The moderation team reserves the right to delete any avatar or signature it deems inappropriate for any reason, without notice. Repeated violations may result in the suspension of your avatar privileges.The moderation team reserves the right to delete any avatar or signature it deems inappropriate for any reason, without notice. Repeated violations may result in the suspension of your avatar privileges.Forum Policies
Our forum rules have one major purpose: they allow a respectful exchange of ideas. These rules have been created to provide you with information about what you can expect here, and what is expected of you. There's nothing wrong with contrary opinions, in fact life would be pretty boring if everyone agreed on everything! We have to insist though that opinions are expressed in a civil fashion, free of insults.
Maintaining forum decorum also means that certain behaviors, such as trolling, thread crapping, and being openly critical of our staff and policies, have no place on our site. The same applies to content that is unacceptable such as politics, religion, racial discussion, pornography, spamming, and so forth. More detailed explanations can be obtained by clicking on the appropriate links below.
Please keep in mind that you are responsible for everything that you post, and it is important that you think carefully before clicking on the reply button. All internet forums have a system of sanctions for members who violate the rules, and we are no exception. We encourage our members to become familiar with the full version of our rules and policies so that we can maintain and nurture our little corner of the internet!
Introduction
The Steve Hoffman Music Forum is a place for music lovers to gather peaceably to discuss the music and recordings they love. We hope to create an environment that is family-friendly, receptive and educational, not rude or judgmental like many other forums on the internet. To both develop and preserve camaraderie and general politeness among members, simple guidelines have been established. To that positive end, a team of forum moderators volunteer their time to make sure that these guidelines are respected.
Forum Etiquette
There are many different types of people who are members at Steve Hoffman Forums, with many different tastes in music, hardware, etc. One of the primary goals of our cyber community is to foster an intelligent, enjoyable, and civil exchange of thoughts and ideas about music and its related topics between our members. You may even make new friends here. We expect you to respect the opinions of your fellow forum members. Please curb any urge you may have to flippantly dismiss someone's opinion (Examples: "that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard" or "that's bullsh*t").
Since this is an open music forum, obviously many different types of music will be discussed. Statements about a member's personal taste in artists or hardware, or negative comments about whole genres of music will not be tolerated (Example: "all rap sucks!"). This also goes for viciously attacking the musical merit of a group or artist, or vicious attacks on individuals outside the forum. Note, however, that civil criticism of an artist is allowed.
Harassment and Personal Attacks
Harassment occurs when a member insults, attacks, or denigrates another member, either on the public forum, or in a private message (Conversation). We realize that discussions about music can get intense, but we have zero tolerance for taking an argument to a personal level. Examples: the use of terms such as "idiot, moron, stupid" and other derogatory terms. If a personal attack occurs or you feel that you have been harassed, it is absolutely necessary to refrain from any retaliatory personal attacks. Just take a deep breath and notify a moderator by clicking the "Report" button, and we will deal with it.
Reporting Posts
Should you see a post that is offensive or that breaks any of the rules listed below, please let us know by using the "Report" button at the bottom of every post. All post reports are kept strictly confidential.
Questioning a Moderator's Actions
Moderators work hard enforcing forum policies and helping the forum run smoothly. Forum threads complaining about the moderation staff or forum policies are not permitted, and under no circumstances may you lash out at a moderator or question a moderator's decision in public. Feedback is welcome but it must be done privately. If you have a problem with a moderator, or feel that a misunderstanding has occurred, you may directly PM any of the moderators and they will try to resolve the issue. If a moderator contacts you with a concern, please try to understand the root cause of the problem and do not fire back an angry message in protest.
We also request that you contact only the moderation staff if you have issues with our decisions or one of our staff members. Please do not contact Mr. Hoffman directly about staff complaints -- the moderation staff is responsible for all member concerns.
Thread Crapping
This occurs when a person comes into a thread and posts something contrary to the spirit/intent of the thread, often derailing the discussion or turning it into an argument. For example, coming into a thread about the "The Greatest Beatles Album" and posting "The Beatles were overrated" is a thread crap. The same goes for posting "PCs are better and cheaper" in a thread titled "I love my new Apple computer." If you feel the need to turn a discussion into a debate, start a new thread instead.
