Rules And Instructions

Updated May 30, 2007

Forum Rules - Please Read First!

Welcome to the board! This forum is for a community of people who wish to seek help and to help others in the world of copywriting. It's a place for discussion, learning, and support for one and other. But before you begin, here are a few instructions and rules to help you.

While this board may be open to all, by visiting and posting in this forum you agree to the following rules. Failure to comply with any of these rules will result in the deletion of your messages and the banning of your IP address (IP addresses are logged for security purposes only).

These new rules are effective immediately, so please govern yourselves accordingly.

1. Liability, Policies, And Disclaimers

The board administrator(s) have the power to censor certain messages or words that may be posted. Michel Fortin, the Success Doctor, Copywriters Board, or any of its representatives are not responsible for contributions posted or deleted.

Although the administrators and moderators of Copywriters Board will attempt to keep all objectionable messages off this forum, it is impossible for us to review all messages.

The owners of Copywriters Board reserve the right to remove, edit, move, or close any thread for any reason.

You warrant that you will not post any messages that are obscene, vulgar, sexually-oriented, hateful, threatening, misleading, unethical, false, questionable, or otherwise violative of any laws.

All messages express the views of the author and not the owners, administrators, or moderators of Copywriters Board, its parent company, or its subsidiaries.

You agree that you were not made any promises, guarantees, or warranties of any kind, in any way, whether implied or not, regarding sales, income, traffic, or any other result. Your success depends on your efforts, situation, and willingness to succeed, which is personal and varies with each individual.

The content of this discussion forum is provided strictly as information only -- members are required to use their own judgment or to seek the advice of a competent professional, if and where applicable.

Email addresses are kept private within the confines of this discussion board and will not be rented or sold to anyone for any reason by the administrators -- however, we are not responsible for the misuse of email addresses by other posters, if they are made public by their authors.

2. Your Profile And Signature File

Before you begin, fill out your profile and upload a recent picture of you. Show us who you are. This gives your post a human touch. Simply click on the "User CP" link at the top of the page and scroll down to where it says "Avatar." An avatar is a picture of you. It must be a .gif, .jpg or .png format, and no more than 80 pixels by 80 pixels.

While signature files are allowed, the maximum is 3-5 lines. They shouldn't contain any large graphics, too. If you do add a graphic image to your signature, stick to a single one. Any post with a signature that's visibly larger than the post itself will be deleted.

Also, the "nofollow" attribute (to stop search engines) are added to your signature files until you've posted at least 10 entries.

3. Initiating Threads

This board has close to 30,000 articles in its database. If you have a question, it may have already been answered. We love to answer it, but we get some of the same questions over and over. So before you dive in, do a search first. Click on "Search" at the top.

If your question is unique and/or different (and, as times change, some answers are no longer relevant), then go right ahead and post your question. We'd love to help you as best we can.

Blatant ads are prohibited. There's a forum specifically for offers and articles (i.e., "Member Content"), but don't spam it.

Do not start any thread with an affiliate-related post, or a post with some kind of promotion. If you plan on starting a discussion about your product, service, business, or website, please post a little more relevant content than simply, "here's my new product, what do you think," followed by a URL.

If your post is indeed a genuine attempt to get feedback on your product or website, please spend a few minutes to add more content.

For example, discuss how you created the product, how well is your product doing now (or how you plan on creating or promoting it), what kind of feedback specifically you're looking for, and what you intend to do with the feedback.

If your post is a blatant ad with no content, it will be deleted. To avoid this, add content and be relevant. Tell us why you think your ad is important for this community.

In fact, why don't you go the extra mile and make a special offer to forum members? The more unique/special your offer is, and the more content you add (and the more relevant and helpful the content is), the more people will click on your ad.

4. Replying To Existing Threads

If your reply is an attempt to help another member, then post your comments and your affiliate link. But also mention that it is an affiliate link, and make doubly sure your post is relevant, on-topic, and specific to the original poster.

And like the preceding rule, add a little more content than just, "check this out," or "this will help you," etc. For example, add why you think your post is helpful, why the website or product you suggest is relevant, and what was YOUR experience using it.

When replying to a thread, you have the option of including (i.e., quoting) the original post's content to which you're replying. However, do not quote the entire message if your reply pertains only to a certain portion of it.

And this goes for short replies, too. (See preceding rule about "adding content".) In other words, many people "quote" some posts in their replies, just to write a few words, like "Excellent post!" "Great article!" "Thank you!" Etc.

