MartialTalk.com Forum Rules and Procedures

MartialTalk.com Forum Rules and Procedures​

Revised February 14, 2014​

Index​

Section 1: General information
1.1 Basic Rules
1.2 Purpose
1.3 "Freedom of Speech"
1.4 Soliciting Outside Contact
1.5 Posting Personal Contact 1.6 Posting Links & URLs
1.7 Nudity / Pornographic & Adult Material
1.8 Threats, Racism, Sexism, and Challenges
1.9 Sexual Conduct & Harassment
1.10 Forum and Art Bashing
1.10.1 No forum bashing
1.10.2 No Art bashing.
1.10.3 No Individual Bashing / Fraud Busting.
1.10.4 Board Invasions
1.10.5 Martial Talk bashing
1.11 Use of the MT name
1.12 Legal and Medical Related Posts & Issues
1.12.1 Seeking Legal or Medical council
1.12.2 Legal Disclaimer
1.12.3 Medical Disclaimer
1.13 Illegal Activities

Section 2: User Accounts
2.1 User Accounts:
2.1.1 Minimum Age
2.2 Contact Information:
2.3 Impersonating Members & Accessing other's Accounts:
2.4 Signatures:
2.5 Avatars:
2.6 Trying to Circumvent a Ban / Block:
2.7 Donations
2.8 Membership Levels
2.8.1 Regular Membership
2.8.2 Supporting Memberships
2.8.3 Gold Key Memberships
2.8.4 Mentors
2.8.5 Advisors and the Advisory Board
2.8.6 Ladies Locker Room
2.9 Closing Your Account
2.10 Deleting Your Account
2.11 Reopening Your Account
2.12 Account Termination
2.13 Account Privacy
2.14 Use of Handles, Aliases and Pseudonyms

Section 3: Advertising
3.1 General advertising guidelines
3.2 Advertisement Posting Requirements
3.3 Allowed Advertising Content Guidelines
3.3.1 Incorrect Posting Penalties
3.3.2 Tape Trading
3.3.3 Advertising your club / school / organization
3.3.4 Martial Arts Seminars, Camps & Events
3.3.5 Product and Service Notices
3.3.6 Website Development and Hosting links/offers/etc
3.3.7 WebSite Promotion
3.3.8 Forum Promotion / Linking
3.3.9 Fundraising
3.4 Right Of Refusal


Section 4: Forum post, chat, journal & other user posted content
4.1 General Posting Guidelines
4.2 Profanity and other annoyances
4.2.1 Profanity
4.2.2 Net-Etiquette
4.2.3 Leet-Speak / IM Shorthand / LOL-Speak
4.2.4 Posting in all CAPS or Large Fonts
4.2.5 Hate Speech
4.2.6 Challenge Posts
4.3 Abuse / Flaming / Derogatory Comments
4.4 Spamming & Cross Posting
4.5 Trolling / Inciting Conflict
4.6 Attacking Martialtalk.com Moderators & Administrators
4.7 "Junk and Fluff" Posting
4.8 "Bumping" Threads
4.9 "Off-Topic" Posts
4.10 Posting in the Appropriate Forum
4.11 Thread Subject Titling
4.12 Splitting
4.13 Referrals / Commissions / Affiliate Links
4.14 Private Messaging (PM) Chat and the Journal System
4.15 Reporting Posts and Private Messages
4.15.1 Reporting Posts
4.15.2 Private Messages
4.16 Official Policy on “Fraud” Busting and Credential Verification.
4.16.1 Fraud Busting
4.16.2 Credential Verification
4.16.3 Consumer Complaints
4.16.4 Fraud Reports
4.16.5 Non-Desirables
4.17 Image & Video Posting
4.17.1 Image Uploading / Linking
4.17.2 Sensitive Nature
4.17.3 Image Content
4.17.4 Image Size
4.17.5 Image Types
4.17.6 Copyrights
4.17.7 Advertisements
4.17.8 Image Sources
4.18 Language
4.19 Section Specific Rules

Section 5: Enforcement of rules
5.1 Moving of Posts
5.2 Deleting Posts and Closing Threads
5.3 Complaint Policy and Procedures
5.3.1 Problem involves comments in a post made by a member.
5.3.2 Problem involves comments in the Reputation system.
5.3.3 Problem involves a PM
5.3.4 Problem involves an email
5.3.5 Problem concerns a MT Staff Member
5.4 Disciplinary Procedure
5.5 Suspensions
5.6 Banning
5.7 Infraction System
5.8 Moderation Policy
5.8.1 Cross-Posting Policy
5.8.2 Administrative Emails
5.8.3 Links to external websites

Section 6 : MartialTalk Policy on Religious Tolerance


Section 7 Copyrighted Material/Content Policy:

Section 8 : Digital Millennium Copyright Act

Section 9 : Personal Privacy Policy

9.1 Security Threats
9.2 Personal Information
9.3 Privacy Of Others
9.4 Abuse Of E-Mail And Private Message System
9.5 Harassment / Stalking
9.6 Sexual Harassment
9.7 Private Messages / Profiles

Section 10 : Law Enforcement Officer Policy

Section 11: Legal

11.1 The Legal Stuff
11.2 MartialTalk Terms and Conditions Statement
11.3 Martial Talk Privacy Policy



Introduction

Welcome to Martial Talk. This is an open forum for the friendly discussion of martial arts. We welcome all seekers of knowledge to engage in mature conversation.

To participate in our online forums, you must agree to abide by our rules and policies. We encourage active debate and free speech, but remember you are our guest here. Civil and ethical conduct is required. To this end, you agree that, if asked, you will yield to the requests of the forum moderators and/or administrators. By posting, you have agreed to follow our policies.

This document and these rules and policies are subject to periodical review and update.

It is up you to check it from time to time. If in doubt about any aspect of what is and is not allowed at here please refer to this document.

Continued use of MartialTalk.com after a change has been made is your acceptance of the change.

While the size of this document may seem overwhelming at first, it is not our intent to drop a novel-length rulebook on you. Most of our rules and policies are very similar to other sites, and are easily summed up in section 1.1 below.

For those seeking additional information, or specific policies, we have attempted to centralize all of our operating policies and practices in one place for both our staff and members for easy reference.

Some sections will be redundant, and often may repeat previous information. We have done this to avoid including numerous “Please see section xxx” comments.

As always, if something is not clear, if you are unsure, please contact a staff member for assistance. We will be happy to help make your time here as painless and pleasant as possible.


--- The Martial Talk Staff




Section 1: General information

1.1 Basic Rules

Welcome to Martial Talk. This is an open forum for the friendly discussion of martial arts. We welcome all seekers of knowledge to engage in mature conversation.

To participate in our online forums, you must agree to abide by our rules and policies. We encourage active debate and free speech, but remember you are our guest here. Civil and ethical conduct is required. To this end, you agree that, if asked, you will yield to the requests of the forum moderators and/or administrators. By posting, you have agreed to follow our policies.

General Rules:
· No Flame Wars. Keep it civil, please.
· Keep the language civil. No profanity.
· Please post to the correct forum, for a reason and on topic. Do not cross post to multiple forums.
· Be respectful of the other arts, and your fellow members.
· No Advertising except in the advertising forums
· If you have a problem with another member, contact a moderator to handle it.
· Take the time to explore the Help, FAQ and User CP.

The "basic rule" is in effect for discussions on MartialTalk.com:

Treat others, as you would wish to be treated. We ask that you be professional and polite to one other and respect our intention to have a forum for the friendly discussion of the martial arts. We do not wish to censor or control your opinions, but we will ensure that the policies of the board are respected. We reserve the right to delete, edit, or move/merge posts at our discretion. (Note in particular that we have restrictions on where you may post advertising and how many times you may post the same message.) If you have any questions regarding such an action, or wish to point out a violation of the letter or spirit of our policies, we ask that you please notify a moderator or administrator.

A member who is rude, excessively negative, or disruptive may receive a warning or may be suspended or banned immediately. Suspending and banning is done at the discretion of the administration team. Any abuse directed at our all-volunteer moderation/administration team, including defying the moderators/administrators to suspend or ban a member, may result in an immediate suspension or ban. Membership on MartialTalk is a privilege, not a right.

MartialTalk cannot and does not attempt to verify the accuracy of information posted by its members. All posts reflect the opinion of the poster.

Moderators and administrators are posting their own personal opinions unless their post is signed "-MT Mod(erator)" or "-MT Admin(istrator)".

Enjoy MartialTalk! We truly believe that it is the best general-purpose martial arts discussion board on the Web. Your respect for our rules, and the valuable content and opinions you provide, will help keep it that way.

We may at any time revise these terms and conditions without notice. Please check regularly.

Continued use of MartialTalk.com after a change has been made is your acceptance of the change.

Thank you,
The MartialTalk Moderation Team.


Please see the specific policy sections for specific policies.


1.2 Purpose:


MartialTalk's core purpose is to be a living and growing repository for the free exchange of martial arts information, and fellowship between martial arts enthusiasts and practitioners in a friendly and professional environment.

1.3 "Freedom of Speech":


MartialTalk is dedicated towards allowing as much freedom in our members' communications as we can. However, while we believe very much in the idea of freedom of speech & personal expression, you DO NOT have the absolute right to say whatever you want in this community.

Anything that goes against our core beliefs and the purpose for which this community was designed may not be allowed.

Posts and comments that are meant to incite conflicts between members or outside parties are strictly prohibited.

MartialTalk Staff have the absolute right to view, edit, modify, close or delete any content found in this community. This may include amongst other things the Private Message, Email, Blog and Other communications systems on this site in situations where we have concerns about the conduct of one or more of our members.

1.4 Soliciting Outside Contact:

Members may not post to instruct users to check their e-mail, check their PM, or inform them that they've got mail or a new PM, or any variant thereof. Please don't post a message saying, "I need information about whatever. Please e-mail me at myname@myservice.com." Asking people to answer your questions via e-mail defeats this purpose of public discourse.


