Smilie Craze --- EVERYONE Please Read!

Hey folks...

We've got no problem with y'all using extra smilies that are not on our current list. HOWever....it is still firmly against the TOS/Rules of this site to post images hosted on someone else's website. Every single time that thread is clicked on, all those images draw bandwidth off someone else's website...and that's just bad mojo!

So please...please...if you want to use them, you must download them either to your OWN server space where you pay for the bandwidth used...or to your own gallery space right here at BP.net.

Those posts would start looking funny if all the smilies got deleted. ;) :P

Thank you for listening and understanding! :hug:

Shouldn't this be a sticky?

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Originally Posted by JLC

Hey folks...

We've got no problem with y'all using extra smilies that are not on our current list. HOWever....it is still firmly against the TOS/Rules of this site to post images hosted on someone else's website. Every single time that thread is clicked on, all those images draw bandwidth off someone else's website...and that's just bad mojo!

So please...please...if you want to use them, you must download them either to your OWN server space where you pay for the bandwidth used...or to your own gallery space right here at BP.net.

Those posts would start looking funny if all the smilies got deleted. ;) :P

Thank you for listening and understanding! :hug:

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Are there some examples of where this has happened? I haven't seen it...

did you know there are some sights that you can link to with no problems?

http://emoticons4u.com/love.htm

when you click on the emoticon... it gives you an addy to use! for example:

[img] http://users.telenet.be/eforum/emoticons4u/love/302.gif [/img]
(of course i added some spaces to show the code and not link to the image)

so... wouldn't these be allowed?

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Originally Posted by Sputnik

Shouldn't this be a sticky?

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I considered that....but the Site Info forum already has a ton of them. And folks tend to just ignore them anyhow. (How often do we have to refer people to read stickies?)

However, it wouldn't hurt my feelings if folks bumped this every once in a while to keep it in public view. I'd really, really hate to have to start deleting smilies! ;)

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Originally Posted by recycling goddess

did you know there are some sights that you can link to with no problems?

http://emoticons4u.com/love.htm

when you click on the emoticon... it gives you an addy to use! for example:

[img] http://users.telenet.be/eforum/emoticons4u/love/302.gif [/img]
(of course i added some spaces to show the code and not link to the image)

so... wouldn't these be allowed?

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It would be really hard to enforce existing rules if we allowed exceptions like that. I appreciate the fact that they seem to encourage direct links back to their site, but the staff is already busy enough to have to try and follow up on every smilie used to see if it's allowed by a 3rd party site or not.

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Originally Posted by JLC

It would be really hard to enforce existing rules if we allowed exceptions like that. I appreciate the fact that they seem to encourage direct links back to their site, but the staff is already busy enough to have to try and follow up on every smilie used to see if it's allowed by a 3rd party site or not.

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In my opinion, this seems awfully silly. Even though it doesnt violate the TOS it's still not allowed? Do you also check every picture posted to see if it is linked from a site such as photo bucket or if its leeching someone else's bandwidth? It seems to me things might be focused in the wrong direction. But again, thats just my opinion.

couldn't the "rule" be... you can post smileys from this site and from the one i posted and otherwise... please don't.

cause honestly... is this something which really needs to be enforced? seems like a waste of time IMO.

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Originally Posted by jglass38

In my opinion, this seems awfully silly. Even though it doesnt violate the TOS it's still not allowed? Do you also check every picture posted to see if it is linked from a site such as photo bucket or if its leeching someone else's bandwidth? It seems to me things might be focused in the wrong direction. But again, thats just my opinion.

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Our focus is on enforcing the rules. The TOS states that it is not allowed to post images directly from 3rd party sites. It does not clarify whether or not that site allows such posting. So...doing so still violates OUR rules.

Photobucket is a viable option for posting pictures because that space "belongs" to the person using it, so long as it is their account.

Yes, the staff makes a point of checking images to be sure they are not "illegally" posted.

I don't understand why you believe enforcing our rules is "going in the wrong direction"...especially when you often advocate even MORE rules for us to enforce.

I have not deleted any smilies yet....nor do I want to. I don't want to spoil anyone's fun. This was intended as a gentle reminder to follow the rules as they currently exist. We can't enforce the rules for some people, and then let everyone else slide just because the images involved are small and cutsie.

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Originally Posted by JLC

Our focus is on enforcing the rules. The TOS states that it is not allowed to post images directly from 3rd party sites. It does not clarify whether or not that site allows such posting. So...doing so still violates OUR rules.

Photobucket is a viable option for posting pictures because that space "belongs" to the person using it, so long as it is their account.

Yes, the staff makes a point of checking images to be sure they are not "illegally" posted.

I don't understand why you believe enforcing our rules is "going in the wrong direction"...especially when you often advocate even MORE rules for us to enforce.

I have not deleted any smilies yet....nor do I want to. I don't want to spoil anyone's fun. This was intended as a gentle reminder to follow the rules as they currently exist. We can't enforce the rules for some people, and then let everyone else slide just because the images involved are small and cutsie.

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I think rules that make sense and make the site better should certainly be enforced.

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Originally Posted by recycling goddess

couldn't the "rule" be... you can post smileys from this site and from the one i posted and otherwise... please don't.

cause honestly... is this something which really needs to be enforced? seems like a waste of time IMO.

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I agree...it's not a particularly valuable use of our time. Which is why I was hoping one little reminder about the rules would suffice. It's not a big deal to move a smilie image to our own gallery here, if you like it so much. Or your own server space if you have it...or your own photobucket account.

