Code of Conduct
For the safety and consideration of everyone in the Downholers Online community, the following code of conduct must be followed when posting on the Downholer's forum.
Community Moderation
All registered users of Downholers.com, are encouraged to participate in "community moderation". This means that you are given the power to tell us what you think is inappropriate website behaviour for other registered Downholers.com users
Flagging
We need your help! All registered Downholers.com users can let the website monitors know that there is something offensive or inappropriate on the Downholers Forum. This is done through "Reporting Abuse". A "REPORT ABUSE" link appears in every posting. By clicking on this link, you are telling the Downholers.com website monitors that you have found something, such as offensive language, images, or release of personal information, that goes against the Downholers.com Code of Conduct.
When you REPORT ABUSE, you are given the opportunity to tell the website moderators what the problem is. Once you "submit" your reply, the offending content will be reviewed by the moderators, and if it does indeed violate the Code of Conduct, it will be removed from the website.
Reporting abuse is:
How you, the Downholers.com user, let the website moderators know that you have found something on the website that violates the Code of Conduct. If you're not sure, but think it does, you are probably right.
Reporting abuse is NOT:
A "bookmark" to a favourite part of the site
How you voice your opinion whether you "agree" or "disagree" with what other users say in Downholers Forum.
A "feedback" button that allows you to tell us how you feel about the design and function of the site
Personal Safety
Even though most of the people you'll meet while you're immersed in the Downholers Online world are good people like yourself, there's always a chance that someone using the system may have dangerous or inappropriate intentions. Remember, people you communicate with on the internet may be very different people in person. There are a few basic rules you can follow protect yourself.
You might think you know them after weeks or even months of seeing them around Downholers.com, but you really just can't be sure they are who they say they are. There are a few basic rules you can follow protect yourself.
Personal Information
Never communicate your personal information on Downholers.com. Your private information is just that - private. Never reveal this information through email, or posting it to a public discussion forum.
Your personal information includes:
Your full name
Your home address
The city or town where you live or have lived.
Your team names, or anything that could reveal where you go to school or work.
Any personal (non-Downholers) email address, IM name or other screen-name.
Any address of a personal website, including other journal sites, chat sites or message boards.
Any landmarks that are in your city or town.
Any information regarding concerts or other events you will be attending or have attended or plan to attend.
Your telephone number, cell number, pager, etc.
Any passwords or secret access codes.
Any other information that could possibly reveal where you live or how to contact you outside of Downholers.com.
Other people also have a right to their own privacy. Never reveal personal information about anyone else to strangers online.
As a general rule, never post personal information unless you know who's reading it (and online, you do not know for sure). Sending an email to a friend you know in real life, where only this friend can read it, is very different from posting information on a public forum, where every Downholers.com visitor can see it.
Online Activities and Usage
The Downholers.com website encourages all visitors to have fun and explore Downholers.com. However, while we expect all users to use common sense and to treat others with respect, there are certain activities and materials that will not be permitted.
Unacceptable Materials
Users of the Downholers.com Forum will not display, upload, post, or distribute any communication that may be considered offensive or illegal or inappropriate.
Such materials include text, graphics, or multimedia files that:
Are racially, culturally, or sexually offensive.
Promote or facilitate illegal activity, or encourage participation in any illegal act such as drug use or violence.
Contain inappropriate language that is abusive or obscene.
Present invitations to any physical meeting in "real life".
Are intellectual property (e.g. copyright or trademarked material) and the consent of the intellectual property owner has not been obtained.
Are of a pornographic or sexually explicit nature.
Are graphically violent or disturbing.
Communicate messages of sexual harassment.
Threaten any person, or advocate violence, hatred, or discrimination toward individuals or groups of people.
Contain the personal information of another person without their informed consent.
Perpetuate "spamming" in the form of bulk email, junk email, chain email, or other email annoyances.
Misrepresent or hide one's identity as the source of information or communication.
Unacceptable Activities
Downholers.com Users may not:
Tamper with the Downholers network by subverting security measures to access files, or in any way change or disrupt the functionality of the system. Hacking is a serious offence that is punishable by law.
Prevent any other user from accessing the Downholers system, either by changing password or any other means.
Access any other person's account.
Tamper with any other person's files, settings, or locker pages.
Misrepresent the ideas, writing, images, multimedia, or any other work of others as being a creation of one's own. Plagiarism will not be tolerated at Downholers, and copyright laws are in place to protect the ownership of such work.
Knowingly upload or circulate computer viruses.
Consequences
Failure to comply with Downholers.com Code of Conduct could result in:
Suspension from the Downholers.com forum.
Legal action, in extreme cases (hate postings, child porn, luring, etc.)