Being a member here pretty much requires nothing more than using common sense and good morals / ethics when posting. We are a community that is interested in tweaking and troubleshooting PC hardware and software.

Be kind and tolerant towards your fellow forum members, and they will reciprocate. Remember that respect and trust is something you have to earn, acting like a smart-alec is not the way to go.

Finally, do not engage in any illegal discussions, post anything abusive, racist, sexually-oriented, obscene, vulgar, hateful, threatening, or otherwise violative of any laws.

Since there are quite a few clowns that need every last little detail spelled out, the sections below do exactly that.

Welcome to the EXTREME Overclocking Forums. You are expected to use good judgment and common sense when posting, and act like a civilized individual. Members here encompass all ages, and the contents in a post should be suitable as such. These forums are for people who have an interest in PCs, if this is not your primary reason for joining, then you best leave now.

Your use of the forums, message boards, and any other public discussion medium (collectively, the "Forums") hosted by EXTREME Overclocking indicates you ("You") accept EXTREME Overclocking's legal notice, privacy policy, and those terms found on the registration page and in this Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP"). The AUP can be modified at any time, and your continued use of the Forums indicates your acceptance of the modified terms that can be found at http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/faq.php?faq=general_rules. If you do not agree to these terms, then please close your browser and do not visit this site any more!

Please remember that the open and real-time nature of these Forums makes it is impossible for us to vouch for the validity of any content posted. As such, we are not responsible for any messages posted nor the consequences of following any advice offered within Forum posts. The views expressed in the posts you will find in these Forums belong solely to their respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of EXTREME Overclocking, its affiliates, and/or sponsors.

If you find any posts in these Forums to be offensive or objectionable, please report them via the icon that looks like that is contained within each post (if you are a registered member), or use the contact us page and submit the information to a staff member. If we determine that removal of a post or posts is necessary, we will make reasonable efforts to do so in a timely manner. Arguing with the person who made the offensive post accomplishes nothing except getting people banned. It also wastes the staffs' time by having to clean up the mess. We do not care who "started it", if you post something that adds to the argument, then you are just as guilty as they are. So please, do us all a favor and think before you post. If you see something that is inappropriate, click the report post button underneath the post in question, a staff member will handle it as soon as possible.

By using these Forums, you agree to the following:

• Respect the Forum Staff. We provide a free service in our spare time to keep the forum running efficiently; we are not here to make life harder for anyone. Any decision taken by the Administrators and Senior Moderators is final and will be respected.
• You must have a valid email in your profile at all times. This is the only means of contact we have. Having an invalid / non-working email address will result in the suspension of your account until you correct it.
• You are permitted a maximum of one account. Active or inactive, registering multiple accounts is not allowed. Sharing accounts is not allowed. If you choose to ignore this important rule, all your accounts will be disabled. If you have forgotten your login details and are unable to retrieve them via the automated system, do not create a new account, please contact the staff for assistance via the "Contact Us" page, we will be happy to assist you (be sure to provide the relevant details).
• Before you post a question, use the forum search feature to determine whether your topic has already been covered recently.
• Do Not Double Post! If no-one answers your question, bump it (after 24 hrs) rather than posting a new thread again. Posting the same thread in several forum sections is not allowed and also considered immature. Reading the same thing over and over again is the best way to annoy people and the worst way to get answers. Staff members will close or delete all offending threads and you will probably get an infraction. Posts or threads advertising other posts or threads are also seen as cross-posting.
• Bumping, multiple, or repeated non-relevant postings in the same or different forum sections (in order to increase your post count) is not allowed, and will get you banned real quick. So please make sure what you post is relevant content.
• While debating and discussion is fine, we will not tolerate rudeness, insulting posts, personal attacks, bigotry, or purposeless inflammatory posts. We have ZERO TOLERANCE for this and our decision is final in these matters.
• You will not call another member a "fanboy" (or similar) for their like or dislike of a product. If that is all you have to comment on a subject (name calling or simply being rude), then don't bother posting because it will be deleted and you will get banned.
• You will not simply say that something "sucks" (or similar). If you are going to complain about a product / store / whatever, then you better provide some sort of evidence / proof for your statement. Something does not merely suck because you don't like it and think something else is better.
• Simply telling a person to "search Google" or "RTFM" (or similar) does not help them out in the least. If you are going to take the time to post a smug comment like that, than you can link to a google search that you did, with results that are useful. Or if you tell them to read the manual, give them a page number or section heading that they should be looking for.
• You will not post any material that is knowingly false, misleading, or inaccurate.
• You will respect people's right to personal privacy and will not post any personal identifying information (including their real names, contact information, and any other relevant information) within the forum.
• You will not use profanity, nor will you post with language or content that is obscene, sexually oriented, sexually suggestive, pornographic, or violate EXTREME Overclocking community standards nor link to sites that contain such content. The Forum staff shall be the sole arbitrator of what does and what does not violate community standards.
• Posts should be in English only. Non-English posts will be removed. If a message is unreadable due to excessive spelling and / or grammar, it may be removed. We don't ask you to be a 'Spelling Bee' champion, or even an English major, only that you post messages that are legible. Google toolbar has a spell-check option, and Firefox has spell-check built-in too.
• You will not impersonate any person or entity, forge headers or otherwise manipulate identifiers in order to disguise the origin of any posting, nor collect or store personal data about other users.
• Advertising, spamming, flooding, trolling, and site pimping is not allowed. This encompasses all forms of communication on or from this Forum (posts, email, PM, IM, etc). This refers to the use of this site as a redirector or gateway to another site for the purpose of collecting click benefits. More details about this are in the next section below.
• NO YELLING! For those that don't know, this is posting IN ALL CAPS. It's rude and annoying, and if you do it, your post will be removed. Posting in an extremely large font may also result in your message being edited, and/or removed.
• Don't even think of discussing, mentioning, or make references to illegal drugs, piracy, or other illegal activity. We have ZERO TOLERANCE for this and our decision is final in these matters.
• You will not post messages that violate Federal, State, or Local laws which include, but are not limited to, anything that violates a copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, or is bound by NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement). Observe all copyright laws when posting copyrighted material, this is in everyone's best interest. If the material belongs to someone else, credit the original author.
• You will not share, discuss, or distribute illegal/copyrighted software (aka warez), viruses, licenses, registration information, software keys, "cracks," or other information designed to do harm to or allow unlawful access to any computer hardware, software, networks, or any other systems.
• You will not attempt to access any protected sections of the sites or Forums, nor make use of any hacks, cracks, bug exploits, etc. to bypass or modify the features of the forum software.
• You will, if asked by a representative of the Forums, cease posting any content, and/or links to content, deemed offensive, illegal, objectionable, questionable, or in poor taste by the staff of the Forums.
• By posting, you hereby grant us a perpetual, non-exclusive license to the posted content for use online, in print, databases, CD, and any and all other media, whether now known or hereafter created.

At all times, You remain solely responsible for anything found within your posts and agree to indemnify and hold EXTREME Overclocking and its subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, agents, co-branders or other partners, and employees, harmless from any claim or demand, including reasonable attorneys' fees, made by any third party due to or arising out of any material you submit, post to or transmit through the Forums, your use of the Forums, your connection to the Forums, your violation of the AUP, legal notice, or privacy policy, or your violation of the rights of another.

These Terms of Use will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, without giving effect to its conflict of laws provisions or your actual state or country of residence. Any claims, legal proceeding or litigation arising in connection with the Service will be brought solely in Harris County, Texas, and you consent to the jurisdiction of such courts.