Members may not invite other members to contact them to find out more information, rather than post it in the forum. This is not allowed and any posts with emails or invitations to contact for more information will either be edited or deleted entirely. The exception is for advertisements in the proper place.


1.5 Posting Personal Contact Information (Address/ Phone Number):


Members may not post personal contact information such as home address, work address, home telephone number, work telephone number, email address etc., in the public forums.
As anyone, including guests and search engines, can read the public forums - this policy is in place for YOUR safety and protection. If you wish to make contact with someone and want to share personal information, please make use of the Private Messaging feature of this forum.


1.6 Posting Links & URLs:


Posting a link to a web page outside of Martialtalk.com is permitted, provided that the content of such material conforms to our guidelines. Please provide a brief description of what can be expected on that page. Don't just say "Hey, check out this link!"

A bit of common courtesy can go a long way towards preventing conflict. Remember, what you consider acceptable, even if it is within the rules, may not be OK for someone else.

Links that will redirect to sites that contain malicious code or anything potentially hazardous to your browser are strictly prohibited. This includes sites that flood a browser with popup windows.



1.7 Nudity / Pornographic & Adult Material:


MartialTalk seeks to maintain a family friendly environment. To do so, we insist that our members refrain from such discussion outside of the appropriate forum. Nudity and / or suggestive images are not allowed in the public areas of the site. MartialTalk does not allow the posting of or linking to pornographic content in any forum.

1.8 Threats, Racism, Sexism, and Challenges:


Messages that are openly hostile, defamatory, sexual, vulgar, or harassing, will not be tolerated, and may be in violation of the law. Threads or replies promoting or expressing intolerant views towards any group (race, religion, sexual preference, interracial couples, etc.) will not be tolerated.

No "physical challenge" posts are allowed. If there is a threat or physical challenge, real or perceived, issued, the person making said threat can be immediately banned from this board with no warning or recourse.


1.9 Sexual Conduct & Harassment:


Sexual misconduct, sexual harassment and harassment include: unwelcome sexual advances (verbal, written or implied), requests for sexual favors, suggestive talk, name calling, discriminatory or derogatory remarks, and other verbal, written or implied abuse of any sexual or other nature. Sexual harassment, stalking and other related behavior will result in an automatic ban. The Martialtalk.com staff will ultimately decide if something is appropriate or not. This policy extends to actions in real life and on other sites.


1.10 Forum and Art Bashing


1.10.1 No forum bashing

This means all forum bashing is not tolerated. Forum bashing is coming to MT and complaining about other forums, their rules, their moderators, their members, etc.


1.10.2 No Art bashing.

No one art is "the best", no one "style" is the best. All have their strengths and weaknesses. Do your research and find what best fits your ability and need.


1.10.3 No Individual Bashing / Fraud Busting.

It is not our mission to out and expose frauds or decide who "sucks". Such discussions rarely lead anywhere other than to headaches, and lawsuits.


1.10.4 Board Invasions

Those who attempt to use Martialtalk.com to organize a hostile invasion of other forums, will be removed from this board.

1.10.5 Martial Talk Bashing

Any member found to be bad mouthing the MartialTalk community at an outside location will be banned. If you do not care for this community, you really have no business here anyway.

There are sites that thrive on such negativity. We are not one of them.

The truth is, there are way too many websites, too few good ones, and even fewer websites that are managed well and have a good community of people. Don't waste your time bashing the forums that are not run properly or to your liking; it's like throwing a rock at a tree inside of a forest. You'll just get tired and you won't have the energy to hit them all. If you have a problem with another forum, please deal with it there.


1.11 Use of the MartialTalk name:

Martialtalk and its associated areas and trademarks (including Martialtalk.com, its forums, etc) are owned by Forum Foundry
Unauthorized use is prohibited.
No Martialtalk member is permitted to use the Martialtalk name in any cause that is not specifically authorized in writing by the Forum Foundry.
Members are free to use MartialTalk banners on their own sites.

1.12 Legal and Medical Related Posts & Issues:

MartialTalk DOES NOT endorse any legal or medical advice given within the community. We highly recommend that members and guests get the advice of an accredited expert whenever possible.

1.12.1 Seeking Legal or Medical Advice

If you need any detailed help, you should seek competent legal/medical counsel, and speak with them in person. Most of us on this forum are neither lawyers nor doctors. If you happen to receive legal or medical advice from another member and wish to follow it, then it's up to you to verify that such information is correct. Martialtalk.com and its staff are not responsible for verifying such things, and the final responsibility rests with the individual user.

1.12.2 Legal Disclaimer

The materials available at this web site are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. Use of and access to this Web site or any of the e-mail links contained within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship between any user or browser. The opinions expressed at or through this site are the opinions of the individual author and may not reflect the opinions of the site or any individual attorney.

By using any of our forums or other content, you agree to hold MartialTalk.com and assignees, licensees, officers and directors harmless for any loss, claim or damage arising from your use of any of the advice, suggestions, information and ideas obtained from any of the links, forums and other content.


1.12.3 Medical Disclaimer

The information here is not intended to replace the attention or advice of a physician and/or health care professional. Any person who wishes to pursue a course and/or action to prevent, treat, and/or manage their, or any other person's health concerns should always first consult a qualified health professional. None of the information, statements, and/or links contained on this web site is to be used in place of medical advice from a health professional, and/or medical practitioner. Nothing on this site is meant to imply a person should take actions toward medical treatment without the consent and/or supervision of his/her doctor and/or specialist.

By using any of our forums or other content, you agree to hold MartialTalk.com and assignees, licensees, officers and directors harmless for any loss, claim or damage arising from your use of any of the advice, suggestions, information and ideas obtained from any of the links, forums and other content.


1.13 Illegal Activities

Threads/replies encouraging illegal/unethical action are not allowed. Posts such as these will be deleted and may lead to suspension and possible banning.

This includes but is not limited to:

• Discussions concerning the "Sharing" of copyright material through P2P networking programs such as Kazaa, eMule etc. or torrents;
• You may not ask for assistance with P2P programs
• Illegal trading, selling or other distribution in copyright material such as video tapes, DVD and CDs etc. in violation of copyright law.
• Conversations relating to manufacturing and "hyping" (promoting or sensationalizing) of illegal drugs and illegal drug use are not welcome here.
• Discussion of pending legal litigation, both civil and criminal, is strictly prohibited.
• Discussion of illegal activities or crimes that may be or are being or have been committed is also prohibited.
• You may not ask for or provide assistance to circumvent restrictions or security on any computer system or network.
• You may not post hacks, cracks, or give instruction how to pirate any type of software, or anything similar.
• You may not ask for or give instruction on any illegal activity pertaining to computer systems, computer hardware, computer software programs or computer related activities. Included in this group of activities are requests for help to circumvent system admin passwords or administrator settings on networks.
• You may not ask for assistance with or link to any deemed illegal activities such as but NOT restricted to the following:
  • Software/video/audio piracy
  • Hacking
  • Password cracking
  • Keystroke logging software
  • Assistance with accessing copyrighted software programs
  • Leeching on private or public WiFi/Broadband connections
  • Evading police (traffic related, or otherwise);
  • Bypassing toll and/or phone restrictions (fixed or mobile);
  • Infringing copyright (see above).
  • Bypassing copy protection (including the publication of CD Keys or activation codes);
• In addition, discussion of acts that may breach any ISP/Telephony/etc AUPs or education/employment/etc contracts you have agreed to, is also considered inappropriate. This includes (but is not limited to) the following:
  • Bypassing network or any security related restrictions on your home/school/work/university/etc network;
  • Bypassing speed caps on your Cable or ADSL plans;
  • Hacking locked modems or phones subject to contract conditions;

1.14 Ownership of Posts
Ownership of Posts - All posts and content become the property of MartialTalk.com except for text and images that are themselves on copyright.

1.15 Reproduction of Posts
Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written consent is not permitted.

1.16 Responsibility of Poster
Posters are responsible for the contents of their postings and may be held legally liable should they post libelous of defamatory or illegal content.

1.17 License Granted by Users' Submissions
By submitting content be it images, text, audio or video, the submitter agrees that they have the right to do so, that doing so does not violate any third partys' rights, and grants MartialTalk perpetual license to use these materials as it sees fit. Submitter assumes all liability for this and agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Martial Talk, its staff, its host and its assigns for use of this material.

Please see Section 11 for full legal detailing.



Section 2: User Accounts

2.1 User Accounts:

Members are permitted a maximum of one account per person, regardless of how many organizations you represent. If you choose to ignore this important restriction, all your accounts will be disabled. You must agree to abide by our rules and policies in order to have an active account here.

2.2 Contact Information:

Incomplete accounts will be disabled at admin discretion.

A valid email address is required at all times for membership. If an invalid address is found, your membership may be temporarily suspended until you provide a valid one.

2.3 Impersonating Members & Accessing other's Accounts:

Members may not post on behalf of any banned member in any public manner. This includes all forums, private messages, signatures, and e-mail features.

Keep your account information private (password). If you are using a public computer to login, then it is strongly advised to logout when you are done, and clear all cookies from your browser.

Purposefully violating the security of the forum, using someone else's account, or allowing someone else to use your account, may result in suspension or ban.

2.4 Signatures:

Each MartialTalk membership comes with the ability to display a signature. This signature can be used to promote your site, business, or other ventures. Your Signature must follow these guidelines:

• Signature size is limited to 6 lines of 65 characters.
• A blank line counts as a line.
• Pre-approved BBcode is acceptable.
• Signatures may contain an image, however, the maximum size of the image can not exceed 350 pixels wide, by 60 pixels high. Maximum file size is 20kb.
• Signatures are subject to all other content restrictions.
• Signatures must be setup in your profile and not manually added to your messages.
• All signatures must be appropriate for this Forum and are subject to review by the MartialTalk Moderation Team.
• Staff reserves the right to remove any signature we find objectionable without notice.

