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The Golf Space - Golf Social Networking - SITE RULES |
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Written by Tony Korologos
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Wednesday, 25 July 2007 |
As the site gets bigger the need for a set of rules/guidelines has become necessary.
The Golf Space Rules
NO SPAM
Spammers will be disqualified! Spammer's accounts will be deleted and their IP address banned. We will have a ZERO TOLERANCE policy on spam. If you send out bulk emails to members, or do other "spammy" activities you'll be 86'd.
Here's a list of what we would consider to be spam:
- Posting the same content in multiple places (multi-posting in the forum, blogs, etc).
- Posting multiple outgoing links in the forum, blogs, comments etc.
- Posting affiliate links, google ads or pay-per-click links in the forum, profile, blogs, comments...
- Sending out bulk duplicated private messages to members
- Posting content which is not relevant to the topic.
- Using the forum as an advertising venue.
- Using TGS solely as a means to recruit members to another site and not contributing anything to the TGS community.
The site is about networking, and reasonable posting of your golf related content, within your profile and blogs, is fine. Unlike other golf sites, we're fine with you linking to your golf web site or business or golf course, within your profile and blog posts, in a reasonable and non spammy fashion.
Forum Specific Rules
The spam rules above apply to the forum as well as the policies below.
The forum is for discussion of golf related and other subjects. Using the forum to promote commercial products or links to web sites is not permitted. The forum is NOT an advertising billboard. The forum is NOT a place where businesses or other web sites may post outgoing links, information about offers, sales or products they are selling. "For sale" items are to be posted in the TGS Classified Section or in The Golf Space Store. Entities who wish to reach TGS members in ways other than the social networking tools provided within their profile, may inquire about advertising rates.
Without a rule like this for the forum, it would be flooded with spam and solicitations and members would likely not use it anymore.
Policies regarding other "golf networking" sites, golf forums and sites which may consider TGS a "competitor"
We currently allow linking to other sites which some may say "compete" with TGS or offer similar features or services to TGS, within user profiles and blogs. After all, this is about networking, right? We truly believe that "a rising tide raises all ships" and that the web and it's hundreds of millions of users is big enough for everyone. We don't believe that just because someone is a member on golf site "A" doesn't mean they can't also be a member of golf site "B." Just because someone eats at McDonalds doesn't mean they can't eat at Burger King!
However, some other golf sites do not seem to believe this. Other sites believe that their members are their "property." These sites do not allow linking to other golf sites for fear that their members or "property" would be "stolen" or that said links are a "threat" to their operation.
Therefore we've adopted the policy here to treat those sites (mainly golf forums) with the same policies they treat TGS. We're about cross-linking and affiliating. We'll allow linking and promoting other sites which may "compete with" or "provide similar features" to TGS, provided they allow linking back to TGS. Sites which moderate or remove links or info about TGS, or "ban" members who link to or write about TGS will treated in the same fashion here.
These policies came about as a result of many experiences I've had with other sites. Just recently I had an experience with a person who registered a new account here at TGS and put his "golf networking" site information and URL in his profile. He invited me to join his site. I registered an account on his site and put two photos in my personal gallery, one was the TGS logo and the other the Hooked On Golf Blog logo. Not less than five minutes later my account was deleted with no warning or notice. This is hypocritical to say the least, that the guy would sign up here and promote his own site, yet ban me for doing the same exact thing on his site.
In the spirit of GOLF, be honorable
No foul language, offensive photos, offensive blog/forum posts, cyberstalking, or abusing the site. Members will be warned and docked karma points for minor rules infractions (let's call that a one stroke penalty). Major infractions may be a two stroke penalty or even disqualification (banned account).
Usernames
Usernames may only contain letters and numbers and are limted to 16 characters. Usernames may not contain offensive words or phrases. TGS administration reserves the right to modify usernames or ban/delete accounts which do not comply with username rules without prior notice.
For security reasons, characters other than letters and numbers will no longer be allowed. Spaces in usernames will also no longer be an option because they do not allow the custom user URL to work properly on some browsers. Members whose usernames currently have spaces or characters which are no longer allowed, will be notified of changes prior to their usernames being modified.
Any other suggestions, please feel free to contact Tony.
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