Forum Rules

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All forums have some basic rules, please ensure you familiarise yourself with them before posting

The Rules
Terms and Conditions for Membership
These forums are privately owned and run. Membership of the forums is not an automatic right of any user and is only granted on the condition that users accept all rules. If these rules are not acceptable to you then please do not use the forums. Any use of the forums is taken as your agreement to the terms and conditions. These terms and conditions and all the rules herein may be subject to change without notice and it is the responsibility of all users to appraise themselves of all updates. To this end it is suggested that you re-read this document regularly.

1. Administration decisions, including moderation, of these forums
1.1). Querying decisions is allowed but only appropriate remarks will be acceptable. No ridiculing or baiting of the moderators or administrators will be tolerated even if you suspect they are in the wrong. If you have an issue with a moderator or any of their posts then raise the matter with an administrator immediately. Any failure to adhere to this rule will be dealt with firmly. Continued abuse of a moderator or administrator will lead to an automatic ban.
1.2). Mistakes by moderators or administrators are inevitable and will be rectified where possible but no assumption should be made by a complaining member that they have been the victim of some injustice and that a decision they disagree with will be overturned.
1.3). All administrators and moderators have TOTAL discretion to moderate posts and reply as they deem appropriate and any post may be edited and/or censored if it is judged appropriate by a moderator or administrator.
1.4). All members, including moderators do NOT have an automatic right to talk about anything and everything on this forum. This forum is a place for motor enthusiasts to talk about subjects relevant to motoring. Not a place to discuss whether they look good in a bra or what the government is doing wrong at the moment.
1.5). Any member may be warned for breaking any rule. Any member may be banned for breaking any rule.
1.6). Any information notices, warnings or bans dispensed by admins or moderators are private matters between the moderation team and the individuals concerned. They must not be discussed publicly in an open forum.

2. Debate
2.1). These forums are a collection of sections which are dedicated to specific criteria and should NOT be considered a place to incite argument or debate which are based on moral, political, philosophical, sexual, ethical, or cultural issues.
2.2). Also these forums are PRIVATE and anyone who attempts to politicise the forums in a post or criticises policies by labelling the administration or policies will be banned.

3. Post counts
3.1). Members should not assume that size is everything. We do not admire high post counts here, but we do honour quality. A high post count does not always indicate that a member is respected for their opinions.
3.2). Spamming or posting gratuitously (i.e. "Repost" or "I agree") to achieve status on these forums is frowned upon and in fact you may have your posts removed if you continue to post along those lines. 'Repost' posts will be allowed if the poster posts a link to the original thread.

4. Post deletions
4.1). Any post which contravenes the rules in any way may be deleted without notice. Do not make attempts to usurp our authority by making the post again. When a post or thread is deleted the poster or thread originator will be sent a private message advising them of the action taken. Please do NOT start new threads asking where a post or thread has gone. If you are in any doubt please PM a moderator.
4.2). Do not spam the forums. This includes posts that deliberately take a thread off topic. We don't want to stifle the banter that takes place but it isn't any fun when a member asks a serious question only to find their thread taken over by members discussing other topics. The odd joke or quip is allowed as long as the thread gets back on topic immediately and remains on topic. Any post considered as spam will be deleted. You will subsequently be warned or banned if you persistently ignoring our guidelines.

5. Using Private Messages
5.1). You have the option to disable Private Messages and/or email notification but if you choose this option and cannot be contacted then you will not be able to accept notification of any information notices and may be banned for persistent offences of which you are unaware.
5.2). Do not use Private Messages to send serial numbers or illegal software (in the form of text) to another member. This is illegal and you are liable for any consequences.
5.3). Do not use Private Messages to request pirate software or links to pirate software. This includes Rave CD's. When we hear someone is requesting, we will investigate and you will be warned and maybe even banned.
5.4). If a member complains that you are abusing them using Private Messages then this will be investigated and you may be banned.
5.5). If it is felt that you are abusing the use of Private Messages you will not be allowed to send them.
5.6). In the course of investigating allegations of abuse, the administrator and/or their representative(s) reserves the right to examine Private Messages sent between the members involved on the forum.
5.7). Private Messages must not be published on these or any other forums. They must remain private unless the originator of the message has given their explicit approval in writing for the contents to be disclosed.

