To ALL Members, New and Old

[Jeanne]

Please once again familiarize yourself with forum rules and terms of service for this site.

The link for forum rules and ToS is:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/annou...nouncementid=3



The reason I make this request, I have noticed alot of ppl linking to competing sites, I dont want this getting out of hand, and it is against site rules (see #2).

[normballpython2]

i don't mean to intrude but what if it is a site that actually has more specific info on a certain species than this site (like help with boas and things like that) i mean if the person really needs the info and another site may be able to help in the parts where this site can't why can't we post that site for the other person's benefit? better yet the snakes?

Brian

[frankykeno]

I'd like clarification as well please Jeanne. Is it okay to post a link to say a breeders site's caresheets (like NERD has for instance) as long as you aren't advertising/promoting this breeder over another? I can understand not linking to competing forums of course.

Thanks,

~~Jo~~

[Jeanne]

Brian, simply, it is against site rules/TOS to do so. Site rules/TOS were written to protect this site, we realise that there may at times be other info on specific species at other sites, but we do not feel it in our best interest to promote another site. As they do not offer this to us, most sites have rules very much like ours to protect thier interest. To put it nicely, it is important to have proper netiquette regarding these things. You simply cannot promote competing forums here.

Jo, IMO linking to a sites caresheets other than ours would still be like promoting another competing site/product. We do realise that other sites may have wonderful caresheets and info varies from site to site, but we also supply many here too that others have taken alot of time and effort to write, and it is still within a persons rights to go and look at others elsewhere on the net or do a search to find other caresheets/info. We just ask that links to other places not be used for competing forums who have similiar "products" in posts.

[Ginevive]

I have a question about posting pics. let's say that my pic is uploaded on another site (such as Photobucket.) It's still OK to post it on the forum right? I was wondering if it'd be different of my pic was posted on another herp related site. Just curious; I don't want to break the rules!

[frankykeno]

Okay Jeanne, thanks for the clarification. I'll be more mindful of posting links from now on.


~~Joanna~~

[Jeanne]

BUMP


It has come to my attention this is happening frequently again. So please, once again, take the time to read this sites TOS/Forum Rules to familiarize yourself with them. This is not an attempt to be mean, or over controlling, Admin Council is trying to preserve this site, and as I have mentioned before, those other sites dont give us free advertising by allowing ppl to link to us for different things. And as I have mentioned before, one is certainly able and within thier rights to search out more/other info if it is not contained within this site.

[SnakeySnakeSnake]

Hrm.... so if there is info that is not available on this site.... we arent allowed to answer the question of someone by linking another site?

Are we allowed to say, "go check out nerds website, they have another caresheet there" or is that the same thing as linking?

[jglass38]

Rules!? We don't need no stinkin rules!!

Seriously people..Follow the rules or be eliminated like last week's rodent

[JLC]

Hrm.... so if there is info that is not available on this site.... we arent allowed to answer the question of someone by linking another site?

Are we allowed to say, "go check out nerds website, they have another caresheet there" or is that the same thing as linking?

It's perfectly OK to say something like "NERD answers this well on their website." We're not trying to black-out all other websites as if we are the only ones on the Internet.

We allow links to related sites that are not forum-specific. And we allow links to certain forums that have something totally unique that BP.net cannot currently offer...such as BOI.

The issue mostly comes up when people spam/advertise other forums on our forum. That is not acceptable. But the only way to stop the "malicious" linking is by making a rule against all general forum links. It's not a rule any of us enjoy enforcing.

I hope that explains that rule a bit better. I know it seems a bit arbitrary sometimes, but we do the best we can.