[Trana]

The following set of site rules has been compiled by the moderators.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments, please feel free to post them here.


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This site is a free online community devoted to the betterment of the NYC Metro area reefing environment. Access to this site is absolutely free and services and events are funded through an open donation system. Please donate.

Because this site is free, we ask that you adhere to the following set of basic rules that will help our community stay balanced and focused on the hobby.

General Rules

This is a hobby that primarily takes place in the home. We have many families, young members, and new reefers getting started in the hobby. Keep this in mind when making all posts.

The primary purpose of this site is to interconnect the reefkeeping community. Since everyone is generally local, we provide a LOT of freedom for individual expression. Consider this an opportunity to make new friends and meet other people with similar hobbies.

We have a dedicated forum for Off Topic posts (The Nudibar).

Posting rules
No exceptions:
Racism
Hatred
Nudity
Copyrighted material (music MP3s, software, photos, movies).
Personal Attacks
Threats or violent material
Any illegal matter or activity


Moderation: The Admins and mods will interpreted these rules and apply them to the site. It's not personal.


Politics: This is NOT a site for political conversation. We understand that there are common political issues that people would like to discuss on occasion (ex. Transit Strike, local employment issues, real estate and other legal issues). These topics are permitted in the Off Topic forum (The Nudibar). The moderators will shut down any conversation that goes off course or seems to getting “too heated”. If you want to talk about politics, there are several thousand other places devoted to this conversation. Use Google.

Information in your public profile should adhere to all of these rules. This includes the use of avatars, profile pictures, signatures, tags, etc.

Items for Sale:
First Post option: It is common courtesy to sell a priced item to the first person that responds publicly that they will buy the item with no strings attached. You are free to sell the item to the last person that responds, or not deal with specific individuals, but this is generally enough to earn you a reputation as a “bad reefer”. If you have a similar item for sale as another member please post it in another thread being sure to not badmouth anyone else in that thread. Price negotiations should be kept to PM’s and not posted publicly in threads.

There will be no “fishing” threads. This means no gauging interest threads. They will be deleted immediately.
There will be no price lists posted or any mass PM’s sent to other members offering lower prices on items for sale. (This will be considered a GB and will be subject to the same ruling as a GB thread)


Best Offer: The moderators reserve the right to delete posts where the seller appears to have no intention of actually selling the items.

Group Buys meet the following criteria:
More than 1 member of MR is involved in the purchase
The organizer is one of the participants
No profit is being made by the organizer or any other member.
All discounts, shipping charges, freebies, etc are shared by all participants and must be clearly noted in the group buy thread.
All freebies from must be distributed equally among group buy members or can be sold to either offset the cost of the group buy for all members or proceeds may be donated to MR. A list of these free items must be posted in the group buy thread and the participants will have the final say as to what is done with them. Freebie items that are sent from the distributor labeled for specific people in the group buy are exempt from this and should go to those that they are intended for.
Can be organized by anyone.
Organizers are NOT PERMITTED to represent MR.

Note: If you are organizing a "group buy" with the intention of making profit you must post in the Vendor forums. Group Buys are fairly complicated transactions and the organizer reserves the right to coordinate as they see fit. If you are a new member, do not organize a Group Buy, participate in them for a while until you understand what is involved (a LOT!).

Vendors: If a member is selling items not from their own personal tank or is trying to sell items as a business, they will be considered a vendor and their threads deleted.. They will be required to open a Vendor account in order to sell on the site. First offense is a 1 day ban and a second offense will result in a more stringent penalty.

Vendors are not allowed to post in the members for sale threads. Vendors are not allowed to send unsolicited PM’s to members. Vendors will be allowed to offer items for sale and post listings of items in stock within their personal forum. Vendors are also permitted to offer goods or services to members within the want to buy threads. Want to buy threads will be considered as buyers inquiring from members and vendors about items. Unsolicited offers will be considered a violation of the site rules and the violator will be banned until the admins see fit. Repeat offenses will result in a permanent ban

Vendors will have to have 2 account names. One for membership privileges and one for their individual vendor forums.

Ratings: We have an online trader rating system. If you want to publicly complain about a transaction or experience, post a rating or keep the conversation in Private Messages (PMs). Do not publicly attack another reefer as the result of a trade gone wrong. If you have any major issues, contact a moderator immediately this means both buyers and sellers. If one party backs out please reflect it in their feedback. Threads started to bash other members for sales gone bad will be deleted.

Reef Graffiti: This is a place for members to chat please keep it PG! General kidding around is fine threats and harassment will not be tolerated.

Private Messages: Use of the PM system is for private conversation regarding purchases and meetings. Do NOT send unsolicited PMs to our members. Anyone found sending an unsolicited price list or offer to any member on the site will immediately have their account locked out pending the admins final decision.

Avatars: Avatar images must adhere to all of the rules above. In addition, Avatars may not be of a commercial nature (i.e. no store advertisements).

Note: Manhattan Reefs takes absolutely no responsibility for items available for sale, offered for trade, or deals negotiated on this site. If you choose to buy, sell or trade items via our forums, you do so at your own risk.

Please note that "Manhattan Reefs" is a registered US trademark (TM) with the USLOC/USPTO. Any attempts by an unauthorized party to represent themselves as MR staff, moderators or owners will be prosecuted.

[michael stern]

nice job. Seems pretty comprehensive. #&^$%#

[inkblue]

looKs good aNd faiR...

[SlamaJama]

nice job M.R Team!

[nanoreefer22]

Quote: Originally Posted by SlamaJama nice job M.R Team!

Ditto

[noodleman]

"Items for Sale:
First Post option: It is common courtesy to sell a priced item to the first person that responds publicly that they will buy the item with no strings attached"

So whats the common courtesy if someone PM's first but happens to post on the tread second, with a second or two difference? Just wondering

[House of Laughter]

Noodle,

First post typically gets first right of refusal - what I would recommend, though, to avoid any confusions (and what I sometimes do) is say what you will respond to: For example - "Respond here in this thread for consideration" or "respond via PM if interested" - this avoids any unclarity and allows the seller to use a specific medium.

I chose to use the first option.

Hope this helps,

House

[alrha]

Quote: Originally Posted by noodleman So whats the common courtesy if someone PM's first but happens to post on the tread second, with a second or two difference? Just wondering

often people may first post in the thread "PM sent" and then send a PM just so that there is public proof of when he/she responded.

[Chiefmcfuz]

Deep he's talking about blind sending without request.

Quote: Originally Posted by Chiefmcfuz Deep he's talking about blind sending without request.

yeah I was reading it better and deleted my post :sigh1: srry