Expecting Rain Terms of Use  
  
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Terms of Use  
  
Expectingrain.com (ER) wishes to be considered a responsible website. In order to participate you will therefore have to accept our Terms of Use to be a member of the forums (found at expectingrain.com/discussions). We want this to be a resource and a good place to be for all those interested in Dylan's work. If you do not wish to comply with the Terms of Use as follows, please do not register with the ER forums.  
  
The ER website is dedicated to Bob Dylan. If you are not interested in Bob Dylan, you will most likely not visit here. When posting, we require that you are respectful of him, his personal life and his family. Do not engage in discussions you would not be happy to have Mr. Dylan listen in on. You never know.  
  
The most important thing is to act courteously towards your fellow members. Remember that being part of ER is a privilege, not a right!  
  
§1 Good manners are required  
§1.1 Illegally copied materials are not permitted  
§1.2 Pornographic or provocative content is not permitted  
§1.3 Spam, multilevel marketing, affiliate links etc. are not permitted  
§1.4 Comply with moderators/administrators  
§1.5 Complaints regarding moderators, other users etc. should be directed to administrator.  
§1.6 Report inappropriate posts  
  
§2 How to use the ER forums  
§2.1 Only one account permitted  
§2.2 Search first, ask later.  
§2.3 Always use titles descriptive of content for new threads  
§2.4 Post in the correct forum  
§2.5 Use coherent language and punctuation  
§2.6 Posts should have purpose  
§2.7 Double posting or bumping is not allowed  
§2.8 Signatures (disabled)  
§2.9 Avatars should not be offensive  
§2.10 Use quoting carefully   
  
§1 Good manners are required  
Personal attacks, slander, public humiliation, ridicule, swearing, abusive language and other offensive expressions are not permitted. ER has a zero tolerance level for slander, abuse and generally bad behavior.  
  
§1.1 Illegally copied materials are not permitted   
Exchange of, or requests for exchanges of illegally copied materials, including but not limited to published music and software, is not permitted. Linking to websites that host or relay illegally made copies is not permitted.  
  
§1.2 Pornographic or provocative content is not permitted   
ER should be safe for everyone. Pornographic and provocative content will be immediately deleted.  
  
§1.3 Spam, multi-level marketing, affiliate links etc. are not permitted   
Marketing of commercial products or services, including but not limited to hidden advertising and multilevel marketing, is not permitted unless an agreement is in place with the website administrator. Other unwanted information, known as spam, is also not permitted. So-called ”affiliate” links where the link poster receives money, points, or other benefits when the links are clicked are not permitted in the ER forums without it being explicitly explained that the poster will receive benefits.  
  
ER reserves the right to remove any information perceived to not be in accordance with this rule. ER has a zero tolerance level for spam and commercial marketing that has not been cleared with an administrator.  
  
§1.4 Comply with moderators/administrators   
Moderators/administrators are present in the forums to ensure order and to correct unwanted behaviour. They are here to help you and the forum as a whole. Any correction or reprimand made by a moderator or administrator should be taken into account immediately. Moderating comments should under no circumstance be altered.  
  
§1.5 Complaints regarding moderators, other users etc. should be directed to the administration   
Moderators are people like you, but they have agreed to help more actively in keeping order in the forums. They will not be available 100% of the time, but will do their best to respond to questions and complaints.  
  
Any complaints about how moderators execute their job should be directed to an administrator via e-mail to discussions@expectingrain.com. Complaints regarding moderators or any other users should under no circumstance be discussed in the forums – this should be resolved with an administrator.  
  
§1.6 Report inappropriate posts   
Individual posts may be reported using the red exclamation mark button included in every post. The moderators will see the report and deal with it as they see fit.  
  
§2 How to use the ER forums   
  
§2.1 Only one account permitted   
Do not register a new account if you already have one. Multiple accounts are deleted without warning.  
  
§2.2 Search first, ask later   
Always check if there is an already existing thread regarding the topic you wish to discuss.   
  