These Forums do not and can not review all of the content of every message posted and do not accept responsibility for the contents of any messages. We reserve the right to delete any message and/or restrict posting rights in our Forums for any reason whatsoever. Should you continue to post messages that violate the rules of the Forums, your account may be terminated, your access to the Forums may be banned, and your service provider(s) may be contacted about your behavior. Furthermore, we expressly reserve our rights under the law to take any other actions we deem necessary.

We at these Forums also reserve the right to disclose personal information when required by law or in the good-faith belief that such action is necessary to conform to the edicts of the law or comply with a legal process served on EXTREME Overclocking, protect and defend the rights or property of EXTREME Overclocking's network of sites, or visitors to EXTREME Overclocking, identify persons who may be violating the law, the legal notice, or the rights of third parties, and cooperate with the investigations of purported unlawful activities.

We do not allow unsolicited advertising of any kind on this site! Under US Federal Law: USC 47.5.II.227 we will seek compensation for damages of no less than $500 USD per incident. Texas Penal Code 33.02(a) and Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code - Chapter 143 also consider this act as a felony. Any additional fees from hiring a collection agency and / or legal council will be paid by You.

We do not allow Site Pimping! As mentioned before, Site Pimping refers to the use of this site as a redirector or gateway to another site for the purpose of collecting click, traffic, monetary, or other benefits. This encompasses all forms of forum communication INCLUDING signatures and avatars! Violations of this nature will be dealt with on a case by case basis with anything from simply removing the offending links to possibly a legal lawsuit. If you want to pimp a site, post it on digg or other social link sites.

Members found posting any unsolicited advertisements (especially illegal ones) will be banned, their posts deleted, their IP(s) blocked, their URLs censored, and all relevant information given to the respective hosting companies and / or ISPs, and possibly local and / or federal law enforcement.

You will not collect personal information about forum members for the purpose of sending them any solicitations through other means (email, messaging programs, etc.).

• You can host your sig image locally (ONLY via the Signature Picture system in the UserCP) or remotely (on another server).
  • Do NOT attach your sig image in a thread and link back to it in your sig. This will get you banned.
  • If linking to a remote image, make sure it is a reliable source! Broken images will be removed.
• We do not allow the use of animated images in your sig, it really detracts from the posts, which should be a persons main focus.
• Do not use any font larger than size four (4) - the system will not accept the sig.
• There are other various vBcode tags that are not allowed - just look at the bottom of the Edit Signature page for details.
• Please use common sense and good taste if you *must* post a picture of a woman in your sig or avatar. Pictures of half-naked women, bikini babes, and such will get you infracted or banned. If in doubt, PM Jason for prior approval.
• Anything prohibited in the general rules is also prohibited in sigs.
• Affiliate / Referral / Site Pimping links of any kind are NOT permitted.
• Don't play dumb and post images of a member that has been banned (unless you care to join them).

Disclaimer:

Please remember that EXTREME Overclocking accepts NO responsibility / liability whatsoever for any deals done on this forum. All deals are private transactions between the two individuals negotiating the sale. The staff will try to help out as much as possible in the event a deal goes bad, but understand we have no real legal authority over the matter (more details below).

In more legal terms: You agree to hold harmless and indemnify EXTREME Overclocking and its subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, agents, and employees from and against any third party claim arising from or in any way related to your use of the Service, including any liability or expense arising from all claims, losses, damages (actual and consequential), suits, judgments, litigation costs and attorneys' fees, of every kind and nature. In such a case, EXTREME Overclocking will provide you with written notice of such claim, suit or action.

--------------------------------------------------

Ok, so these are the new and improved FS section rules. Read them VERY carefully as many times as required until you are in no doubt as to what they consist of. Failure to familiarise yourself with the full set of FS section rules WILL lead to infractions/restriction of access to the section, and ultimately permanent loss of the ability to trade on this forum. There is no fooling about in this section, and we will deal with any misdemeanours quickly and effectively. You have been warned.

