in place at all times and at all places of the Tailfeathers Network and may be modified at any time without prior notification.

These rules were last modified on September 5, 2009. We expect you to come read this post each time you see it is updated.

Copyright Policy

All materials found on any parts of the Tailfeathers Network, including posts at the message board, are/become property of the Tailfeathers Network may not be redistributed, published, broadcasted, or copied without the express permission of Tailfeathers.

Copyright © 1999-2009 Tailfeathers Network. All rights reserved.

Comments or Questions

If you have any comments or questions regarding anything in this post, please contact an administrator or a moderator by sending us an private message via our profiles. A full list of

A Final Note

We hope that you enjoy the board, that you have fun here, and that you find the board helpful!

Thank you for reading and once again, enjoy the board.

Sincerely,
The Tailfeathers crew

[Dan]

These rules have been updated on June 06, 2005. It has gone under several revisions (though most are minor and are clarifications) and so please review them and make sure you still agree to them. If for some reason you do not agree and wish to have your account terminated with us, you may contact me.

[Dan]

January 17, 2006

Our full rules have now been amended with all the recent updates to our rules, including signature updates. Everything on this page applies and is in effect. Please review them and make sure you still agree to them. If for some reason you do not agree and wish to have your account terminated with us, you may contact me.

[Dan]

Since the Favorite Links forum has been deleted, our rules have been updated regarding our advertising policy. Please see the section "Advertising & Selling Animals" above.

Also, in the same section, we have updated our policy on the selling of live animals. Before, we only technically forbade birds from being sold here; we have now updated our rules to include all animals.

Finally "Outcomes of Violations" has been updated with information on our recently-added warning system (the same information posted when the system was added, and thus this isn't new information).

All changes apply immediately. If you have any concerns, please send me a private message.

Thanks!

[Dan]

The rules have been updated as of today, September 5, 2009. The changes apply immediately.

Changes:
-The etiquette section has been edited to not be nearly as harsh as it was and to reflect our actual stances on this.
-The previous warning system policy has been updated with the actual policy, which was changed a while back.
-Typos have been fixed.

With concerns, please PM me.