Regarding Advertisements in your signature:

• You can put in links that lead to your site(s) or a product page.
• You can't run sales ads or special offers in your signature.
• You may mention your company, and contact information.
• You can have a slogan. i.e. "Best place to train in the UK"
• No scams or unenforceable offers i.e. "Earn $10,000 a month selling suntan lotion to dolphins".

An acceptable signature example:

John Doe
President of the Widget Corproation
(insert Widget Corporation's website here)
​

An unacceptable signature example:

John Doe
President, of the Widget Corporation
This month save 50% by using code FIFTYOFF
(insert Widget Corporation's website here)
​

Regarding linking to other forums or communities:
It's ok to have a link in your signature to another forum, provided the text is not a member recruitment advertisement.
Example of acceptable forum mentions in signature:

• "FMATalk, for discussion of the Filipino martial arts!"
• "FMATalk"
• "Webmaster, >Forum Name<"
  An aggressive membership recruitment type signature is however against our Forum-Promotion policies. Please contact the owners of this site (Forum Foundry) if you would like to actively promote your forum here for rates and terms.

If you wish to make a post in the Hall of Remembrance, please turn off your signature in order to demonstrate respect for those who have fallen.

2.5 Avatars:

Your account allows you to use a personal avatar or image to represent you in your postings. Guidelines for them are:

• No blatant advertising. Company Logos are ok.
• No Nudity
• No provocative (ie suggestive) images
• No insulting, demeaning, or insensitive images.
• No graphic violence or sensitive images.
• No Political Advertising or Political Mud images.
• No profanity
• Must be under 10 kb in file size.
• Staff reserves the right to remove any avatar we find objectionable or inappropriate for this community without notice.

2.6 Trying to Circumvent a Ban / Block:

Trying to evade a ban will result in the new account being banned. Those who share their accounts with banned users will also be similarly banned, even if the banned user is later unbanned.

Those who repeatedly attempt to circumvent a ban will be reported to their ISP.

2.7 Donations

Donations are always welcome. Your contributions help keep this place running, and play in important role in this community's growth. You can access this page. While all donations are gratefully received, a donation is not a payment for a service of any type, and should not be viewed as such.

2.8 Membership Levels

MartialTalk maintains several different membership levels.

2.8.1 Regular Membership

Regular Memberships are free provided you comply with our posted policies. Inactive accounts will be moved to a closed group after 6 months of inactivity. You may have your account reactivated by contacting us.

2.8.2 Supporting Memberships

Premium memberships are available, for those who wish to purchase them. With each tier of membership, you get several benefits, such as being able to post in various private forums, being able to use the Martialtalk.com photo gallery, increase private message limits, and so forth.

Supporting members are not exempt from following the terms of service of the site, and are just as able to have their membership removed as any other member. Should you be banned or decide to leave of your own accord, you will not be entitled to a refund on your donation.

The comparison of the memberships available can be seen here.

2.8.3 Gold Key Memberships

Gold Key memberships offer benefits that go above and beyond that granted to supporting members, in addition to getting discounts on forum sponsorship, web hosting, and domain registration, provided by the SilverStar Network.

You can see a complete listing of services offered to Gold Key members on this page.

2.8.4 Mentors

Mentors are established members of this forum, who have demonstrated knowledge and experience, are a positive influence on the board, and are here to help the community, especially the new users. If you have general questions about the board, please feel free to ask a Mentor. They're here to provide a friendly face, and point you in the right direction. For example, they can help you out with using various board features.

Please note, that they are not part of the moderation team. Any questions that require a moderator's attention should be directed at the moderators or administrators.

2.8.5 Advisors and the Advisory Board

Advisors are members of this forum, who, like our mentors, have demonstrated knowledge and experience, and are a positive influence on the board. These advisors are considered experts in their field of martial arts study, and are here to answer your questions in their areas of expertise. Please feel free to consult them in the Ask the MT Advisory Board forum.

2.8.6 Ladies Locker Room

MartialTalk respects our female members privacy, and offers a private area for them to discuss matters of female concern without &#8220;male input&#8221;. Membership is subject to approval and some restrictions apply. Please see this thread for the current admission guidelines.
​

2.9 Closing Your Account

We do not close accounts. If you wish to no longer be here for any reason, simply do not log in any more. The previous "Account Closed" group has been retired due to large volumes of members wanted to access their account again, but requiring administrator intervention to do so.

2.10 Deleting Your Account

It is not our policy to delete accounts on demand.

2.11 Reopening Your Account

If you have previously closed your account or had your account closed, you may reopen it by contacting our Admin Team, provided the account is still in our database. You may be asked to provide additional information to ensure account security.

2.12 Account Termination

A member who is rude, excessively negative, or disruptive may receive a warning or may be suspended or banned immediately. Suspending and banning is done at the discretion of the administration team.

Any abuse directed at our all-volunteer moderation/administration team, including defying the moderators/administrators to suspend or ban a member, may result in an immediate suspension or ban.

Membership on MartialTalk is a privilege, not a right.

2.13 Account Privacy

You are not permitted to share your account with another individual or entity. We collect your name, location and email address during registration. Those are kept private and are only used when contacting you. We do not sell, lease, or otherwise disclose that information unless required to by law or court order. You may optionally disclose your name and location through your profile.

2.14 Use of Handles, Aliases and Pseudonyms

MartialTalk allows its members to post under an alias, or handle, rather than their own name.

Use of a handle is optional, and doing so is not a guarantee of true anonymity as many factors can be involved to out your true identity.

Any handle must conform to acceptable board content policies and may not be offensive, insulting, and profane or otherwise unwelcome.

Your username, regardless if it is an alias or your own name, is not private.


Section 3: Advertising

3.1 General advertising guidelines
An advertisement is defined as a service or product being offered for trade or sale, or the solicitation of business.

Advertising is forbidden except where noted.

You will not advertise or solicit other members to buy, sell or peruse any products or services or attend any events through this discussion forum.

The sole exception to this rule is the Advertising and Event Forums.

Advertisement Policy

Post in the right place!

* Event Notices are ONLY allowed in the "Seminars, Camps, Events & Tournaments" section unless you have permission from the Administrators.
* Event Notices are free to post for the following: Staff / Advisor / Mentor / Supporting Member / Gold Key Member
* All others will be charged a fee of $200US or 50% of the highest ticket, whichever is greater.
* We reserve the right to refuse any ad for any reason.
* All postings must include full details, not just a flyer and are subject to all MartialTalk Terms of Service.
* The onus is on the advertiser to ensure that event advertisements comply with MT's TOS as no refunds will be given for those that do not comply.
* For events with a maximum cost of less than $20, we may offer to allow you to advertise for no cost if you contribute significantly to the forum in ways other than advertising. This is down to Admin discretion, so contact us if your event is low-cost and you have posted more than 50 times in the last 2 weeks.
* Charity event advertisements require proof that the event is in aid of the charity.
* Repeated postings, cross posting, or other abuse of these policy's may subject you to staff action up to and including loss of access.



All For Sale or Help Wanted posts are to go in the Advertising sections under the appropriate heading.
This is free to all members.


News items that -do not- involve event/seminar/camp/tournament notices may be placed by any member in the following forums:
The NewsRoom - Press releases and items of a news nature
Member Announcements - Toot your own horn, brag about your students, or announce your new book/video.
These are free to all members to spread your news.


3.2 Advertisement Posting Requirements

In order to post -any- ad notices you must be a member of one or more of these groups:

Be a Staff Member
Be a Mentor
Be a Gold Key Club Member
Be a Supporting Member

Otherwise, you may not post -any- advertisements unless you purchase ad space. That includes for sales, now opens, camp and seminar announcements, etc. That means if you register just to post ads, you're either going to have to take some time and contribute content to the community, or cash to keep us running. No more freebies!

In ALL our forums, chain letters and junk mail are strictly prohibited. Any software, print or audio/video content offered for sale or trade must be originals. Anyone found distributing bootlegs will be banned from the forums, and we will cooperate fully with law enforcement if required. This includes linking to software, posting about it, and suggesting where to get it.

3.3 Allowed Advertising Content Guidelines

3.3.1 Incorrect Posting Penalties
In order to cut back on spam and hit-and-run advertisers who only pop in long enough to post a flier, we have instituted the following changes.
Incorrectly posted advertisements will be deleted, and no longer moved as we have done.
Camp/Event/Seminar notices are -NOT- to be posted in the "Member Announcement" section..

3.3.2 Tape Trading
Tape trading is not permitted
You may not use our resources to engage in tape trading. Tape trading is the exchange of audio or video content, sometimes for cash, more often not. These are sometimes entire tapes other times collections of clips. In either case, they are not usually permitted to be redistributed by the copyright holder.

3.3.3 Advertising your club / school / organization
School and Instructor notices (such as "Check out our school," "Now Open," "Seeking Students," etc.) are restricted to the "Schools / Instructors" forum, under the "Advertising" heading. For additional visibility, MartialTalk maintains a high traffic school and instructors directory in which anyone can list for a nominal fee. Please be sure that you have a membership in one of the above mentioned groups.


3.3.4 Martial Arts Seminars, Camps & Events

Events, Seminars, Camps and similar can be listed in the Calendar by the above mentioned members at any time. We also provide an Organizations and Events forum where you can list your event information contact information.

Discussion of events is allowable in art-specific forums, provided it is not simply an ad for the event.

3.3.5 Product and Service Notices:

Product and Service notices are welcome in the ProShop forum. If you would like to announce your new product, you may post a properly laid out Press in the News forum. Product announcements posted within the discussion forums will be removed or moved at staff discretion.

You may answer questions about your products in threads started by others. If someone for example says "where can I buy "x", you are welcome to mention yourself if applicable. You may not however start a thread that says "Jack Spratt now carrying wigglywham training noodles" or similar.


3.3.6 Website Development and Hosting links/offers/etc:

NO selling or promotion of your own web services or products.

Advertising competing services such as web hosting or website design is not allowed in posts, signatures, or anywhere else in your profile. Any such posts or links will be removed. Additionally, discussion of competing services is not allowed. It would be foolish to allow our competitors to freely advertise in our forum.


