Terms and Conditions

FRIENDS OF BIB WEBSITE MODERATION RULES The moderators will not always be on site to monitor entries. Please read the rules and sanctions on this page before contributing to the forums. All contributors are responsible for following these rules, even if they fail to read them.

1. Participants must not insult or harass other participants. Focus on the logic of the discussion rather than the individuals involved in the discussion. Other participants are not obliged to respond to you.
2. Never post personal information about another participant or post personal contact information.
3. Don’t post anything that could be considered intolerant of a person’s race, culture, appearance, gender, sexual preference, religion or age.
4. Don’t use obscene or foul language. People from different backgrounds participate on this website. We want everyone to feel comfortable and welcome.
5. Be constructive. It’s okay to disagree with other forum participants; in fact we encourage debate. Just keep the dialogue positive.
6. Be careful that the information you post is as accurate as you can make it. If something doesn’t look right, we may fact-check it, and either correct it [with a note in brackets] or remove it. If you think a statement is misleading, please tell us what and why using the Contact Us link at the top.
7. Always respect other participants’ views even if they don’t agree with yours.
8. Keep it civil. This can be difficult sometimes, but it is vital to keep the discussion focused on the issues rather than letting a discussion deteriorate into personal insults.
9. If someone insults you, take the high road and don’t respond. Instead, report the insult or breach of civility to us using the Contact Us link at the top. If you respond to an insult with further insults or incivility, both of you may be barred from the site.
10.  Don’t bully, harass or threaten other participants.
11. Turn off the “CAPS LOCK”. Writing in ALL CAPS is the same as SHOUTING and can cause offense, although it’s okay to capitalize an OCCASIONAL word for emphasis (see what we did there?).
12. Please respect the moderators. Their job is to keep the forum safe and constructive so that everybody gets to have their fair say. It is not always an easy job.

SANCTIONS This is a private site, so we get to make the rules. Here’s how we will moderate the forums:

1. If you alert a moderator to a posting which you think breaches the rules, you will remain anonymous.
2. If you post something which gets moderated (removed), you will be informed via email which rule/s you have breached. You will be asked to review and resubmit your contribution.
3.  You may tell us why you think your contribution should be accepted, but the final decision remains that of the moderators.
4. If you are blocked from the site, you will receive an email notification informing you why, and when you may ask to return.

Breaches of the rules will be treated as follows:

1. Removal of comment – any comment that, in the view of the moderator, breaches the rules will be removed.
2. Temporary Suspension – a participant who flouts the moderation rules may be barred from the website for a period of a week or more. The period will reflect both the severity and type of breach.
3. Permanent Blocking – a participant who continues to violate the moderation rules following reinstatement after a period of suspension may be permanently blocked.
4. Automatic Blocking – a participant who posts or links to inappropriate, offensive or illegal material will be immediately and permanently blocked from the site.