Forum Rules
This community is a place for everyone who wants to talk about music, sports, politics, pop-culture, technology, current events, or any of the big or small topics that arise on the internet each day. It was created to be a safe-space free of bullying, hatred, prejudice, and other toxic behaviors. As such, this is a moderated community with a variety of rules that are required for continued access. This forum is not a government and your rights upon it are dictated by the rules and policies found herein — if you don’t like the choices we’ve made in creating it, you don’t have to visit. It is your responsibility to have read our terms of service, these rules, and our privacy policy.
There are features built into the website to help us moderate it and help you create the best experience possible while visiting. The forum software allows us to give warnings about possible issues (both public and private), block users from communicating with each other, and ban members for a length of time for repeated infractions. This page details the forum rules, code of conduct, and moderation policies. You are responsible for being aware of what is and what is not allowed on these forums.
POSTING OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL
This forum abides by the DMCA and will remove posts that contain reported copyrighted material. While links and embeds to websites like YouTube, Bandcamp, Rdio, Spotify, and others are allowed and encouraged to share legal media, linking to websites that contain (or linking directly to) leaked and/or illegally disseminated files is not allowed. Please see our TOS for more information.
HARASSMENT AND POSTING OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
Messages containing other’s private information (e.g. phone numbers, street addresses, credit card numbers, social security numbers, etc.) are not allowed in our forums. “Doxing” or providing links to private information with the intent to harass, bully, or abuse is strictly prohibited.
Harassment and bullying on the forums is not allowed. This includes constantly messaging or quoting an individual, posting threatening or harassing messages to another member, and/or using the forums to make anyone feel threatened or uncomfortable. This includes off-site harassment directed at members of this community (for example: attacking a forum member on Twitter while also doing so here).
Every account on the website comes with the ability to block other users. If you find yourself being harassed by another user on the website, we highly recommend you engage the block feature and report the activity to a moderator. We understand that there will be disagreements and heated debates around certain topics and it will be up to the moderating staff to determine the difference between the two. We may not get that right every single time, but we are going to err on the side of creating a community that is inclusive and welcoming. If you believe you have been banned, or punished, incorrectly on the forums — please reach out to discuss this privately with the moderating staff.
DISCUSSION OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES
Discussion of illegal activities and messages exhorting others to commit illegal acts — murder, extortion, and any other felony — are expressly forbidden. DoS attacks, hacking, flooding, and all other related computer crimes will be dealt with immediately and in fullest cooperation with local and federal law enforcement. Also included in this is harassment — for example, encouraging people to call someone on the phone, flood a website/mailbox, etc.
A PLACE FOR EVERYONE
This community was built to be a place where all users are respected. Sexism, racism, homophobia, and other variations of prejudice are strictly prohibited. We are aware that there are different cultural norms in regard to language around the globe, but most of the members of this forum are from the United States and as such the language rules are based upon these norms. That means specific words have been censored on the website. If you feel the need to use specific words when you are conversing with others — maybe this isn’t the forum for you.
The expectation for language on the forum is that of a public place in a regular city. Curse words are not forbidden, but those that disparage marginalized groups of people are not allowed. There will be a strict policy of keeping the forum conversations free of hatred and bigotry.
When talking about sports, music, or especially politics, it's easy for disagreements to become heated. Opinions about music vary widely, and it's okay for people to dislike things. It's okay to talk about what you like, don't like, or even hate. However, the goal in these discussions should be to explain why you dislike something and not simply offer up hostility. If you are entering a thread dedicated to a band or album, please remember that most participants will be fans, and hostility will derail the discussion. Political disagreements will happen; however, any kind of bigotry will not be tolerated. Likewise, telling people to “fuck off” (or similar variations) over disagreements is not permitted.
We will do our best to distinguish between a troll and a regular visitor. Trolling will not be tolerated. Anyone entering threads to push a hateful agenda or use inflammatory language to provoke the community will be banned. Creating an account to sow discord, troll, or harass members is not allowed.
YOUR ACCOUNT
Having an account on this forum is a privilege, not a right. There are many websites across the internet that are free-for-alls with no rules or moderation. This is not one of those. This forum was created as the community arm of chorus.fm and is a privately run entity.