If your post is simply a congratulatory message, DON'T post. Instead, use the "add to user's reputation" button in the upper-right corner of the post, or send them a private message.

Each quote will have a "go to source" arrow (that links back to the original post), so you don't have to quote entire posts, and try cutting down your quotes or leave them out, particularly if your reply is immediately after it). Try using the "include original post in quote" only of the post to which you're replying is several posts back.

5. Personal Attacks Are Prohibited

Debates help us grow, force us to learn from others, teach us to empathize with others, and add spice and controversy to the board that make our discussions more animated and passionate.

But admittedly, some criticisms are strong and harsh, which is good because healthy debates are productive.

But when they begin to rebuke others not to debate the substance of their post but to attack another's character, even if unintentional, such personality conflicts tend to degenerate threads into blackholes that serve no one, and even border on libel.

We believe that members are mature, responsible, and diplomatic enough to know the difference. So when engaging in a discussion, leave your emotions out of it. Use common sense.

We will NEVER tolerate personal attacks.

This includes posts that smack of whining, complaining, attacking, bullying, or harshly rebuking others. If you feel abused in any way, please report the post using the "report infraction" button on the upper right corner of the post.

The forum is run by the webmaster, and supported by a group of individual moderators. The webmaster is completely in charge. While the webmaster may make decisions based on popular opinion, this forum is not a democracy.

Free speech is not an absolute right on message boards; there are practical limitations. The rights and respect of others are more important. And in "others" I'm including not only the participants in a given thread but also readers, guests, and other board members.

6. Report Posts, In Private

If you have a problem with another member, do not leave a message about your concerns on the board. Send a private message. Most people are not interested in hearing complaints, but the webmaster would like to hear from you. Every message will be read, and appropriate action will be taken if and when necessary.

If your message is personal in nature, or if it may be misconstrued as offensive, consider sending a reply by private message or email. Some replies are better sent privately, rather than posted to a board. Ever heard of the saying, "Praise in public, reproach in private?" This is a good model to follow here.

This does not give you the permission to send hateful, inflammatory, or derogatory messages in private. It is often a good strategy to ask someone to clarify their position first before you pass judgment.

This helps to settle differences of opinions in private that may be construed as personal attacks, not only by the individuals involved but also all the other members of this board who read such public messages.

Similarly, avoid "backdoor bullying."

Private messages and emails should never be used as a backdoor to bully, denigrate, or attack others. (These actions should be equally reported and decisive action will be taken if and when they occur.)

Report any abuse, questionable posts, or "out-of-handedness" you see on this board using the board's "report" feature. (It's the yellow-red colored button on the top-right corner of the post.) The webmaster and its moderators will be alerted to the post and take appropriate action.

We will ask the poster to edit their post immediately, delete the post in question, lock the thread or, in some extreme cases, suspend the user for a period of time or ban them altogether.

If your posts do not contribute something positive, or if they are too self-serving and fail to help others, you not only harm yourself by making you look bad, childish, and immature (including to your peers, clients, and potential clients), but also harm more than the just the individual(s) involved.

7. Proofread Your Posts

Read over your message carefully before you click the "Reply" or "Submit" button, and think about how the webmaster and others will feel when they read it. (Use the "Preview Post" feature to review your message before submitting it.)

Most people will know you only by what you say and how well you say it. Take some time to make sure each posting won't embarrass you later. Be as clear as possible, stick with the thread topic, minimize your errors, make sure that the post is easy to read and understand, and avoid anything that may be confusing or misconstrued.

When you send a message to the board, people all over the world are reading your words. Including clients and potential clients. Remember, if your message can be misunderstood, it will be.

Try not to say anything to others that might be offensive. This includes references to race, politics, sex, or religion. Stick to the subject on the particular thread so as not to offend someone, even unintentionally.

Remember that words alone, without context, vocal intonation, and history can easily be misconstrued and misunderstood. Know the people on this board before using slang, curse words, abbreviations and acronyms. And avoid messages without any backstory or explanation when those messages will be understood by a mere few.

As the saying goes, "When in doubt, leave it out."

Do not include anyone's private information, including your own. This includes email and postal addresses, phone numbers etc. This could prove to be very unsafe for you and others. Should you want to give out such information, do so in a private email or in a private message, but still use caution.

