RULES AND REGULATIONS1. Personal attacksPersonal attacks will not be tolerated. It's fine to challenge and disagree with points of view and opinions, but do so respectfully and thoughtfully, without insult or personal attack. Comment on content, not on the poster.
If you have a disagreement with another member, please settle it outside the public space. That's what the private messaging system ("IMs") is for.
If you feel you or another member has been personally attacked, please use the "Report to moderator" facility. It's possible that the moderators haven't seen the post in question yet and reporting it will make sure moderation - if needed - can be done as soon as possible.
If you decide to reply publicly to a post that is a personal attack against you or another member, feel free to point out that the post has been rude and can be seen as a personal attack, but do it in a respectful and constructive manner. Do NOT launch a personal attack of your own, as this will just put you in the same position than the original offender and subject to same disciplinary actions.
2. Offensive contentMany of our members have to deal with prejudice and discrimination in their every day lives, so we want to see Transfriendly remain a safe and comfortable space, free from offensive content, such as (but not limited to):
Racist, xenophobic, homophobic, transphobic, misogynistic, misandric, disablist or ageist content (posts, signature lines or avatars).
Try posting from the 'me' position, rather than making generalisations and if you feel something could possibly be seen as offensive, it's better not to post it.
If you decide to reply publicly to a post that has offended you, feel free to point out that it has, but do it in a respectful and constructive manner. Do NOT launch a personal attack against the poster.
Using the "Report to moderator" facility to make the moderators aware of offensive posts is strongly encouraged (they may have not seen it yet), because "offensive content" may be sometimes hard to define and a post that is reported by one or more users is more likely to be moderated as soon as possible.
3. Disruptive behaviourDisruptive behaviour is something that seeks to disrupt the environment of the board or the flow of conversation. This could be intentional (ie. messages that are posted for the sole purpose of being inflammatory - "trolling") or unintentional (ie. "hijacking" a thread with dialogue that would best be carried out in private messages) and can include behaviour we have not yet foreseen.
What constitutes disruptive behaviour will be determined by moderators on a case-by-case basis.
4. Impersonating other peopleImpersonating other members of Transfriendly or other message boards or creating an account specifically for the purpose of provoking other users will not be tolerated and will result in a Permanent Ban without warnings.
5. Privacy of private messages and emailsPosting excerpts of emails or private messages from this message board or any other is not allowed, unless you have the sender's permission.
6. Real life informationPosting real life information (names, addresses, phone numbers etc.) is not allowed without permission, unless the information can be deemed to be in the public domain (ie. contact details of companies, names of well known trans advocates).
7. Copyrighted materialYou cannot legally post entire articles or news without permission from the copyright holder, even if you attribute the article correctly. It is still copyright infringement.
Quoting less than one paragraph or 4 sentences falls under "fair use" and is allowed, although it's recommended to simply explain in your own words what the article is about and provide a link to the content if it's publicly available online.
8. Avatars and pictures in postsPictures used in avatars must be worksafe, since they will be visible on the worksafe areas as well. Please consider uploading the avatar picture to TF instead of linking to a file hosted elsewhere - this will significantly speed up the board and make browsing more pleasant for everyone.
Pictures can be posted in all rooms, except The Playroom and The Changing Room, where only links to pictures must be used.
9. SignaturesPlease be aware that ALL of the forum rules apply equally to signatures. Signatures are limited to no more than 6 lines. You may be asked to modify a signature that is overly intrusive (colors, size, etc).
10. Guests, post count based member groups and permissionsPost-count based membergroups are based on, as the name indicates, the number of posts the member has made. These groups are also used to control access to some areas and features of Transfriendly. The post-count based membergroups currently in use are (name of the group - post count - number of cheese wedges):
Freshie - 0 posts
Ripe - 10 posts -
Mature - 250 posts -
Vintage - 500 posts -
Going off - 1000 posts -
Mouldy - 2000 posts -
Guests (users that are not logged in and/or not registered) have no access to Members Only areas, memberlist, individual member profiles, calendar or private messaging system. Guests can only read posts, not post, and they cannot use the search.
Freshies (members with less than 10 posts) have no access to memberlist, individual member profiles or The Diary Room and they cannot use the search.
11. ModerationIf a moderator gives you advice, we advise you to take it. If you have reason to question a moderator's actions, do so in private messages, not in public and contact the Administrator, if necessary. Repeated public questioning of moderator decisions or actions may be considered disruptive behaviour and may lead to Official Warning or a Temprary Ban.
12. Official Warnings and BansWe prefer to give guidance to the members in friendly and constructive spirit, but sometimes breaking the rules will result in Official Warning being given to a member.
Three (3) Official Warnings will result in a Temporary Ban, its length determined by severity of the offences and warning/ban history.
In some extreme cases a Permanent Ban can be given without prior Official Warnings.
13. Exceptions, cases of abuse and unique situationsSometimes there may be reasons to make exceptions to some of the rules above and the Transfriendly moderators reserve the right to be able to make exceptions to rules if we think it is for the betterment of the community.
Also, abusive or unique situations can always come up, and we hold the right to deal with these situations as we see fit, regardless of whether there is a rule for it or not.
14. Legal disclamerYou remain solely responsible for the content of your posted messages. Furthermore, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless the owners of this message board, any related websites to this message board, its owner, administrator and moderators.
*UPDATED* References to illegal activities or using non-prescribed prescription treatments such as hormones should be restricted to personal journals in the Diary Room. Any references to where to obtain illegal substances or black market hormones are forbidden and will be removed without warning, resulting in a warning or a temporary ban. Any subsequent references to these avenues by the same member will result in a permanent ban. The owner of this message board also reserves the right to reveal your identity (or any other related information collected on this service) in the event of a formal complaint or legal action arising from any situation caused by your use of this message board.
Please note that with each post, your IP address is recorded, in the event that you need to be banned from this message board or your ISP contacted. This will only happen in the event of a major violation of the rules.
Also note that the software places a cookie, a text file containing bits of information (such as your username and password), in your browser's cache. This is ONLY used to keep you logged in/out. The software does not collect or send any other form of information to your computer.
*ADDED* - 15. Medical information
As Transfriendly will have a large percentage of members who are transitioning, or plan to transition, there will inevitably be discussion and references to various treatments ranging from therapy to hormone treatments to surgery. Any and all mentions of these treatments should be considered as the experiences of an individual member and should not be taken as medical advice. Any and all information about these treatments should be taken as a guideline only and should not be followed without consulting a medical professional who can make appropriate evaluations on an individual's health and situation.16. MiscellaneousThese Rules are subject to revision and updating at any time, as appropriate. Notices will be posted if any changes are made.
- Moderators of Transfriendly (Enigma, middleman, MacLeod, caretaker)
Note: If you have comments or questions about the Rules and Regulations, feel free to post in the
discussion thread in the Members Only area.
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