Rules

[GUIDELINES]

GUIDELINES

Please read this notice before participating here.  By using this forum, you agree to abide by all the guidelines and rules outlined below - please do not participate in this forum unless you are willing to do so.

Please:
•   Give your post a relevant topic subject.  Topics titled "Please Help" don't attract as much attention from our regulars as something more descriptive.
•   Try to post questions in the appropriate forum.  Moderators will move them if needed, but it's easier for all concerned if they are where they belong in the first place.
•   Do not simultaneously post the same topic, or very similar topics, in multiple forums.  Apart from the fact that information will end up scattered throughout the forums you will just make it harder for yourself, and everyone else, to keep track of a particular topic.   Duplicate posts will be removed.
•   Make your questions (and responses) as clear and intelligible as possible.  If English is your native language then please use punctuation and well structured sentences to whatever extent possible.  It is easier to read and understand your problem (and solution) if it's .... well, if it's easier to read.  If English is not your native language, then just do the best you can.  We'll figure it out.
•   Avoid "chat lingo" and shorthand for the same reason as above.  Some of us find it easier to read actual words and sentences than to try to figure out what SMS abbreviations stand for.
•   Share your expertise.  That's what it's all about - it's the reason these forums exists.  If someone asks a question, and you have an answer, please take the time to provide that information in as much detail as possible.  One caveat - what you think and what you know are two different things.  If you know something, post it as an answer.  If you're not 100% sure, qualify your answer and be up front that you think so, rather than know so.  People tend to take replies on forums as truth (we would not advise that), and it's important that you don't lead someone astray with less-than-certain information.
•   Conversely, if you don't know the answer to a posted problem or have nothing intelligent or helpful to contribute, please don't post in that thread.  Our primary goal is to help, not to further confuse.  
•   Read the whole thread.  Sometimes threads run to several pages.  Don't read the first two posts and jump into the discussion without seeing what else has been said.  You may be repeating information already posted, or the focus of the thread may have subtly shifted in another page.
•   Don't expect an instantaneous reply.  People don't sit around here watching the forums so that they can provide information instantly.  You'll probably get an answer to your question, but it may not happen within an hour.  Please don't post a question on the forums, and then an hour later, post a reply that says "anyone?" and an hour later another that says "so nobody knows the answer?" and so on.  Be patient.  People may be involved in other important stuff – like going for a ride or tinkering with a bike.  
•   Maintain your thread.  Once you've asked a question, come back once in a while and look at where the thread is going.  Someone may have asked you to clarify a point or to provide additional info.
•   Do not post new problems on someone else's thread.  That's called hijacking.  Aside from being rude, your problem may get lost in the shuffle.
•   Do not start "private" conversations in someone else's thread.  Again, it's not polite.
•   All questions and responses should be posted on the forum.  These forums are here so that all can benefit from shared information.  Don't post a question and ask that people email you with a response.  For the same reason, please do not contact other members directly to ask a technical question.  The information shared in your post will probably be useful to someone else; and having it posted on the forums means that it will be permanently available for others to use.
•   Use common sense when posting.  We are a public, global forum.  We are frequented by people of all ages and nationalities.  What you find humorous others may very well find crude or offensive.  Keep in mind we are mainly a technical support forum .... people don't come here expecting to be confronted with offensive material or language of any sort.
•   Be forgiving of other people's mistakes. Everyone was a newbie once.  If you do decide to inform someone of a mistake, point it out politely, and preferably by private message (or private email, if you have their email address) rather than in public.  Remember that these discussions taking place on the Web are somewhat "public" and meant for constructive exchanges.
•   Please use standard size fonts when posting.  All caps or large or small fonts or all bold or italic is not only hard to read, it's generally considered poor forum etiquette.  For example, all caps is considered the equivalent of YELLING.
•   Use our internal forum search function.  Many questions have already been asked and answered and it's very likely you can save yourself some time (and pick up a few good ideas) by going through related threads.


RULES

This forum only has a few rules and they relate to how you are required to treat others.
*  If any of these rules are seriously violated your thread/post may be edited, locked or deleted.
*  If you seriously violate these rules repeatedly you will be banned from this forum.
*  Claiming ignorance of these rules will NOT be accepted as an excuse for violating them.

*    Treat everyone with respect and treat others as you would want them to treat you.  If you don't have anything constructive to say about someone, don't say it - keep it to yourself.

*    Do not post in a disrespectful, defamatory, adversarial, baiting, harassing, offensive, insultingly sarcastic or otherwise improper manner, toward a member or other individual, including casting of suspicion upon a person, invasion of privacy, humiliation, demeaning criticism, name-calling or personal attack.

*    Sometimes your dealings with other members will end in conflict - that's life.  If you are involved in a disagreement with another member, please keep it between yourselves and do not use any part of this website (eg, forums, gallery, chat, guestbook, etc) as a venue for publicly airing that dispute.

*    Do not use any part of this site to post material (including messages, profile signatures, avatars, chat/shoutbox conversations, pictures, files, etc), or links/references to such material, which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, belligerent, vulgar, hateful, adversarial, baiting, harassing, offensive, obscene, profane, sexually oriented or threatening.  In addition, discussions of political, religious, or racist issues are strictly prohibited.



By all means we want you to enjoy yourselves here – so let's all work together to make, and keep, this the best CX500 & CX650 support forum on the web.    

This last one is strictly personal - from me to you.  You are posting problems and asking complete strangers to help you solve them with no expectation of reward other than the satisfaction of knowing they helped.  These people willingly donate many hours of their time to provide information and assistance out of the goodness of their hearts.  Hey - that's why we're here and we're more than happy to do it.  Still, as is the case with pretty much everything we do in life, an occasional "Please" and "Thank you" won't hurt – plus they are really nice responses to receive.    

Regards,


Kathy