If at any time you do not follow the rules on these pages, you may lose the privilege of having an account here. This community may not be run like others you’ve encountered on the internet, but that’s because we believe that fostering an environment of inclusion leads to a better experience for everyone.
DISCUSSION OF MODERATION POLICIES
If you disagree with a moderation decision, please reach out to a staff moderator to discuss this privately. Posting about moderation actions in public, making sarcastic comments, changing avatars or titles in protest — all of these behaviors usually lead to negative outcomes. Instead, take a moment to collect yourself, write a detailed account of what happened, and contact one of the staff members or moderators.
ATTEMPTING TO CIRCUMVENT THE SYSTEM
Attempts at hacking, creating duplicate accounts, DDOS attacks, flooding, using proxies to avoid a ban, attempting to steal or guess another user’s password, impersonating staff, or showing blatant disrespect to the staff or community will result in a ban from the website.
CODE OF CONDUCT
We have adopted a code of conduct that we believe is important to running a diverse and vibrant community. We are committed to making participation in this community a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, personal appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, age, religion, or nationality.
Examples of unacceptable behavior include:
- The use of sexualized language or imagery
- Personal attacks
- Trolling or insulting/derogatory comments
- Public or private harassment
- Publishing private information without explicit permission
- Other unethical or unprofessional conduct
Moderators and staff have the right and responsibility to remove, edit, or reject comments, posts, messages, profile posts, and other contributions that violate this Code of Conduct. They may also ban members temporarily or permanently for behavior deemed inappropriate, threatening, offensive, or harmful. Moderators will attempt to communicate with posters through warnings (public or private) and reference the posted rules and guidelines when possible.
Instances of abusive, harassing, or otherwise unacceptable behavior may be reported using the “report” function available on all posts and profiles. All complaints will be reviewed and investigated and will result in a response deemed appropriate to the circumstances. Staff and moderators have been instructed to maintain confidentiality regarding the reporter of an incident.
We recommend using the block function on the website if you prefer not to engage with a specific user. As a general rule: don’t say anything here that you wouldn’t say aloud in a normal public place. Disagreements and sarcasm will happen, but our aim is to elevate discourse and avoid personal attacks.
This policy is adapted, in part, from the Contributor Code of Conduct version 1.3.0.
MODERATION POLICY
One of the goals of the forum is to be transparent about our moderation approach so all members understand the rules, expectations, and potential warnings or punishments moderators may issue. If you have an issue with a user, please report the post so a moderator can review it. If you have ongoing issues with a user, we recommend using the block feature. If your concern is with a moderator, please reach out to another moderator or staff member.
Moderators must determine the severity of issues and how to respond. We strive for consistency, but moderators are human and circumstances can vary. We ask members to recognize this during tense moments. Acting out of anger or escalating a situation usually worsens outcomes. If a moderator indicates something is not okay, escalating will not help. Minor issues rarely result in immediate bans, but hostility or repeated issues may.
THREAD BANS
Moderators may issue thread bans, which prevent a user from participating in a particular thread for a limited period. Thread bans exist to encourage a “cool off” period and signal that the current conversation is unproductive. They are not full bans from the website, nor do they necessarily come with warning points. Most thread bans last between one and three days. If you feel a thread ban is unfair or too long, please contact staff or another moderator privately.
The worst response to a thread ban is continuing the same behavior in other threads. Doing so will almost always lead to more serious actions.
WARNING POINTS
Moderators may issue warnings for rule violations. These can be private or public (attached to a post). Warnings may include “infraction points,” usually issued one at a time, which expire after one month. Members cannot see each other’s warning points; only moderators can.
The consequences for accumulating points are:
- 3 points: a 3-day ban (“three strikes”)
- 5 points: a ban until the account drops below 5 points
- 8 points: permanent ban
Severe violations — such as sexism, racism, homophobia, doxing, trolling, or harassment — may result in immediate bans without warnings or points.
DISCUSSING WARNINGS OR BANNINGS
If you believe a warning was issued unfairly, please do not post about it publicly. Instead, message a staff member or moderator. Warnings can be reversed if necessary. You may also reach out to the site owner directly if appropriate. Our goal is to maintain a respectful, thoughtful community where disagreements can occur without hostility.