Revised DML Guidelines - PLEASE READ

[mmoore]

With all of the changes in activity, number of members, and a few recent incidents, we thought it was time to update the DML Forum Guidelines. After a good deal of discussion among the mods we came up with this. Big thanks to everyone for their input, and a extra special big thanks to Spidey for taking my disorganized ramblings and turning them into something coherent and readable!

DML Forum Guidelines

We here at the DML community welcome all Monster enthusiasts, riders, and gawkers to share their knowledge, questions, experiences and lives with one another. To keep our happy little family functioning smoothly, we've come up with some guidelines. Here's what you can do to help.

Below, we've fleshed out some of dos and don'ts re how to conduct yourself on the DML, but really, it's pretty simple. Make sure that before you post you ask these questions:

1) Will others think I'm being a jerk?

2) Would I say this in front of my mother?

3) Does this post contribute to the DML or add value to this thread?

4) Is this post on topic? Should I begin a new thread?

Here are the expectations driving these questions.

Contribute. If you've got knowledge about a subject, post up in a thread or write up a FAQ. Be patient with newer members who ask questions answered a million times. The million and first time the subject gets discussed, there may be some new information you didn't know. If you can assist with tech stuff or in any other way, jump on in. Get involved in your local club and organize rides and get-togethers. We all do this out of a love for this site and for our Monsters. No one is making a fortune off the DML. If you enjoy the site, kick down some cash to help out.

Be respectful of one another. Lively debate is welcome and encouraged about everything from oil type or what octane gas to use, to whether 2 valve or 4 valve Monsters are better (2 valves are better!), to which exhaust sounds best. However, disrespectful posting, personal attacks, name-calling and inflammatory posting or language are not ok. This includes juvenile, chauvinistic or demeaning behavior or posting about religion or politics. We're all just here to enjoy our Monster community and to have it be a pleasant place for everyone to spend their time (even when our bosses or significant others want us to get off the darn computer). Grin.

Try to keep threads on topic. It can be difficult, but give it a shot. You can always start a new thread. However, if you choose to start a new thread, take a moment to consider the four questions above.

Try to post threads in the appropriate forum. You're likely to get a better response if you post in the right place.

Look to see if the information is out there already. Check the FAQs. Search. Some tips on how to find information on the DML can be found here.

Label your threads or links in threads appropriately. This allows DML members to make informed choices about what they want to see and what they want to skip over. For example, as Chris Kelley's tech posting suggestions remind us all, posting a thread entitled "Help!" in the Tech section isn't very instructive. Also, clearly labeled threads and links spare people from the inevitable reaction of "I can't believe I just looked at graphic photos of a motorcycle accident" or "Uh Oh! I just got porn on my work computer" when they accidentally click on a thread or link.

Keep the DML work-appropriate. Nudity is not allowed on the DML. If it is the sort of thing that would set off a corporate filter, it's not ok. There are plenty of other sites for that. Before posting a picture or link, ask yourself what would happen if a co-worker, supervisor or subordinate employee in an office walked in while someone was viewing the post. There are no hard and fast rules. For example, pics posted in the Ducati Babe thread are probably going to be judged by a slightly different standard than say, a Tech thread as members who go to the Babe thread know what they are getting. If it is borderline, please provide a link along with a warning that it might not be work appropriate instead of a pic. But not all links are ok. Do not link to porn. We hope it never comes up, but a DMCA notice can be found here.

No Multiple Logins. Folks sometimes create an alternative login a joke of some sort. But multiple logins are also used to conceal the users true identity to stir up mischief, and to avoid taking responsibility for following the forum rules. The other problem is that vendors use the board stats to make advertising decisions, and if users have multiple logins, the numbers are not reliable. So, no multiple logins, please.

Work to keep the classified forum free of spam and for monster-related items from DML members only. Classified forum posting rules can be found here. If you suspect scammers, please notify a moderator. That said, buy or sell at your own risk. The DML will not moderate or get involved in disputes between members regarding buying or selling of goods.