6. Language
6.1). This is predominantly an English language site and as such we accept no responsibility for the inability of those who have trouble understanding the text on the forums including moderator replies.
6.2). Any post you make must be in English apart from language specific forums but you may accompany it with a translation to another language for certain purposes. This does not mean you can start chats and just translate the whole lot.
6.3). Do NOT use text speak. As previously stated, we speak English here. TXT type messages are often difficult to read and you may have your post deleted if you use TEXT speak.
6.4). The use of profanity is frowned upon on these forums. Search engines use robots to trawl through forums collecting data and previously these forums were once blacklisted for containing adult content. This is something we do not want to happen again. There are swear filters that prevent the use of certain words. The excessive use of swearing or use of alternative spellings or substitute characters such as asterisks to circumvent this rule is NOT acceptable and such posts are liable to be edited upon discovery. If you insist on swearing then simply allow the filters to do their job. Breaching of this rule WILL result in the issue of information notices and warnings and continued breaching WILL RESULT IN A BAN.

7. Specific forums
7.1). General Chat
7.2). Whilst the General Chat area is for non MG Rover related posts - it is NOT an area where adult material of questionable taste will be tolerated. It must also be remembered that children regularly visit this website and please consider this when you post. Although General Chat may appear to be a free for all it is not and it is regularly frequented and managed by Moderators. If a subject is deemed unsuitable it will be removed without warning
7.3). We encourage members to keep their "General Chat" and "Natter" in this forum. It helps keep the rest of the forums clutter free and facilitates easier searching of threads for such things as technical issues for instance.
7.5) The forum "General Chat" is not indexed so threads in there will NOT be included in any search of the forums. This is to protect the forums as they are constantly scanned by search bots and their thread contents are included in the databases of general web searching engines such as Google and Yahoo. As these forums are a business it is important that we preserve the integrity of them and manage how they are viewed externally. As mentioned in para 6.4 above, these forums were once blacklisted for containing adult content and getting them white listed again is very difficult and time consuming.
7.6). Comedy Central
Comedy Central is divided into two sections:
7.7). Work Safe - Jokes that suitable for all to view. They must not contain images, animations or links to material that may cause offence to anybody. In other words, keep it clean.
7.8). Not Work Safe - Basically if you wouldn't view it at work, it probably belongs in here. Images and animations are allowed here as long as they are not deemed indecent. Any material that is deemed indecent or offensive will be removed without warning.
7.9). Computer and Console Gaming Forums
7.10). These forums are for all console and PC owners and we will not tolerate fanboys of any description. Anyone that comes here trashing other manufacturers consoles or its fans will be dealt with firmly.
7.11). Absolutely NO discussions regarding chipping or modifying consoles that would allow members to play backups of games will be tolerated. Neither do we permit discussions on copying games or circumventing copy protection.

8. General Rules
Some of the decisions made over the following rules will, by nature, be subjective. We aim to ensure that the forums remain family friendly throughout.
8.1). No flaming or baiting other members. Attacks on other members will not be tolerated in any way shape or form. We will not tolerate discrimination of our members for any reason including race, sexual orientation, age, gender or religion.
8.2). No sexual references, pornography or unsuitable graphic imagery including links to such materials.
8.3). No use of what is considered obscene language.
8.4). No racist, cultural or religious defamation.
8.5). Do not post links to any illegal sites, in particular software piracy or 'Warez' sites including bulletin boards. This also means no such links should be added to your signature. We do not condone piracy in any way shape or form so please do NOT attempt to discuss such matters on these forums.
8.6). Do not posts links or requests for RAVE or Xpart/MG-Rover EPC CD's. These are copyright material and can be purchased from third party suppliers. Additionally do NOT post extracts from these publications such as diagrams as this is also a breach of copyright. Nor should you discuss Rave or Xpart/MG-Rover EPC CD's.
8.7). Signatures are available for supporters and should be kept to a maximum of either 6 lines of text or if you use a graphic it should no bigger than 450 pixels wide by 100 pixels tall. If you use text and a graphic please remember to reduce the height of the image accordingly.
8.8). Avatars can be used on these forums if you are a supporter and can be no larger than 150 by 150 pixels or 39.1 KB (whichever is smaller). Pictures depicting sexual, racial, cultural, derogatory or religious defamation will not be tolerated. If an avatar is deemed unacceptable by the moderation team it will be removed and you may lose your right to display one in future. If you are in any doubt about an avatar please check with a member of the moderation team first.
8.9). These forums do not condone speeding. On public roads it is illegal plain and simple. We take a dim view of members admitting openly that they speed or posting that it is acceptable. Such posts may be removed without warning and the poster may receive an information notice or warning.

