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Hi all members of CHF,
This information and forum rules (our imperial edicts) are created to help the staff run and manage this forums. While we often want to allow more freedom in using this forum, we understand that without forum rules, this forum would not be in good condition and the staffs will not have a 'legal' justification in doing certain moderation job. The forum rules need to be read and followed by all members. The information and forum rules presented here are valid for all forums of CHF. The forum rules are also sometimes known as Terms of Service (TOS) for online forum. It is legally binding for privately owned forums.
>> One Account Per Member (No Multiple Accounts)
A member (a person) is only entitled to one account in this forum. You should not register multiple accounts in CHF. Any multiple accounts will be deleted or 'banned'. The reason for initiating this rule is to avoid members signing up multiple accounts to 'back up' one's argument during debate, which is deemed to be unfair and inappropriate. The only exceptions to this rule are staff moderators, who might need an additional backup account for technical testing or troubleshooting.
>> Avatar Size Limits
The maximum size for avatars in this forum is 25KB and not bigger than 100 x 100 pixels. Please make sure your avatar falls within this size. You can use the forum's preloaded avatar by selecting gallery. OR you can upload your own avatar into our server.
>> Personal Photos
You can upload your own photos into your control panel. The maximum size for photo is 50 KB and not bigger than 200 x 200 pixels. Please make sure your photo falls within this size.
>> File Uploading in Posts
The maximum size of the file (photos or any attached file) in post is 50 KB. There is no limit for the pixel size, but should it distort the forums, the staff will edit them.
The maximum global disk space of attachment for each member is 2 MB.
>> Long URL links
We understand that it is faster to just copy and paste the URL of a certain website onto this forum, in which the forum will automatically convert it to a link. However, if the URL link is very long, it might distort the way the forum will display into something that is not desirable.
For long URL, please use the following bbcode format, instead of simply copying and pasting the link.
[url=http://.....]Name of Site[/url]
For e.g.
[url=http://player.bugsmusic.co.kr/mvplayer/view.asp?code=ants& video=310720066,&server=218.153.5.202&type=&music_idx=kor0O215843]Website of music[/url]
which display
Website of music
>> Signatures
The maximum number of characters that can be placed in a signature is 255 (and this limit is enforced by the forum). You are free to use colors or link a graphics/banner but not change the font size of your signature. If you use a graphic that affect the display of our forum, we will PM you a warning to remove or modify your graphic to a smaller size. As a rule, your banner should not exceed 120 pix in vertical height. This rule helps to improve forum readability (forums exist to have text-based conversation and to exchange knowledge) and page download times. Please try to avoid too much vertical space in your signatures. Always make sure that your graphics (in signature) do not take up too much vertical space. We will PM you if needed to.
As of August 2012, we have disabled the use of hyper-links and images in signatures for beginner members. This is in order to prevent spam. These privileges will be unlocked after completion of the Xiucai Exam or acceptance into the Exemption Plan.
>> Post Formatting
Please avoid changing the color of your whole post as it makes the forum difficult to read (you can use color to accent post contents, however). Do not change the default size of text in your post unless it is to accent certain points inside. Certain colors such as 'red' are used only by staff for warning notes and should not be used too much by forummers.
>> Post Counts
We value quality of posts rather than quantity of posts. Although your rank might increase with no. of posts, if you spam to reach a high post count, you will be respected much less than a newcomer. When it comes to applying to be a moderator, your post count or rank will not be considered. Things like contributions, grammar, knowledge, and active participation in the forum are criteria that we seek when you are applying for moderator. Note that post counts will not be activated in Dragon Gate Inn and China Current Affairs forum. The intention is to encourage more participation in Chinese history and Culture forum.
>> Registered vs. Guest
Unregistered users have no posting rights, except in technical support forum. In order to participate you must be a registered user.
>> Language
This is an english-based forum. The language to be used is english if you want to speak a differant language please post in the Non-English Board. If you want to provide certain quotes in chinese, please make sure that you have the english-translation beside them unless you are in the non-english board, This will also be a great benefit to non-chinese speakers. If you have problems translating chinese into english, you can ask me or any of the other staffs for help.
>> Forum Pruning
Forum pruning is usually carried out by staffs moderation team on a regular basis. In general, they took place in Dragon Gate Inn. The purpose is to make sure Dragon Gate Inn does not get too large such that discussion will stir itself away from chinese history and culture or other academic topics. Threads having no replies will be pruned. Topics of junk or negative nature will also be pruned.
>> Membership Pruning
Members having zero posts will be deleted every 6 months. That means that new members who has signed up will only be given a 6 months period to make at least 1 post. If he/she does make any post within 6 months, the account will be deleted. Spammers will automatically be put under spam group and will also be deleted on a regular basis.
>> Use of Red Color for Posts
Members are not allowed to use red color in their posts. Red Color is used exclusively by Staff members for postings warnings.
