The Rules

Thank you for following these rules, they help to ensure that all our members have a positive and responsive experience on the forums.



Repeat violators of any of these rules may find themselves subject to loss of posting privileges, after due warning.



These rules are to be considered part of AstraOwnersNetwork Forums' Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, then you must discontinue use of the forums.



AstraOwnersNetwork – AstraOwnersNetwork (hereafter AON) is an owners club consisting of 3 individual car forums, namely astra-sri.co.uk, astra-vxr.com & T8oc. This is for both show purposes (booking and stand allocation etc) and also to act as a club to the individual forums. The individuality of the forums will remain, although the global AON banner will be used to promote the ‘club’



Main Rules



1. No sexism, racism or abusive posts

Sexist, racist, or abusive posts shall result in punishment, with the severity of the punishment depending on the intensity of abuse. Racist and sexist posts shall be removed, and the offending user shall be banned immediately. Rude behaviour in your replies to another poster (especially those new to the message board) will be seen as abusive posting and will be punished.



2. No Post boosting

Those found to be flaunting this rule shall be warned. Unnecessary posting, unnecessary threads or random posts/threads shall be dealt with at the initiative of the member of staff exercising a context sensitive decision. Don't whine if you get warned for this. Sometimes people get away with it, but you likely will not.



3. Use common sense when posting in any of the forums

Whereas AON encourages laughter amongst those who contribute, we do ask users to remain sensible when doing so. We ask users to respect other peoples opinions and beliefs.



4. Discussion of Piracy

The specific linking to files or sites that index files is forbidden, and will gain you an instant warning. You are permitted to discuss clients and file sharing as a phenomenon. You are not permitted to discuss specific instances of copyright violation that you or another carried out.



5. No content that is sexually explicit

All Sexual content: Genitals, and mutual arousal/stimulation images and Pornography in general is forbidden, and those who post pornographic content shall be banned, the length of this ban will be determined by the Admin Team. False links that connect to pornography which purport to link to a legitimate URL, will be dealt with harshly.



6. Be nice to the staff, and they'll be nice to you

We will treat you in a civil, courteous and responsive manner, and expect our members to act the same towards us.



7. No text talk in posts

AON severely discourages users to use either leet or text speech on the forums. We ask users to remain considerate for those who read their postings. We ask users to contribute using as clear English as they possibly can, and for those who do not know how to paragraph to learn to do so. The key labelled 'Enter' is large enough. Exceptions shall be made to those using a braille keyboard.



8. Aliases

Each user is allowed one account. Any user found to have more than one account on AON will be deemed to have an alias. The alias account will be banned and the admin/mod will decide what happens to the original account.



9. Use of proxy services

The use of proxy servers as in those of known proxy server sites and hosting companies like layeredtech, ev1servers and others is prohibited. Although we respect your privacy, those we find hiding behind a non-normal proxy server (normal being for example NTL, AOL, BT, etc..) will be permanently banned from our forum.



10. Problems or queries

If you have a problem or wish to have any of the boards rules clarified, please contact one of the Admin Team.



11. "Loaning" accounts

People who are suspected/found "loaning" their accounts to other posters shall be banned, the length of this ban will be determined by the Admin Team. Persistent offenders will be permanently banned. Also anyone found using someone else's account with or without permission shall be banned, the length of this ban will be determined by the Admin Team.



12. Signatures

• The maximum viewable size of any image signature should be no more than 400 x 100 pixels and if hosted on the AON server the file size should be no more than 40KB. If hosted on a server not administered by AON it may exceed the 40KB limit as long as it's not stupidly massive. Anything over 100kb is considered massive.


• Animated signatures are allowed if you are a Club Member but the same size limits still apply.


• For those not wanting an image signature, four lines of text are allowed but please keep each line no more than 60 characters long to avoid word wrap on certain screens resolutions. The maximum font size for text signatures is no3.


• Signatures will be removed if they are over these limits in any area or if they contain offensive words / comments, club or member related.


• Removal of signatures considered to advertise companies or clubs not affiliated to AON remain at the discretion of Admin or Moderators.

13. Avatars

• Images must be no wider than 160 pixels, nor taller than 120 pixels.

• Be no greater than 20kb in file size.

• Must not include animation



14. Posting Images

• Inline images may not be wider than 800 pixels, nor taller than 600 pixels.

• Also remember to not quote posts with images (or be sure to edit out the images!), since this causes excess width as well.

• Images posted in violation of this rule are subject to deletion.

• We offer a Gallery to our Members to host their images in.

