The Shepherd's Fold Forum Rules

There has been some question as to what constitutes ‘the rules’ on the shepherdsfold.com forums. We decided that we needed to create a list of rules to standardize what is expected and what is not, what will get a posting removed or edited, and what will get an account suspended or banned.

The following is not a hard and fast set of rules set down in stone. Rules such as these can be misinterpreted, misunderstood, and/or narrowly skirted. It is very important for you, the member, to clearly understand that this is by no means an exhaustive list of rules. They may be added to or edited, at any time, for any reason. If you have to look in ‘the rules’ before you say something, chances are that it will violate them. If you say, “But that wasn’t specified in the rules,” that’s irrelevant. The litmus test for the rules is respect. Respect for yourself, other members, and the administration team. What this document will try to do is explain the most basic rules and etiquette in regards to having a decent set of fora where everyone can be welcome.

If, however, we make a decision you aren’t happy with, we respectfully request that before you conclude that our action was unfair or biased, contact us by email or PM for an explanation. We will provide one.

In addition to the rules listed below, there are two other documents you should be aware of:

• theshepherdsfold.com General Terms of Use
• theshepherdsfold.com General Privacy Policy

So, on the ‘The Rules’…

Theshepherdsfold.com Fora Terms of Use

Forum/Site users will be assumed to have read and agreed to these Terms of Use and all Terms and Policies relevant to this website, by occasional rereading of them, and to be aware of any changes and updates therein.

1. In a Nutshell...

1.1 Be Polite and Respectful - Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. You can present your opinion, and be in disagreement, without being disrespectful or impolite.

1.2 Respect Privacy – Don’t post anything that could divulge private information about anyone, including yourself.

1.3 No Confidential Information - Do not divulge any confidential information of any kind. This includes complaint/resolution correspondence between yourself and moderators. Moderators may be exempt from this rule, provided they don’t disclose names of those involved.

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2. Detailed Version...

2.1 Keep Language PG Rated - Some offensive words are set up to automatically be replaced. Others aren’t. Try not to find them. What is considered ‘offensive’ is entirely discretionary on the part of the moderator. Some moderators may allow language that others will not.

2.2 Post to the Appropriate Forum - A message should be posted in the forum that is most appropriate to the topic of the message.

2.3 Stay On Topic – Self-explanatory. If you don’t get it, contact us.

2.4 Discussing Illegal Activities – Do not discuss or promote anything that would be illegal. Specifically in regards to the laws of Canada, which is where we are located. If illegal activity of any kind is discussed (including ‘scamming’ or illegal or fraudulent solicitation, and we become aware of it, we WILL take whatever actions we believe we are legally obligated to take, and that can include notifying the appropriate legal authorities. We have done this in the past, and will continue to do so to protect our members. If you are discussing your own past, make sure you understand the implications thereof.

2.5 Absolutely NO Solicitation - Do not request donations or anything else of value, from our members or the public on this site. Do not post a link to your own website, or to any other website for solicitation purposes, commercial or otherwise without prior, written approval from the administration. Moderators do not have the authority to grant such approval. This includes prayer requests, such as, “Please pray for me to get a car. If anyone has a free car, let me know.” This includes utilizing the PM system for such content.

2.6 Posting of Links - Posting links is allowed if done within context of the thread to be of assistance, and the poster has no personal gain from the posting (directly or indirectly). This applies to all sections of the Message Board, including PM’s.

2.7 Posting Pictures and/or Graphics – Pictures/graphics must be in good taste, and be PG Rated.

2.8 No Impersonating Other Posters - Any attempts to impersonate another poster is prohibited. Do not register under a similar ID to one already registered. Do not register under the known ID of a non-registered poster (or guest).

2.9 Posting Under Multiple IDs - Using multiple IDs for deceptive purposes, such as posting to your own thread in order to appear as if your opinion is held by others, is not allowed.

2.10 Persistent Negative Behavior (and Trolls) - Posting information or opinions that are clearly attempts to incite (including inciting harm to yourself or others), or be inflammatory, will not be tolerated. Using terminology repeatedly in your posts that clearly upsets people, even if the information is accurate, is not acceptable. This includes, say, quoting from racist or intolerant texts. It’s not difficult to block out words (ie: *****) to get your point across without using the words. Quoting a text that uses the ‘N’ word, for example, is fine. Repeating that quote over and over is not.

2.11 Violation Reports – It’s not entirely up to the moderators to read and analyze every single post. You, the member, has an obligation to assist by reporting posts that you believe violates these rules. Moderators can not be everywhere at all times. It’s important that we all work together to keep theshepherdsfold.com a nice place to be. DO NOT POST VIOLATION REPORTS ON THE BOARDS.

2.12 Banning/Suspending - Every violation doesn’t automatically result in banning. If a violation appears to be an innocent mistake, we try very hard to correct the situation by allowing the perpetrator the opportunity to ‘fix it’. If the violation is significant or with intent, however, then it will be dealt with.

We try to contact the perpetrator in the process of dealing with them, before taking action, but this is not always possible. If you have had postings edited, and/or had postings deleted, and/or had threads locked, and if this has happened numerous times, you are probably close to being banned. Each time we have to take an action on your post it is a warning to you. If this happens, please take the hint and take appropriate steps to correct the situation.

Some bans might be imposed for a temporary period of time. We will attempt to contact you and let you know, should this be the case.