Trolling
This is when members deliberately try to antagonize or criticize others to get a reaction, frequently by posting incorrect information, posting blatantly stupid questions, wisecracking, or other nonsense. If you note this behavior, please do not "feed the trolls" by responding in the thread. Obvious trolling behavior is considered a serious offense.
Unacceptable Post Content
Illegal trading of copyrighted material - for example, unauthorized CD-Rs, downloads, etc.
Criticism of other forums (Let's take the high road.)
Profanity - in keeping with our policy to maintain a "family friendly" forum, profanity is frowned upon.
Obscenity and nudity
Racial slurs and discussions
Spelling and grammar corrections - if you feel you must correct another member, do so privately by PM or e-mail. The only exception would be the misspelling of a proper name such as Stevie Ray Vaughn instead of the correct Stevie Ray Vaughan. Still - keep it polite!
Links to sites that violate the forum rules
Forbidden Topics
Race
Politics
Economic, financial, and environmental topics are allowed unless the discussion becomes distinctly political
Religion
Abortion
Weapons or gun control
The morality of sexual preference or gay marriage
Bootlegged or pirated materials and how to acquire them. We do not allow links and/or requests for links to sites that sell, trade, or contain bootlegs or downloads of copyrighted material. This also includes requests for artwork that is copyrighted.
Links to "Warez" (pirated software) or "Warez" sites.
Criticism of moderator's actions and forum policies
Objectivist/Subjectivist Double Blind Testing debate - aka the validity of the double-blind test. Discussion of the results of such a test is okay, as clarified here.
Your Account and Some Restrictions
You are allowed only one account on SH Forums, period. Do not post under multiple identities or use a second account to circumvent a suspension or banishment. If you forget your password, do NOT create a second account. Instead contact a moderator who can help you regain access to your account. You may use the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of the forum to contact the staff.
Avatars: You are allowed to upload an image icon, called an "Avatar," that appears just below your user name when posting. We expect you to use this feature with "good taste" - no nudity, profanity, crude, suggestive, scantily clad or animated images, or images that violate any forum rules, even if it is music related. All images must be family-friendly, in other words.
Signatures: You are permitted to use a brief signature below your post. The only allowable area to enter a signature is via your profile. Many members choose not to view signatures underneath posts, and for someone to circumvent our designed system is discourteous to others. "Double" signatures, entered either manually or via whichever application(s) you use (including advertisements such as "Sent from my iPad"), at the bottom of your post are strictly prohibited. In addition, signatures may not contain any profanity, crudity or violate any forum rules.
Custom Title: There is also a Custom Title just below your name. This title is also governed by good taste. In addition, we do not allow titles that are competitive. For example "Best Forum Ears" would not be allowed.
Your location: we offer each member the ability to enter their location, and request that you do so truthfully. This is intended to help other members reply to you appropriately; it is not a venue for self-expression or humor. Staff can and will remove all frivolous location entries without notice.
The moderation team reserves the right to delete any avatar, location, signature or custom title it deems inappropriate for any reason, without notice. Repeated violations may result in the suspension of your privileges for these features.
Private Messages (Conversations)
We expect you to use the PM system with good judgment. Do not use it to either spam (advertise), harass, or send personal attacks to people. The staff reserves the right, at any time, to enable a member's PM privileges to conduct forum business. If a member chooses not to receive PMs, the staff will use e-mail as an alternate means of contact. You have a choice as to whether to receive private messages or not. This is configurable in your account control panel.
If you choose to use the PM system, please remember to clean out your message box every so often. Please be aware that if you hit the message limit (500 messages) you will start missing messages from people - the system will throw them out - and they are not retrievable.
Posting Format
Proper grammar, punctuation and spelling - all posts should be made in a reasonable approximation of proper English. Please make an effort to obey basic rules of capitalization and punctuation, avoid chat room and texting abbreviations, and pay at least minimal attention to sentence and paragraph structure.
Please refrain from quoting entire posts in your replies, or re-posting images from an original message. To reply, we ask that you trim out all but the relevant points because this reduces clutter and makes the forum easier to read.
