Forum Rules

GOVERNANCE AND CODE OF CONDUCT

The Mission: to provide a venue in which violin/fiddle students of any age, skill/ experience level, musical interests, or cultural background can exchange information, knowledge and ideas, participate in group activities and form friendships.

Our Golden Rule: Respect thy fellow members. Treat other members as you would have them treat you. These rules exist to help make this forum a more enjoyable place to visit.

The following types of posts are prohibited:

  1. Attacks, harassment or slander towards another member. If you disagree with what a member has posted, post your own opinion without attacking the member who made the post.
  2. Derogatory generalizations based on race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, politics or socio-economic status. On this forum, we are all equal.
  3. Pornography or profanity: Remember that families and children frequent this forum.
  4. Discussion of politics or religion: Generally not permitted though non-argumentative comments and common terms such as “thank god”, “lord knows”, or “we will pray for you”, will be allowed at the moderators’ discretion.
  5. Spam, mystery links and links to competing websites: No one likes a site full of spam and people are wary of following unidentified links. Also, Fiddlerman operates a related e-commerce site called Fiddlershop.com. If you are posting an external link, please explain what you are linking to and why. Include your own personal thoughts about the site, page, video, etc. If you are in business selling a violin-related product, please contact Fiddlerman before posting information promoting your product.
  6. Mean spirited comments that ridicule, berate or belittle members regarding their skill level, style, equipment, musical taste, knowledge of music theory, etc.:
    This site is a place to learn. All members should feel free to ask questions, post comments and request critiques without fear of ridicule.

Tips for good forum citizenship:

  • When you start a new thread, please try to put it in an appropriate section of the forum. Non-violin and non-music topics should be posted in the Breakroom or Off Music Topics. There are also sections for discussion related to mandolins and violas. Admins reserve the right to move a topic posted to an inappropriate forum.
  • If you have any doubts as to whether or not a post is acceptable, please feel free to message any member on the forum board.
  • If you encounter a post by a member that violates any of the rules above, report the issue to an admin or board member rather than accelerating an argument or responding in kind on the forum or chat room.
  • Humor can be misinterpreted, especially in writing without the benefit of non-verbal cues, and humor can differ across cultures. What’s funny to one person might be offensive or misconstrued by another. That’s not to say that we always have to be serious in the forum or chat room. Just use some discretion when using humor, and as a reader, consider whether the writer intended his or her post to be humorous and take it in the spirit in which it was intended. The use of LOLs and smilies helps convey that you were just trying to be funny.

    Procedures for violations:
    The site administrators, in conjunction with the Fiddlerman Forum Advisory Board members, will consider a number of factors when deciding whether to take action such as deleting posts or banning a member. Those factors include, but are not limited to, the number of complaints received about a member, the frequency of complaints over time, and the nature of the offensive posts.Posts violating the above rules will be removed by the administrators immediately and without warning, as will any posts by other members referencing the original post. Offending members may receive a warning via private message, however administrators reserve the right to ban a member from the forum after consultation with the advisory board.Fiddlerman Forum Advisory Board: Fiddlerman, KindaScratchy, coolpinkone, Mad_Wed, DanielB