Forum Guidelines

[Kelly]

We'd like to update the forum guidelines in the hopes of avoiding any misunderstandings.

The ExpatPeru Discussion Forum is here to answer questions, arrange meet-ups, and generate friendly conversation amongst foreigners who are living or traveling in Peru. Topics on this board should be relevant to Peru or to the Expat experience here.

The moderator for this board and for the Jobs Forum is Kelly. If you run across a problem on the Expat Discussion forum, please don't hesitate to send me a message.

The moderator for the Culinary forums is NatureGirl. If you find something inappropriate there, she's the one to talk to.

Of course you can contact either of us with a problem in any of the Expat Forums, and we can make sure that the proper person is notified.

While discussion about various topics is expected and welcome, we ask that you please abide by the following rules:

* Posts and attachments should be in English when possible. If not, we ask that you attach a translation. Posts in other languages may be deleted at the moderators' discretion.

* Posts and Personal Messages (PM) should be constructive and courteous and the same goes for nicknames, avatars and anything else related to one’s profile. Please, no personal attacks or insults against other forum members.

* Please stay on-topic when posting in an existing thread.

* If you'd like to share articles found on another website, please don't post the full article here. It's best to post a few sentences and then a link to the rest of the information.

* Try to refrain from excessive 'quoting' of other posts. When replying to a post immediately above yours, it's not necessary to quote - just hit the 'reply' button.

* Please try to respect the writing conventions as much as possible (spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and paragraphing). For example, THE OVERUSE OF CAPITAL LETTERS ONLY IS CONSIDERED AS SHOUTING; Randomly Using CAPITAL letters IN a Phrase IS Annoying, Because It does NOT Stimulate the Readability Of the Content.

*Multiple accounts are not allowed.

* No Spam - Chain letters and pyramid schemes are prohibited. Advertising of goods and services should only go in the Jobs or Garage Sale forums. Repetitive postings and re-postings will be considered spam.

* Flaming:Any material which constitutes defamation, harassment, or abuse is strictly prohibited. Use common sense while posting.

* Offensive Content: Material that is sexually or otherwise obscene is not permitted. Posts that are racist, homophobic, sexist or otherwise discriminatory are not permitted. This includes user pictures. Again, use common sense. We want people to feel comfortable here. Any behavior deemed disruptive, offensive or "off topic" will be moderated at the moderator's discretion.

* Please - Respect the moderator and his/her decisions. If you should disagree with a decision made by a moderator, please take it to PM with the appropriate moderator. If you can't reach an agreement with the moderator or if you don't feel comfortable discussing it with them, you are always welcome to speak with the forum owner. Please, do NOT repost threads or posts that have been deleted by moderators.

This forum is, and will be, for helping out other expatriates, so obviously if a thread is off-topic, it will have a stronger moderation. Every thread will be judged depending on the topic, intention, content and context, therefore some threads remain and others go.

[Kelly]

Some words of wisdom from our own Cajun Jamie:

As a moderator, one of our most difficult tasks is putting our personal beliefs aside, for the sake of free flowing dialogue. Often this means putting aside our personal religious beliefs, politics, ethnicity, race or creed.

As participants, it is very important to remember "forum decor". There is no written explanation of forum decor, it is something that comes with experience and time spent on this forum.

Picture yourself sitting at a table with everyone else here, and everyone is having a conversation. Usually when a person joins the table, they listen to what is being discussed, what the tone is, what is the level of formality? Are people joking, being serious, cursing, are the people older and more conservative or younger and more "loose with the tongue". When a person joins a group conversation, most often they should want to share the tone versus stand out and perhaps become the uncomfortable center of attention by just letting loose anything and everything that comes to mind.


Forum decorum is a compromise that allows freedom of dialogue and open discussion, while maintaining a certain level of dignity, comfort, and tone that the entire group may share.