§2.3 Always use titles descriptive of content for new threads   
Always provide a descriptive title for any new thread you start. This will ensure you attract the right audience; it will also keep the forums neat and intelligible, and makes searching easier. Examples of titles not to use are ”Wow!!!!” or ”Why?”. If you are asking a question, use a question with a question mark in the title – not the opposite, which might deceive the reader.  
  
§2.4 Post in the correct forum   
All threads should be posted in the correct forum. Every user has a responsibility to place threads correctly, to help make the forums easily navigable.  
  
§2.5 Use coherent language and punctuation   
Always strive to write in an intelligible manner. The use of caps, exclamation marks and language should all be within reason. Excessive use of caps, exclamation marks, or ”chat” in the ER forums is undesirable.  
  
§2.6 Posts should have purpose   
Do not post if you have nothing to contribute with. Posts should be aimed at improving our collective knowledge and well-being. Also, any post should be relevant to the thread it is posted to.  
  
§2.7 Double posting is not allowed   
Never post the same thread in multiple forums. Double posting (posting twice in succession to oneself) should not occur. Edit your previous post if you have something you wish to add. The only exception to this is if you are reviving an old thread where you have new information. You can then add new information as a new post.  
  
§2.8 Signatures (disabled)   
Please use your Profile to tell others about yourself. Quotes, images and such are better posted in a suitable thread.  
  
§2.9 Avatars should not be offensive or invasive   
Avatars that are animated, offensive, pornographic, racist or violent will be deleted. Avatars mimicking those of the moderators or administrators will be deleted without warning.  
  
§2.10 Use quoting carefully   
Quoting should only be used if it is absolutely necessary to repeat what someone else said in order to understand your post. Never quote when you are replying to the last post made to a thread. You should always edit your quote, so that only the portion you are referring to is used. Do not quote pictures. If someone posts to a thread while you are composing a response, you will be warned and given a chance to edit your post if necessary.  
  
Specific Category Guidelines   
Each Category has a different purpose. Here is a brief introduction:  
  
Bob Dylan  \- Strictly dedicated to topics on Bob Dylan himself; General Discussion, Theme Time Radio Hour, and Bob Dylan Tour.  
  
Downloads  \- Requests, links and discussions related to Rare Dylan Recordings each have their separate forums. Make sure you post in the right one - read the descriptions. And remember: No Copyrighted material allowed!  
  
Annex  \- This is the place for "everything else" and has a less formal atmosphere. However, the rules above still apply! No personal attacks accepted (this goes for members, artists, presidents, your neighbor etc...). Ridicule, spite, slander or slander directed at fellow members, trolling, pouring fuel on a fire - not permitted.  
  
Information & Assistance  \- Self explanatory?  
  
Consequences of not abiding by the rules   
Choosing not to abide by the ER forum rules may lead to you being permanently excluded from the forums.  
  
Breaking the rules will entail warnings – should you choose not to take these warnings into account, you will first be banned for a short period. Warnings will always be made by administrators or moderators using PM or e-mail.  
  
Rights   
By posting in the ER forums, you acknowledge ER's right to save and display the contents of your posts. ER reserves the right to amend posts when they do not comply with the ToUs as stated.  
  
Guidance on Topics  
1) Thread Derailing/Threadcrapping:  
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.  
  
2.) 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.  
  
3) Chat Threads:  
Will not be allowed. Topics must have a general purpose or at least revolve around a topic that has a discussable premise. Any topics that don't fit this definition will be removed.   
  
There are other ways and places to chat with your online friends. Please don't do it here.   
  
We reserve the right to close or remove any post or thread at any time for any reason, without notice. 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.  
  
4.) 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. All correspondence sent to you from a moderator should be read asap and acknowledged.   
  
Members who choose not to conform to these criteria will receive an official warning. If a second official warning has to be issued, then a concurrent suspension (or banishment) will also be enforced.  
  
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.  
  
All suspensions and banishments are considered a private matter and are not made public on the Forum nor privately via PM or e-mail.  
  
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.   
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