Inaccurate thread titles - it can be annoying to read a thread title that says, "Check this out!" or half-sentences that try to lead you into the discussion. As a courtesy to other members, please use an accurate thread title. It is also much easier for members to search if the thread title is accurate!
DO NOT USE POST MESSAGES OR THREAD TITLES USING ALL UPPER CASE LETTERS! There's no need to shout. :)
Removal of Threads and Posts
We reserve the right to close or remove any post or thread at any time for any reason, without notice. This includes posts and threads with content that can be considered music industry sensitive. If after reading the forum rules the reason for the thread/post removal is not clear to you, please PM a moderator or use the "Contact Us" link to ask for further explanation. Do not, under any circumstances, post in the thread or start a new thread asking why your thread or post was removed.
Suspensions & Banishment
Typically, we work very hard with forum members before a suspension is issued, usually in the form of a warning to cease and desist of a certain behavior. Repeated offenses will result in a suspension. Multiple suspensions may ultimately lead towards the user being banned from the forum.
Please note that a very serious first offense might warrant a suspension with no prior warning. Do not rely on having a "one time shot" to make a personal attack, thinking that you will just get a warning.
In addition, we reserve the right to suspend someone for an unforeseen reason not covered by the above harassment/personal attack sections. All suspensions and banishments are considered a private matter and are not made public on the Forum nor privately via PM or e-mail.
Suspensions are deemed temporary. At the end of a suspension period, the member must contact our staff via PMs (if enabled) or using the Contact Us link at the bottom of all forum pages to get the suspension lifted. With that request, we require an apology for the offensive action(s), along with a promise to refrain from such behavior in the future.
Banishments are considered permanent, and reinstatement to the forum is not possible. Banished members found signing up under a new user ID, in order to circumvent their banishment, will have their account terminated immediately without prior notice.
Any attempt to circumvent a punishment or suspension by bypassing the moderation staff to have their decision overridden will result in an immediate and permanent ban.
Important-yet-friendly Reminders
1. ACTIONS have CONSEQUENCES. If you choose to push the "submit" button on a post that breaks the rules, you are choosing to face possible suspension or banishment. Please, for the benefit of everybody who enjoys and uses this forum, THINK before you post. Self-control is your friend!
2. With PROFESSIONALISM comes the need for discretion. From time to time, the moderators need to delete posts or threads for reasons that cannot be disclosed publicly. We ask for your patience and understanding when this happens.
3. We encourage members to fill out their equipment profile if choosing to comment on sound quality of recordings or audio equipment. This can help others in evaluating discussions that compare CDs, LPs, gear, wire, and so forth. You may update your equipment profile by going to your account control panel and then Personal Details.
Fine Print Stuff, Updates, Questions
1. While the above rules cover most common situations, they cannot anticipate all circumstances. Consequently, the moderators reserve the right to take any actions deemed appropriate to act in the best interests of the forum.
2. Although the staff of Steve Hoffman Forums will attempt to keep all objectionable messages off this forum, it is impossible for us to review all messages. All messages express the views of the author, and neither the owners and staff of Steve Hoffman Forums, nor XenForo Ltd. (developers of our forum software) will be held responsible for the content of any message.
3. These policies may be updated from time to time. Please check the Forum Business area on a regular basis for any updates.
4. If you have any questions regarding the above policies please feel free to contact us at any time. We are glad to clarify. Click here to contact us!
A Big "Thank You" to the 30,000 or so members who keep this forum alive and vibrant. The moderation team has been selected from among the membership and remains part of the membership. Input, suggestions, and ideas from colleagues (that's you) are always welcome!
-
MasterOne
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/ is a website where people talk about audio mastering, different pressings of CD's and vinyl, bands, compilations, and more. It's very active, but check out this absolutely ridiculous set of rules below -- don't miss the part where you have to post on the forum using good grammar. Looks like they love censorship and restricting freedom, and what's even more sick, is that truckloads of people walking this earth love being controlled because they're mentally ill.
...the moderation team reserves the right to delete any avatar or signature it deems inappropriate for any reason, without notice...
Wtf?
...certain behaviors, such as trolling, thread crapping, and being openly critical of our staff and policies, have no place on our site...
