This document serves as a "plain language" guide to conduct of users of DNRonline.com Member Boards and Comment Sections and sets forth how violators of the Terms and Conditions will be treated. This Guide is a supplement to, and is incorporated into, the Terms and Conditions which govern the conduct of all users of the site and sets forth how violators will be treated.

Post-Related Infractions

* Abuse of Other Members
Our Members are all to be treated as members of a community. Members are expected to behave as one would in mixed company. Name-calling, intentional abuse or otherwise creating a hostile environment for other Members is forbidden.

* Abusive Posting & Personal Attacks
Personal attacks on other Members are strictly prohibited. It should be noted that any postings which reflect contempt of DNRonline.com, Daily News-Record or any of it's affiliates will not be tolerated. Personal attacks against any of the groups or individuals working at these organizations are not permitted. Constructive, non-personal criticism and civil discourse is permissible; personal attacks are not.

* "Call Out" Threads
Starting a thread for the purposes of starting an argument with another Member, or starting threads with other Members' names or usernames contained therein is not allowed. Creating threads of this nature may result in deletion of the thread.

* Impersonating Other Members
Copying another Member's demeanor and/or closely approximating their screen name for the purposes of being mistaken for them or mocking them is prohibited.

* Thread-jacking
While it's understood that in some cases a thread might go off-topic, abuse such as habitually turning a thread to a specific topic in order to preach a specific brand of ideology, religion, morality, political ideals, etc. is not tolerated and may result in comments being deleted, threads being closed down and accounts either suspended or terminated.

* Creating Bogus Accounts
Creating an account using a bogus real name or an e-mail address that doesn't work are grounds for account deletion. There is an option to use an anonymous name when posting that assures no one will know your true identity. If it's determine you are hiding your identity for fear of repercussion based on poor behavior, your account will be made inactive and your service provider will be contacted.

* Obscene and/or Racist Postings
Linking to obscene web sites, posting obscene or graphic language, or violating the standards of decent behavior falls under obscenity, and is not allowed. Any postings which are deemed, in the discretion of DNRonline.com staff, to be racist, anti-Semitic, or condemning any persons ethnicity or religious beliefs, or which otherwise reflect prejudice are not allowed.

* Flooding/Excessive Posting
"Flooding" is generally defined as bumping other threads out of view in order to increase your own visibility, or to decrease the visibility of another thread. This can either take the form of cross-posting identical threads in different Message Boards or multiple threads in any one Message Board with identical or nearly identical content. We reserve the right to move or delete any offending threads.

* Spamming/Advertising
Just like spam emails, "spamming" refers to posting of irrelevant and unwanted advertising, whether by hand or by an automatic "spam-bot." Premium Members are reminded that discussions are to remain non-commercial. Advertising is strictly prohibited. While it's one thing for a grandmother to post a link to pictures of her grandchildren, it's an entirely different matter for someone to promote a site that directly "competes" with this one.

* Trolling
"Trolling" is generally defined as posting derogatory, inflammatory or otherwise irritating comments in an attempt to "bait" other members into responding angrily. This is not allowed on our site. Personal attacks are viewed independently of what prompts them, and anyone who attacks anyone else, regardless of whether or not that person is a troll, is subject to a warning or termination. Do not, under any circumstances, inflame the situation by replying to or attacking a troll.

* Personal Information
Do not post personal information, including phone numbers, email addresses or other addresses of anyone on our Message Boards. Posting personal information belonging to anyone else is grounds for a warning or termination, and will be deleted from the boards as soon as it is detected.

* Reporting a Post
If you see a post that you think is offensive, or breaks the rules outlined here, do not respond to it. Instead, we ask members to simply click the "Report This Post" button that appears adjacent to each post. The reported post will be evaluated and if deemed a violation the offending member will be sent a warning by our Customer Service Department. The faster offensive posts and posters are reported the faster they can be removed from the message boards.

Procedures

* The "One Warning" Rule
Users who violate the rules receive one, and only one, warning, which is not subject to appeal. (These warnings "expire" after six months, but we reserve the right to review a user's record to make termination decisions, especially if a user shows a consistent pattern of rule-breaking.) If a user who has one current warning on record breaks the rules a second time, he or she will be immediately terminated. However, as set forth below, certain conduct may be deemed by the DNRonline.com Staff to be so objectionable that instant termination may result. The decisions of the DNRonline.com Staff are final and not subject to appeal.

* Instant Termination
This is a no-questions-asked, no-warnings-given termination, and is exercised at the option of DNRonline.com Staff in instances where a warning is not a sufficient option. Again, the decisions of the DNRonline.com Staff are final and are not subject to appeal.

* Reporting a Post
If you spot a post that you feel is offensive or breaks the rules outlined here, do not take the law into your own hands and reply. Instead, click the "Report This Post" link that appears adjacent to each post and explain what the problem is. (Remember, if you attack someone else, you're breaking the trolling rules and opening yourself up to a warning.) A report will be evaluated and if deemed necessary, the offending user will be sent a warning by our Customer Service Department. A second warning automatically generates a termination.