Re: Intro letter and Forum Guidelines--MEMBERS READ THIS.

familydad1959 — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:23:33 GMT

As has been stated below, there have been some technical issues with the forums recently.

We apologize for these inconveniences. We have overcome those technical issues for the time being.

However, the reported posts we have been receiving recently indicate to me and mikey that the members of this forums do not all understand the general intent of these forums.

Please note and reread the Forum Guidelines in this thread. We do not have enough manpower to babysit these forums. We are here simply to take care of technical issues as much as possible and (if we have to) issues where members need to be banned or dealt with in some disciplinary action. This is not our first choice.

So many of the "bickering" and name calling that is happening on the forums and in the reported posts should stop. These forums are intended for mutual encouragement and faith building. We depend on the members to police themselves. We are not here to deal with people spoiling threads. We can't!

Each of you must show restraint on the one hand and overlook and ignore comments on the other. No one can cause you to respond to ANY post at all. If you don't like the comments a poster makes ignore it and move on. If you are one of those causing a problem move on! This forum is not for you.

familydad1959

Forum Administrator

Intro letter and Forum Guidelines--MEMBERS READ THIS.

fl.Mikey — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 18:25:22 GMT

We are working to resolve some technical issues. In the meantime, we are posting the introduction letter and the Forum Guidelines in each forum for your reading, review, and access.

We also have some practices that are used to augment the enforcement of the Forum Guidelines.
1) Personal communication posts and threads will be deleted--addressing one member, a post responding to one member that does not add to the discussion of the thread, a thread that addresses or talks about a single member.
Exceptions: offering prayer or stating that prayer has been offered for a member, making encouraging statements to a member, a request for off forum communication.

2) A post containing profanity will be deleted whether there is constructive content or not.

3) Hyperlinks to: personal Web sites, other discussion forums [particularly as an effort to catch or trap a member], retail/wholesale sites, pornography of any kind, sites promoting terrorism of any kind, or sites are solicitations of any kind.

4) Men posting in the women's forum or women posting in the men's forum.

Please read all of the following information.

Dear Forum Participant,

You are part of a special group. Over the past few years, several thousand people from all around the world have come to the forums on www.familylife.com to seek and share counsel, encouragement, wisdom and hope for marriage and family related issues. Our vision for the FamilyLife forums has been to provide people with an electronic "town square" where people could meet and talk about ideas, share advice and engage in friendly dialogue. We knew that from time to time, there would be a disagreement or two, but we have always believed that "as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" - even if occasionally, a few sparks fly!

We have a few staff members who serve as moderators for these forums. You might think of them as the town square constables. Their role is not to moderate the debates or the discussions, but to make sure forum participants are abiding by the guidelines. If you come across a post that violates these guidelines, please report the post and our moderators will review and take any necessary action. Our intent is that our moderators will not interfere with the town square conversations on the forums unless there is a specific violation of our forum guidelines.

We want to encourage all of you to make sure your passion for any given subject is expressed in a way that "speaks the truth in love." And if you feel someone has expressed an opinion or an interpretation of the Bible that is off base, speak up! Let others on the forum know when you think someone is off target. That's what the global conversation is all about.

Happy posting. And may the conversations that take place on line help all of us grow in grace and in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Soli Deo Gloria,
Bob Lepine
Vice President of Content/Chief Creative Officer FamilyLife

FamilyLife Forum Guidelines

1. The purpose of this forum is to provide a place for individuals to grow in their knowledge of God and His Word as it applies to marriage and family. Since you will be interacting with other individuals through posted communication, we expect you to follow the basic principles of God's Word regarding communication, treatment of others, loving one another, and seeking God's glory.

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such {a word} as is good for edification according to the need {of the moment} so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:29-32

Brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

2. FamilyLife provides moderators for the forums, but please remember that FamilyLife is not able to monitor the forums and their contents 24 hours a day and is not responsible for any message posted by the membership. You may communicate with a forum moderator with questions, suggestions, or concerns. As well, we ask that you do your utmost by the Holy Spirit to practice godly behavior as is pleasing to our Lord Jesus Christ according to His Word.

3. FamilyLife does not endorse or certify information posted by members of these forums other than that posted by the administrators and moderators. Any member posting messages is fully responsible for any and all content of his or her post(s).

4. We urge you to be aware of and obey all laws regarding copyrights. FamilyLife retains the right to review all content in all forums.

5. FamilyLife may delete objectionable or obscene content.

6. FamilyLife may block or ban members who will not abide by these guidelines.

7. We do not require your complete agreement with FamilyLife’s positions on biblical teaching, and in most cases, we allow forum members to express their personal beliefs and theology as long as it is done in an amiable, congenial manner.

8. Through your participation in these forums, you agree to the following: no post may be knowingly false, defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, threatening, obscene, profane, sexually indecent, or in violation of any laws including the state of Arkansas, the United States of America, or international law such as those protecting licensed or copyrighted material.

9. You may not advertise, solicit, sell, purchase, auction, or conduct any business transaction using these forums.

10. Advertisements, chain letters, pyramid schemes, and solicitations are inappropriate on this forum. If you post a link to another site, book, resource, etc. FamilyLife reserve the right to delete or block access to these sites from our web pages at any time.

11. When posting copyrighted material you agree that: 1) the copyright is owned by you; 2) the copyright is owned by this forum or by FamilyLife; or 3) you have received prior permission from the necessary parties to post said material. If you post copyrighted material with prior permission, you must note the source in your post, and you will be responsible for following any conditions and restrictions set out by the copyrighted party and you agree to indemnify FamilyLife and hold blameless for any copyright infringement of material in your personal posts. Furthermore, you indemnify and hold blameless Telligent Systems, Inc.,—producers of the bulletin board software and Kintera, Inc.--bulletin board host and their agents—regarding any claim or criminal charges based on the transmission of your messages in these forums.

Correction or discipline of members:

1. FamilyLife reserves the right to delete any message for any or no reason whatsoever. FamilyLife or its moderators may contact you via e-mail or through our forums to address issues, as we deem necessary.

2. If you refuse to respond to warnings regarding your posts, tone, or attitude implied or inferred in these forums, we reserve the right to prohibit you from participating.

3. FamilyLife reserves the right to reveal your identity and any and all information we have in your member records in the event a complaint or legal action that FamilyLife or others may bring against you arising from any message you post in these forums.

4. In those cases where some kind of claim or dispute arises from or related to FamilyLife forums, the forum participant/user agrees to have these claims/disputes settled by mediation and, if necessary, legally binding arbitration in accordance with the Rules of Procedure for Christian Conciliation of the Institute for Christian Conciliation, a division of Peacemaker® Ministries (for more information about mediation/arbitration use the following link www.HisPeace.org). Judgment based on an arbitration decision may be entered in any court otherwise having jurisdiction. The parties understand that these methods shall be the sole remedy for any controversy or claim arising out of this agreement and expressly waive their right to file a lawsuit in any civil court against one another for such disputes, except to enforce an arbitration decision. By agreeing to this process, the parties also agree to involve their pastors from any current church where they attend to help provide biblical direction, counsel, and accountability to this process and commit themselves to the ministry of reconciliation to which Christ calls us (2 Corinthians 5:14-21).

These guidelines are subject to change without notice at the discretion of FamilyLife.

Forum Administration

Re: Intro letter and Forum Guidelines--MEMBERS READ THIS.

Intro letter and Forum Guidelines--MEMBERS READ THIS.