Forum Rules

for a neighborhood website

[BruceDowns]

Our neighborhood is putting together a website. I was asked to come up with rules for forum section of the site. The HOA does not want people to post their troubles, if any, that they maybe experiencing with the builder.

Please list the rules that you think are the most important? Thanks.

[buksida]

I based my rules on the ToS here, very comprehensive. I took a few out but basically they're that same: no filth, no abuse/flaming, no advertorial posts, no griping at the Admin publically (my personal fave), privacy policy etc etc.

[Casethejoint]

What is your concern abour posting directly your concerns about the builder? Is there a legal risk?

[trillianjedi]

Is there a legal risk?

Yes there would be.

Always dangerous terriatory.

TJ

[BruceDowns]

Thanks buksida. What I am looking for is wording I could use concerning "not posting possible problems with builders".

I'm thinking something like "Issues about builders and/or developer should not be discussed in the message board. This is out of respect for the parties or policy involved.

Any suggestions?

[BruceDowns]

Casethejoint, The developer is still running the show, atleast until 70% of the homes are sold.

He is concerned that people will use the forum section as a means for #*$!ing.

[Casethejoint]

Concerning ToS etc: WW's ToS inspired our own, but we used the OECD's privacy statement generator (Google it) to get a comprehensive PS. You'll probably also want a copyright statement of some sort.

re: TJ's comment above

If there is no outlet for discussing the progress the developer is making, and the kind of common troubles residents are having, then there's a risk it'll become "the elephant in the room" that everyone knows is there, but won't talk about. This could quickly make your forum kind of peripheral to the community.

[trillianjedi]

A good point CaseTheJoint, but I think it really depends on how it's handled.

You do not want flame wars breaking out, or potential libel issues from users making false statements about builders. That's the risk.

The right way to handle it is to explain the reasons why such comments are outside the scope of the forum, and should be taken up direct with the builders/tradesmen, or ultimately with a lawyer.

In general I find that as long as members understand the concept behind a forum rule, they're quite happy to abide by it.

TJ

[Casethejoint]

Hey TJ - Perhaps I'm going off-topic here, but isn't there is place to negotiate a mid-point with the developer, and use such a forum to create the sort of safety valve that diffuses litagation and tempers flaring.

They could respond to legitimate criticism, users could be made more aware of good faith efforts that are being made to address said concerns, and the forum is structured and operated so as to ensure that users are clear that the space is no different from a public meeting. There's no need to kow-tow entirely to the developer on this matter.

Ah, the utopia I live in!

Case (with rose-tinted specs on)

[trillianjedi]

(with rose-tinted specs on)

Hehe - actually, you could always go that way. It's possible, but it's a legal minefield and would require some intensive moderation.

Personally I think mediation should not be a public affair.

TJ

[Casethejoint]

Less mediation, more "confidence building" - a public process of reassurance and early warning of the nasty problems that may be down the line. Something to get over that sense of powerlessness that residents may have.

Anyhow, I'm beginning to think that I'm not being of much help to BruceDowns here with this "Stick It To The Man" schtick.

[BruceDowns]

Everyone thanks for your input. I want to make sure that we do this forum/message board right from the beginning. If you don’t mind, please take a look and give feed back.

I know I'm asking a lot. Thanks in advance,
Bruce

Welcome to the message board! This section of the web site is designed for residents of ____ to communicate with their neighbors. It's a place where you can post items for sale, missing items, found items, babysitting needs, etc. Please do not post personal opinions or negative communication here. If you have questions or comments concerning our neighborhood, please forward them to the appropriate party for a proper response.

Please read the Message Board Rules before posting. Your use of our message board constitutes your acceptance of the rules.

Welcome.
The ___ Message Board is intended to be a fun, friendly and informative place where you and your neighbors can gather. The cornerstone value of our community is mutual respect and the most important rule is to treat others with the respect and dignity you'd expect yourself. Remember, when you visit ___ you are a guest in our online home. Please act as you would in a friend's living room with children present.

Members are Responsible for their Posted Messages.
The real-time nature of these forums makes it impossible for us to review or monitor messages and we are not responsible for any messages posted. All messages express the views of the author.

___ admin’s reserves the right to delete any message for any reason whatsoever. Any user who feels that a posted message is objectionable is encouraged to contact us immediately by email. We have the ability to remove objectionable messages and we will make every effort to do so within a reasonable time frame if we determine that removal is necessary. ___ admin’s reserves the right to reveal whatever information we know about you in the event of a complaint or legal action arising from any message you post. The laws that apply in the offline world must be obeyed online. We have zero tolerance for illegal behavior and we will cooperate with law enforcement on such matters.