>> Qualities of a good member
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<> Activeness
A good member should, if possible, demonstrate his/her activeness, by participating in our chinese history debate and discussion. Some forummers come down every day to post reply or start new topics. We do not expect you to be hyper-active as in spending more than 5 hours on the forum per day. We understand that coming down here is rather voluntary, but your activeness will make the forum more vibrant and lifely. This forum would cease to exist or be dead, if no members come down for discussion.
<> Good conduct and behaviour
CHF Forum is a forum for intellectual chinese history discussion and exploration. It wasn't meant to be a forum where you can swear, spam or verbally abuse someone. We do appreciate if you can made an effort to be polite, respect all members and be friendly. Good conduct and behaviour will earn you respect from all members and you will be very welcomed in this forum. Good conduct generally means being friendly, respectful of others.
<> Follow the forum rules
Following the forum rules will make CHF forum a good and friendly place for discussion. Although moderators and administrators will be monitoring all posts and conduct of all members during posting, please try to make their jobs easier by following the forum rules. You do not want to receive constant warning from moderators, do you?
<> Helpfulness
Helpfulness means that if a member is asking a question or need some form of help, one is able to respond and help him/her. Helping someone will not only make him/her grateful for your assistance and you will earn more respect, but also make the forum more attractive in the internet world. The reputation that "CHF" has many helpful forummers will spread around the internet and more forummers will pour in to get some sort of help. This is typically how we CHF members can all play to help this community grow.
<> Maturity
Even if you're only 12, this doesn't make you any difference from a 30 year old historian. This is because we are all here to learn and discuss chinese history. You can demonstrate your maturity by learning from how other forummers debate and argue, in a polite way rather than a hostile childish manner. We are a forum that help all members learn and grow. Therefore, you will learn to be more mature when you come down to this forum more often. Keep insulting to an all out low.
<> Knowledge and Wisdom
We not only would love to see your chinese history knowledge increases, but also your wisdom. This doesn't come in a day if you're just arrive. However, if you participate daily in our discussion, you will not only realise that your chinese history knowledge increases daily, but also your wisdom. That's because you are learning during the process, and your mind will develop ultimately.
>> Participation Suggestions
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<> New Topics
If you want to make a new topic please go through the old pages and use the search feature to see if someone has already made the topic you have in mind. Some forums also have 'Common Topics' lists that you may check. If someone has already made a topic you are interested in, please feel free to reply to the old topic no matter how long it has been inactive. We encourage members to revive old threads. You don't need permission to make new topics and, in fact, making good new topics is a great way to earn respect from administrators and moderators. Take a moment out to think of the proper forum for your new thread so the moderators don't have to move it.
<> Getting Along and Fitting In
CHF has a very friendly environment for chinese history discussion. A newcomer will be able to get along and fit right in as soon as he/she is here for quite some time. All CHF members should always strive to be polite and humble, and avoid verbal attack, slandering or bragging.
<> Activeness and Contribution
The functioning of CHF community relies not only on our staffs but also all forummers. Without your active participation, the forum would be dead. You can contribute to the community in several ways as follow:
1. Initiate new discussion topics
2. Posting reply and contribute your view on certain discussion topics
3. Provide accurate answer to chinese history questions.
4. Contribute article
5. Contribute links to chinese history sites
6. Invite new friends to come over to this forum, which help to increase membership
7. Helping to spread words about us in the internet, in other forums or add links to your website
<> Becoming a Moderator
There are a few requirements in order to be a moderator. You must have knowledge regarding the forum to which you are applying, you must have demonstrated your skill through productive posting and following the rules, and you must have respect from the moderators. Breaking rules in this thread and being unkind to people will prevent you from ever being a moderator. If you're interested in becoming a staff moderator, you can PM or e-mail me.
>> Tips on History Debate and Discussion
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<> Attack ideas and not person.
This is a forum where you can share views on certain discussion topic. It wasn't meant to be a verbal abuse forum, where you can attack someone saying "how stupid you're?"..or "you're a m****" etc. Such attack doesn't make discussion more fruitful. Instead you will only receive a warning from the staff or make others resent you.
<> Support your argument
A good debator should always support one's argument with good historical information and evidence or even sources. Though you may not remember all the details, sometimes referring to a book is what is needed. Be on the look-out for more senior members. Learn how they debate and do the discussion, as well as how they counter-argue when they disagree.
<> Types of Topics
There are different types of topics in this community, separated into many different forums. There are various types of topics which are listed as follow:
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1. Question type of Topic
Normally, a forummer will ask a certain history question for e.g "How did the Mongols attack the Jin Empire?". Please try to answer it so that he obtains an answer. If you can't find the answer, you can ask your teacher, or surf the internet, or research into books. All members wish to get an answer, so please be helpful towards all.