EXCEPTIONS:


MartialTalk affiliates, who have the permission of the site owner (Forum Foundry).
Members of the MartialTalk Network who work in a complimentary manner with MartialTalk.
Paid Advertisers who have the permission of the site owner (Forum Foundry).

3.3.7 WebSite Promotion:

Links to websites that are hostile towards us are not allowed anywhere on this site, under any circumstances. If the administration allows or condones such behavior, we will not accept links to them nor their content. This rule supercedes all others.
Website links of a resource, historical or technical nature are permitted in the art specific fora, as well as the "Whats New" forum.
Linking to articles or information is permitted, provided the site being linked too allows it.
If in doubt, ask an admin if it is allowed.
Websites of a commercial nature, e-stores or their ilk are restricted to the ProShop forum. If higher visibility is desired, please contact an Admin for advertising rates to market your service or product.

* What is a "Commercial Link"? If you make money from that link, it's commercial.

EXCEPTIONS:


Seminar, Camp and event notifications, reports and reviews are both allowed and encouraged!
Product reviews on video, audio, print or electronic media done by neutral 3rd parties are also both allowed and encouraged.


3.3.8 Forum Promotion / Linking

You may not post "check out this forum" links.

Using the forum to solicit members for a competing forum is forbidden. MartialTalk's primary purpose is to be a discussion forum. Just as Coke does not allow Pepsi equal space in their booths, we can not grow by allowing our competition to use us as a free promotional tool. If higher visibility is desired, please contact an Admin for advertising rates. This includes, but is not limited to "Check out my/our/this new forum" type posts. It would be foolish to allow our competitors to freely advertise in our forum, as well as in poor taste for those to just SPAM us seeking to draw away our membership.

EXCEPTIONS:
Linking to articles on other forums -is- permitted.
Press Releases, News or other items of similar import NOT specifically denied above is permitted where applicable. If in doubt, ask an admin if it is allowed.

3.3.9 Fund-raising

Fund-raising is defined as the solicitation of funds for any project, service, business or charity. Fund raising posts are at the discretion of site staff, and must comply with all other advertising policy. This applies to Kickstarter, GoFundMe, and other similar services. Links to fund-raising sites may be included in user signatures and profile pages, but must be approved by the site staff prior to being posted. Solicitations outside of the approved ad areas will be removed without notice.

3.4 Right Of Refusal

MartialTalk reserves the right to refuse to display any advertisement at any time for any or no reason.


Section 4: Forum post, chat, journal & other user posted content

MartialTalk is intended to be accessible to a wide range of people, liberal and conservative, teen and adult. Please keep this in mind as you post. Our goal is to be as open as possible, within reason, and strive to encourage the mature exchange of ideas and opinions.

Feel free to contact a board administrator or any of the moderators if you have any question as to acceptable behavior on this message board.

4.1 General Posting Guidelines

General Posting Rules:

• No "Flaming": Please do not post any messages that harass, insult, belittle, threaten or flame another member or guest. NO insulting or personal attacks on other members - if some one insults you, do not retaliate but report the offending post using the 'report this post' button link located in each post's top right corner! Respect each others' opinions - you don't have to agree with them but please respect them.
• Rudeness, flaming, trolling, or any messages (via the forum, e-mail, or PM) that constitute a personal attack will not be tolerated. You'll only get one warning. Any member who is intentionally unpleasant or disruptive may be banned without warning.
• No "Challenges" - If there is a threat or physical challenge, real or perceived, issued, the person making said threat can be immediately banned from this board with no warning or recourse.
• No "Trolling": Please do not post any topic that disrupts the peace and harmony of this board. Don't create meaningless threads with the sole purpose of starting a dispute. This includes messages in profiles, signatures and/or posting comments, which will intimidate, promote or generate hatred or flames among members.
• No senseless "Bumping": Please do not bump your request/help searching or other threads several times a day. Bumping can refer to posting useless information, making corrections or updates in a new post, posting one-liners or any other action to deliberately keep a thread hot or to bring it to the top of its forum. Moderators will use their discretion, depending on the nature of the post, as to whether to take action or not. Remember there are people who don't browse this board every hour. So do not bump a thread within 24h or too much even after 24 hours.
• No "Offensive" Posts, Links or Images: Please do not post any messages that are obscene, vulgar, sexually-orientated, hateful, threatening, racist, sexist, discriminatory, or otherwise violative of any local or international laws. This includes links in your signature, profile, bookmarks as well as posted images, photos and avatars. Staff will ultimately decide if something is appropriate or not.
• Post in the correct and appropriate forums.
• Please don't post a message saying, "I need information about whatever. Please e-mail me at myname@myservice.com." Asking people to answer your questions via e-mail defeats this purpose of public discourse.
• Members may not post to instruct users to check their e-mail, check their PM, or inform them that they've got mail or a new PM, or any variant thereof.
• Members may not use the forum to publicly debate the forum policies listed here. If you have a concern or complaint about the way the forum is run, please email the administrator, or post in the support forum.
• Do not post libelous or defamatory comments. We will cooperate with court orders.
• MartialTalk and its staff are not in the business of endorsing or validating rank. Claims of rank made by practitioners are theirs and theirs alone. MartialTalk does not make any warranty to the validity of such claims and does have an "anti" fraud busting policy.
• We don't intend to censor messages based on the opinions expressed within those posts, but we will enforce the policies outlined both here and on the forum. We reserve the right to remove posts at our discretion and without explanation and to limit or terminate service to participants who violate the terms of this agreement. If you have any questions, please ask the forum administrators or post in the support forum.

4.2 Profanity and other annoyances:

4.2.1 Profanity


MartialTalk maintains an extensive filter aimed at removing common profanity from display.

Do not attempt to circumvent the filter. Replacing 1 or more letters with other letters, symbols or numbers in an attempt to show which swear word you intend, etc. is not allowed.

In general, the more severe profane expressions will be filtered out. There is no need to censor one's self. Just type out the words you would normally use, and let the filter do its job. If you happen to see someone typing a really awful word that was not picked up by the filter, let one of the moderators or administrators know, and we'll see about adding it to the filter.

4.2.2 Net-Etiquette

Please follow accepted Net-Etiquette when posting. Doing so helps keep the tone friendly and helps prevent misunderstandings. If you are unfamiliar with what is and is not considered acceptable netetiquette, we recommend you use your favorite search engine and read up on it.

4.2.3 Leet-Speak / IM Shorthand / LOL-Speak

Do not use "l33t speak" and IM style writing. Common abbreviations, such as ROFL (Roll On the Floor Laughing), IMHO (In My Humble Opinion), and other such commonly used acronyms are fine, but sentences written in text which replaces numbers and / or symbols for letters, is not allowed.

4.2.4 Posting in all CAPS or Large Fonts

While having a few words in large fonts in your post is generally OK, typing most parts of your messages in large fonts or annoying colors, is not going to endear you to the community. This also applies to signatures as well.

Do not use repeated icons, text, or punctuation (long strings of exclamations, periods and question marks, etc.).

4.2.5 Hate Speech

Hate speech is not allowed. Posts that contain material that is racist, sexist, homophobic, bigoted, or otherwise offensive, are not allowed. While discussion of certain social and political issues may require the use of sensitive or potentially offensive terms, outside of those limited contexts the use of such terms is not allowed on this board.


4.2.6 Challenge Posts

No "Challenges" posts are allowed - If there is a threat or physical challenge, real or perceived, issued, the person making said threat will be immediately banned from this board with no warning or recourse.


If you violate the above policies, your posts may be edited to conform to policy, and you may receive warnings and/or infraction points. Those who make posts that contain profane, harassing, sexual, racist, or other such expressions, written in foreign languages, will be subject to moderator action. Chronic abuse may result in account restriction, suspension or termination.

4.3 Abuse / Flaming / Derogatory Comments:


Martialtalk.com is a community where we take pride in having civil discussions. You don't have to like the other guy you're talking to, but you should still respect his right to have an opinion.

Treat others as you would wish to be treated. We ask that you be professional and polite to one other and respect our intention to have a forum for the friendly discussion of the martial arts. We do not wish to censor or control your opinions, but we will ensure that the policies of the board are respected.

A member who is rude, excessively negative, or disruptive may receive a warning or may be suspended or banned immediately. Suspending and banning is done at the discretion of the administration team. Any abuse directed at our all-volunteer moderation/administration team, including defying the moderators/administrators to suspend or ban a member, may result in an immediate suspension or ban.

Membership on MartialTalk is a privilege, not a right.


4.4 Spamming & Cross Posting:


In general, if you want to post the same message to more than one forum, as long as your message is within the rules, then it can be placed in up to three separate forums.

No "Spamming." Spamming includes violating the above-mentioned cross posting policy.

You may not post "check out this forum" links.

Accidents can, and do, happen. If you accidentally double, or even triple post, please let one of the moderators or administrators know, and we'll take care of it.

You may not use the site or its services to send advertisements or solicitations. Anyone found spamming will be banned.


4.5 Trolling / Inciting Conflict:


No "Trolling." Please do not post any topic that disrupts the peace and harmony of this board. Do not create meaningless threads with the sole purpose of starting a dispute. This includes messages in profiles; signatures and / or posting comments that will intimidate, promote or generate hatred or flames among members.

Those who attempt to start unnecessary conflicts in any of the forums, will be warned. Repeat offenders may be suspended or banned.


4.6 Attacking Martialtalk.com Moderators & Administrators:


Administrators and moderators are just like any other board member. They are subject to the same rules and regulations, and are expected to uphold the same standards that are expected of the Martialtalk.com community.


The moderators and administrators of this board are volunteers. They are not being paid for their work, and contribute their own time towards making Martialtalk.com a friendly discussion place. It is expected that you respect the moderators and administrators, and their actions as staff members, even if you do not like a particular staff member.