• If you choose not to use our gallery, then you must provide your own image hosting. Many members use ImageShack (free) for this.



15. Spam

We take a strict zero-tolerance stance on spam. Any commercial messages, posts linking to free iPod/Mac/Xbox/etc sites, etc will be immediately closed, the links removed, and the poster banned with no warning.



16. Complaints and User issues

If you have a complaint about a user on the forum then the Admin team are your point of contact and are here to help you out, This can be done via a pm or email address (admin@astraownersnetwork.co.u k).If you need a post deleted or moved PM a Moderator who is online and they will move or perform the action you want within reason.



Other rules

• If you are going to bicker with someone, do it via private message, email, or instant messaging. There's no need to annoy everyone with it.

• No threads about other members.

• Don't post nonsense threads, +1 posts, or anything else with no semantic value.

• Don't hijack or derail threads. Stay on topic. If you want to discuss a detail or offshoot, start another thread.

• Don't ask for replies via email or private message. That defeats the purpose of a forum, of allowing everyone to see the question and replies.



Useful Suggestions

• Spell check your posts and use proper grammar. Not only is it less annoying for the reader, but it helps prevent people from attacking your spelling and grammar rather than having real discussion.

• Don't use images except where necessary. Most of the time, a text description is more than enough. If you do use screenshots, crop it to just the area where the specific problem appears. We don't need to see your whole desktop. Remember the inline image rules below. Use a link when in doubt.

• Don't put in a line break after each line. The browser will wrap the text for you.

Don't try to use HTML in posts — it will not work. Use vB Code to format your posts instead.



Posting Etiquette



Step 1: Search and Research

First, search to see if anyone has posted the same question or item. If you have a question, search for relevant keywords. (It helps to restrict your search to the relevant forum.) Do a general web search for the problem, too — you're probably not the first person to encounter it.



If it's a really hot topic (like a alloy wheels or lowering etc...), chances are there are already one or more active threads about it. Look in those before posting.



If you have a link that you think might interest people, search the forum you planned to post in for the URL you planned to link to. Especially if it's older than just 1 or 2 days, it's probably already been shown here before and thus not of interest to most.



Don't resurrect ancient threads. If your search finds a relevant thread that doesn't answer your question, but that's more than about 6 months old, the information in it is probably partly outdated. Instead, post a new thread, but include a link to the old thread as a reference. This shows people that you did your homework.



Step 2: Choose where to post your thread

Carefully choose which forum to post in. The correct one is the one that most narrowly fits the specific problem. (For example, if your problem is regarding will these alloys fit my astra, then post in the wheels, brakes & suspension section.) Don't use general chat as a catch-all because you don't know where your problem goes. Don't post wherever and declare "I didn't know where this should go, so I put it here" — take the time to find out. Do NOT post your question in more than one forum. Incorrectly categorised threads may be moved, closed, or deleted without further notice.



Check the forum you plan to post in for any sticky threads: these contain common questions, or rules concerning that forum.



Step 3: Name the thread

Choose a thread title carefully. It should be a super-short summary of the question. Do not announce that you have a question — we already know that, because you wouldn't be posting otherwise. Do not mark your subject with any emphasis like "Need help!", "Please!" "Urgent!", etc. That is just noise that reduces your chances of people reading your thread.



Good title: "Alloy Wheels are rubbing"

Bad title: "Help!", "Alloy Wheel problem!! Urgent!!"



Step 4: Post your question

Ask your question correctly. "How to ask questions the right way" is a good place to start. (Though it's written with Linux questions in mind, the same principles apply.) Again, leave out pleas for help and just stick to describing the problem.



Step 5: Follow up

Thank those who took the time to respond, and follow up with a report of whether their suggestions did or did not help.



About Moderation



Remember that moderators and administrators have the final say on any moderation decision, including the right to close, rename, or delete any thread, or edit or delete any post, for any reason. While the action will generally be explained, this explanation is voluntary and may not be provided, even upon request.



Remember also that just because a moderator has not noticed a violation does not mean that the rule is no longer valid, no longer being enforced, etc. All rules listed here (plus any at a moderator's discretion) are valid and binding.

When a member of staff closes a post it is genuinely for a good reason, usually the thread has gone off topic and is not related to the question first asked or if it gets offensive it obviously has to be closed. If a thread that is not of any use (spam) has been posted up (e.g., what u bought at the shops etc) this too would have to be locked. If any of your topics get locked, this is not necessarily your fault and this is not an aggressive move by the club staff, it is simply that we don’t feel any good can come out of the topic.

