1. Posts should always be made in a polite and respectful manner, commonly referred to as Netiquette. Netiquette is considered that set of actions and behaviors which allow the enjoyment and utility of boards such as this by all participants. It is related to "real life" etiquette in that it is a set of guidelines and not actual laws. Abiding by Netiquette will help ensure that your experience with this board is a pleasant one.
2. It is the responsibility of posters to this board to familiarize him- or herself with these guidelines before posting to the board. Lack of awareness of the "local rules" is not an excuse for breaking them.
3. Debate should be kept on a non-personal basis. Flaming and name-calling will not be allowed. It is never appropriate to attack, criticize or condemn another poster. Retaliation, sharp reproof and cynicism are to be avoided in public posts. The purpose of the forum is to discuss Dark Shadows, its characters, actors and storylines. Disagreement is a natural occurrence, but as stated above, should be done in a respectful manner. Likewise, these disagreements should not be continued beyond the normal limits of interesting discourse. Argument for argument's sake is not welcome.
4. If a poster feels wronged, slighted, or offended by another poster, these disagreements should be taken up in private e-mail between the posters. These disagreements may also be brought to the forum moderator, if necessary, but members are strongly encouraged to solve these problems among themselves off-board.
5. HARASSMENT, IMPERSONATION, FLAMING and TROLLING will not be allowed. The Internet is a fairly anonymous place; an unfortunate side-effect of this is the ease with which people consider harassing others, flaming them or trolling for flames. Harassing someone, either by posting deliberately offensive messages or by trying to impersonate them, is unacceptable and will be considered a serious violation of these guidelines. Flaming is the act of posting emotionally inflammatory messages, usually due to a lack of restraint or a short temper. Reviewing what you plan to post to the board, particularly when you are agitated or upset, is an excellent way to avoid flaming. Trolling is the act of posting messages that are intentionally crafted to enrage or draw someone into flaming. Posts clearly designed to incite and inflame will not be tolerated and will be immediately deleted from the board upon discovery. Posters who indulge in such activities will be subject to blocking from participation on the board.
6. This board is not a forum for the negative discussion of other DS forums. In other words, no finger pointing.
7. This board is not a forum for the spreading of gossip or innuendo, or the slandering of the DS actors' private lives. Comment on their public behavior, whether it be a personal appearance or in the course of some other form of public exposure (such as a talk show appearance) is perfectly acceptable, however.
8. Off-topic posts are allowed but should be so labeled and should be kept to a minimum.
9. Posters agree not to abuse any VantageNet forum by attempting to "spam" or broadcast requests to their server(s). Their system is not designed for that. Such "spamming", or attempts to "spam" will be considered reason for VantageNet to bring legal action against you.
10. Postings that might be offensive to some viewers such as: sexual content, links to graphics or imbedded images that are pornographic in nature, very foul language, etc. will be deleted from the board because they violate VantageNet's Terms of Use. Their advertisers refuse to show their ads on sites with objectionable content. Even though the board moderator may not find something objectionable, the VantageNet advertisers do.
11. Posters who violate these guidelines will be warned privately by the board moderator and after one warning will be blocked from participating on the board should they repeat their behavior. Decisions regarding blocking are solely the responsibility of the moderator.
GENERAL COMMENTS
This board was primarily established to promote discussion of Dark Shadows. It is an informal board and was started purely for the enjoyment it might bring to its posters. These guidelines were not developed to impede discussion but to channel it in a positive and productive manner. Board posters will most probably share an admiration for Dark Shadows, its actors, characters and writers and therefore should come to this board with common ground. Behavior on the board is essentially a matter of common sense. Treat other board posters as you yourself want to be treated. Think twice before posting in anger. Remember that cyberspace robs us of voice inflection and facial expression, and therefore, written comments are more easily misinterpreted. With that in mind, consider your words carefully before posting. Likewise, give other posters the benefit of the doubt when reading their posts.
Thank you for posting on this message board and adhering to these guidelines. Please post often and enjoy yourselves.