If you have a problem with a particular moderator's actions, and feel that such actions were unjust, then please contact one of the administrators, and voice your concerns in a civil manner. Debating moderator actions in the open is not acceptable behavior.

Any abuse directed towards our staff may result in an immediate loss of membership, without notice.

If you have a concern regarding staff actions, please follow our Complaint Policy to see that your concerns are given due consideration.


4.7 "Junk and Fluff" Posting:


There are some threads that are specifically for the posting of "fluff" and "junk." These threads are here solely for the entertainment of the community, and are still subject to the content rules of Martialtalk.com. Please keep any "fluff" or "junk" postings confined to those specific threads. Posts in those sections may not be counted towards your post count.

The act of "Post Whoring" outside of those sections is strongly discouraged.


4.8 "Bumping" Threads:


No senseless "bumping" of threads. If your thread has merit, then it will stay at the top on its own.

Please do not bump your request/help searching or other threads several times a day. Bumping can refer to posting useless information, making corrections or updates in a new post, posting one-liners or any other action to deliberately keep a thread hot or to bring it to the top of its forum.

Moderators will use their discretion, depending on the nature of the post, as to whether to take action or not. Remember there are people who don't browse this board every hour. So do not bump a thread within 24 hours or too much even after 24 hours.


4.9 "Off-Topic" Posts:


Please keep your posts on-topic with the thread's original topic. Posts that stray too far away from the original topic will be deleted or moved to a more appropriate thread.

Do not hijack threads. Hijacking is defined by posting in a thread in a deliberate attempt to derail the original topic. Repeat offenders will be warned and given warning points as needed.


4.10 Posting in the Appropriate Forum:


Please keep your posts on-topic with the forum in which you intend to post. For example, Karate-related posts should be placed in the Japanese Martial Arts forum, or the Karate forum, instead of being placed in the Filipino Martial Arts forum.

Posts that are not relevant to the specific forum's area, will be moved or deleted accordingly.


4.11 Thread Subject Titling:


When posting a new thread, please be accurate and concise, when describing what you want to discuss. Posting a title of "Hey!" without any further details only creates a distraction, and doesn't help people with their choices. Remember, this is a good-sized community, and there are quite a discussion threads, and nobody is going to read all of them.


4.12 Splitting:


If a thread contains a good number of posts that are off-topic, but contain good discussion material, then the moderators or administrators will split those posts off into their own separate thread. Once this is done, an official notice will be placed in the thread, in order to notify everyone of the new thread.


4.13 Referrals / Commissions / Affiliate Links:


You may not post commission, referral or affiliate links anywhere on the forum. This includes your forum profile, and any of the chat areas as well. Any such material will be removed from the board.


4.14 Private Messaging (PM) Chat and the Journal System:


These features of Martialtalk.com are available for those who wish to engage in private conversation, or to post their own blogs. Private messages and blog entries are still subject to all of the rules stated on this page.


4.15 Reporting Posts and Private Messages


4.15.1 Reporting Posts

The board has a feature that is called "Report to Moderator." If you feel that someone's post violates the rules of the forum, then look at the upper right hand corner of the post, and click on the "Report Post" icon. This is the red triangle icon that has the white center and a black line through it, and give a brief explanation why you feel such a post is inappropriate. The Martialtalk.com staff will receive this report, and will make the appropriate decisions. Please be patient, since it can take some time to render a decision.

The Report Post feature is not to be used as a weapon against someone whose positions you disagree, or for trivial matters. Before submitting a post report, re-read the rules again, and ask yourself whether the person is really breaking the rules, or if you simply don't like the post for personal reasons.

Those who abuse the system can be subject to infractions, suspension, or banning.

Once you have reported a post, you may not counter attack. You may post a mature rebuttal concerning any factual matters, but you may not post a counter-personal-attack. Doing so may result in you also being subject to moderator action.


4.15.2 Private Messages

Members may not use their accounts here to spam other members, either via e-mail, private message, or any other messaging client. Posting the contents of an e-mail or private message without the sender's permission is not permitted.

Abuse of the e-mail or private message system is considered a banning offense and we encourage members to report this type of activity to the moderating team or administrators.

If you receive such messages, then do not delete the message, since deleting the message from your Inbox removes the message from the system entirely. Contact one of the moderators or administrators, and discuss the matter with them.


4.16 Official Policy on Fraud Busting and Credential Verification.


4.16.1 Fraud Busting

Due to its nature, this forum encourages the asking and answering of questions. Many times one member will have questions and concerns about the history, skills, lineage, or paperwork of another member. In other cases, things may be stated on a webpage, flyer or article relating to a member that raises some questions. Sometimes, comments will have been made elsewhere and those issues carried over to MartialTalk.

MartialTalk and its staff encourage the polite and professional search for knowledge. Questions and concerns may be brought up, with the understanding that the other party is under no requirement to answer.

Most questions may be raised within the forums dedicated to a particular art or area of interest. For example, Kenpo Lineage questions in the Kenpo forum, are fine. Others of a more serious note, are to be limited to the The Great Debate forum.

Excessive "Inquisitor-style" questioning is not allowed and will be subject to administrative action. If you have had to ask a question more than 3 times, you are most likely running the risk of excessive.

In addition, Hot Pursuit actions will not be tolerated. The Hot Pursuit is defined as asking the same or similar questions in multiple threads and / or forums.

Members who become excessively obsessed, inquisitive or interrogative, will be subject to administrative action. Members who are involved in excessive arguments that disrupt the forum, may be subject to administrative action due to the disruption of the normal operation of this forum


4.16.2 Credential Verification

The staff of this forum is certainly concerned with the rising problem of falsified and otherwise questionable credentials. Due to the costs in time and money, as well as possible language barriers, we are unable to perform verifications. Because of the number of different organizations, splits and other divergences, absolute certainty of authenticity can only be achieved in a few select areas.

While each member of our unpaid, volunteer staff has their own area of knowledge, we do not feel we are qualified to evaluate the skills of those who have not trained in our own arts. The Karateka may simply not be qualified to decide if the Kenpoist's skill is any good. Each art has its own requirements and guidelines. It is humanly impossible to understand them all.

The simple truth is this: there are thousands of opinions on what is right, and wrong in the arts. We encourage our members to share their ideas in a polite manner.

MartialTalk staff will not be involved in credential verification or skills evaluations.


4.16.3 Consumer Complaints
Members may make consumer complaints, and consumer warning posts. If you are complaining about someone, it must be based on first hand experience. What happened to a complete stranger half a country away doesn't count. All content must comply to our existing policy rules.

4.16.4 Fraud Reports
MartialTalk has an existing fraud busting policy. It's intent is to avoid site disruptions, juvenile games, and mud fests. Members may report on verifiable cases of fraud and criminal behavior in the Horror Stories section. All content must comply to our existing policy rules.

4.16.5 Non-Desirables
In some cases, non-desirable individuals might attempt to join our community. When found, they are subject to ban.
Who do we deem as non-desirable here?

1- Convicted Sex Offenders.
2- Convicted Frauds
3- Anyone falsifying their rank, achievements or experience for the purpose of misleading clients and prospects.
4- Anyone selling, issuing or otherwise distributing falsified, counterfeit or unauthorized modified credentials such as diplomas, certificates and rank.
5- Anyone impersonating a lawyer, law enforcement or government official.
6- Anyone falsifying their identity under our RealName policy.
7- Anyone falsifying military experience in a verifiable manner.

Acceptable proof of wrong here is:
1- Verifiable Court Documents such as court orders and court decisions.
2- Newspaper articles in credible papers
3- News releases direct from credible organizations
4- Government Records

Unacceptable Proof
1- Threads on so called "advocate" sites that are little more than sloppy research and angry teen angst
2- Emailed notes stating "hey so and so is a liar"

An accusation of wrong doing is not sufficient, proof must be presented. While we are aware that there are many many individuals and websites who view themselves as consumer advocates and guardians of the truth, our criteria must be set higher than the often sloppy detective work done by amateurs.

Information presented may be submitted to law enforcement or other government agencies for verification, and those submitting falsified evidence turned over for possible prosecution.

We may modify the acceptable and unacceptable proof, and this policy at any time. Proof should be presented in public, not emailed to our Staff. Those who choose to post evidence are subject to site policy and the law, and are solely responsible for their postings. Neither MartialTalk, its owners, nor its Staff will be held accountable.

Abuse of this policy is subject to administrative action.

Opinions, advice, statements, offers, or other information or content made available through MartialTalk are those of their respective authors and not of MartialTalk, and should not necessarily be relied upon. Such authors are solely responsible for the accuracy of such content. MartialTalk does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information on MartialTalk and neither adopts nor endorses nor is responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, advice or statement made. Under no circumstances will MartialTalk be responsible for any loss or damage resulting from anyone's reliance on information or other content posted on MartialTalk. 47 U.S.C. § 230(c)(1)

We will comply with all properly served court orders for information, assistance and data.


4.17 Image & Video Posting:


4.17.1 Image Uploading / Linking

Images may by uploaded to MartialTalk by Supporting Members and above.

Images may be linked to, provided they meet with the requirements below.


4.17.2 Sensitive Nature

If an image of a particularly sensitive nature, it must be -clearly- labeled as such, and -only- posted as a clickable link. This includes images of injury, violence, etc.


4.17.3 Image Content

No nudity, or suggestive images in either format. Must be kid safe. No Pornographic Material. Any sexually oriented imagery or links to such content will not be tolerated. Advertisements for warez, or similar content will also not be tolerated.


4.17.4 Image Size

Image size varies depending on the file type. Unless otherwise noted, files are limited to 60kb in size, and 600x600 in dimension.


4.17.5 Image Types

Acceptable Image Types are GIF JPG JPE JPEG PDF PNG PSD MPG AVI MOV WMV


4.17.6 Copyrights

Users may mirror non-copyrighted images or photos in the body of a message, so long as the photo, graphic or image pertains to the topic of the message. Any material found to be in violation of applicable copyright laws, may result in the post being modified or deleted.