9. Forum Bans
9.1). Unfortunately there may be occasions where we are forced to ban a member from accessing the forums. Where a member is banned from accessing the forums, be it permanently or temporarily, they are prohibited from using another member’s account to gain access. Should it be discovered that a temporarily banned member is accessing the forums using another member’s account, both accounts will be suspended for a further month and depending on the circumstances both may be suspended indefinitely.
9.2). Any member who is banned either temporarily or permanently is prohibited from creating or using another account to access the forums.
9.3). Any member who allows a permanently banned member to access the forums using their account may have their account suspended indefinitely.

10. Multiple accounts
10.1). Multiple accounts are not allowed on these forums and must NOT be used. Posting using different identities purely to enhance and support your own argument is NOT permitted. Should it be discovered that a member is using multiple identities their accounts may be suspended and they may be banned indefinitely.

11. Posting using another members account
11.1). Members may not use another member’s account to post of these forums. The right to participate in discussions on the forums is granted to the original holder of the account and is not transferable. In the event that you believe somebody has posted using your account please contact a member of the moderation team immediately and this will be investigated. If the moderation team suspect more than one person is posting from a single account they reserve the right to suspend the account until a full investigation has been carried out.
11.2). It is not allowed to sell your account or any part of it either on a permanent or temporary basis. The same applies to members who are supporters. You are not allowed to sell your Supporter status. Anyone found attempting to do either of these may find themselves banned or their supporter status revoked immediately without refund.

12. User Titles
12.1). User titles are those that sit under your user name and by default will say [I]Registered User[/I]. This may be changed to any free text you wish with the following exceptions:

• The text must NOT be offensive
• The text must NOT be inflammatory or derogatory
• The text must NOT be manipulated to give the false impression you are a member of staff on these forums i.e. Moderator, Super Moderator or Admin etc.

13. Personal Information
13.1). Harvesting member details. No personal information for any member may be passed on to any third parties including email addresses and contact details. It is expressly forbidden to use these forums to gather such information and any such action shall constitute a breach of the site terms and conditions. If it is discovered that a member has done this we will not hesitate to pass their details on to the necessary authorities.
13.2). Poaching members. It is expressly forbidden to use these forums to poach members for forums that reside off this site. This includes the use of private messages for such a purpose. If you are in doubt please contact a member of the admin team in the first instance.

14) Information Notices and Warning System (Information Notices and Warnings)
14.1). We operate an information system on these forums that is used to notify members should they break the forum rules. We know that most members would not do this intentionally but sadly there will always be those who chose to ignore the rules. The system uses a points system and the more points a member gets the more chance they stand of having their account temporarily inhibited (see para 14.3 below) or in extreme cases, banned.
14.2). There are two types of notifications:

• Information Notice. This is issued for information only and is used to advise the member that they have breached a rule and that no further action will be taken at this time. A record is kept of the information notice and should the member repeat the offence they may get an Warning.
• Warning. This is used when either a member repeatedly breaches the forum rules are where it is their first transgression and we know that they were aware of their actions. Under normal circumstances an Warning will be issued after an information notice. Warnings have expiry dates and when an warning expires the points are removed from the members warning point count.

