Although I believe rules are meant to be broken, I will watch you like a hawk to enforce some rules on this site. We are all civilized people here. Right? I thought so.
Users that do not abide by the rules may be subject to having their posts edited or deleted, their member account permanently banned from further access and/or deleted without notice.
Rules and guidelines are subject to change without prior notice, so do check in regularly
These rules are here to help you to understand what is expected from you as a member and to make your experience fun, informational, educational and enjoyable.
Here is What you are NOT ALLOWED to do:
1. No discussion of any illegal activity or threats of violence. (ie. Exchange of fraudulent information, how to commit an identity related theft, illicit drug use or exchange, threats of suicide or self-injury, or threatened or intended physical harm). Discussions of suicide or self-harm that are deemed negative and therefore potentially injurious to others are also not permitted.
2. No use of explicit, obscene or vulgar language or images and/or messages, including racist remarks.
3. No posts that attack, insult, "flame", defame, or abuse members or non-members. Respect other members of the community and don’t belittle, make fun off, or insult another member or non-member. Please do not attack anyone who has a difference of opinion. "Flaming" and insults, however, will not be tolerated. Agree to disagree.
5. No advertising or links to advertising or "Spam" is permitted (including signatures).
• Advertising or Spam is defined as posting a link for the purpose of selling, soliciting or promoting by someone that has ownership or other "vested interest" to the web site involved, including efforts to promote other online forums or web sites by web site owners.
• Posts and links about fundraising (including nonprofit fundraisers) are NOT permitted.
• Only links to personal home pages are allowed in signatures and member profiles. Links must be appropriate and abide by rules #1-4 or they will be removed.
• Links to helpful web sites (commercial or otherwise) are allowed when they are posted by someone without any "vested interest" AND whose purpose is NOT to solicit, advertise, promote, fundraise, etc.
6. No links to any web site or use of any username that fits into rules # 1-4 above.
7. No use of multiple usernames. Please register and use only one username for the forums. Posting under multiple user accounts will result in administrative action (ie. banning).
10. No posts of copyrighted material. Information copyrighted or owned by any individual or entity other than the person posting should not be posted on the message boards without the consent of the owner.
11. No posts of lengthy articles. Sharing information is allowed, but the forums are not to be used to publish articles. It is an improper use of critical forum resources.
12. No posts of an overtly political or religious nature OR posts promoting advocacy of particular personal, medical, legal, religious, political, or non-profit causes. The forums are intended for offering mutual personal support. Debating controversial subjects should be taken elsewhere. Limited religious references are allowed (ie. "my prayers are with you" or a brief quote as part of a larger post), but the forums should not be used to convert others.
13. No cryptic posts. Using cryptic messages to "skirt" the rules is not permitted.
14. If it shouldn’t be viewed by minors, then it shouldn’t be posted to these forums. This is a public, family-friendly forum. In addition, if something would not be considered “work safe” (to a boss or co-worker), then it shouldn’t be posted.
15. Do not disrespect moderators and administrator, i.e. me. Be respectful in both the forums and any private communications with moderators. Moderators are volunteers that donate many, many hours of their own time to help in the forums and chat rooms. Violations of this rule will not be tolerated.
16. No SHOUTING. Remember, using ALL CAPITAL LETTERS in posts is considered yelling and rude, plus it is difficult to read.
17. Do not post offline personal contact information (ie. your home address, phone numbers etc.) and do not ask for personal information from others. Use of full names (your first and last name) is allowed but strongly discouraged. This is to protect your security and identity.
18. No duplicate posts.
19. No irrelevant or off-topic posts. Posts which are not relevant to the forum topic may be deleted at the moderator's discretion.
20. No lengthy signatures. Limit signatures to 5 lines or less. Moderators will edit and/or remove signatures that are too long.
21. Do not use the forum to give professional legal advice. If you are an attorney, please remember the forums are for ID Theft Victim or any Interested Consumer support and not to be used for distributing professional legal advice and/or using the forum to represent your professional services. If you would like to advertize your service, go to the contact page.
Here is what you CAN do:
1. Check for open topics. Before posting a new topic, please check to see if there is already a topic open on the subject.
2. Ignore bothersome members. Report them.
3. Report posts that violate the rules and guidelines. Do not reply to the offending post as that typically only encourages the poster.
4. Use good judgment. NEVER rely on information or opinions exchanged via the forums to replace necessary, personal consultation(s) with qualified legal professionals to meet your individual needs. Remember that what's right or has worked for one person may not be what's right for you.
5. Lend a helping hand. Offer your encouragement; a couple of kind words go a long way.
6. Don't be afraid to share. If you're feeling alone or absolutely helpless, don't be afraid to share your fears and tears. If you have some great news with your personal struggles with ID theft, spread the news.
7. Welcome new members. When newcomers arrive, say "hi" and welcome them. Help new folks "learn the ropes" about how to find information and resources, save time, and how to get involved. You will also find a lot of help using the forums themselves.
8. Use descriptive titles for new posts. Avoid "generic" post subjects like "Help" or "Question". You will receive a better response to your posts by being more descriptive about the content of your post.