2. Debate or verification type of Topic
Usually, the historical view has been mentioned in lots of book. But you discover that it might be wrong or inaccurate or just want to verify it with others, or hear different perspective and views . So you post a question asking "Is it justified for Mao to launch the Great Leap Forward?"
Please participate in such discussion and put down your view. Such type of discussion are normally very interesting.
3. Alternative History Topic
This is the "What-if" type of discussion, for e.g. "What if Qinshihuang had not unified China, what would happen?" Well, just put down your view. Be analytical, normally 'what-if" type of discussion are meant to test your ability to interpret historical facts, understanding history pattern and consequences and your prediction of the future from history.
4. Polls type of Topic
You get tonnes of such discussion in the forum. For e.g. "who is your favourite chinese emperor in history?". It can be in the form of polls (listing different historical figures or options). Put down your view, and say why you choose that particular option. Normally, polls type of question are used to do some form of statistical ranking of certain qualities (such as "the best", "most favourite", "the greatest", "the most influential" etc.)
5. Research Type of Questions
This is usually posted by people doing research and are having problems finding information. For e.g. "Where I can find more information about Han Wudi?". Sometimes, such question can range from history information, maps or even graphics etc. Be helpful towards all members asking such research question. You can put down the link, books or even try to answer the question for him if possible. Like I say, all members wish to obtain answer. If a new member arrives and do not get an answer, he will just leave and get on to another forum (something that we don't love to see). If we want to be the best chinese history forum on the internet, please try to be helpful.
Above list the most common type of posting in this forum. Of course, there are other types of posting.
>> Forum Rules (Important)
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<> Spam
Do not spam in the CHF forums. Spam is any post that does not directly further the objective of a thread, which includes off topic posts, posts which only contain a few words and/or emoticons, and inappropriate replies to a thread. All Spam will be deleted by moderators/administator without warning.
<> Plagiarism
If you post information found somewhere else or written by another person besides you, make sure you indicate the source or author. We consider this a very serious issue; make sure you don't break this rule.
<> Unwholesome and Illegal Content
You may not post anything (including their links) that is porn-related (containing nudity, porn or eroticism) or are illegal such as hacking, mp3 etc. Anything that is unwholesome or illegal will be deleted or moderated without warning.
<> Vulgar Language
Vulgar language is not allowed in this forum. Though we have a filter against certain vulgarity, the vulgar text will be displayed as "*****". If your text is displayed in such a manner, you will most likely not be so welcomed in this forum. We value polite and courteous members, as opposed to rude and vulgar ones.
<> Member Relations, Flaming, Trolling and Verbal Attack
Do not blatantly attack another member because you don't like them or because you disagree with their opinion on a matter. If you have personal words to share with them do it via private message. Open attacks will result in warnings or banning (temporary or permanent). Unwanted private attacks (flames sent via PM to a member), if brought to our attention, will be dealt with by disciplinary action.
Trolling is not allowed. What is trolling? Trolling means to post something which is intentionally incorrect and aims to elicit an emotional reaction from those with a hair-trigger on the reply key. Trolling can make a person lose his/her mind. What is a flame? A flame is a blatant personal attack on another member rather than his/her idea or argument. If you insult another member purposefully to any degree, even in a foreign language, it will result in a flame warning.
If you encounter cases of flame, please report it to the staff, so that the staff can take action in the form of warning or even in the worst case ban.
<>Hostile, Unfriendly, Angry or Hatred Post
Do not post any material or words that might incite hatred, unfriendliness or hostility in the forum. This means that you should not use CHF to vent any form of anger or use CHF to rally some form of support for an unfriendly action. Any posts that incite hatred, anger and unfriendliness will be moderated by staffs (edited, locked or deleted) and persistent violators will receive penalty from staffs. We created this rule to make sure CHF has a friendly environment for discussion.
<> Racism
Racist attacks are not allowed in our forum. Just because you believe your race is more special than others doesn't make you a different or more superior person. Respect for other races or ethnicity will in turn earn you better reputation for being a CHF member.
<> Nazi or Fascist Propaganda Materials forbidden
Any Nazi or Fascist Propaganda Material (including any links) is not allowed and is forbidden in CHF. Any such material will be deleted, bearing in mind that such material is illegal (against the law) in Germany and EU. To prevent CHF from getting banned in Germany or EU, CHF will not allow these materials.
<> Flame Baiting
Flame baiting is not allowed in our forum. What is 'flame baiting'? It means posting a topic or something with the intention of triggering a flame war, or one that invites flames in reply. It's equivalent to inviting someone to troll. Such kind of post are not allowed in CHF.
<> Religious Bashing and Proselytizing Forbidden
Any form of bashing against a certain religion is not allowed in our forum. Proselytizing (i.e. attempt to convert someone to one's religious faith) is also not allowed in our forum. These acts are forbidden because they will offend members of a particular religion and in turn result in 'religious conflict'. In order to foster religious tolerance among the community, such kind of post are not allowed in CHF.
