CCCCOA Web Site Discussion Board Rules

Message boards are like any other organized gathering of people; there are rules of etiquette that everyone is expected to follow. In light of this goal, your C4OA experience is bound by a set of commonsense rules that ask you to be civil and show respect for others when you are online.

This Discussion Board is for the sole intent of the membership to exchange the following:

-Articles of interest
-Questions and comments about the hobby of coin collecting—Carson City coins 
  in particular!
-Information about the history of the Carson City Mint
-Information about the coins produced at the Carson City Mint
-Information about the Comstock
-Books of interest
-Club activities

No coins or any other merchandise will be either *sold* or *traded*

Here are several key points:

Be kind and honest
Don't issue personal attacks, use profanity, or post threatening, abusive, harassing, or otherwise offensive language or images. You also may not impersonate another individual or communicate under a name that you are not entitled to use.

Do not post advertisements or chain letters
There would be a fee for advertisements. Any ads posted will be immediately removed. Chain letters are never appreciated in the online community.

No messages from or about companies or individuals who criticize the CCCCOA will be permitted
The C4OA discussion board forum is for the benefit and edification of supportive members of the club. Messages by or about companies or individuals who are critical of the club will be edited or deleted.

~~~~~

Here are some suggested guidelines:

Following are some suggested guidelines for polite and responsible interaction on message boards. A message board is an online discussion group where members can read and write messages to each other.

Messages will be moderated
The C4OA discussion board forum is operated on an honor system. Members are expected to exercise common rules of courtesy. Complaints about the club or derogatory comments about other members will not be allowed. All messages will be monitored. If a message is deemed inappropriate, offensive, or unsuitable it will be edited or deleted.

Discussion board violators
Discussion board users found guilty of infractions of rules may have their discussion board privileges revoked.

Read the message board for a while before participating
It's best to browse a discussion board for a while–just reading–before you post your first message. Read a couple weeks’ worth of messages the first time you visit a board, and then read new messages for another couple of days. You'll see what topics are hot, you'll get to know some of the key participants, and you'll become familiar with the demeanor of the board.

Communicate clearly
Write clearly when you compose a message. Review your message carefully before clicking Send—typos are confusing. Remember, if your message can be misunderstood, it will be.

Refrain from using ALL CAPS
Typing in all capital letters is frowned upon; it's the equivalent of screaming at everyone. It also makes your message more difficult to read.

Don't post meaningless messages
Posting messages that say nothing more than "Me Too" is a quick way to irritate other members. If you agree with a posting, either enjoy your consent by yourself or reply with an informative comment about why you agree. Imagine how dull a board would get if it contained nothing but hundreds of "Me Toos," “Good Jobs,” or “That’s Cools.”

Consider sending a reply by e-mail
E-mail is typically a one-to-one communication system. Some replies are better sent as e-mail, rather than posted to a board. Personal messages and especially critical comments are more appropriate when sent directly and privately. No one should post someone else’s private email on the discussion board.

Refrain from cross-posting
Cross-posting means posting a single message in many different message categories, and it is almost never appropriate. Such posts tend to reduce the quality of the discussions and needlessly increase the traffic on the board. Find the best place for your post, and please confine your message to one category. There are exceptions, of course, like when you need to communicate an important announcement.

Quote from the post you're replying to
Include a small section of text from the post you're replying to, so others will have a quick reminder of the topic.

Be careful when posting personal information
Be careful about including private information about yourself, such as phone numbers and street addresses. Private information of that nature should be sent by e-mail.

Follow the forum guidelines
The C4OA discussion forum is for members who enjoy discussing the coins minted in Carson City, the history of the times in which the coins were minted, and the joys of collecting them. Please keep discussions pertinent to these subjects.

Thanks to all our members for their support and cooperation in making our discussion board a success.