Forum announcements, policies & guidelines

Notice regarding forum access July 11-13

Katie Streeter — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:00:43 GMT

In case you haven't seen the notice, from Friday, July 11 at 5 p.m. Central Time, through Sunday, July 13, take a free tour of all the great online extras that are usually available only to ArtJewelryMag.com registered users or subscribers to Art Jewelry magazine. Take a look around and see what you've been missing, and if you like what you see, come back Monday.

During the times mentioned above, you will not be able to register for a new account or login to any of our Jewelry sites with an existing account. Forum users will be able to post as long as they've logged in and have a cookie set prior to the times mentioned above. The site will be back to normal and open for new registrations on Monday, July 14.

Smilies!

Katie Streeter — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 21:48:45 GMT

The smilies are ready to go. Some of them aren't transparent , so you'll notice white boxes around them. That will be fixed as soon as we can reload or find replacements for them. We thought you'd rather have white boxes around your smilies than no smilies at all

Forum Concerns and Updates

Katie Streeter — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 21:12:38 GMT

We have been notified that the new forums are loading slowly for some of our members. Our Online department is currently looking into this issue, and we will let you know as soon as we have any updates. Update: Some images on the home page as well as the ads were resized so that they should load faster.

The forum archives are now available. There is a link to the archives at the bottom of the main forum page.

Forum smilies are ready on Art Jewelry's site!

FAQ is now ready! You can find it near the top of the main forum page.

Many people have asked for a label "Initial post by" under the thread name. I'll pass this suggestion on to Online Publishing. Update: Initial poster's name is now given under the thread name.

Posting Images: A member of our Online department has added code that resizes images automaticall. He's tested it on several browsers, and it seems to be working. Please let us know if you encounter problems with this update.

Spam Procedure

Katie Streeter — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 18:29:09 GMT

If you come across spam on the forum, please notify the moderator at kstreeter@artjewelrymag.com. Thank you for your assistance in moderating the forum.

Forum Etiquette

Katie Streeter — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 18:24:45 GMT

• Post new topics with a suitable subject title. Instead of "Help!" try to be more explicit with the subject title. Rather than posting a subject title of "Source," post "Sources for 10mm ID jump rings.” If you use explicit subject titles, your topic has a better chance of being answered quickly and efficiently.

• Perform a search before posting a new topic. Your question may already have been answered. If there is already a similar thread but you still need clarification, add your question to the original thread.

• Post new topics in the appropriate forum. If you post in the appropriate forum, your topic will receive more responses.

• Refrain from using ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are generally recognized on the Internet as shouting and SHOUTING IS RUDE.

• Welcome newcomers. It will take time for newcomers to understand the subtleties and nuances of the community. If somebody makes a mistake, welcome them to the forum and give them a friendly reminder of the rules and guidelines.

Forum Rules and Guidelines

Katie Streeter — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 18:22:18 GMT

1.) Three strikes and you’re out. When a member receives three warnings from a moderator, their membership will be locked and they will be blocked from taking out new memberships. Warnings will be given for the following:

• Inappropriate language or content: This forum is intended for jewelry artists of all ages. Swearing and crude language will not be tolerated. Please note that implied swearing is equally unacceptable. Adding asterisks or using abbreviations does not disguise the intent behind the word(s).

• Negative, antagonistic comments: This includes name-calling and deliberately instigating conflict. It also includes rude, unconstructive criticism. Please keep in mind that words do not translate as well in writing as they do spoken face-to-face — be careful using sarcasm.

• Posting personal e-mails on the forum: If you are experiencing an off-forum conflict with another member, keep it off the forum. An exception to this rule is scam e-mails sent via the forum. One example may be posted as a warning so that other members know to delete it.

2.) Keep discussions on topic. We realize that people will make comments about their personal lives in the course of talking about jewelry. This is perfectly acceptable as long as such comments adhere to the other forum rules about appropriate behavior. However, it is against the rules to deliberately start a thread that has no relation to jewelry. If you want to discuss your pets, your recent dinner party, or the new movie you want to see, please do so via e-mail or an instant messaging service. Repeatedly posting off-topic threads will result in a warning.

3.) Posting advertisements is not permitted. Posting advertisements will result in a warning and/or membership deletion. If you have products or services you would like to promote, you can submit them to Resource Links (provide link). Some exceptions that may be permitted are:

• Members looking for a specific item: If your store/business carries the specific item that another member is looking for, you may reply with a link or information on how you can be contacted.

• If you're posting an introduction in “Meet the community,” you may, within reasonable limits, post some information about your company, products, and/or services.

• As an active member of the forum, helping out other members, you may provide a link back to your website within your signature.

• Please remember our dial-up members. Large banners, logos, graphics, etc. slow them down. If they can’t access your information quickly they might move onto another site. In general, we will not permit solicitation from companies, distributors, or private individuals, except for the exceptions listed above.

4.) Do not abuse the "Report Abuse" button. If you deliberately abuse the this feature, your membership will automatically be locked.

Building a positive community

Katie Streeter — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 18:02:39 GMT

Guidelines for building a positive community: 1.) Be positive. Constructive criticism is allowed. Rude, antagonistic comments are not; they are grounds for a warning. 2.) If you don't like a member's posts, then don't read them. Leave them alone. 3.) If you feel that a forum member is breaking the forum rules, report it to Katie Streeter, Art Jewelry's moderator, at kstreeter@artjewelrymag.com. 4.) If you feel the need to address a personal problem with a fellow forum member, contact them off the forum. Any personal correspondence that takes place in this matter is just that — personal. Posting a personal e-mail on the forum will result in a warning. 5.) If a conflict develops, notify Katie Streeter then leave it alone. Every post on a flame thread, no matter how well intended, contributes to the bandwagon effect and keeps the post at the top of the list. 6.) A thread that starts out innocently can sometimes degenerate into a flame thread. If this happens, the person who started the thread should request that people drop the subject immediately. This request should be a red flag to other members that posting on the thread is no longer allowed — no apologies, no last words, just leave it alone until a moderator can lock it. If you have any questions, please contact Katie Streeter.

Disclaimer

Katie Streeter — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 17:50:41 GMT

The opinions expressed on this forum are the views of the individual forum members. They are not the opinions of Kalmbach Publishing Co.