Also, please, please, please use the REPORT POST feature (represented by this icon ) ASAP to report any spamming, thread trashing, scams, questionable listings, etc. We are going to be really relying on you guys helping us to moderate the section by keeping an eye out for trouble, and actively encourage some degree of self-moderation from users in reminding others of the rules and pointing out rule-breaking to others etc.

The For Sale / Wanting To Buy (FS/WTB) sections are exclusively for the use of all EXTREME Overclocking forum members with a user group of "Regular Member" or higher to use for buying and selling electronic goods and computer hardware.

--------------------------------------------------

Acceptable & Prohibited Items To Buy / Sell:

When we say "Your", that means YOU and only YOU... not "Your friend" or "Your neighbor"... When YOU sell an item, YOU are responsible for the deal and the item's condition and authenticity. If your friend needs to sell something, then let them do it themselves.

Allowed Items

• Your own personal, used COMPUTER-RELATED items.
• Your own personal, used non-computer related items that fit within the following categories:
  • PC & Console video games
  • Photography & Video equipment
  • DVD, Home Cinema & Hi-Fi equipment

Prohibited Items

• "Copied" software, no matter how stated or implied, is not permitted.
• OEM software (This is against the OEM branding EULA)
• Game / Online Accounts or virtual items. (i.e. you can NOT sell your WoW character or some item in an online game)
• Chipped or modded games consoles
• Mobile Phones
• Car Stereo/Audio Equipment
• Music CDs

NO ITEMS OF ANY OTHER FORM OR CATEGORY ARE TO BE OFFERED OR SOLD WITHIN THIS SECTION. ALL THREADS CONTAINING ITEMS NOT FITTING THOSE CATEGORIES WILL BE DELETED WITHOUT WARNING. If you are unsure about an item please contact the forum staff prior to posting it and we will get back to you with a definitive answer. If your item is allowed, please place a note next to it saying, "Approved by ..." so that one staff member can verify it with the person that approved it.

--------------------------------------------------

Mandatory Rules:

The following rules MUST be adhered to when creating a FS thread, no exceptions!

Include the following in the first post in the For Sale forum:

• A descriptive title with proper tags!
  • You should have one of the following tags at the beginning of your listing:
    • For Sale - FS: .....
    • For Trade - FT: ....
    • Wanting To Buy - WTB: ....
    • Wanting To Trade - WTT: ....
    • Free Item - Free: .....
• A price (Optionally you can include text like "Firm", "Negotiable", "Or Best Offer", etc). Auction style listings are not allowed.
• A photograph with everything that will be shipped, taken by you with your forum user name written on a piece of paper.
  • Only required if the item's value is above $50 USD and your iTrader rating is less than 5.
    • You don't need a picture if your iTrader is 5 or higher, regardless of price.
    • If your iTrader is below 5 and the item is under $50 then you don't need a picture.
    • If your iTrader is below 5 and the item is $50 or more, then you do need a picture.
  • If a staff member requests that you post a picture of your item, then you must comply. This supercedes any iTrader rating or price of the item... period.
  • Potential buyers may request pictures before making a bonding commitment to purchase the item (to verify seller actually has item and in stated condition and such).
• A full description of the item and as much additional information as you can provide on technical specifications. Make it easy for buyers to see what they are looking at.
• Acceptable forms of payment.
• Estimated Shipping costs should be labeled in the listing, and should be reasonable & fair. Alternatively, you may have a note saying "Shipping quotes available upon request".
• List of shipping carriers you use (Postal Mail, UPS, FedEX, DHL, etc...)
• State the condition of item (new / used / dead / powers up only / unknown) , and how you will handle returns (As-Is, Non-DOA, 7 Day Right of Return, etc).
• Location of item (country), and where you will ship the item to (i.e. just your country, or worldwide).
• Any additional details/terms of the sale. If you are offering multiple items or a whole computers and you do not wish to split - then say so to avoid people posting asking for specific items. Otherwise please post individual prices for each and every item.

