Rules For Use Of The Forum

This is the premier site for anyone who owns or is interested in the Volkswagen T2 Kombi produced in Brazil up until December 2013.  Whether Aircooled or Watercooled - this is where you can share your experiences, give and receive advice and information, hook up with fellow owners and chat all things BraziBay.

Please note that if you are here for any reason other than described above you will be banned in accordance with the rules below and if necessary reported to the appropriate authorities.

Use of the Brazilian VW Bay.com forum is subject to the following rules – effective August 2011

Regardless of whether you are viewing this for the first time or as a reminder of the rules that govern this forum, the Admin team of Brazilian VW Bay.com require that you spend some time reading and digesting this.  The contents may seem detailed, unappealing to some, but they have been written for the good of the forum and not reading them does not exonerate you from abiding by these rules.

For the purpose of these rules the term ‘Admin team’ encompasses both the forum Administrator and its Moderators.

1. Moderation of Posts

Personal insults are unacceptable and will be subject to editing and/or deletion.  Allowing them to remain encourages further posts in a downward trend that not only hampers the spirit of the forum but also becomes irrelevant to the majority.

Should you not understand why a post has been edited or deleted, you are welcome to contact one of the Admin team for clarity, via the site Private Message system ONLY.

Under no circumstances should you then start a discussion about the moderation that has taken place either in the thread or on the forum in general.  This would be pointless as none of the Admin team will respond to you publicly and further it starts irrelevant debates over how the forum should be run.  Such posts will be deleted.  Please note, how the forum is run, is simply not open for debate.

Feel free to make suggestions but you may not demand or publicly challenge how the forum is managed.  The site is free for you to use, you do not pay for its maintenance nor do you get to elect the Admin team.  The Admin team are approachable, balanced and give their time freely to the benefit of all using the forum.  If you cannot accept this, then this forum is not for you.

Similarly the sending of offensive Private Messages is not allowed and should the Admin team receive a complaint, the offending poster will instantly have their right to send and receive Private Messages deactivated, may be banned and even have their account deleted.

2. Warnings and Bans

Any warnings or bans will only be discussed privately between the Admin team and the poster involved.  There will be no public information about this even if you may have been included in the topic leading to the warning/ban.  The forum’s purpose is to promote the Volkswagen T2 Kombi and the lifestyle owning one can bring, not to pass judgement.

These rules are set out to maintain the smooth running of the forum.  Banning an individual is not a punishment; it is a way of keeping the online activity in check.

It is recognised that being human, everyone can have an ‘off day’ and that now and then someone who may have made a continuously positive contribution to the forum, may slip and cause offence.  A ban for this individual would not be deemed appropriate if this was a ‘one off’ – their post will simply be deleted.

However, if someone is continuously offensive, aggressive, or repeatedly draws the mood of the forum into negativity, then there is no place on this forum for that individual.  The banning of this poster is not a punishment; it is a way of maintaining the positive attitude of the forum.  All posts involved that lead to such a ban will be deleted.  Again if you cannot accept this, then this forum is not for you.

Dependent on the situation, bans will be of the order of:

1 week
1 month
Permanent
Account Deletion

A ban will be activated on the Username, Email address and IP address of the poster.

As a positive member of the community, we feel you will be happy to accept these rules.  If you choose to disregard them, again, this site is not for you.

3.  Personal Information/Racism and Homophobia

Personal Information should be treated as highly confidential in the online world.  Never make mention of a member’s full name, phone number, email address or any other form of identification unless you have specific permission to do so from that member.  There are exceptions to this, such as advertisers on the site who are also forum members, but with regard to private individuals please keep this in mind.  Should you disregard this expect a strongly worded reminder and possible suspension.

There is no place in the modern world for racism or homophobia.  Any posters demonstrating this via comments, suggestions, private message, images or signs will be suspended and their account deleted.

Please be mindful of the wide audience that has sight of the forum, when it comes to your choice of username. Ask yourself if the username you are registering with may cause offence.

