TRF Forums

Welcome to the TRF Forum. This forum has both a Public area and a Members area.

The Forum is moderated and as such there are a number of rules which we hope all visitors can adhere to and avoid the moderators needing to intervene. Wherever possible, the administrators will allow users to be their own moderators, but we will intervene if necessary and action will be taken as appropriate.

Improper Remarks and Defamation
Forum users must be aware that the law of defamation applies to websites and forums
as much as it does to books and newspapers. Robust debate and comment is
welcome on the TRF Forum, but users must not resort to bad language, insults, or
making allegations about people and organisations (whether in the TRF or not) that
imply criminal or improper conduct. Any user of this Forum who is concerned
about a post is asked to contact the site moderator immediately. Your confidentiality
will be respected. Offending posts will be removed.

Submissions
Submissions to these forums are those of the individual and are not to be taken as those of the TRF or its representatives.

Copyright
The contents of this forum are not public domain and may not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the original poster. If permission is required please forward your request to web@trf.org.uk and we will seek the relevant permission.

Posting of Personal Details
Please do not post personal details on the forum.
Please do not post TRF membership details on the forum.
Please do not copy, reproduce or quote the content of pm's (personal forum messages) or emails received from other users or moderators / administrators without their express permission.

Post topics in the correct section
Please try and check that the topic you are starting is in the correct section of the forum:
Moderators reserve the right to move posts that are obviously in the wrong section.

Language
Please post in English on these forums.

Discussion –v- Argument
Discussions are acceptable, and even heated discussion, but if this turns into an Argument, (defined by personal attack, abuse or insults) then the Moderators will take necessary action which may include removal or locking of posts.

Trolls and Trolling
A troll is a person who posts inflammatory messages, with the intention of disrupting the thread or to upset it’s participants. This behaviour will not be tolerated and such users may be permanently barred.

Personal attacks
These are usually caused by discussions turning into serious arguments as mentioned above. Please think before posting anything that would be defined as this sort of attack. For example "Username is an idiot" Personal attacks are not welcome on these forums and will be dealt with firmly.


Arguments between moderators / administrators and users
If you feel a moderator or administrator has been unreasonable, please do not publicly argue. Instead, just send an email to web@trf.org.uk asking why you have been moderated. We will solve arguments quicker if we can talk about it.

Use of inappropriate language
Please do not use inappropriate foul language on the forum. Constant miss-behaviour will be dealt with the TRF way.

Cross Posting
Please try and avoid cross-posting as it has two negative effects.
(a) It provides confusion to those who have not followed the thread and:
(b) It may create a disjointed conversation that loses the point.


Advertising on the forums
Forum users are not permitted to post commercial advertisements (including offering goods or services for sale) on the forums.
Users may post links to their web sites in signatures or posts, provided the posts are materially useful and are not simply seeking to promote their products (e.g. recommending themselves for every query).
The advertising or offering for sale of your own personal items is permitted in the appropriate forum.

Posting Inappropriate Material
PLEASE remember that these forums can be viewed by all ages and not just adults. Sexual, Racist Items or Links to Explicit Material will not be tolerated and will be removed and if this is repeated then appropriate action will be taken against the poster

Off Topic Posts (OT)
Some posts may divert ‘off course’ from the original topic. Rather than drag a thread off topic, you should start a new thread in the appropriate forum and post a link in the original thread.
Reasonable deviations from a topic's starting point are allowed, if discussions on the topic's original subject appear to have finished.

User removal of a moderators note
If a moderator posts a comment in a post, this must not be removed. They are left so the forum community knows what has happened to the post, and why the moderator has carried out any action.

All CAPS titles/posts
Posting in capitals is seen as shouting and is to be avoided.

Avatars and Signatures
The forum moderators reserve the right to ask any member to change their Avatar and/or Signature, should they feel that it is inappropriate, or does not comply with the following guidelines;
Avatar size should be limited to 80 x 80 pixels and a maximum file size of 25K.
Signatures should use no more space than 3 lines of standard sized text would, this includes any blank lines and images you choose to use. Image based signatures should be limited to 80 x 560 pixels and a maximum file size of 25K.

Choice of forum Username
The moderators / administrators reserve the right to ask any member to change their username, should they feel that it is inappropriate, disrespectful or an attempt impersonate another user.

Too many emoticons
Emoticons are great fun, but please do not get carried away. There should generally be no need for more than two or three emoticons together in a post.

Bumping of posts back to the top
"Bumping" is the act of adding to a thread just to get your topic back to the top of the list in a forum and should be avoided. If the topic is of high importance, consider requesting it to be made sticky rather than ‘bumping it’

Use of Quotes
Quotes can be a very useful way of making your reply to a post clearer by indicating which post or part of a post you are referring to.
Please quote only the section of a previous thread which is relevant to the conversation. Try and avoid full post quotes unless really necessary.

Banned members
Where a user is banned from posting or accessing the forums, such ban includes using another members account or log on details to access the forums or asking another member to post on their behalf. This action could have consequences for the other forum member.
A first ban will usually be for 48 hours in the first instance while the case is considered by the Moderators / administrators.
Following that it may be removed or extended depending upon the circumstances.
If the user then gets banned again it may be for a longer period or permanently in serious instances.