Amateur Photographer & What Digital Camera Forum - Rules & Guidelines

Use of these forums is also governed by standard Web Site's Terms and Conditions, the websites privacy policy and its more detailed rules concerning bulletin boards.

Your registration as a User of the forum implies acceptance of the following terms & conditions, rules & guidelines:

1a) We do not tolerate dual identities - you can successfully use your forum identity on multiple computers, and there is no need to register multiple identities to use this facility.

1b) User Display Names & avatars must not contain offensive words, unsavoury slang, colloquialisms, trade/trading names, trade marks, logos, brands names, marks & models, domain names, etc.

2) We will not stand for abuse of forum users - debate strongly, but desist from the use of abusive and personal language*.

3) Do not take the law into your own hands - if you see something that you don't like, or you think we would not like, please simply click on the notify moderator icon () on the relevant post and we will deal with it appropriately.

4a) No spamming - please do not post the same message in several forums and under no circumstances post with advertising messages or those seeking commercial gain of any kind.

b) Repeating the same information in several posts in one, or several threads, i.e. a recommended business, equipment, web site, etc., may also be considered as spam, and dealt with accordingly.

c) Spamming via the Private Messaging system or users personal email address is not permitted.

5) Do not post pornographic, racially abusive or any other undesirable content - this is a set of photography forums, not a dustbin.

6) Any images posted in threads should be no more than 600 pixels on the longest side and less than 100k (102,400 Bytes) in file size, larger images should be linked to via hypertext.

7) Links to 'personal portfolio & gallery' sites are permitted (within a post, profile or signature, and hosted on a commerce-free domain) but should be reciprocated, particularly when placed in your signature or profile, as a courtesy.

b) Links to photographic forums may be viewed as direct competition and removed.

c) Links to corporate/commercial sites are acceptable so long as they are by way of offering a solution to another's problem, and you have no connection to the linked organisation.

8) Special note on signatures and user pictures;

a) A maximum of two gallery/portfolio hyperlinks only in signature lines.

b) No direct links concerning goods for sale

c) No commercial links, or links promoting products, brands, businesses, etc., allowed in signatures.

d) As with rule 7, we ask for return links as a common courtesy - if you cannot link to our website from your site then please leave the link off your signature.

e) The standards expected of the forum with regard to posting rules are the same for signatures, so please no abusive or obscene terms, links or graphics. Likewise no inflammatory statements, brand evangelism or political, religious proclamations.

f) Images used in signatures should be no wider than 600pixels and no higher than 100pixels, the same size restrictions apply to text signature, maximum of 8 lines of text, or a combination of image/text not exceeding 100 pixels in height. In addition, images should be static and of a subdued nature that does not detract the eye from the content of the thread/post.

g) The inclusion of photographic kit in user signatures is not permitted. Inclusion of such makes effective use of search facilities virtually impossible.

9) Please do not post email address' on the forum. All forum business (questions, answers, etc) should be conducted on the forum. This contributes solutions to the archive for future reference. It also prevents your email address being picked up by spiders and bots harvesting data for SPAM lists, etc.

The selling or advertising of goods and services on these boards is forbidden, this includes affiliate links, links to sites offering goods or services for sale, auctions, etc.

Equally, posting a 'wanted' ad is also forbidden, as this would facilitate a sale through the forum in breach of these rules.

DETAILED RULES

1. Forum Rules and site terms and conditions

1.1 In accordance with the following Forum Rules ("Forum Rules"), IPC Media Limited (“IPC") grants you as an authorised user (“Authorised User" or “you") of this IPC web site (“Web Site") certain rights in relation to the forum services provided by IPC (as set out below) (“Forum") and in return you agree to perform certain obligations.

1.2 Please read these Forum Rules carefully. They are a legal document and, by your continued use of the Forum on the Web Site, you agree to be bound by the Web Site's Terms and Conditions displayed on the Web Site and these Forum Rules.

1.3 In particular, you agree that you have read understood and agree the following clauses as set out in the Web Site's Terms and Conditions in relation to:

* your relationship with third parties and Merchants as set out in clauses 1.4 and 1.5;
* your responsibility for User Generated Content (clause 3.2);
* your responsibilities for use of Web Site (clause 6);
* your consent to use personal information (clause 7);
* limitation of Liability (clause 8).

1.4 If you do not agree with the Web Site's Terms and Conditions and these Forum Rules and do not wish to be bound by them, please exit this Forum and the Web Site and please do not use the Forum and/or Web Site in the future.

* The forum does have a language filter in place, attempts to circumvent this filter are frowned upon, even through the use of asterisks, alternate spelling, etc. The general rule-of-thumb we apply is, 'if it wouldn't appear in the printed magazine, it shouldn't appear on the forum', it is, after all, open to all ages. However, appropriate mild language is tolerated in The Lounge, but nowhere else on the forum. Please consider this before you post.

Any queries, questions or observations regarding these rules should be directed to the forum Administrator, via PM.

This copy of the Forum Rules were correct at time of posting/edit, and supersede any previous versions. We reserve the right to amend or append these rules and act on any such changes retrospectively.