<> Listen to the Administrators and Moderators. Respect Staff Authority
These people run this forum. It is his or her job to make sure this is a friendly and rewarding place for everyone that participates. If you get a message from one of them pay careful attention. Do not assume a moderator has no power in forums they don't moderate, because they do. Please respect all staff at all times. This applies to post in public forum as well as in PM.
<> Complaint
We appreciate your complaint about a certain person or his/her action for e.g. flames, insult. However, this will have to be done in private through PM or e-mail. If it's a complaint about the staff, the staff will investigate and respond to you quickly.
<> Warning
Breaking any of these rules will result in a warning from the administration and moderation team. You will receive warning from staff through PM and the percentage of your warning bar will increase. If your warning bar reaches above 50%, you are in danger of being banned. All justification has to be done in private through PM. Public complaint/justification will be deleted without warning.
<>Suspension of Account and Moderator Preview
If you break the forum rule, you might be suspended by the staff for a few days or even weeks, depending on the seriousness of your offence. For security reason, the staff might even initiate a "moderator preview" on all your posts, which mean your posts will need to be approved by moderator, in order to be released publicly. A VERY serious offence might result not only in the suspension of your account, but also a halt to your posting ability in the forum.
<> Never Challenge the Authority of Staff Publicly
We do respect your personal opinion about staff, but personal complaints or comments about staff should be done privately through PM or e-mail. You should not challenge the authority of staff publicly.
<> Intolerance and Insensitivity
CHF is a politically neutral community. We are not associated with any form of political orientation, in order to avoid ourselves being tagged with a political stereotype. Because of our neutrality, CHF is able to accept and appreciate diversity, even when it comes to political orientations. However, CHF does restrict any members who intend to pursue a political or religious agenda in the discussion, esp. those with nationalist fervor, or who sought to bash a nation for political or nationalistic reason.
>> Rules for Current Events Discussion
<>Introduction
CHF is a forum devoted to Chinese history and traditional culture[/b]. It attracts people from different backgrounds and origins, from different places and all walks of life, and with various political leanings, faiths and nationalities, who visit it for different reasons. As a result, CHF is more prone to misunderstandings and disputes than communities whose members share similar views and backgrounds.
Quarrels have plagued CHF since its creation, causing some members to leave and others to be banned. These endless disputes have also created unnecessary work for the staff. More importantly, the harsh tone of some discussions has tended to make CHF less appealing, because heated arguments often prevail over calm and interesting discussions.
We have noticed that most squabbles occurred around subjects that are only marginally related to CHF's core interests. In order both to reduce the dominance of quarrels and to refocus on CHF's original mandate, threads focusing on the following subjects will now be forbidden:
* current events
* the general merits of political systems (democracy vs. dictatorship, left vs. right, capitalism vs. socialism, etc.),
* sexual orientations
* religious faith today
* contemporary ethnic issues (discussions of "racial types," current ethnic conflicts, etc.).
The posting of newspaper articles with the sole aim of generating debate is strongly discouraged. Staff members are authorized to delete any new thread that breaks these rules. In accordance with CHF's goal of remaining accessible to people of all ages, explicit discussions of sexual activities will be edited out. Discussions of sexuality in history are suitable as long as they obey that principle.
<>Exceptions to Ban
Exceptions to the new bans may be made, but only when a specific authorization is granted by an Administrator. Members can apply for exceptions in this special thread: http://www.chinahist...p...c=27768&hl= .
This thread should be used to ask for permission to discuss a particular topic, not to make a first post on that topic. If permission is granted, a staff member will open a "stub thread" where the member can then insert his or her first post. Even after permission is granted, staff members will make sure these special threads do not degenerate into debates on the banned topics.
Although it is obvious that disagreements will always appear on an Internet forum, [b]we believe there can be debate without acrimony. Disagreements on historical issues are perfectly legitimate, and should even be encouraged if all participants agree to base their claims on evidence (that is, historical sources or the works of historians, not just strong statements of opinion) and to remain civil (no inflammatory rhetoric, no belittling of the opposing party, etc.).
Members are encouraged to be particularly tactful when discussing controversial subjects like past grievances and ethnic disputes which still continue today. We understand that a historical discussion might, at some point, allude to some current events or politics. In such case, members should stick with the principles, and try to avoid polemic. We also hope that legitimate threads (notably those devoted to "what if..." counterfactuals) will not turn into endless and ultimately pointless East vs. West comparisons.
With these new guidelines, CHF hopes to create a friendly environment that will encourage open-minded inquiries and constructive debates about Chinese history and traditional culture.
By posting on CHF, you automatically agree to these new rules.
Edited by f0ma, 11 August 2012 - 05:38 AM.
updated signature rules