4.17.7 Advertisements

Further, users may not use the image option to post banners, advertise or promote any product, service or web site. Posts found to be in violation will be removed and the user's account may be suspended.

EXCEPTIONS :
§Event flyer's may be posted when they are posted in accordance with our advertisement policy governing events.
§For Avatar and Signature Policies, please see their respective sections.


4.17.8 Image Sources

When posting images on the forum, it is acceptable to post images that are coming from one of the following sources:

• direct link to your personal computer or server
• linked to your personal account from an image provider (i.e. Photo Bucket)
• linked to a source on our servers (Exp: We host you)
• uploaded to MartialTalk as an attachment
  
  

It is not acceptable to link to an image on another site without the permission of the site owner. Doing so is a theft of bandwidth and a violation of another company or person&#8217;s intellectual property. For more information on this you can refer to the Digital Millennium Act of 1998.

When posting a link to an image, video, or sound file from another site, MartialTalk Policies still apply to the offsite content. It is the discretion of the Forum Administrators and Moderators to remove links if they are considered to be questionable in content or violate Forum Policies.

Please consider our dial-up users when posting an image, the smaller the better. Please note that the moderators of each forum within our community may further refine this policy in regards to image and file size within their forums. The policy within each forum will govern the posting guideline for that specific forum. If there is no policy posted in particular forum, this policy will be in effect.


4.18 Language:


MartialTalk is a United States based forum; As such all posts must be primarily in English.

While we respect the fact that many people are fluent in several foreign languages, this is an English-speaking community, and that is the standard that everyone is expected to follow.

Posts that discuss foreign language terms are fine, as long as the discussion of such terms is carried out mostly in English, and such terms are translated in a verifiable manner.

Posts that are written entirely, or mostly, in a language other than English will be removed.

Insults, slights, and other derogatory terms and phrases posted in a foreign language as also subject to these rules. We will rely on sites such as Google and Babel to translate, and their version will be what we accept.

4.19 Section Specific Rules

Some sections of Martial Talk such as The Study have additional rules and policies associated with them. Please review any "Sticky" threads in those areas for specifics.


Section 5: Enforcement of rules


5.1 Moving of Posts:


The moderators or administrators at their discretion may move posts that are considered off-topic.

If you would like to have your post moved, please use the "Report to Moderator" feature, and include a short note of where you would like the post moved.


5.2 Deleting Posts and Closing Threads


The moderators or administrators, at their discretion, may remove posts that are deemed unacceptable from the board.


If a thread has been "cleaned out" too many times, then it can be locked, at which point, it will be subject to admin review. The thread may or may not be re-opened, depending on the outcome of the administrative review.

 

5.3 Complaint Policy and Procedures


If you have a complaint concerning a member, their actions or their postings, here are the "proper channels".


5.3.1 Problem involves comments in a post made by a member.


Use the "REPORT" link, which is in the lower left corner of every post to create a problem report ticket. This ticket is emailed to the correct staff members as well as posted in the moderator area. This will allow our staff to examine your concern and determine the correct course of action to take.


5.3.2 Problem involves comments in the Reputation system.

The reputation system has been removed with the change to the Xenforo software.

If there is a problem related to the use of the "LIKE" system, please use the REPORT button found in the lower left corner of every post. Please provide as much information as possible so that we may investigate.


5.3.3 Problem involves a PM


Do not delete the PM. Deleting it removes the sender information from the system.


Please use the "REPORT" link at the bottom of all Private Messages. Give as much information as possible about the matter so that we can locate it in the system and investigate.


5.3.4 Problem involves an email


Please use the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of all forum pages. Give as much information as possible about the matter. We will contact you with detailed instructions on how to properly forward a copy to us for investigation.

5.3.5 Problem concerns a MT Staff Member


You can use the contact link at the bottom of any forum page which goes to the Admin Team to send us your concerns.


5.4 Disciplinary Procedures:


When members violate forum rules and policies, staff will issue warnings and or infractions.

With a few exceptions, each infraction will generate expiring points

Warnings would usually apply to more minor violations, or first time violations.
Continuous violation of the rules may lead to account restrictions as well as banning.

5.5 Suspensions:


A member will be suspended based on the number of infraction points accumulated. Depending on the number of infraction points, the suspension may last from 1 week to 6 months. The member's status prior to being suspended, will be restored when enough temporary infraction points expire.


5.6 Banning:


Banning is only done under the most severe circumstances. Bans are permanent.

5.7 Infraction System

The following explains the infraction system on the boards. The rules themselves have not changed, but this is a good way for you to track how many infractions/warnings you've received and for the Admins to track how many infractions/warnings have been issued.

With a few exceptions, each infraction will generate expiring points. If someone accumulates 5 infraction points they will have their account restricted until the points expire. If they earn 10 or more points, their account will be suspended until the points expire. 25 points earns you a permanent ban from MartialTalk.

It is possible to get warnings too. Sometimes you will get a warning rather than an infraction. Warnings look like infractions but are worth 0 points and do not count toward your infraction total. Warnings would usually apply to more minor violations, or first time violations.

You may view your infractions points on your profile page. No one else is able to see how many infractions you have. If you do not see any infractions listed that means you have not received one. When you do get an infraction, a private message is sent to you. Infraction points expire after a certain number of days, so your point total can go down.

Restricted = 5 points - Account is in the "Discouraged" group and will find the system slow to use.
Suspension = 10 points - Account is suspended for 7 days.
Suspension = 15 points - Account is suspended for 3 weeks.
Suspension = 20 points - Account is suspended for 6 months.
Ban = 25 points - Account is banned permanently.

Suspensions of other durations are at the discretion of the Staff.

Keep in mind that most infraction points expire after a short period of time. This is marked as an expiration date. Expired infractions have 0 points.

Any suspended user attempting to circumvent a temporary ban by posting under another user name will be banned permanently. Permanently banned members who create new names will be removed from the site without additional warning when they are discovered and their ISPs contacted.

We reserve the right to ban people immediately as we deem appropriate. Please be aware that posters who deliberately and viciously break the rules may be permanently banned with no warning. Ruling on whether a permanent ban is necessary is ultimately left up to the discretion of the board moderators and administrators. We reserve the right to add additional Infractions to this list as needed.

5.8 Moderation Policies

Generally speaking, Administrators and Moderators endeavor to provide fair warning regarding behavior which might warrant their intervention. Failure to heed warnings from the moderators and/or administrators is grounds for suspension of posting privileges. Except in the case of malicious behavior such as spamming or flooding which requires an immediate response, the decision to disable an account requires a consensus of the Moderation Team, to ensure objectivity.

You agree that if any of these rules are abused, the offending message may be removed without prior notice, and if you repeatedly violate any of these rules or otherwise seek to disrupt the board then the administrators can disable your account at their discretion. You also agree that this is private property and you are our guest, and that MartialTalk reserves the right to delete any message.

You recognize the real-time nature of this bulletin board: MartialTalk cannot always monitor the contents of posted messages, and we depend upon you to inform us when participants or their messages are violating our policy as stated here. You also recognize that we cannot respond immediately to such notices and that some time may pass before any warranted action is taken.

You recognize that MartialTalk does not vouch for or warrant the accuracy of any information posted here, and that any message expresses the views of its author, not necessarily the views of this BBS or any entity associated with this BBS.

As a Discussion Board/Chat Room User ("User"), you are responsible for your own communications and are responsible for the consequences of posting those communications.

MartialTalk.com ("Agent" or "Company") does not represent or guarantee the truthfulness, accuracy, or reliability of any of material posted by Discussion Board/Chat Room Users or endorse any opinions expressed by Users. User acknowledges that any reliance on material posted by other Users will be at User s own risk.

Agent does not screen communications in advance and is not responsible for screening or monitoring material posted by Users. If notified by a User of communications which allegedly do not conform to this Discussion Board/Chat Room Agreement, Company may investigate the allegation and determine in good faith and its sole discretion whether to remove or request the removal of the communication. Company has no liability or responsibility to Users for performance or nonperformance of such activities.

Company reserves the right to expel Users and prevent their further access to the Discussion Board/Chat Room for violating the Discussion Board/Chat Room Agreement or the law and the right to remove communications which are abusive, illegal, or disruptive.


5.8.1 Cross-Posting Policy
Cross posting is allowed in a limited manner. The same or similar message my be posted in no more than 3 forums. If you feel that your post needs to reach the entire forum community, please contact an administrator and we will add a forum wide announcement, at our discretion, for you. Excessive cross posts will be removed.


5.8.2 Administrative Emails
Not withstanding the option to respond "No" to the member preference question, "Allow Administrators and Moderators to send you email notices?," it is understood that Administrators and/or Moderators may occasionally send you e-mail notices regarding matters which they deem to be important.

5.8.3 Links to external websites
Links contained in MartialTalk.com will lead to other websites which are not under our control. We are not responsible for the content of any linked site. Listing and linking should not be taken as an endorsement of any kind and we accept no liability in respect of the content. We cannot guarantee that these links will work all of the time and have no control over the availability of the linked pages.



Section 6 : MartialTalk Policy on Religious Tolerance


Religion is an important part of the lives of many of our members, and we believe it is important that people be given the opportunity to express their religious and spiritual beliefs in their online lives. This goes for all faiths, equally.

Our members are welcome to express themselves spiritually in all of our forums here.

At the same time, people must be aware that not everyone will share those same beliefs.

We expect our members to show tolerance of others beliefs in a non-judgmental manner.

Naturally this means that any kind of blatantly excessive religious posting or attempts to convince other people that their religion
(or lack thereof) is wrong simply cannot be allowed. Such posts damage the community at large because they can be disruptive.

Our forums are full of a diverse group of people with many different beliefs, and people must respect that
diversity. To keep things as fair as we can we ask that people not make large numbers of posts of a purely religious nature on non-religious threads.

At the same time, if people see threads that involve individuals praying with each other or otherwise sharing to help each other deal with a difficult situation, please remember that people who choose to share their religious feelings in the context of providing support for others should be given that opportunity (as long as it is not intentionally disruptive to other non-religious threads).

