AudioKarma Rules

AudioKarma Rules
--------------------------
Welcome to AudioKarma!

To help AK be a safe, fun place for everyone, we reserve the right to restrict and edit content and to refuse service to anyone.


The Basic Rules:

• Be respectful and use common sense.
• Don’t try circumventing the rules.

Specific Rules:

1. Don’t insult others, or engage in name-calling.
2. 'Thread-crapping' (meaning disrespecting the topic or intention of the thread or forum) is not allowed.
3. 'Spamming' results in immediate and permanent banning.
4. Post in the one best forum for your topic; one thread per topic, no duplicates. If you want your post moved to a different location for better focus or response, contact a moderator via DM or the "Report" feature to request such action.
5. No political, religious, racist, sexist, pornographic or excessively profane content. Contact the moderator team for any added guidance.
6. Snobbery and reverse snobbery are equally not allowed.
7. 'Trolling' (inciting controversies) and 'Crusading' (aggressive proselytizing of anything) are not allowed.
8. Conflicts or gripes with other people or other forums do not belong on AK.
9. All questions of value and links to auctions or ads belong in the Dollars and Sense forum.
10. Only one account per user. If you have an account problem, contact an administrator or use the "Contact us" link at the bottom of the forums.

Forum Rules:

Many forums have additional rules or guidelines posted at the top of their pages as ‘Sticky’ threads. Some forums, such as "New Gear", "Dollars and Sense" and "The Cutting Edge", have very strict rules. Please check each forum's 'Stickies' before posting. For questions message the forum moderator or any staff member.


Advertising:

No advertising of any kind (even give-aways) is permitted on AK except under these rules, which are strictly applied:

• You cannot advertise or promote any business, products or services without pre-approval as an AK Vendor.
  • For further information on becoming an approved AK Vendor or Sponsor, contact an admin or use the link or email provided in the "Media kit" link at the top of the Home page
  • AK Vendors and Sponsors have access to the Business and Vendor forum for their product and service ads.
  • AK members who are business owners or are affiliated with a business but are not approved AK Vendors or Sponsors, may provide non-promotional technical and performance information, in response to member requests for such, in the discussion forums. They may not initiate such conversation or use this for promotional purposes in the discussion forums.
• All ads or offers to sell, buy or trade anything by members for member benefit must be in Barter Town. You must be a subscriber to access Barter Town.
• Items to benefit Audiokarma may be offered for sale or auction in the "Giving Back - Items to Benefit Audiokarma" forum.
• Non-Subscribers cannot make offers to buy, sell or trade anywhere on AK, except as noted above in the "Giving Back - Items to Benefit Audiokarma" forum.
• While promotional giveaways are not allowed, non-promotional items may be offered for free in the "Paying It Forward - Items For Free" forum.

Solicitations:

• No solicitations, personal pleas or charitable requests of any kind are allowed, anywhere on the site, and don't reference ads elsewhere.
• AK does not qualify or endorse any charity or personal cause, except those AK supports directly in the 'AK Charities & Christmas' forum.

Application:

Everything above applies to every aspect of AK: your avatar, user title, signature, content of posts, the chat room, visitor and private messages, and emails sent via AK. PMs and AK-emails remain private unless we receive a copy in a complaint. Links in posts are also covered, so in general you can't link to an ad for a business, a porn site, offensive material, or for the purpose of getting around someone's copyright.

All posted content is licensed to AK, for permanent use on this site. AK may restrict, edit or remove content at will. Posting anyone else's copyrighted material must fall within the copyright fair use rules. If the owner offers the content anywhere else for a charge, it cannot be re-posted in substance here. AK will not assist in violating a copyright, and will remove content upon receipt of a demand by anyone who can demonstrate actual ownership, without argument.

All rules are applied with common sense. If it's really intended to generate business, it's an ad. If it's a link to a funny ad for something not offered for sale on the internet, it's not. If a topic is so controversial that it draws many political responses, it's political. On the other hand, asking for prayers for a loved one isn't a religious controversy.

Moderation:

What may happen if you violate the rules?

• Your post may be edited or removed.
• Blatant or repeated violations can result in being suspended, or permanently banned.

The volunteer moderation staff does their very best to enforce these rules fairly. All questions on AK policy, moderation or staff members must be addressed via AK's Private Message function to a moderator or admin, and comments on moderation may never appear in the public boards.


Thanks for your cooperation and enjoy the forums!