Support the DML sponsors. The board sponsors are active members of the monster community, offering their time, knowledge, experience and goods to us (with discounts-- woohoo! thumbsup). It would be hard to keep the DML running without their financial support. Feel free to provide feedback regarding their products, but please do not gratuitously slam them on the board. If you are having a problem with a sponsor, contact them or their re-sellers directly first and try to work out your issues. If you are a vendor, but not a DML sponsor, please refer to the Vendor Posting Rules.

Enforcement
Board members are expected to abide by the terms in the registration agreement and the Forum Guidelines.

When a member is in violation of the board rules, the moderators or administrators may, in their discretion, speak to the member and/or initiate corrective action. The course of action and judgment of the moderator are final. Other board members are encouraged to make moderators aware of violations of DML rules and policies (i.e. hit the "Report to Moderator" button), but again, the final judgment of whether rules have been broken is the moderator's. Public arguing with moderators over their actions as moderators is unacceptable; private discussions are fine.

Suspensions
· for rule violations, fighting or other anti-social behavior, a 24 hour, board-wide "time out" for all parties involved. Any moderator may initiate a 24 hour time-out
· if the problem persists after the parties return, or for more serious violations, there will be a one week suspension. Again, any mod can initiate this
· one month and permanent bans remain viable options. To be reviewed by the moderator group, final decision by the board admins

Banning
Repeated violations will result in the member's access to the board being terminated. Serious violations, such as threats of violence or other actions that could cause legal liability for the DML will result in an immediate ban. Similarly, if a member consistently engages in behavior that instigates fights or otherwise consumes a disproportionate amount of moderator intervention, that member will be denied access to the DML. We hope it doesn't have to come to this.

As the nature of the DML evolves and changes, we'll review these rules and update them as needed.


With all that out of the way, get out there and ride!!!

April 2007 Addendum:

The DML, and especially NMC, have become hostile to female members through repeated postings of pictures, and sexual comments. Despite many efforts on the part of moderators to get people to tone their posts down, the effort has been unsuccessful. As people seem unable to determine what constitutes acceptable posting, we are immediately instituting the following changes to the DML guidelines:

- No nude or semi-nude pictures will be allowed. Pictures of clothed spouses/SOs are fine.
- No posts of a purely sexual nature will be allowed. Starting such a thread or posting a purely sexual response will get the poster banned.
- Posting sexually harrasing messages to other members, or sending the same as private messages will cause an immediate and permanent ban.
- Decisions of the DML moderators are final as to what constitutes a violation of DML guidelines.

[mmoore]

Vendor Posting Rules

Sponsoring The DML

The DML sponsors ( Sponsor Page ) are a group of companies and individuals who devote their time and their money to keeping the DML up and running for all of us. They feed our addiction to parts, modifications, gear and bikes by offering us good customer service and DML discounts. But more important, many are contributing members of the DML and offer up their wisdom and expertise, often on a daily basis.

The DML values its sponsors, which is why many of us turn to them first when we need a part or service.

If you are interested in becoming a DML sponsor or finding out more information about DML sponsorship, please contact Jeff Higginbotham at admin@ducatimonster.org .


Offering DML Discounts

Many companies and vendors offer discounts to DML members, regardless of whether they are DML sponsors. We have a dedicated page for DML discounts from vendors. ( DML Discounts Page ) If you would like to offer a discount to DML members, please contact an admin (Placing a discount on the DML Discount page is free)


Non-Sponsor Commercial Posting

We Welcome Companies To Participate In DML
We welcome individuals associated with commerical entities to post on the DML. Many have a wealth of knowledge and experience that we hope they'll be willing to share with us. After posting for a while, companies often realize how committed the DML is to rewarding those that provide use with sound advice and those who financially support the DML.