4. Freedom of Speech versus Flame-Baiting

Whilst small in comparison, the community that is based around the new Volkswagen T2 Kombi is a diverse one.  It includes both members and companies, any of which may be promoted and rejected, commended and rebuked, revered and questioned constantly.  But there is a fine line between rejecting/rebuking/questioning and discrediting/wrongly attributing/damaging.

Defining where that fine line lies can be difficult.  However it is straightforward when we recognise a post as being illegal or simply flame-bait.  Deletion of such post then takes place.

Equally it is straightforward when we recognise a genuine example of ‘speaking up.’  The post will remain.

We’ll endeavour to show empathy, but if someone decides to start a personal tirade on a controversial issue, then they should accept that they may well open themselves up for criticism of their view.

If you get on your soap-box and tell everyone they are deluded (and telling all of John Smith’s advocates that he’s the worst dealer ever, or telling John Doe’s advocates that he’s nothing but an attention seeker, is just that – either way, you are telling those advocates that they are deluded) and you cannot expect it to go unnoticed.  Should you be heckled, you need to question yourself as to whether you deserved it.

When writing a post keep in mind that anyone on the web can read what you’ve written – are there far reaching consequences of your words?  If stating facts ensure, as far as is possible, that they are accurate.

5. Comments about the Admin team

The site was set up with the best of intentions for it to be informative, helpful, entertaining, positive and fun.  All of the Admin team have full-time jobs and other commitments but they dedicate as much time and enthusiasm as they can to running the site.  They do not get paid for this.

The rule is simple here: every member of the Admin team is to be treated with respect and all their decisions are final.

Should you hold the view that any of the Admin team is out of line, then you may complain.  This must be done privately and reasonably and ONLY through the site Private Message system.  The Admin team will then handle the complaint.

Under no circumstances are any of the Admin team to be contacted by phone/text/in person – should you have access to their contact details – for the purpose of discussing the running of the forum.  Your account will be deleted should this occur.

6. Starting New Threads/Quoting

Particularly if you are new to the forum, before starting a new thread please ensure you have made use of the SEARCH function or KEYWORDS panel to see whether the topic has already been discussed.

When quoting someone’s post, edit the quote so it just shows the sections relevant to your reply.  Including the entire text from someone’s post unnecessarily takes up space.

7. Posting images and media on Brazilian VW Bay.com

Do not post images/media that you do not own, have the copyright for/permission to upload.  Before posting anything that is not your own property, seek the authority of the owner/copyright holder.

Do not post content of a pornographic or offensive nature.  Ask yourself ‘is this appropriate?’

8. Advertising by Companies and Traders

Only those companies who have paid to have a specific slot on Brazilian VW Bay.com are allowed to detail their businesses, post images and links to their websites.  Other companies, for example hire firms, may include a standard font link in their signature but only when agreed by the Admin team.  Please ask for permission before inserting your link – do not assume it is ok to post and then ask.

9. Brazilian VW Bay.com Copyright

You are free to link to threads and images on Brazilian VW Bay.com via Twitter, Facebook, other forums, etc but please remember all content remains property of the site and must not be copied or paraphrased without the permission of TimV.

Use of the name Brazilian VW Bay.com, URL and domain is strictly prohibited without the prior consent of TimV for items such as stickers, clothing etc.

The Bottom Line

The above rules have been born out of almost 2 years experience of being online.  They should not be seen as an obstacle, rather as boundaries, which we would like you to keep in mind.  The forum has grown into an incredibly vibrant resource and we want to build on that.  

Please remember at all times that this site is pro Volkswagen T2 Kombi – let’s keep it that way.

Thank you for taking time to read these rules.  

Enjoy your time on Brazilian VW Bay.com.

The Admin team: TimV, Kiteman, Scooby and Irishman

As we head into our 5th year online, please make sure you are aware of the rules governing this forum.

Thanks.

If you haven't already done so, or if you need a reminder, please have a read of the forum rules?

Thank you.

A quick bump for anyone needing a refresher.

Please remember that it is part of the rules of the forum that you use the SEARCH function prior to starting new threads about topics. Many topics have been covered previously. Thank you.