14.3). If however you amass enough points through warnings your account will be inhibited as stated in para 14.1. Below is a brief summary of the main changes if you are placed on the first restriction profile. If you are a supporter this can have a profound effect on your ability to use these forums:
This is how you may be affected if you are a supporter:

• The number of PM's you can send and receive will reduce from 255 to 5.
• You will no longer have access to the 18+ forum.
• You will no longer be able to start new threads.
• You will no longer be able to create or vote in polls.
• You will no longer be able to upload attachments.
• You will no longer be able to edit your profile.
• You will no longer be able to upload an avatar.
• You will no longer be able to have a signature.
• You will no longer be able to give or receive any reputation points.

14.4). There are other subtle restrictions on forum access and these along with the above will last for the duration the restriction profile.
14.5). Should a member receive further warnings they will move up to an even more heavily restricted profile at which point they will have very limited access to anything. This really is the last chance and should you receive any further warnings you may be banned from these forums for life without any further warning.
14.6). Information Notices and Warnings can only be seen by the member receiving one and the moderation team. Other members will not be able to see them and will not know if you have received one.

15) The Reputation System
15.1). The reputation system is enabled on these forums and allows members to give both positive and negative reputation to other members. In this way new members can more easily establish who others trust. It is entirely subjective and can easily be abused. Here are some guidelines for using the system:

• Do NOT use the reputation to court favour with friends. Giving somebody positive reputation simply because you like them or they are a friend is frowned upon.
• DO leave a comment when leaving positive reputation otherwise the member receiving the points may not know why they have been given them. Additionally the admin team check the reputation given each day and any anonymous reputation given will be subsequently deleted.
• Do NOT play tit for tat with reputation. If a member gives you positive reputation you do not need to give them positive reputation straight back in return as a form of thanks. Members should earn their reputation score by earning the respect of other members. The same applies if you are given negative reputation. Giving them negative reputation back simply because they did it to you first is unacceptable.

15.2). If any member is found to be abusing the reputation system they will have their reputation score zeroed and they will no longer be able to give reputation to other members or receive any. Information notices or Warnings may not always precede this action.
15.3). Complaints. If you have any issues with reputation that has been given to you by another member then please contact a member of the administration team in the first instance and we will try to resolve the issue. Please do NOT post about it in the forums for all to see. That is not how we do things here.
15.4). More detailed information on the reputation system can be found here.

16) Selling items on these forums
16.1). In order to sell items on these forums you must first be a supporter. Details can be found here. Selling on behalf of others is not allowed.
16.2). Items must NOT be advertised or offered for sale outside the For Sale forum.
Advertising details, together with pricing can found here

17) Website promotion, external links and cross promoting.

• External links. When supplying a response to a question please do not simply post a link to a post or thread that exists on an external forum. We cannot guarantee that external links will remain available as we are not responsible for them and members searching these forums for answers in the future may well miss out. For that reason please try where possible to post your responses in full so that we can continue to build on the knowledge base we already have here. Obviously where this includes "How to's" with images etc it would not be fair to the individual to have their hard work copied and linking to them on here would be more appropriate.
• Personal Websites. What we don't allow is shameless self promotion, or asking others to promote your site for you. If you want to advertise your site then firstly you must be a supporter. You are then allowed to put a link to your site in your signature.
• Linking to commercial websites. Linking to your own commercial sites comes under trader rules and you should take out a suitable trader subscription.
• A commercial site is defined as a site which belongs to a business. e.g. Online Shops, Garage or car related businesses.
• Online Forums or clubs don't count as commercial entities, unless they charge for membership or membership upgrades.
• Cross forum selling. Trying to sell across the forums is not permitted without the express permission of the admin team and members also need to be a supporter to sell on here. We are always happy to try to work with other forums to get group buys etc going, so just ask us and we'll do what we can.
• Forum Promotion. Links to external forums are permitted as long as this is not a blatant attempt to poach members away (please see rule 13.2). If you are in any doubt please contact an admin before posting any links.

By using these forums you agree to abide by these rules in their entirety.
Thank you.