What the fuck?
...curb any urge you may have to flippantly dismiss someone's opinion (Examples: "that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard" or "that's bullsh*t")...
Whaaat theee fuuuck???
......statements about a member's personal taste in artists or hardware, or negative comments about whole genres of music will not be tolerated (Example: "all rap sucks!")...
Motherfuckers?
...the use of terms such as "idiot, moron, stupid" and other derogatory terms. If a personal attack occurs or you feel that you have been harassed, it is absolutely necessary to refrain from any retaliatory personal attacks...
Idiots, morons and stupid fucks? They don't allow you to defend your reputation? Some kind of prison system?
...should you see a post that is offensive or that breaks any of the rules listed below, please let us know by using the "Report" button at the bottom of every post. All post reports are kept strictly confidential...
Allow me to translate: Be a rat.
...moderators work hard enforcing forum policies...
With these rules, I bet they do work hard! LOL
...forum threads complaining about the moderation staff or forum policies are not permitted, and under no circumstances may you lash out at a moderator or question a moderator's decision in public...
Son of a bitches?
...this occurs when a person comes into a thread and posts something contrary to the spirit/intent of the thread, often derailing the discussion or turning it into an argument...
Retards?
...obvious trolling behavior is considered a serious offense...
So, it's fine as long as you do it quietly?
...unacceptable post content: ...criticism of other forums...profanity...obscenity and nudity...racial slurs and discussions...spelling and grammar corrections...links to sites that violate the forum rules...
HAHAHAHA...
...forbidden topics: ...race...politics...eeconomic, financial, and environmental topics are allowed unless the discussion becomes distinctly political...religion...abortion...weapons or gun control...the morality of sexual preference or gay marriage...criticism of moderator's actions and forum policies...
*looooooo*
...there is also a Custom Title just below your name. This title is also governed by good taste. In addition, we do not allow titles that are competitive. For example "Best Forum Ears" would not be allowed...
Hahhaahahhaha...
...your location: we offer each member the ability to enter their location, and request that you do so truthfully. This is intended to help other members reply to you appropriately;...
Maybe they want to send everyone a GPS ankle monitoring device too?
...the moderation team reserves the right to delete any avatar, location, signature or custom title it deems inappropriate for any reason, without notice...
LOOOL
...proper grammar, punctuation and spelling - all posts should be made in a reasonable approximation of proper English. Please make an effort to obey basic rules of capitalization and punctuation, avoid chat room and texting abbreviations, and pay at least minimal attention to sentence and paragraph structure...
Wat? R dey sey'n I cant talk the way I choose? Is using "wtf" OK? How about WTFBBQ? Hahahaha... what a bunch of fucktards.
...inaccurate thread titles - it can be annoying to read a thread title that says, "Check this out!" or half-sentences that try to lead you into the discussion...
Whooha...
...DO NOT USE POST MESSAGES OR THREAD TITLES USING ALL UPPER CASE LETTERS! There's no need to shout. :)...
WHY THE FUCK NOT MOTHERFUCKERS? MAYBE I WANT TO SHOUT!
...We reserve the right to close or remove any post or thread at any time for any reason, without notice...
Got to love that part!
...this includes posts and threads with content that can be considered music industry sensitive...
trololololol...
...1. ACTIONS have CONSEQUENCES...
O RLY?
...2. With PROFESSIONALISM comes the need for discretion. From time to time, the moderators need to delete posts or threads for reasons that cannot be disclosed publicly...
Cock sucking bastards?
...a big "Thank You" to the 30,000 or so members who keep this forum alive and vibrant...
Perhaps it should be "A BIG FUCK YOU TO THE 30000 OR SO MEMBERS WHO LIKE TO SUCK OUR COCKS AND BE OUR SLAVES" instead?
Amazing, just fucking amazing. People like being inside prisons it seems. I remember, one of our own members left us and told to delete the account because of TOO MUCH FREEDOM. That's some funny junk!
@MasterOne,
Fuck man, you made me read their forum rules and now I'm pissed off!
This is how I imagine their forums in my mind if it was a physical place:
- California_Prisons_FX102.JPG (59.09 KiB) Viewed 9364 times