Table Of Contents
Introduction
A. Content & Fair Use
B. Advice Disclaimer
C. Appropriate Content & Behavior
D. Commercial Advertisments
E. Spamming
F. Common Sense & Courtesy
Introduction
1 Welcome to the network of websites, better known as the AquaDot Network (ADN). By using DiscusForums.com, or any of the ADN websites, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE CONDITIONS OF USE (explained below), LEGAL NOTICES, PRIVACY POLICY, specific disclaimers, and 'terms and conditions' that appear elsewhere on DiscusForums.com, or any of the ADN websites.
2 DiscusForums.com, and the ADN, reserves the right to make changes to this document, User Agreements, and Legal Notices at any time. Every time you use DiscusForums.com, or any other ADN website, you should visit and review the current User Agreement, Legal Notices and Privacy Policy that apply to your transactions and use of this site. If you are dissatisfied with an ADN website, its content or User Agreement and Legal Notices, you agree that your sole and exclusive remedy is to discontinue using DiscusForums.com, or any other ADN website.
3 Tampering with the site, subverting security, creating multiple ID's, misrepresenting the identity of a user, using agents or conducting fraudulent activities on the site are prohibited. Violations may result in any or all accounts and/or access to being removed from DiscusForums.com, or other ADN sites and resources.
4 DiscusForums.com, the ADN, and its staff, retain the right to remove any user for any reason. If a former member feels they were removed wrongly, please contact the administrator of DiscusForums.com, or any other ADN site to address. If you are unable to contact the site administrator, please contact an administrative staff member of the ADN by using the contact form found at http://www.aquadotnetwork.com.
A. Content & Fair Use:
1 All content contained on any ADN website is copyrighted by DiscusForums.com, the ADN, and respective authors, unless otherwise noted. Re-printing without prior written consent is prohibited. Material from other websites is also copyrighted. Please do not copy material from other websites in a submission to DiscusForums.com, or any other ADN site without permission from the author or the website, unless credit is prominently displayed and conforms to any usage policy they may have.
2 Images, articles, and other content may be used freely, unless otherwise noted, with the following conditions:
1. The images and/or content are un-altered.
2. Credit is given to the original author and/or photographer.
3. A hyper link to the original work is included.
3 We would also ask that you make an attempt to contact the author to inform them of the use of their content. While we ask this out of common courtesy, we realize that it is not always possible. Contacting the author is optional, but please be considerate.
4 Violating copyright laws is a serious offence and is classified as a felony in some cases by United States and Australian federal courts. Any violation of copyrights held by DiscusForums.com, the ADN, or content author, will be vigorously pursued. If you have questions about our copyright policy, please read: DiscusForums.com :: Copyright & Trademark Notice
B. Advice Disclaimer:
1 DiscusForums.com is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. The contents are the views and opinion of the author and/or his associates. The members and staff of DiscusForums.com, or any ADN site, are giving their advice based on their experience, research and knowledge. Each member must weigh the advice given, and we encourage the member to do independent research and come to his/her own conclusion.
2 We would like to alert you that the purpose of DiscusForums.com, and the ADN family of websites, is to provide you with information only. We DO NOT intend to substitute for a veterinary professional or for your own good judgment. The ultimate responsibility for any treatment or procedure is yours.
C. Appropriate Content & Behavior:
1 DiscusForums.com, and all ADN sites are family-oriented sites intended for people of all ages and skill levels to come learn and share their experiences. Profanity, insults, personal attacks, or posts of this nature will not be tolerated. If you engage in such a post, it will be edited or removed, and you will receive a warning. If it continues to occur, you may have your account removed.
2 DiscusForums.com, or other ADN sites, may contain forums listed as "Adult" or have very explicit notices of exceptions to this policy, which may require verification before being allowed to participate. If this is the case, the exceptions to the Content & Behavior policy will be posted clearly in the topic description of that forum.
3 Obscene, libelous, or copyrighted material from other published sources posted without permission will be immediately removed. We ask that you express only your opinions and experiences in assessment of products and services. Trashing/bashing of any individual or company leaves DiscusForums.com, and the ADN, open to liability, which cannot be tolerated.
4 Links to pornographic or inappropriate sites will not be tolerated, nor will we tolerate links to sites that advertise inappropriate material. Any such post will result in the deletion of that post, and the user will be warned. DiscusForums.com, or ADN staff, reserve the right to remove any link at any time for any reason.
5 Copyrighted content will not be permitted to be posted to an ADN website without express permission by the copyright holder. This includes images of fish you may have obtained from a breeder. Please be aware that just because you purchase a fish does not grant you ownership of said images provided by the breeder. The original copyright still holds in tact, and you will need to have permission to use them. If you have questions or want assistance with how to handle breeder supplied images, please see section D, Commercial Advertisements - paragraph 3, for additional help.
6 If you ever are concerned, have a question, or a problem with a post, please notify a moderator and/or Admin for resolution in lieu of addressing it yourself. It's best to not involve yourself if a problem is occurring.