I'm not out to scour the forums for "illegal" smilies....I just noticed that we were having a LOT of them posted recently that were in violation of our TOS. If that were to continue unchecked, we'd end up with all sorts of stuff being posted directly from other sites that don't allow it....and then people pointing fingers at the staff saying "Why can't I get away with this, when you allow all those other things to slide?"

So who decides what rules makes sense or not? The Admin Team does. They can't cater rules to fit every members idea of what is or isn't okay. The fact is those are the TOS. You (and that is a general you not a specific you) can't in one thread say the Admin/Mod team is fanastic and doing a great job and then in another thread decide they are enforcing a rule you don't like therefore it's a waste of their time. Judy reminded everyone very nicely to follow the rules, something as an Admin she's bound to do. Is it a big deal to move a smiley if you want to use one that's not on the list already here at BPNet?

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

So who decides what rules makes sense or not? The Admin Team does. They can't cater rules to fit every members idea of what is or isn't okay. The fact is those are the TOS. You (and that is a general you not a specific you) can't in one thread say the Admin/Mod team is fanastic and doing a great job and then in another thread decide they are enforcing a rule you don't like therefore it's a waste of their time. Judy reminded everyone very nicely to follow the rules, something as an Admin she's bound to do. Is it a big deal to move a smiley if you want to use one that's not on the list already here at BPNet?

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Just stating my opinions which I think is still ok to do. I think the admin focus is in the wrong direction in this case and then when there a real issues the answer is that they are too overwhelmed to do anything about it.

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Originally Posted by jglass38

Just stating my opinions which I think is still ok to do. I think the admin focus is in the wrong direction in this case and then when there a real issues the answer is that they are too overwhelmed to do anything about it.

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Valid point Jamie and I was stating mine because I know it's still okay to do that. Admin is a pretty harsh position to be in though. I'm glad I'm not one of them. I neither have the patience of a saint nor the wisdom of Job (okay an obvious overstatement...it is just the internet) :)

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

Valid point Jamie and I was stating mine because I know it's still okay to do that. Admin is a pretty harsh position to be in though. I'm glad I'm not one of them. I neither have the patience of a saint nor the wisdom of Job (okay an obvious overstatement...it is just the internet) :)

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I have no doubt it is a thankless job. I have said it before that the admins do a great job with the site. But when I see something that I think is wrong, I am going to say something. This is not a personal attack on anyone in particular as I have been accused of.

Good lord Jamie, you're worse than a nagging wife. Oh wait, that would be me. :oops:

:neener:

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Originally Posted by tigerlily

Good lord Jamie, you're worse than a nagging wife. Oh wait, that would be me. :oops:

:neener:

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I was wondering how you recognized it!! :P

Hey I'm good at it. Just ask the husband. ;) Therefore I feel I'm expert enough to recognize it. I hereby declare myself the Nagging Expert. So let it be written, so let it be done.

Yes, I've completely lost it. :psychotic

i found it! :carrot:

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Originally Posted by recycling goddess

i found it! :carrot:

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You might want to be careful with it. It's tricky. :rolleyes:

oh now i AM excited.... i loooove tricks!!!!!

:D

i am definatly one of the violators (sorry i didnt think about it)
but i'm just a little confused as to how i would go about posting smileys off other places "legally". a little clarification please?

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Originally Posted by tigerlily

Hey I'm good at it. Just ask the husband. ;) Therefore I feel I'm expert enough to recognize it. I hereby declare myself the Nagging Expert. So let it be written, so let it be done.

Yes, I've completely lost it. :psychotic

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Cuckoo!! :rolleye2:

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Originally Posted by alexrls

i am definatly one of the violators (sorry i didnt think about it)
but i'm just a little confused as to how i would go about posting smileys off other places "legally". a little clarification please?

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I believe the consensus it that you may post the picture if it's yours. For pictures that belong to someone elses websites, it's more polite to post link so you are not stealing their bandwidth everytime someone opens that thread. As for smilies, you may download them into your gallery or other photobucket type account, and then it is ok to post them. I hope that helps. Although it's a bit early in the morning for me to be actually trying to explain anything. :firstcup:

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Originally Posted by tigerlily

I believe the consensus it that you may post the picture if it's yours. For pictures that belong to someone elses websites, it's more polite to post link so you are not stealing their bandwidth everytime someone opens that thread. As for smilies, you may download them into your gallery or other photobucket type account, and then it is ok to post them. I hope that helps. Although it's a bit early in the morning for me to be actually trying to explain anything. :firstcup:

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Very well put! You are so wicked smaahhht! :hokitty:

Oh by the way, whoever neg repped me for voicing my opinion with a "policy is policy", at least have the huevos (or juevos if you like) to put your name. Gotta love Internet anonymity! :P (linked properly!)

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Originally Posted by JLC

Hey folks...

We've got no problem with y'all using extra smilies that are not on our current list. HOWever....it is still firmly against the TOS/Rules of this site to post images hosted on someone else's website. Every single time that thread is clicked on, all those images draw bandwidth off someone else's website...and that's just bad mojo!

So please...please...if you want to use them, you must download them either to your OWN server space where you pay for the bandwidth used...or to your own gallery space right here at BP.net.

Those posts would start looking funny if all the smilies got deleted. ;) :P

Thank you for listening and understanding! :hug:

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I think it's a great policy! ... The few times I've needed to use "non stock" smilies, I've just uploaded them to my own site ... works great! ;)

ROCK ON Judy, I'm with you on this one!! :sweeet:

http://www.8ballpythons.com/uploads/.../devilmask.gif

-adam

Ahhhh......Adam always the voice of reason :)

Adam you ROCK!