If you don't agree with their beliefs, then simply don't participate.

Some communities solve this "religious tolerance" issue the easy way. They simply ban all cases of religious expression. While we could do this also, it flies in the face of what we are trying to provide here; an open forum for all kinds of dialogue, information and support.

MartialTalk welcomes people of all faiths and does not condone the wholesale condemnation of a faith or the defamatory general characterizations of a faith, based on the actions of a few.

Members are welcome to their opinions however we must insist that they be posted in such a manner as to not condemn an entire group for the negative actions of a few.

Such actions may run afoul of our hate-speech policies and will be dealt with as such.

Please be respectful of your fellow members, who may believe differently than you, yet are still human beings with the right to believe as they do, the same as you and I.



Section 7 Copyrighted Material/Content Policy:

7.1 Don't Republish Copyrighted Information


Information copyrighted or owned by any individual or entity other than the member should not be posted on the discussion forums or software libraries without the consent of the owner. Exceptions to this standard are covered by the Federal law regarding fair use, 17 USCS 107, and related case law, which holds that only partial excerpts of copyrighted material may be reproduced, and only as necessary for criticism or comment.

If such an event occurs, the individual posting the information shall be held solely responsible. MartialTalk shall not be held responsible for member-posted information that may violate copyright law. In the event of a complaint by a copyright holder, we will investigate the issue and remove upon request their information.

If you believe that your copyright has been infringed, please see section 8 for how to file a complaint under DMCA. We will need to know details of the work, where it is on the site, and a statement that reproduction has not been authorized.


7.2 Posting Articles And News In The Forums

You cannot legally post entire articles or news in the forum without permission from the copyright holder. Even if you attribute the article correctly it's still copyright infringement.


7.3 Fair Use Provision

Under Fair Use provisions you can legally post a small abstract of an article - or perhaps the opening paragraph. So if you want to post an article you should do this and include a link, or just post the link. The exception to this rule is press releases; press releases are meant for distribution and can be copied and distributed as much as you want. If you are not sure if you can copy something then always err on the side of caution and simply post a link to the material.


7.4 Posting of Audio and Video files


You may not post these items unless you have the permission of the copyright holder. Clips taken from a video are usually not permitted to be redistributed.

7.5 Links to violations

Posting links to copyright violator sites such as warez downloads and file sharing sites is forbidden.



Section 8 : Digital Millennium Copyright Act


A. If you are a copyright owner or an agent thereof and believe that any User Submission or other content infringes upon your copyrights, you may submit a notification pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") by providing our Copyright Agent with the following information in writing (see 17 U.S.C 512(c)(3) for further detail):

* A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed;

* Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or, if multiple copyrighted works at a single online site are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works at that site;

* Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity and that is to be removed or access to which is to be disabled and information reasonably sufficient to permit the service provider to locate the material;

* Information reasonably sufficient to permit the service provider to contact you, such as an address, telephone number, and, if available, an electronic mail;

* A statement that you have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and

* A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that you are authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.

B. Counter-Notice. If you believe that your User Submission that was removed (or to which access was disabled) is not infringing, or that you have the authorization from the copyright owner, the copyright owner's agent, or pursuant to the law, to post and use the content in your User Submission, you may send a counter-notice containing the following information to the Copyright Agent:

* Your physical or electronic signature;

* Identification of the content that has been removed or to which access has been disabled and the location at which the content appeared before it was removed or disabled;

* A statement that you have a good faith belief that the content was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or a misidentification of the content; and

* Your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address, a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the federal court in NEW YORK, and a statement that you will accept service of process from the person who provided notification of the alleged infringement.

If a counter-notice is received by the Copyright Agent, MartialTalk may send a copy of the counter-notice to the original complaining party informing that person that it may replace the removed content or cease disabling it in 10 business days. Unless the copyright owner files an action seeking a court order against the content provider, member or user, the removed content may be replaced, or access to it restored, in 10 to 14 business days or more after receipt of the counter-notice, at MartialTalk's sole discretion.


Section 9 : Personal Privacy Policy

9.1 Security Threats

You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use this forum to engage in predatory behavior, stalking or to post any material which is threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise in violation of any law.


9.2 Personal Information

Remember that the general public can view all public personal information in your user profile and posted messages. Before posting or editing your profile, make certain that you are posting information you want others to know. Anything you post will not be privileged or confidential nor will any replies to your postings. You may choose to deny other members the ability to send you e-mail via the forum by changing your e-mail settings in "UserCP". Also, when logging in you may choose to not appear on the active users list. Personal information from users is only what the user freely provides. Access to any personal information in our forum database is granted only to authorized administrators..


9.3 Privacy Of Others

Please do not post personal information about any person, even if that information is publicly available. You may post the public contact information for public figures or officials, but you may not post anyone's (including your own) private information. If you wish to share any personal information with another member, please do it by e-mail and it is entirely at your own discretion and risk.


9.4 Abuse Of E-Mail And Private Message System

Members may not use their accounts here to spam other members, either via e-mail, private message, or any other messaging client. Posting the contents of an e-mail or private message without the sender's permission is not permitted. Abuse of the e-mail or private message system is considered a banning offense and we encourage members to report this type of activity to the moderating team or administrators.


9.5 Harassment / Stalking

Members may not harass other members. Harassing behavior directed towards an individual or group with the intent of creating an intimidating, offensive, or hostile environment on the boards, with or without use of explicit or implicit threats is strictly prohibited. Stalking is also not allowed. Stalking is defined here in part as constantly searching for a user, following them around from thread to thread and attempting to always be the next poster after them.

If anyone makes you feel uncomfortable, end the interaction and ignore him or her if they persist in trying to contact you. If they won't stop, if you are a teen, report them to your parents; if you are an adult, report them to the police. Law enforcement is taking Internet harassment, stalking, and exploitation very seriously and will take action. If you feel that another member is being pushy or putting you in an uncomfortable situation (such as pressing you into an email exchange), please let our staff know and we investigate.

9.6 Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment, stalking and other related behavior will result in an automatic ban. Staff will ultimately decide if something is appropriate or not.


9.7 Private Messages / Profiles

Forum administrators reserve the right to read or otherwise access your "private" information that resides on our server. This information includes your private messages (PM's) and private profile fields, is read at the administrations discretion, but only when a violation is reported to us (threatening or harassing PM for example), or when we have reason to. Although it is very rare, it does happen. Information found in the course of such actions is not released publicly, though may be released to the proper authorities.


Section 10 : Law Enforcement Officer Policy

MartialTalk welcomes the members of the various branches of Law Enforcement to join and participate on our site.


It is not required that LEO's identify themselves as such.


Members who are however found to falsely claim to be law enforcement officers will be subject to one or more of the following:

• An Immediate & Permanent Ban
• Reported to Internet Service Provider
• Reported to Law Enforcement organization closest to them for investigation. All account information will be provided to aid their investigation.
• Impersonating an officer of the law is a criminal offense in most places, and will not be tolerated here. We have several active & retired LEO on staff as well as active members of the site.
  
  

If you suspect someone of lying about their law credentials, please report the post and the situation will be investigated.


Thank you.



Section 11 : Legal

Copies of our Terms and Conditions Statement, Legal Disclaimers and Privacy Policy are maintained in separate documents.

11.1 The Legal Stuff

11.3 Martial Talk Privacy Policy


Section 13 Rules and Policies concerning The Study and it's sub-sections

Eff. July 1 2008
The Study was closed for several days due to a small number of individuals engaging in behavior that is not acceptable here. In order to reopen the Study for the majority of our membership, we have revised it's policies and procedures. Please read the following and familiarize yourself with the new rules. Any claims of "I did not know" will not be tolerated and could place your access to this area in jeopardy.

Purpose:
The purpose of the Study is for the serious discussion of non-martial arts topics including world events, social and political issues, or other items not covered in the other forums. It is not for the promotion of any particular political, social, personal, or religious agenda. The Official Position of this site is that no single religion, no single political party, no single position is "correct' or "wrong". Topics such as religion and politics, certain social topics such as abortion and sexual orientation, and more always seem to bring heat. While we welcome debate, we aren't the place where personal insults will be tolerated. Each and every one of us has things we hold dear, things we believe in, things we know, and we are all entitled to those, and entitled to express ourselves, as long as that expression is done within the site rules. All are welcome, provided they can follow our rules.

Thread Drift, Tangents and wandering topics:
Please keep thread drift to a minimum, and focus on the main ideas of the topic. If you find yourself drifting off, please start a new thread to focus on it. Some topics are best suited in one of the sub-sections. If you feel your thread or any thread is becoming too far off topic, please report it to the moderating staff and we will look into it.

"Heat" Level
This forum is for the more serious/focused discussions. Keep the discussions to a friendly level. We understand that some topics will get heated at times. Keep it professional, and avoid any personal insults or similar activities out of those debates. This is not a "Free For All" zone.

"Sweeping Generalizations, & Broad Paintbrushes"
Before painting any group in broad terms, be prepared to back those terms up, and be aware that such sweeping generalities may be offensive to members of those groups who may see such as false.

"Attack the Message, Not the Messenger"
While we welcome debate, we aren't the place where personal insults will be tolerated. Each and every one of us has things we hold dear, things we believe in, things we know, and we are all entitled to those, and entitled to express ourselves, as long as that expression is done within the site rules. If you have a rebuttal, keep it free of personal insults, shots, slights and other things focused on members of this forum. Please, debate topics to your hearts content, but refrain from making things personal. Stick to debating on facts, back them up with verifiable information, and avoid personal insults and retaliatory cracks. Our staff is monitoring and when things go too far, action will be taken. We insist that while you may disagree with the position of another member, that you respect their right to feel the way they do, and express yourself appropriately.