2.13 What To Do If You Are Suspended/Banned - If you are suspended, and you try to post on this site, you will receive a message telling you that your account has been suspended/banned. In this case, check your email, there may be a time notification, or instructions for other condition(s) of reinstatement waiting for you there. If you try to log and and receive an account deleted notification, then consider it permanent. At this point you may contact the administrators via email to state your case. We generally ban accounts, and not IP addresses, because those change every once in a while. If you receive a notice of IP ban, please contact the administration. The exception to this is if you’ve been banned and continue to make a nuisance of yourself. If you are suspended/banned and subsequently reinstated, consider yourself on probation, with a zero tolerance notice on your behaviour.

2.14 My Posting/Thread Was Edited/Locked/Removed - What Did I Do Wrong? - Maybe nothing! If you are not sure, contact us. If you review these rules and are certain you did nothing wrong, there are many other possibilities. Sometimes people make mistakes. We are not infallible.

2.15 A Moderator Is Treating Me Unfairly - If a moderator were truly out of line, send a PM to one of the Administrators and explain fully exactly what your complaint is and with which moderator. All such complaints will be taken very seriously and are generally discussed in committee fashion and dealt with. We will try to maintain confidentiality, but in cases where a mutual resolution is desired this is not always possible. No discussion of this nature will be posted on the board without the express consent of all involved. (ie: boardwide apologies)

2.16 Private Messages – PM’s are not necessarily ‘private’ (as of January 2007). As with any type of email system, PM’s are kept in the database along with everything else here. Occasionally those logs are scanned automatically for evidence of illegal activity, major rule violations, etc. We do not read PM’s in general. It is done by a computer program which is designed to scan for specific words and phrases. If certain content is picked up by the system, the message is flagged and the phrase containing the offending material is flagged for view. The ONLY person who has access to these ‘flags’ is CSniper. In the event of a ‘serious’ offence, Tabbie or Jasper will be informed of the user name and the general nature of the offence. If necessary, law enforcement may be notified. In a nutshell: If you use the PM system for advertising, solicitation, illegal, or terrorist activity, you will be caught and the provisions of this document will apply.

2.17 Christian Content – Unlike many other religion-based sites, we encourage the discussion of ‘alternative’ religions, but only for discussion puposes. Trying to convert people away from Christianity using this site is not allowed. Being a so-called ‘Bible Thumper’, ie: telling someone they’ll ‘Go to Hell’ because they don’t believe what you do, is not allowed. If you want to try and convert a non-believer, or a member of another sect, do it in a constructive manner. Point out your sect’s teachings and allow them to respond in kind.

In Canada, we have the Freedom of Religion instituted into our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We follow that philosophy. We believe in one God, whatever you want to call Him/Her/It. If a non-Christian comes on here seeking answers, help them, don’t condemn them. If another denomination of Christian posts something that contradicts your personal doctrinal choice, discuss your view, but DO NOT condemn the other view or state categorically that they are ‘Wrong’.

Christianity itself is defined on this site as: "1. a monotheistic system of beliefs and practices based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus as embodied in the New Testament and emphasizing the role of Jesus as savior."

If you call yourself Christian on this site, you must subscribe to this tenet.

Not acceptable: ‘Catholics are wrong because….’

Acceptable: ‘Baptists believe (insert belief and reason why), what do Catholics believe and why?’

Fully one third of the world population (approximately 2 billion people) is ‘Christian’. For point of reference, the following is a partial list of what world opinion considers ‘Christian’ (in numerical order):

* Note: Those sects indicated by the asterisk are considered Christian in this reference only for classification purposes. They believe they are Christian, as is their right. However, for the purposes of this site, many of these sects of 'Christianity' do not follow a monothestic philosophy and therefore do not conform to this site's definition of Christianity as stated above.

Catholicism including Eastern Rite Catholic Churches - 1.1 billion

Protestantism including Calvinist(Reformed, Presbyterian, Congregationalist), Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Anabaptist, Hussite and Moravian, Christian Brethren (Open Brethren) - 427 million

Eastern Christianity including Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, (Coptic: Egyptian, Ethiopian, Eritrian, Syriac, Armenian, Indian), Mar Thoma Syrian Church, Malabar Independent Syrian Church, Assyrian Church of the East - 300 million

Pentecostalism including Assemblies of God, New Apostolic Church, Kimbanguist Church, Church of God in Christ, The Pentecostal Mission, Apostolic Church, Church of God (Cleveland), Christian Congregation of Brazil, Church of the Lord (Aladura), Zion Christian Church, International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, Calvary Chapel - 105 million

Anglican Communion/Episcopal - 73 million

*Restorationism including Seventh-day Adventists, Latter-day Saints, Restoration Movement, Church of Christ/churches of Christ (non-instrumental), Disciples of Christ/Christian Church, Independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ - 30 million

*Nontrinitarian including Unitarianism, Christadelphians, Jehovah's Witnesses, Iglesia ni Cristo, Oneness Pentecostals – 10 Million

Quakers - 0.3 million

2.18 Guidelines for Moderating - Moderators are required to report violations and the action they’ve taken, or to discuss with the administration any action they are unsure of taking. Moderators should be the type of people that try to live the scriptural life, as their denomination interprets it. Moderator privileges may be revoked for activity they are involved in both on and off this site. Moderators also must agree and abide by all rules regarding confidentiality and privacy.

2.19 theshepherdsfold.com Rights of Copy - Any post you author here may be edited, removed, modified, published, transmitted, and displayed by theshepherdsfold.com with the exception of messages sent via the PM system. PM messages may be removed and transmitted as per the Private Message section of this document. By posting on a Message Board, you are consenting to the above and its display on the site and for related online and offline promotional uses.