When a member of staff closes a thread a reason will be give for why this has happened.



Warning's



There are 3 levels of staff that can issue a warning Admins, Junior Admins and Moderators. The Senior AON Admin team have agreed the warning system we have in place is appropriate and if you feel other wise please contact any of the Admin team. A first warning will be given to you off the record, and without penalty points. Continuation of your behaviour, and ignoring this warning will lead to a second warning then being issued and logged with Admin. If you carry on further then a final warning will be given and logged, if you still pursue then we as a team will have no option but to apply a ban on your account. Should this happen a senior admin will be in contact with you to discuss this matter in hand.



Shows and Events



Code of Conduct

General Show & Meet Guidelines:

*. Do NOT drink and drive.

*. Do NOT take drugs and drive.

*. Overtaking, or showing off whilst in an AON convoy will NOT be tolerated, this may cause an accident involving you, your friends or even an innocent member of the public.

*. Showing off, stunts, tricks, donuts, burnouts, wheels spins etc at any AON event either organised or attended will result in your account here being suspended. We do not tolerate people with this attitude, nor do we condone these actions

*. We do not provide a catering service. Please remember to bring your own BBQ, food and cooking utensils to cook your own food.

*. Glass bottles are NOT permitted at shows, therefore please don’t bring any.

*. You will be expected to clean up after yourselves. Bag up all rubbish in bags and leave in or by the bins provided, NOT in the middle of our stand!

*. At shows and meets, remember you are representing AON/Astra-Sri/Astra-VXR/T8oc, so please behave and drink responsibly. This includes invited guests.



To Ensure Safer Convoys:

*. AON convoys will travel at a sensible speed, in single file, below the speed limit to avoid groups getting split up.

*. Where necessary, AON convoys will be broken into smaller groups to minimise the chance of people getting lost.

*. If necessary, one member who knows the way will follow behind the convoy to ensure everyone makes it to the destination safely.



We WILL reject anyone from future shows and events if we do not think they, or their guests, have adhered to the above guidelines.



Buying & Selling



The AON classifieds are to be used by private individuals to buy and sell their own personal property.



Commercial Trading



i.e. buying and selling of items specifically for profit, is strictly prohibited by forum members who are not members of our Approved Traders or Sponsors scheme, without seeking permission from the AON Admin Team.



Any kind of promotion or advertising for any 'for profit' trading/business is not allowed. This includes any promotional/advertising material or links in posts, signatures, avatars or profile pictures.



Applications to Join our Approved Traders and Sponsor scheme are welcome. Applications should be made by email to the Site Admin, stating the nature of your Business and what offers you are prepared to offer our members.



Official Club Merchandise



Anything that has mention of the before mentioned domains or associated brand logos must be approved and authorised by contacting the Admin Team before they will be allowed to be sold on or off the site. Any member found breaking this rule will be permanently banned.



Site Sponsorship



Could anyone wishing to discuss any kind of site sponsorship please contact the Site Admin





Legal



Legal Information - So we can keep the AON site running smoothly we need to have rules. Please make sure that you read and understand all of these rules. By creating a AON account you are legally stating that you agree with and will comply with the rules we have outlined here. If any of these rules are broken, users will be dealt with accordingly.

Copyright - All Text, graphic and script content of AON is Copyright of AON and should not be copied without permission from the Admin Team. You may not use any AON images on other site(s) with out prior permission.

Liability - The Staff at AON will not be responsible for any of the views expressed on the site or in the forum. We are also not responsible for any repercussions resulting in following advice from the main site, personal emails and the forum.



This site contains links to other sites. We have neither checked nor condone the information on these sites. Please see the Privacy Statement for each site you visit.

Privacy Statement - This privacy statement has been created in order to demonstrate our commitment to privacy. The following discloses our information gathering and dissemination practices. At AON we use cookies to deliver specific content to our users' interests. We also use cookies to save our users' passwords so they don't have to be re-entered each time they log on to their account. Our site's registration form requires all our users to provide their first names, last names and a valid email address..



This contact information from the registration form is used to send the user information about our Club. This information is also used to contact the user with information regarding maintenance, upgrades, marketing and any other source of contact. If you don’t wish to be informed please state this in you profile.



Finally……enjoy the forums



We, as members of AON are all here for our love of both the Astra, and cars in general.



We ask that all users make an effort to get along together, and to enjoy AON. If you have any suggestions or improvements to make to these rules, please post it in the suggestions forum, or contact a member of the Admin Team.