Please Keep Your Posting Non-Commerical
If you are associated with a commercial entity, as much as we welcome your contribution, we ask that you keep your posts non-commercial. Replying to to general inquires about parts or service with posts about your company is advertising (making new posts is too). Like other media, if a you want to advertise on the DML, you have to pay for the right to do so. As an example, if someone posts asking about clutch covers, it is fine to tell them what options are out there or suggest some brands. It is not ok to provide them with a link to the your website, to try to sell your own product or to tell them "we sell 'em, give us a call." Only our sponsors may do that. If the cost of advertising here isn't worth it to a company, no problem. But then they don't get to promote themselves for free. It's not fair to those that have paid to sponsor the DML and who have contributed their knowledge to the board..

Responding to a specific request about your product (i.e. if you're Yoyodyne and your reply to a "does a Yoyodyne slave cylinder fit my monster?" post) is a gray area. If you are a commmercial non-sponsor, feel free to offer a response, but be aware after a few responses like that, you will be asked to either sponsor the DML or refrain from such posting.
Non-sponsor commerical posters may include a link to their business in their Profile (under 'website'), but not in their signature line and may not include banner advertising or any other commercial promotion.
Logging onto the DML for the purpose of posting links to another forum is not permitted.

DML Members Offering Products
Occasionally, a DML member will offer a service or a product in limited amount (tail chop brackets, headlight conversions, or handmade tools, for example). While technically these are commercial posts, they will dealt with on a case by case basis, taking into account how long the seller has been a DML member, their level of contribution and the extent of their advertising their company and product. Because DML members understand how the forum works, this has not been a problem in the past. Hopefully, it won't be in the future.

Classifieds

There is a special classifieds sections for our sponsors. Non-sponsors may NOT use any part of the classifieds to sell their products. This includes people who log onto the DML just to try to sell a number of non-monster motorcycles. The classifieds are for DML members and sponsors only.

Local Boards

Many of us, as monster-fanatics, have a close relationship with our local dealers and/or shops. We want those entities to participate in our local monster community, give us special treatment [SMILEY], and keeping us abrest of events, rides and sales. That said, any commercial posting by a non-sponsor in a local board is technically advertising. For many of the local boards, the standards are determined by the local board moderator(s). There are somewhat different standards between the larger, more anonymous boards and those where the active membership is relatively close-knit and may include a dealer or an independent wrench. As a general rule, an occasional posting by a dealer or other non-sponsor that "Hey, we're having a big year-end BBQ" is ok, while repeated, less community-oriented posting like "we've got a special on ___ this month" is definitely not ok. If you have a concern about the postings of a member on your local board, please contact your local board moderator.


Policing Commerical Posting

Occassionally, someone will log onto the DML and begin their DML membership with a commercial post. It is not appropriate for DML members take this opportunity to begin flaming (or any opportunity for that matter). Sometimes, people just need to be welcomed to the DML--be nice about it--and gently told about the commercial posting rules. If you notice repeated commercial posts by a vendor or an egregious commercial post (like cell phones being sold from Nigeria), hit the Report to Moderator button and the administrators and moderators will handle it.

These rules are provided to keep the DML a fun and productive place for DML members and sponsors, and may be amendedat any time. Any questions please contact a mod.

[dorkcore]

Originally Posted by Michael Moore

Below, we’ve fleshed out some of dos and don’ts re how to conduct yourself on the DML, but really, it’s pretty simple. Make sure that before you post you ask these questions:

1) Will others think I'm being a jerk?

2) Would I say this in front of my mother?

3) Does this post contribute to the DML or add value to this thread?

4) Is this post on topic? Should I begin a new thread?

But TOSAT breaks all the rules in this case...

[derby]

Originally Posted by Parker

But TOSAT breaks all the rules in this case...

are you looking to get TOSAT nuked?

[dorkcore]

Originally Posted by derby

are you looking to get TOSAT nuked?

Not at all... I was just pointing out the obvious...

[spolic]

I'm guessing that politics is still a no no?

[mmoore]

Originally Posted by spolic

I'm guessing that politics is still a no no?

Yep.

[ATOmemphis]

and thank goodness for that. Its been the reason I quit logging on to another 'favorite' site because it had descended into just political bickering!

I applaud the prevention of this, for the sake of the boards!