Include the following in the first post in the Wanting To Buy forum:

• A descriptive title!
• A full description of the item you are looking for, and as much additional information as you can provide.
• A price (or price range) is optional but highly recommended. Let people know you are serious.
• Acceptable forms of payment.
• Your location (country).
• Any additional details/terms of the sale.

Additional Rules For Item Listing:

• You are allowed a MAXIMUM of TWO threads in EACH of the FS/WTB sections at any one time. This to avoid people having too much going on at once and losing track of what they are doing.
• You are allowed a MAXIMUM of FIFTEEN (15) items TOTAL to list For Sale or Wanted. (i.e. You can have 13 items for sale and 2 wanted = 15 total.)
  • If you are selling a complete PC or bundle of parts it is only one item. If you are willing to split it up then each part MUST be counted separate.
  • If you have several of the SAME IDENTICAL ITEM (i.e. two hard drives, fifty connectors, two sticks of RAM, whatever) they can be counted as one item.
• Do not post derisory offers (ie: stupidly low). Do not ask for packages to be split if the seller has stated they do not want to split the system(s) / kits. Keep such comments and offers for PM.
• Do not post links to eBay auctions! If people want to buy on eBay, they would be browsing eBay and not our classifieds...
• NO THREAD BUMPING WHATSOEVER - No disguised bumping. If a post is considered by the moderators to be a disguised bump to raise their thread within the 24-hour price-drop period, then their decision is final and you will receive an infraction.
• Price drops are allowed but must be spaced 24 hours apart ie: you may drop the price of items 24 hours after first posting the thread, and then every 24 hours after this. You are allowed to then post “Price drops” or similar in the thread in order (a regular reply) to notify people and this will then bump the thread.
• When you add a new item to your existing thread, you can post a note in the thread order (a regular reply) to notify people of the additional item(s) and this will then bump the thread.
• A bump will now also include people who just "Register interest" in goods a member is selling in the FS Forum. This is so we can stop arguments between buyers getting too far.
• Do not re-post items that appear in existing threads.
• No threads to 'Test' for sale. You either have the goods for sale - or not.
• Do not commence a selling thread unless you have full possession and entitlement to all goods being sold in that thread, and are immediately able to dispatch the goods. This means that you do NOT sell on behalf of a friend. This also means that you do not sell goods to which you do not yet own or possess. Anyone caught attempting to sell goods which they do not have in their possession or do not own will lose their FS access.
• If you are not buying then DO NOT POST in a thread. The SELLER has the right to advertise what he or she deems to be a product at a reasonable price.
• Trades / Swaps are acceptable, be extremely clear on what you are looking for and how the trade will be handled.
• After 30 days with no activity (replies) a thread will automatically be moved to the archive section.

When an Item Sells or is Found:

• If listing multiple items in your post and one (or more) sells, move the item listing(s) to the bottom of your post and include a note saying is it SOLD and the forum user name to whom it is sold to. In any / all cases if you sell an item the listing info must NOT be removed from the thread!
• Once all your items are sold (and you have put the user name(s) you sold to in the post) and you wish the close the thread, simply prepend [SOLD] or [FOUND] (and ONLY those) to your thread title and it will automatically be moved to the archive section within the hour.
• If you wish to end your thread but have not sold or found the item for whatever reason, then simply prepend [NLS] (No Longer Selling/Seeking) to the thread title and it will be moved.

Examples:

• [SOLD] FS: Lightly Used Opteron 175 w/Retail HS - Never OCed
• [FOUND] WTB: Athlon X2 4400+ S939
• [NLS] FS: Athlon X2 4400+ S939

--------------------------------------------------

Recommended Guidelines for Buying / Selling:

These guidelines have been created to minimise the risks of problems when conducting a deal on the forum. While these are optional and no one is holding a gun to your head telling you to follow them, failure to do so will greatly increase the chances of you encountering problems or at worst case being scammed. We strongly recommend you take note of them.

As soon as you and another party strike a deal then immediately exchange emails and/or PMs providing both parties with the following information.

