1. Spam will not be tolerated.
Advertising products for profit is spam. Inviting members to competing forums is spam. You may link your personnel site to your signature but may not advertise your site or services in the body of the post. Signatures must be kept to a reasonable size. Personnel business's only.

2. "Flaming" will not be tolerated.
What is there to be gained by calling another member out? New members are just that. If you
have a problem with someone, report their post, send me a private message or ignore them.
Don't get caught up in the heat of the moment and let your temper flare up. New members may
need to see the dynamics of the forum before they can adjust their posts to fit within these
guidelines. Bullying or general nastiness to other members will get you banned. Foul language,
and abusive behavior has no place here.


3. "Hijacking threads" should be avoided.
If you are reading a thread and you have a question closely related to the subject, by all
means, post the question! BUT if you have a question that has very little to do with the
subject of the thread... Go back to the forums and research. If the question has never come up,
Start a new Thread! It's simple, you will get a more direct response and the thread you
were reading when your question arose will still be intact and available for others who may
be facing the same challenge. You may, in effect, help many others by asking your question.
The new thread will grab the attention of others who may need the same advice you needed!


4. Arguing online is pointless and will not be tolerated.
Arguing on the Internet doesn't make anyone look smart. Even if you do have all of the answers
there is a gentle way to express yourself and you are expected to go that route. Making fun,
name calling, being generally angry, etc. will not be tolerated.


5. Please make your posts and start your new threads in appropriate categories.
A post in the wrong category is LOST. When a browsing John or Jane Doe has a question, they
will look in the categories that fit the problem. For example; Plumbing questions in the
general category will not be easily found. Please keep your introductions and your
multiple questions in separate and appropriate categories.


6. Be careful with your signatures!
No illegal talk or overly political statements.


7. Do not be upset if someone kindly corrects you when you have made a mistake.
That's what learning is all about. I know this could have gone in with the arguing online or
the flaming guideline but it really needs to be addressed separately. Careful thought when
you've been corrected preserves more dignity than any amount of defending a mistake.


8. Adding photos may be a bit problematic but we still want to see!
Usually, resizing your photos will solve all problems associated with uploading attachments.
There are many programs available to re-size photos, some are included on PCs when manufactured.
Another option would be to use a photo service like Photobucket. They have resizing features
available and your photos can be easily uploaded and retrieved.


9. Abusing Private Messages will not be tolerated.
Bullying members, spamming and arguing in Private Messaging should be reported immediately.
Members who break this guideline will be banned.


10. Name your new threads appropriately!
If there's one thing that loses a good thread anywhere near as fast as placing it in the wrong
category, it's the titling. Naming your thread "I have a question" is a sure fired way to get
ignored. Your question will be overlooked by many people who may have otherwise been very
helpful or may have benefited from your question and it's answers. Give a clue to your problem,
one word can be very helpful. 3 or 4 words will have the pros ready to answer before they even
see your question.



If you find violations of these commandments, please click on the report post icon, on the
exact post you find offensive. The report is instantly e-mailed to the administrator and the
moderator. Reported posts will be dealt with as fairly as possible. If I've left anything out
or if you have any other suggestions or comments, please refer to the suggestions thread in the
General Forum.




There you have it, The Ten Commandments of House Repair Talk.
They're not hard to abide, just treat others as you would have them treat you.
Have fun on the forum and good luck in all of your home improvement endeavors!!