D. Commercial Advertisements:
1 DiscusForums.com, and all ADN websites, include commercial sponsors to help burden the cost of providing completely free resources for you to use. The ADN is extremely mindful of who we allow as commercial sponsors for the express purpose of ensuring that you, as a user, can be confident that sponsors you are exposed to on ADN sites and resources are reputable, and are personally recommended by the staff and administration. We will never advertise a product, service, or resource that we would not use or recommend personally to you. For this reason, we do not allow links or references to commercial breeders, importers, retail establishments, or websites by non-sponsors on any ADN websites without express permission or approved through our sponsor program.
2 Commercial references not allowed on ADN sites includes, but is not limited to, links to websites, banner images, commercial signatures, images that include links to commercial websites or references to commercial entities, or promotional text referencing a commercial establishment. This DOES NOT include individual posting links to commercial products, websites, auctions, or other commercial material in reply to a question or inquiry relating to the question at hand. This exception can be reviewed or revoked at any time if it is apparent that the individual is abusing this exception for the express purpose of marketing a particular product and/or service, or using the opportunity to link to a commercial resource to skirt the Commercial Advertisement policy. This equates to spamming, and will be treated as such.
3 Violations of this policy also include posting commercial sales of products within designated "Classifieds" areas of a given site. Classified areas, unless specifically noted, are for individual sales of personal stock and products. These areas are designated for individual trading of goods and services to enable hobbyists to help one another or to provide sponsors the ability to post sales and specials that benefit the community. Individuals posting repeated listings of products, or large group sales of products (without prior approval), will be considered commercial entities, and will be treated as such.
4 In addition, a common issue is the use of pictures obtained from a breeder of fish you've purchased. Posing a picture of your fish for review is fine, but it must fall within the content guidelines, as well as adhering to the Commercial Advertisement guidelines. The best way to remedy issues with pictures of fish you've purchased, but received a picture from a breeder with disallowed links and/or content, is to first obtain permission to use the image and permission to remove their website URL, and company name. The breeder, or original copyright holder, may keep their name on the picture for copyright purposes.
5 You can request a version of the image with only the copyright holder's name from the breeder directly, or ensure you have permission to crop the picture to only include the copyright holder's name. We have many individuals that are proficient with photo editing and are more than happy to assist you with removing any information, as long as you receive permission from the copyright holder first. Please be aware, we reserve the right to disallow an image even after obtaining permission from the original copyright holder, regardless if a modified image is provided. You may wish to check with an administrative staff member to verify a modified image will be allowed. Please see section D, paragraph 8, for additional details.
6 Special permission may be granted to large-scale hobbyist-oriented breeders, or other entities, to post information on DiscusForums.com, and other ADN resources, relating to their operations, breeding programs, stock, or additional information. Special approval will be provided by ADN administration, and must be obtained before posting information. Please contact any administrative staff member directly to receive information on obtaining special permission. Once approved, you will be given special status to indicate that you are an approved commercial breeder, and can then post approved information.
7 Other commercial operations may obtain permission by purchasing a commercial sponsorship. Commercial sponsorship packages are quite inexpensive, and provide a host of additional benefits besides the ability to post as a commercial entity on all core ADN websites. To learn more about ADN sponsor packages, please contact an administrative staff member on any ADN site.
8 DiscusForums.com, and the ADN, are private organizations. We reserve the right to disallow specific individuals, companies, websites, or other entitles having links, references, images, or other material relating to a specific person or organization on DiscusForums.com, or any other ADN resource. We are not required to provide a reason why an entity or specific organizations are not allowed to participate in commercial sponsor agreements, or obtain special permission as indicated above. Decisions are final, and may only be re-reviewed at the discretion of the ADN administrative group.
E. Spamming:
1 Spam is repeated posting of the same message, promoting some particular message, or posting of websites, information, or content with the express purpose of redirecting users to another site while offering up no helpful advice whatsoever. First-post users spamming will be warned and/or removed depending on the severity. Offenses by established members will be addressed with a warning, and possible removal of individuals accounts based on severity.
2 Just be considerate. While we do not want to restrict posting of good reference material, we also don't want every response to be "See my site at www.blahblah.com for answers" as a constant reply. At least share the information, and if you want then reference your site. For example "Yes the doohickey fits into the thingamabob at a 45 degree angle. For more information, you can see the diagrams I have at www.blahblah.com."
3 Another form of spam is username spamming. Please do not use usernames that point to a web address. The only exception to this rule is registered businesses. Businesses that are providing assistance, with approval, may be allowed to use their business name as their username (which in turn may be their web address).
4 Lastly, signature spamming is another forum of spamming. Each site may have its own restrictions on signature size and text. For the most part, we ask that you keep your signature at a maximum of 100px in height. This normally includes a standard 468x60 banner and a couple lines of text, or 6-8 text lines or less. Do not use your signature as a method of advertising services or products. The only exceptions to this are Supporters who are running member-specific discounts.
F. Common Sense & Courtesy:
To put it simply, just be courteous and use common sense when participating on DiscusForums.com, or any other ADN site. That will cover you 99% of the time.
Thanks for visiting and enjoy your stay!
|
|