• Full Name
• Full Address and Postcode
• Telephone Number(s)
• Email Address(es)
• Optional - IM or other alternative contact methods
• Confirmation of details of the trade
• Payment Method
• Clearly state your understanding of when you expect the money and/or goods to be sent

Print out or make a note on paper of the contact details of the other party. If your PC should fail or be subject to data loss, your Internet access get cut off, or similar disaster befall you then you need a way of contacting the buyer/seller. Should there be any delay in completion then both party’s will have full contact details to hand.

Please do NOT approach the mods for assistance if you have neglected to take simple precautions. It is a users responsibility to take their own steps to ensure that the person they are dealing with is genuine. With high value items, confirming a sellers telephone number by giving them a quick call is highly recommended, and is one of the most effective ways to see if someone is genuine.

For payment options PayPal is always recommended as it is fast, secure, and the most widely accepted. Postal Money Orders, Cashiers (Bank) Checks are also relatively safe. It is acceptable to wait to ship the item until the payment clears PayPal or your Bank, be sure to let the buyer know you are waiting and will let them know as soon as it clears and when you ship the item!

Never, never, ever never deal with someone who insists on paying via Western Union or some Escrow service. 99% of the time these are scams and should be reported immediately!

If you are shipping an item, you should ALWAYS get tracking / delivery confirmation, and hopefully insurance on any item with significant value. This is YOUR proof that you shipped the item (and the buyer received it). If you are really unsure about the buyer, then spend the extra for certified or required signature.

If there is a problem with the item after it arrives, TAKE PICTURES. It should be determined if it was damaged in transit (i.e. box is crushed when arrived) or damaged before shipped (DOA item).

--------------------------------------------------

Problem Deals:

If you are having problems concerning a trade, such as not receiving goods or money, then consider the situation very carefully before taking your next action. DO NOT POST ON THE FORUM with your complaints! PM a mod (or preferably multiple mods) with the details and then we will investigate.

However before complaining think to yourself: have you allowed sufficient time for the goods to be sent? Many have been embarrassed due to complaints or comments made only to later find that the sender has been in hospital or otherwise genuinely removed from web access. It happens, that’s life.

If you have followed the recommended guidelines we have set for safe trading then you will have the other party’s following information:

• Full name
• Address
• Email address
• Telephone number

Attempt contact by these means first. If necessary, write to the other party by recorded/signed delivery so that there is no question as to what steps you have taken.

If you continue to have genuine and continuing problems with a trader then inform the mods, providing FULL information concerning the trade, the other party, what was agreed and any contact from the other party. The moderators may be able to help but nothing is guaranteed. It is important that you report any problems as soon as possible as they may represent issues that others are having with an individual, who may then be a scammer.

If the matter cannot be resolved after taking the above steps then the mods may at their discretion suspend the accounts of problem individuals until such a time as any problems have been resolved, or failing that a permaban will be issued in serious cases.

--------------------------------------------------

Rating The Deal:

After you have completed your transaction, it is highly recommended you rate the other person using the iTrader system. This lets others know how many deals the person has engaged in and gives some level of confidence that the person is dependable.

--------------------------------------------------

Listing Items In Sigs:

Please do NOT list items in your signature. We have special code in place that will update a special addition to the sig area with your listings. The links are created from the thread title, so it is imperative you make a descriptive title!

The additional listing info generated by the automated code will NOT count against the signature size limitations.

--------------------------------------------------

Profile Info:

There will be an additional page in your UserCP that will show all your items you have listed, and additionally all the items in the archive section (for your reference).

There will be additional info on your profile page for people to find your items for sale.

--------------------------------------------------

Commercial Dealers:

The FS sections are for the use of private individuals to buy and sell their own personal property. Commercial Trading, i.e. buying and selling of items specifically for profit, is strictly prohibited. Anyone buying and/or selling excessive quantities of items will be deemed to be Trading and they will be banned from the forum. No exceptions.