"Personal Attacks"
A personal Attack is defined as an insult, slight or such directed at you, specifically. There's a small number of members who appear to think making personal attacks on the forums is OK to do. It is not OK under any circumstances, and as a result we're clamping down on them now, before it becomes accepted behavior here. If you find yourself being flamed or insulted by another member, please do not dignify that person with a response. Notify a moderator and let us handle it. "They started it" is not a valid excuse for verbally mouthing off at someone, and will get you into hot water as well. Remember to use the RTM button and the ignore feature as well.

Reputation Comments and Private Messages
Are subject to the same rules. So insults, etc, sent through those means will also get you in trouble. If someone shoots you a "poison PM", forward it to an Administrator for review. Do Not Retaliate.

Moderation of The Study
The MartialTalk Steering Board will be handling the moderation of the Study and it's sub-sections. When an issue arises, they will examine it, discuss it and handle it. Their decision is final. Any abuse directed towards them as a result of a decision may see the abuser's Study and/or Board access revoked, temporarily or permanently.

Insulting a moderator who has tried to calm down the situation will result in a ban. We're not here to be abused by members. This includes sarcastic statements, smart assed cracks and the like.

Use of the "Report to Moderator" or "RTM" feature:
The Report to Moderator feature is there for your use and protection for the above rules. It alerts the moderating team of potential problems so that we can deal with them in an efficient manner before things become out of hand. However, it is not to be abused because you feel slighted or upset because you have received any action from the moderating team for your posts here in the study or any other place on the board. The RTM feature is used to report problems regarding our membership and NOT because someone has posted something about your political party that you do not like. Such RTM abuse will not be tolerated and could lead to your removal from the section and/or the board.

Losing Access to The Study and it's sub-sections
Any member who receives -3- Infractions for their posts or threads in The Study or it's sub-sections within a 365 day period shall see their access to The Study and it's sub-sections permanently removed. The "3 Strikes and You're Out" policy is a framework, not an absolute. Don't make an attack thinking you will get a 2nd chance, you may not. Access to this section is a privilege, not a right.

Political / Religious Message Posting Policy
All political discussions will stay in the Study only. Politics and religion are very heated subjects, with passions and opinions usually running very hot, and very strong. Everyone has a right to their own opinions, and the right to disagree with yours.
Remember, the "Study" is for the serious discussion of various issues. It is not a "Free-For-All" flame pit.

Copyrighted Material/Content Policy/Fair-Use Policy:
MartialTalk has a strict policy in respecting the copyrights of others. Do Not copy an entire article from another site and post it here. We insist that you follow the rules of "Fair-Use". Repeat offenses may result in the suspension of posting privileges. A full copy of our policies can be found here.


We have done our best to clearly list our policies concerning postings in The Study and it's sub sections. If you do not agree, if you cannot debate in a mature manner, or if you cannot comply, then we strongly suggest you stay out of this section of MartialTalk.

--The MartialTalk Steering and Administration Boards.

Revision List

January 1, 2009

First Unified Edition Released

January 3, 2009

Added 2.1.1, Updated 2.2 &#8211; RMH

January 17, 2009

Added Section 12: Reputation System Rules and Policies
Added Section 13 Rules and Policies concerning The Study and it's sub-sections
Updated 5.3.2 &#8220;Please see section 12 for details on the Rep System&#8221;

September 22, 2009

Added 4.16.3 Consumer Complaints
Added 4.16.4 Fraud Reports
Added 4.16.5 Non-Desirables

January 2 2010

Revised Section 3 Advertising

February 14 2013
*
Added 3.3.9 Fundraising


July 27 2014

Deleted Section 2.1.1 Minimum Age upon guidance from Board Owners Forum Foundry.

 

Revised:

January 17, 2009

Added Section 12: Reputation System Rules and Policies
Added Section 13 Rules and Policies concerning The Study and it's sub-sections
Updated 5.3.2 &#8220;Please see section 12 for details on the Rep System&#8221;

Section 12 is identical to What is the Reputation System, How It Works, Policies, Etc. - 12/1/2007
Section 13 is identical to Rules and Policies concerning The Study and it's sub-sections - Revised July 1 2008

in these integrations.

 

Revised Policy
=========
Our goal is not to be a site for witch hunts, fraud busting, and inquisition. There are other sites who enjoy those games and view themselves at guardians of the arts, when it's often little more than "if they like you you're ok, if they don't they will say whatever to defame your character". We hold to a higher standard. In the same vein however, being one of the largest general arts communities on the Internet, brings with it some responsibility to a higher standard of being, and to allow our members the ability to ask consumer oriented questions and report on misadventures. With that, we announce the following policy changes and clarifications:

Consumer Complaints
Members may make consumer complaints, and consumer warning posts. If you are complaining about someone, it must be based on first hand experience. What happened to a complete stranger half a country away doesn't count. All content must comply to our existing policy rules.

Fraud Reports
MartialTalk has an existing fraud busting policy. It's intent is to avoid site disruptions, juvenile games, and mud fests. Members may report on verifiable cases of fraud and criminal behavior in the Horror Stories section. All content must comply to our existing policy rules.

Non-Desirable's
In some cases, non-desirable individuals might attempt to join our community. When found, they are subject to ban.
Who do we deem as non-desirable here?

1- Convicted Sex Offenders.
2- Convicted Frauds
3- Anyone falsifying their rank, achievements or experience for the purpose of misleading clients and prospects.
4- Anyone selling, issuing or otherwise distributing falsified, counterfeit or unauthorized modified credentials such as diplomas, certificates and rank.
5- Anyone impersonating a lawyer, law enforcement or government official.
6- Anyone falsifying their identity under our RealName policy.
7- Anyone falsifying military experience in a verifiable manner.

Acceptable proof of wrong here is:
1- Verifiable Court Documents such as court orders and court decisions.
2- Newspaper articles in credible papers
3- News releases direct from credible organizations
4- Government Records

Unacceptable Proof
1- Threads on so called "advocate" sites that are little more than sloppy research and angry teen angst
2- Emailed notes stating "hey so and so is a liar"

An accusation of wrong doing is not sufficient, proof must be presented. While we are aware that there are many many individuals and websites who view themselves as consumer advocates and guardians of the truth, our criteria must be set higher than the often sloppy detective work done by amateurs.

Information presented may be submitted to law enforcement or other government agencies for verification, and those submitting falsified evidence turned over for possible prosecution.

We may modify the acceptable and unacceptable proof, and this policy at any time. Proof should be presented in public, not emailed to our Staff. Those who choose to post evidence are subject to site policy and the law, and are solely responsible for their postings. Neither MartialTalk nor it's Staff will be held accountable.

Abuse of this policy is subject to administrative action.

Opinions, advice, statements, offers, or other information or content made available through MartialTalk are those of their respective authors and not of MartialTalk, and should not necessarily be relied upon. Such authors are solely responsible for the accuracy of such content. MartialTalk does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information on MartialTalk and neither adopts nor endorses nor is responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, advice or statement made. Under no circumstances will MartialTalk be responsible for any loss or damage resulting from anyone's reliance on information or other content posted on MartialTalk. 47 U.S.C. § 230(c)(1)

We will comply with all properly served court orders for information, assistance and data.

========

An example of a "News Release from a Credible Organization" would mean it is posted on their website, or sent out in a news release.

"I was at the camp and Sensei gave the nod to remove X from our ranks" is NOT acceptable. If it's important, it will be posted or otherwise published.

"X doesn't show up on their org list. That means he's lying".
No, it means he doesn't show up on the list. There are many reasons why this could be. A falling out, an old list, left that organization and was removed. Proof here is a public announcement of being stripped of rank with a reason that doesn't involve "Didn't pay his annual fees/Left the organization".

 

Rule & Policy Changes - May 23 2010

Account Deletion Requests
We do not delete accounts. If you wish to no longer be here for any reason, simply do not log in any more. The previous "Account Closed" group has been retired due to large volumes of members wanted to access their account again, but requiring administrator intervention to do so. **This is a modification to prior policy. We have not accepted delete requests for a long time.**

Account Closure Requests
We no longer close accounts. If you wish to no longer be here for any reason, simply do not log in any more. The previous "Account Closed" group has been retired due to large volumes of members wanted to access their account again, but requiring administrator intervention to do so.
**This is a change of policy**

"Delete All My Posts" Requests
No. It is not our policy to delete all the posts you made. Doing so harms the integrity and flow of our forums.
**This is clarification of existing policy**

Post/Thread Removal Requests
It is not our policy to remove posts or threads because someone is offended by the content, or the OP has changed their mind about it being posted. In rare cases we will consider polite requests. Consideration is not a promise of removal. We reserve the right to remove any post we deem as offensive, hostile, threatening or otherwise a violation of our policies.
**This is clarification of existing policy**

 

Update to Non-Desirable Policy


Non-Desirable's
In some cases, non-desirable individuals might attempt to join our community. When found, they are subject to ban.
Who do we deem as non-desirable here?

1- Convicted Sex Offenders.
2- Convicted Frauds
3- Anyone falsifying their rank, achievements or experience for the purpose of misleading clients and prospects.
4- Anyone selling, issuing or otherwise distributing falsified, counterfeit or unauthorized modified credentials such as diplomas, certificates and rank.
5- Anyone impersonating a lawyer, law enforcement or government official.
6- Anyone falsifying their identity under our RealName policy.
7- Anyone falsifying military experience in a verifiable manner.
8- The TSA. (link)

 

Section 2.4 and 2.5 have been updated for clarity on what is and is not acceptable content in signatures and avatars.

 

Clarifying our policies on fundraising.

3.3.9 Fund-raising

Fund-raising is defined as the solicitation of funds for any project, service, business or charity. Fund raising posts are at the discretion of site staff, and must comply with all other advertising policy. This applies to Kickstarter, GoFundMe, and other similar services. Solicitations outside of the approved ad areas will be removed without notice.

 

Please Note:
In April 2014 I sold MartialTalk to Forum Foundry.
Any and all references to contacting me should be directed towards them.

Forum Foundry
P.O. Box 3503
Cedar Park, TX 78630

For Issues regarding MartialTalk please use the Contact Us link. Thank you