While the message board is private (only registered members can participate), the content is public and read by the public at large. Your information can and will be seen by others, including clients, potential clients, and peers who might refer clients to you, as well as scammers, spammers, and hackers. Keep this in mind whenever you post.

8. Be Clear, Brief, And On-Topic

Say what you have to say succinctly. Some people post long-winded replies in an effort to complain, attack, or bully their way into a thread. Keep in mind that being wordy only serves to demonstrate how defensive you are.

Being defensive can be perceived as a lack of confidence in your opinion, an unwillingness to be open to other opinions, or an attempt to sidetrack the issue. And it can become counterproductive.

But there's a difference between being brief and being curt. The latter is just as harmful as being too wordy. Curt posts are rude and leave too much to the imagination, which can therefore be misinterpreted as an attack, even if unintentional.

Cite appropriate references, especially on threads related to facts, laws, scientific and technical information, or authoritative data. If you are using facts to support a case, state where they came from. If they are your personal experiences or opinions, then state them to be as such.

For example, do not state that "Brand X is the best!" Instead post, "In my opinion, Brand X is the best." By doing so, you can avoid others taking your opinion or personal experiences as fact, which could be harmful.

"Trolling," "sidetracking," "hijacking," and "flooding" are prohibited.

Do not "Flood" the board, and don't post meaningless messages. When a user posts a lot of chatty messages, even if their messages are not particularly inflammatory, they can be so numerous and off-track that they drown out the regular conversations.

Other than the introductions forum, don't post just to say hello or to chat with one single person. A message board is not a chat room. Don't clog the board with repetition, subjects that are not pertinent, long personal anecdotes, or short posts that most people would not care to read. Use private messaging or email for all of the above.

Do not jump in "with both feet" when you first start posting. Remember, although the board may be a new place to you, it has probably been online long before you found it. Regular posters may have been communicating together for years and they won't "take kindly" to a new poster jumping in like they own the place.

Start posting gradually. Introduce yourself at first and read previous message threads so you can get to know the people who are already there. Meeting a group of new friends online is no different than meeting a group of new friends in real life!

9. Be Respectful And Don't Be Rude

Avoid any posts or actions that may be construed as rude, abrasive, or inflammatory. If a post upsets you in any way, report it to the webmaster, take some time before replying, or refrain from posting at all.

In fact, threads that show your maturity, your levelheadedness, and the strength of your position are, oftentimes, threads that get out of hand in which you do not respond.

Also, UPPER CASE LOOKS AS IF YOU'RE SHOUTING, and many people consider it to be rude. However, if you feel that you need to shout to make a point effectively, then that's fine and perfectly acceptable but try not to overuse them. Use discretion.

Be sensitive and tolerant with others on the board.

Use diplomacy and tact when initiating or replying to threads. A technique for doing so is called the "sandwhich method." Start by saying something nice or highlight in what ways you agree with the original poster, followed by your opinion, and then close by saying something nice again.

This relieves the focus from the negative aspect of your post, causes your message to be better understood and accepted for its substance (and not its harshness), and seeks to find commonalities rather than differences.

If you are upset at something or someone, wait until you have had a chance to calm down and think about it. Oftentimes, there's a misunderstanding, a lack of clarity, or simply a lack of communication. A cup of coffee or a good night's sleep works wonders on your perspective.

Remember, hasty words create MORE problems than they solve. Sometimes, a strongly worded opinion on a subject matter may be misconstrued as a personal attack, when it's far from true, or far from the original intent of the poster. If the poster who upset you jumped to conclusions, don't add fuel to the fire by doing the same.

Understand that we're all human, we all have bad days, and we all seek to be understood and respected. Often, a simple email or private message asking the other to clarify their position, before you jump in head first, can make a world of difference.

10. Subscribe To Be Notified

This forum will notify you of any new posts in threads to which you're subscribed (replies will automatically subscribe you). This forum also has an RSS feed. It's easy to use -- just point your favorite RSS feed reader to the Copywriters Board's RSS Feed.

RSS used to stand for Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication. It's basically a way to syndicate content on a website to another. RSS allows websites or software to pull content (often summaries) from others. This means you can receive updates about new posts.

If you still prefer to be notified by email of new posts, FeedBlitz is an awesome service that allows you to subscribe to this board's RSS feed by email, and control how and how often you want to be notified. Click here and, once you subscribed, you can login to FeedBlitz and change your settings.

Thank you for understanding. Onwards!