Freedom of Speech and Online Conduct.
You cannot post any material which is obscene, vulgar, hateful, religiously disrespectful, potentially libelous, racist, sexually oriented, threatening or defamatory. These limitations include posts about builders and or developer issues, these matters should be dealt with individually between the parties involved and not on the Message board.

These limitations are not unusual as similar rules can be found at workplaces, schools, courtrooms and probably in your own home. When you register for these forums you agree to abide by these rules and voluntarily agree to restrict your own rights in exchange for receiving this service.

Common sense and basic etiquette should guide your online conduct. Debate and disagreement are normal as long as it doesn't become discourteous. You may dispute opinions and facts, but do so with facts and information that focuses on the issue and not on the person. Personal attacks and flaming are not allowed and they are defined as comments that reflect upon a person instead of their opinion.

Staying on Topic.
Please make sure that your posts stay on the topic that was originally posted. If you come up with a pressing question on another subject feel free to start a new topic. We understand that at times discussions will drift away from the original message but please remember that the person that started the topic had a specific reason to do so.

Message Board Information and data.
You agree not to copy, publish, distribute or create derivative works based on the contents of these forums unless you have written permission from ___ admin’s. As a user you agree to any information you have entered above being stored in a database. While this information will not be disclosed to any third party without your consent ___ cannot be held responsible for any hacking attempt that may lead to the data being compromised.

Review Changes Periodically.
___ admin’s reserves the right to change these Rules and Guidelines from time to time. Your continued use of the Message Board directly or indirectly, constitutes your acceptance of any changes. It is your sole responsibility to check these rules periodically and remain up-to-date with the changes.

[seamus]

When joining a forum you will generally have to agree to a “Terms of Use” that will tell you that you alone are liable for any statements you make.

How true is this?

Is it more likely that the forum owner would be liable?

[Casethejoint]

BruceDowns --

Looks good to me. Quite diplomatic concerning the builders. I wonder whether it would be better to have two separate documents: a "what you can do", and a "what you can't".

Also, it is quite long: will you produce a punchy 1-liner with the basics in? Something like: "Fooville, population [number of users] - No spitting, no profanity, no complaining about builders. This is a polite neighbourhood" ...

Seamus --

Have a read of this thread:

[webmasterworld.com...]

One of our fellow WW users has been dragged into a legal dispute about content on their forum.

With all this Web2.0 jibber jabber going on, and an ever increasing degree of participation by users in content creation, isn't it rubbish that there isn't a decent and authoritative resource that explains the legal implications/angles/requirements of forums and the like?

[BruceDowns]

Casethejoint -- I agree it is long. I was thinking of showing this part of the rules with the bold part shown below as a link to the rest of the rules. We are a new neighborhood with about two years of construction left. I can understand the developers concerns.
- - - - -
Welcome to the message board! This section of the web site is designed for residents of ____ to communicate with their neighbors. It's a place where you can post items for sale, missing items, found items, babysitting needs, etc. Please do not post personal opinions or negative communication here. If you have questions or comments concerning our neighborhood, please forward them to the appropriate party for a proper response.

Please read the Message Board Rules before posting. Your use of our message board constitutes your acceptance of the rules.
- - - - -
Thanks for the link, pretty scary. I really do want this to be a polite neighborhood.

[Casethejoint]

Legal issues aside, the important thing from a practical point of view is to make sure that people know one or two key things about the forum, so you're not endlessly modding first posts that begin "Builders = Satan's Little Helpers". If the key info's buried, your users'll treat it like most of us tend to treat EULAs ("I agree"). So, yes, nice idea to have a that para separate.

WW also has this nice "Welcome Message" for first posters - not sure if a mod posted it in response to your first post:

[webmasterworld.com...]

Just reinforces the ideas contained in the Posting Guidelines / Terms of Service, and gives some handy tips to help you get the most out of the site.

[rogerd]

"Personal opinions and negative communication" is kind of broad - most posts WILL contain some kind of personal opinion, and it's not realistic to expect unfailingly positive and optimistic comments.

You should get an attorney to review your TOS - don't rely on forum feedback to craft a legal document. Having said that, I'd do something along the lines of, "This forum is not the place to raise customer service or other issues regarding the construction of your home - questions and comments of this nature should be addressed directly with _____."

Here's another example from this forum's TOS: "This forum system is not a venue for personal or private vendettas. Keep your personal business as just that - personal. This forum is not a venue for the resolution of personal disputes with members or companies."