*** Code Of Conduct ***

[admin]

The Stockyard Discussion Forums are more than just another message board! They have become a hub of interactivity for the equestrian community from all backgrounds and disciplines. People have already gained significant knowledge and encouragement, struck up new friendships and rekindled their interest in horses.

The goal of the forums is to allow as many people as possible the opportunity to participate in friendly discussions of topics by providing a fair and neutral space that all members/visitors will find of value through the information exchange.

To ensure the continuing success of our forums and to ensure a positive and friendly experience for all members/visitors the following code of conduct has been implemented:

1. No threatening, harassing, defamatory or abusive remarks. Any adverse opinion or comments in relation to individuals, businesses, organizations, clubs etc. involved in the horse industry are to be kept private and not posted on the forums. We should all do our utmost to protect reputations and livelihoods regardless of our own personal views.

2. No discussion, or challenge, to our editing policy are allowed within the forums.

3. No topics and/or statements which could be used to reflect poorly on our forums or members. Since Stockyard Discussion Forums are visited frequently by many people from all backgrounds and interests we will, if necessary, remove those topics or statements which could tarnish our image.

4. Advertising is not permitted. This includes both commercial, non-profit, and classified ads. We have programs available for organisations, commercial businesses, and an extensive classified ad section. An ad is defined as any post, topic, or blatant attempt to solicit business. An individual may respond, however, to a question on how to contact a business along with responses to inquiries on products or services. Suspicious posts will be removed at our discretion.

5. Members who are argumentative, intolerant, confrontational, and lack respect for others will be removed. While debate is often healthy, habitual debaters and people who seek confrontation will be removed and potentially blocked from making future posts.

6. Never be rude or dismissive about another member’s post(s)! Being rude or dismissive leads to "flaming" and even if it doesn't, it makes many of our forum participants very uncomfortable! Should any member have a problem with someone else’s behaviour towards them in this regard please take it up with the forum administrator rather than trying to deal with it yourself. Warnings will be issued to the offending member and after three warnings the member will be deleted from our member database and their ip address blocked.

The staff responsible for maintaining the integrity of the Stockyard Discussion Forums reserve the right to remove any post, topic, or person for any reason we see fit.

Thank you for your co-operation and participation.

admin

[mod 6]

Chat Lounge Etiquette and Basic Commands

All Members,

The Stockyard Chat Lounge is where our members can come for a chat and make new friends online. Proper etiquette is needed for good relationships and good communication with other people, and it also makes the chat room experience a fun one.

Here are some basic chat lounge rules of proper etiquette that will help your chat lounge experiences be more pleasant for you as well as the others in the lounge.

Rule Number One - This is probably the most important rule. Do not verbally abuse, attack, embarrass, or threaten anyone else in the chat room, no matter what they might say to you. The best way to deal with them is to just ignore them and advise admin or a moderator if one is not present. It should also be noted that our Code Of Conduct also applies to our chat lounge!

Rule Number Two - Do not use obscene, offensive, or sexually explicit language. You don't need to use this kind of language in order to speak to someone or to get your point across to others.

Rule Number Three - Never type your messages in by using all capital letters. On the Internet, this is considered to be screaming or yelling at another person, and, of course, this is nothing short of rude. If you want to *emphasize* a word or phrase, simply type an asterisk in before and then directly after your word or phrase. This is a widely recognised way to get your point across without being rude.

Rule Number Four - When you are entering a chat room, you should always greet everyone whether you know them or not. Be sure to wait until there is a lull in the conversation already in progress, though. Don't interrupt. And, when someone else enters the room, you should make it a point to at least recognise their presence and greet them with a friendly Hi (their screen name)!

Rule Number Five - Don't speak unless you know what the conversation is about first. And, in speaking while in a chat room, don't type in long, detailed messages that will take a lot of time and space. Also, never interrupt someone else. Be patient; you will get your chance to speak.

Please note that our chat lounge is strictly a Discussion Forum members area only!

By following these rules, your chat lounge experiences can be positive ones. You can make new friends and connect with others who share your same interests.

Basic Commands
Parameters which are inside [] brackets are optional.
/nick nickname - Changes your current nick to the given nick.
/away [message] - Leave a message explaining that you are not currently paying attention to IRC.
/quit [reason] - This will disconnect you from IRC and will give the optional message as the reason for your departure. Example - /quit That's all folks!

Thank you for your co-operation and participation.

Enjoy!

Admin
__________________
A good soldier never looks back.

[mod 6]

NO COPYING AND PASTEING FROM CHAT ROOM CONVERSATION UNLESS ITS TO PASS ONTO ADMIN OR MODS FOR THEM TO ATTEND TOO