| Forum Rules |
Trot.org Forum Rules & Policies
By using the trot.org forum, you agree to abide by these Rules & Policies and be held to the decisions made by the Site Administrators. The trot.org forum reserves the right to modify the Rules & Policies at its sole discretion, and by using this site, you agree to be bound by the modifications or updates to the Rules & Policies.
First Amendment Right of trot.org Forum
The trot.org forum is guaranteed the freedom of speech under the First Amendment on this site. Therefore, the right to publish any information on this site rests solely with trot.org forum and Topics may be deleted by the Site Administrators without notice or explanation. This right does not transfer automatically to its sponsors, advertisers or registered users.
You have the right to stand on a soapbox and speak your mind, but you must be willing to provide your own soapbox. trot.org forum is not required to provide one for you. "Free Speech" on these forums is allowed under the trot.org forum's First Amendment rights not the visitor's First Amendment rights.
You, and you alone, are responsible for the validity and content of your statements. trot.org is not responsible for any statements made by individual members.
Registration Policy
Only one registered username is allowed per individual participant on the forums. Use of offensive or trademark names will not be accepted. e-mail accounts that become inactive or inoperative will result in the removal of the registered user's name. The Site Administrators will not make any attempt to contact the registered user in this matter, therefore it is the responsibility of the registered user to maintain a valid e-mail address.
Underage Members
According to the registration agreement that you certified when registering, you must be thirteen or older in order to participate on trot.org's forums. Should the administrators become aware of any violations of this policy, they may remove or lock the username without notice.
General House Keeping
The trot.org forum is setup with several different forums based on certain topics we face in our pursuit of horsemanship. Before posting your topics look to make sure you are in the correct forum. This is to ensure that the appropriate audience and experts in the field respond to your discussions. Also, before you post a new topic try a search of that topic in the different forums to see what might have already been brought up. You can save yourself a lot of time by doing this when you need the answer fast.
If by chance you post in the wrong forum, a Site Administrator or Moderator will MOVE the topic to the appropriate forum. However there will be no link left behind telling you so. You'll have to try a search of other forums to find the topic. We have to make it a little uncomfortable for you in this process or we won't be able to get people to pay attention to the organization of the site. And by all means do not post "Where did my post go?" That will just get deleted. Please be courteous in keeping our site organized, that's all we are asking for.
Posting of Photos
There will be no posting of copyrighted photos either in signatures or regular posts. If you wish to use a photographer's copyrighted photo as an example, you may provide a link to that photographer's web site.
Due to bandwidth issues, individual photos that are posted within a topic are limited to 2-3 per topic unless prior arrangement has been made with one of the administrators or moderators. In all cases, links to an external web site are preferred. Should a photo be posted, these are the guidelines:
- no more than 2-3 PER TOPIC (not per post nor per member)
- maximum file size of 40KB
- maximum pixel size of 250 x 350
Rules of Participation
Unacceptable Behavior
You agree, when registering to participate on the trot.org forum, that you will not use the forums to post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise in violation of any law.
Heat vs Flames
Remember you are posting in a public forum with thousands of participants and there is a chance someone is going to disagree with you at some point. A heated discussion can be a very good source of knowledge and insight. Just don't let it turn into a 'tack room brawl' forum - remember, address the issue being discussed, not the person. You have a right to your opinion, however, the trot.org forum is predicated on polite debate. If you feel the need to express your opinion rudely, or your response warrants your "donning of a flame suit," then you are most likely involved in a discussion that you shouldn't be. Agree to disagree about the issue and move on. Rudeness will not be tolerated.
Discussion of Professionals and Individuals
The trot.org forum is not a place for posting questionable information about the professionals or individuals in our sport. Often professionals learn of the internet discussion forums because of something offensive or off color that was posted. There is a huge opportunity being destroyed by irresponsible individuals who want to post hearsay, rumors, and plain old lies. This is not “The National Equestrian” website. Therefore in order to preserve this opportunity we will stick to issues of the sport and NOT the people of the sport except under the following provisions....
a) Referrals: If you need feedback on a specific professional, you must provide an e-mail for people to respond to you in private.
b) Clinic/Show Reviews: Since clinics and shows are a public service and should be open to discussion like any product, a review of a publicly held clinic is allowed. The review MUST NOT turn into a character judgment of the professional or the participants. Only the training theories and applications observed are subject to discussion.
c) Public Statements & Observations: The public figures of our sport are not completely immune from criticism or discussion. Public statements made in industry publications are intended for public view and are therefore open to discussion. Public performances are also intended for public observation, and therefore open to discussion … but stick to the issues. Statements and observations obtained while in a private setting just will not be allowed.
Posting of Personal Information / Privacy
Out of respect for individual privacy, you may not post personal email addresses, phone numbers or addresses of anyone other than yourself. You may not repost emails or PMs received privately.
Copyrighted Material
You agree NOT to post any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you.
Any posts/threads you contribute to Trot.org become the property of Trot.org and can be used for various means including, articles, slideshows, and evidence in the situation of a complaint or legal action.
Private/Chatty Messages
Please avoid posting personal messages in the forums in an attempt to find someone specific, ask your question and if the person chooses to answer your question they will, otherwise try to contact the person directly through IM or e-mail if this information is published. The "Off The Rail Forum" is a forum where you can post more chatty non-horse related messages.
Multiple Postings
Do not post your message more than once in a specific forum or in more than one forum, or a message in another forum telling someone to "go look" into another forum. These double messages will be deleted by the Site Administrator automatically. Also, do not start a new topic when the same subject is already being discussed.
Classifieds Postings
The forums are not to be used for classified posting unless specifically designated as such. While some shameless promotion will occur randomly, direct attempts at advertising in discussions is strictly prohibited. Classifieds are handled separately through ExtendedTrot.com.
Report Objectionable Content
Any visitor who feels that a posted message is objectionable is encouraged to contact the Site Operator immediately by e-mail. The forums moderator has the ability to remove objectionable messages and the trot.org forum will make every effort to do so, within a reasonable time frame, if we determine that removal is necessary. This is a manual process, however, so please realize that we may not be able to remove or edit particular messages immediately.
Links to External Sites
Due to the high incidence of Internet predators, links to sites such as MySpace.com that may encourage contact by such will be summarily deleted. (MySpace.com is not the only site, but is an example of the type that may be deleted.)
Administrator/Moderator Directives
You are obligated to follow the instructions of a forum moderator or the Site Administrator when addressing the rules on the forums whether you agree with the decisions or not. The Site Administrator's decision is final in all matters.
Disciplinary Policy
Failure to adhere to any of the trot.org forum site Rules & Policies will result in disciplinary action described below:
Posts Deleted: Posts may be deleted by the forum moderator or the Site Administrator without notice or explanation.
Verbal warning: may be offered by e-mail.
Public warning: will be issued on the forum if you persist.
Banning: will be issued for doubly persistent failure to follow rules and your username privileges will be suspended anywhere from one day to permanent banning from posting notes on the trot.org forum site.
Further offenses (including attempts to post under a new username) will lead to us reporting your activities to your system administrator - whether this is your ISP, your employer or your parent(s) (in case of a minor). The trot.org forum site also reserves the right to reveal your identity (or whatever information we know about you) in the event of a complaint or legal action arising from any message posted by you.
The forums' administrator's decision is final in these matters.
These rules can be updated at any time and it is your responsibility to stay informed.
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