The practice of Bulk Purchasing & Reselling through the For Sale forum is also prohibited. Such threads will be removed without further explanation. Bulk buying is not tolerated on this site and as such is deemed as trading.

--------------------------------------------------

These FS section Rules are to be read and complied with in conjunction with the Board Rules. The moderators reserve the right to add to or amend these rules at any time should they choose.

The decision of the FS moderators is final. Lengthy discussion by email will not be entered into.

If you wish to make any form of complaint regarding any major decisions undertaken by a moderator then PM/email Jason with your concern. His decision is final in all matters.

We do not like having to ban people, but from time to time it becomes necessary.

The typical method of letting users know they are doing something wrong is by using the user infraction system. The User Infraction system is designed to automate the the management of misbehaving users. Infractions carry a point total that is awarded to users. When a user reaches pre-determined point levels, the user is given infraction groups. Infraction groups are set up to restrict the permissions of users. The system can also be configured to institute automatic bans based on points or number of infractions received. A user can also be given a "warning", in which the infraction shows up in their list, but the point(s) do not count towards their infraction total.

Infraction Levels
Title / Points / Expires

• Inappropriate Language (Mild) - 1 - 7 Days
• Dupe Thread Topic In Multiple Sections - 1 - 7 Days
• Full Sized Image Hotlinking - 1 - 7 Days
• Completely Useless Comment - 1 - 14 Days
• Signature Rule Violation - 2 - 14 Days
• Avatar Rule Violation - 2 - 14 Days
• Inappropriate Language (Severe) - 3 - 14 Days
• Insulting Other Member(s) / Trolling - 5 - 1 Month
• Illegal Discussion - Against The Law - 5 - 1 Month
• Inappropriate / Forbidden Topic - 5 - 1 Month
• Spammed Advertisements - 25 - Never

• Restricted Access - 5 Points - 2 Days
• Restricted Access - 10 Points - 7 Days
• Full Ban - 15 Points - 7 Days
• Full Ban - 25 Points - Permanent

A user can only see their own infractions, it is not visible to other users. The display format of the infractions are: Warnings / Infractions (Points)

The infraction system is used 99% of the time, however the staff will still sometimes directly restrict a user's permissions or ban them depending on the offense.

As a warning a member will have their access "restricted", in which permissions and forum access is reduced, however they are still able to access to core of the forum as usual.

Past having a restriction, there is a full "ban" in which the user has no access to the forum. This can be set to expire after a specified period of time, or it can be permanent. Any user that is permanently banned is NOT allowed to re-register, we will delete any duplicate accounts that we find, and will report your abuse to the proper people should activities continue.

It is your responsiblity to read & follow the rules, so don't gripe to us saying "I didn't know!", that is not a valid excuse.

• When possible, use the forum's attachment feature (available via the advanced post/reply page). This stores the files locally, auto-generates thumbnails, and minimizes the chance that the image will be un-accessible in the future.
• If you must hotlink to another website, please observe the following:
  • You must have permission to do so from that site!!! (Do not just link to some image in an article you read.)
  • You must link ONLY to a thumbnail image if you are going to show the image. Otherwise use a plain URL if you want to link to the full-sized one.
  • The site you are linking to must be a reliable source! (ex: imageshack is a good source, they do not delete images and they rarely go down)
• DO NOT link to a full sized image in the thread. We will delete them if you do without notice! **(Exception noted below)
• Finally, the image must also conform to the Forum Rules (that kind of goes without saying).

Images found in violation of the above (usually people linking full-sized massive images in the thread or broken images) will be removed without notice. Members who continue to violate the above notice will have action taken against them.

** The exception to linking to a full-sized image is only when you are writing a guide and the images must be in-line to go along with the text. The images in those cases must be of reasonable dimensions (640x480 or less), and probably it is still best to only show thumbnails and let the user click to see the full sized images.

This page was last updated October 28, 2008