Forum Etiquette & Rules

Please note: if a monitor sent you to this page...
perhaps it is time you review Forum Etiquette and Rules

PERSONAL DISPUTES - Please do not use these forums for personal disputes, flame wars etc. You are expected to treat each other with respect in the forums and take any personal disputes to a private mode of discussion off the forums. If you should find that your discussion is becoming too heated or someone is becoming far too passionate about their argument, please take the discussion to private message.

PERSONAL TOPICS - Personal topics are threads that, whilst posted in public forum, are intended for a discussion between only a few members. These kinds of topics are frowned on and will be locked/removed as soon as they are discovered. Public posts should be open and inviting to all members. Personal discussions among a select group of users should take place in private message.

POST DELETING - LOCKING - It is our policy when the author of a post request that we delete, or lock a post for certain reason that is reasonable, we will honor that request.. Just contact one of the moderators with your request.

RESPECT OTHER USERS - Sometimes people can write something that you may find offensive. Before launching into a public condemnation though, please consider that the person may not have intended to cause offence. It is very easy to misinterpret a post on forums. There is absolutely no need to resort to insults. Respect others' views even if you disagree with them. Use the emoticons (smilies) in your messages so people will know the tone of your post.

ABOUT PICTURES ON LB MAIN FORUM & PHOTO/VIDEO GALLERY
Do Not post pictures of horses you do not own

Photos that are welcomed on the Main Forum:

  1. Photos announcing NEW foals. 

  2. Photos announcing NEW horse purchases.

  3. Photos announcing CURRENT show wins.

  4. Any photo that pertains to an INFORMATIONAL questions such a COLOR, CONFORMATION, or an INFORMATIONAL question about a particular horse.

Examples of other informational photos.....

  • Does my mare look pregnant?

  • What is this on my horses eye?

  • Does this horses feet look properly trimmed?

  • Is this horse harnessed properly?

Not considered informational and belongs on the Photo Forum.               

  • "Lets see your pinto or lets see your bays" are not considered informational and belongs on the Photo Forum.

  • Pictures around your barn is also not considered informational.

  • Picture of a new pile of shavings or dirt is not considered informational.

  • All other photos belong on the Picture Forum including updated photos of foals, photos of a newly clipped horse, or just general all around fun photos that do not have INFORMATIONAL value.

 

ADVERTISING/SOLICITATION - Posting for the sake of advertising is not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to, transportation posts, and wanted posts.  Posts directing LB traffic to other online auctions, sale boards. forums, and/or interactive Miniature horse sites without permission/agreement will also be removed. Second offence of this violation may result in being banned from further use of the LB Miniature Horse Forums/Sale Boards/LB-LC Auction and other public places on the LilBeginnings.com web site.

Signature and Signature Link Content - Any links/url addresses　provided in　this area　may be used to direct viewers to your own personal website only. You may NOT post links to websites not owned by you, nor to websites that are sales/non-free services sites.
     You will be allowed only *ONE link/url address in your signature.　 This will be a link to the main entry page of your site, and not a direct link to your sales/business page.
For example: The link needs to be L'il Beginnings (linked to www.lilbeginnings.com) and NOT L'il Beginnings (which is directly linked to www.lilbeginnings.com/sales/)
     *The only exception to this rule, is if you want to add ONE additional link to a not for profit site such as CMHR or similar type site.
     You also may not list or mark any specific horses or products for sale in any area of your signature, whether through a link or not.
THERE WILL BE NO SALES OF ANY KIND ALLOWED ON THE FORUM........ANYWHERE!!!!　 Please use the Saleboard to list your Miniature Horse and Pony related ads.

 

A Message about Sales Ads/Pitches/Testimonials on the LB Forums

We at L'il Beginnings wish to ease up on some rules to make it fun and yet less stressful on our monitors. Please follow the following rules about advertising on LB Forums.

LB Forum Miniature, Pony & Donkey Forums - Absolutely NO advertising of ANY type. This includes, but is not limited to, wanted and transportation posts. Please use the following popular places to post your ads and/or sale items:

Sales & Auction Posts - We at L'il Beginnings wish to be fair to the Sales/Auctions that pay to support the LB web site through their advertising with us. Therefore, it be will up to the sale/auction organizers to advertise their sales on LB. Posts  to auctions without current paid advertising on LB will not be permitted until AFTER the sale. Price lists after the sale will be permitted. Thank you.

Back Porch Advertising - We all love seeing everyone's PERSONAL handicrafts and hobbies so feel free to show them off! BUT please also be aware that there is a fine line between showing off your crafts and items, and advertising them for sale. Those that any monitor feels crosses that fine line, WILL be removed! If you don't want your post removed, do not mention for sale or available etc. in your listing. If you want to inquire about a product or items availability, please inquire to the poster, via email or via the Forums' personal message system, and keep the sales correspondence "behind the scenes". Another suggestion is, after you gain your comments about your personal handcrafted and hobby items posted on the Back Porch, and you wish to pursue selling them, consider listing them on the LB Last Chance Auction. You can post sales listings, complete with pictures for FREE and only pay a small commission fee if you sell. If no sale results, you are not charged a commission. Please, no advertising or testimonials for non-personal, reseller or commercial items.

One Last thing! - It is encouraged that people post info about non-profit Miniature Horse Club functions and news on the main Miniature Horse Board!!

Thanks so much from your,
L'il Beginnings Forum Team
 

 

NO TROLLING - What is a troll? It's a person who posts something which is bound to stir people up and then sits back and watches as dozens of people jump in and start arguing. Sometimes trolls get their friends to join in or post under different names. Generally they will do anything it takes to get attention. If you see a message like this, please try and refrain from replying to it - it may well be locked/deleted anyway. Trolling is further considered one of two things. Either continual running a topic into the ground incessantly, or dragging up old arguments against a specific user/group/ect. long after they're appropriate discussion and targeting them specifically in arguments needlessly. Trolling is the first step towards outright harassment of other members. This is the single biggest no-no in the community. Letting every argument drop isn't always a possibility, but learning when to let things go is a valuable tool, and not just in this community.

POWER-POSTING - Power-posting is when board members post 'empty' messages to the board, in order to simply increase their number of posts more quickly. Examples of power-posting are replying to a message with only 'LOL' or 'I agree', but failing to contribute anything further to the discussion. If you reply to a message, make sure you have something to say. Power posting clutters up the forums, clutters up the 'new posts' function, and uses extra bandwidth and server space. While we don't mind people using bandwidth to chat usefully on the board, we do mind people using it just because they want a more impressive 'post counter'. If you're not sure if you're power-posting, take a moment and think it over before you post. If all your post contains is a 'LOL' or an emoticon, it's a power-post. If it adds something to the discussion, it isn't.

IGNORE SPAMMERS - Spam is a blight upon the face of the net. Nobody likes it. However, it is hard to avoid. Despite our best efforts, you will very occasionally see spam on the forums. Complaining about spam in public increases noise, but not signal. It may make you feel better, but it doesn't help. PM a moderator and they will review it for removal. Repetitive posts by one user, or posting a new thread when one is already easily accessible can be considered spam. It's hard enough to let community members easily track this forum as days go on, they don't need to wade through two dozen threads about the same thing every day. Try searching first. ALSO do not post pictures daily! People actually get sick of seeing your horse day-after-day.. Post pictures that are informative.

IMAGES - No images in signature area.  Images are allowed ONLY in the avatar area of each personal account. Also, absolutely no posting of pictures that are not yours. If you do not personally own them, do not post them without permission - no exceptions!

FAMILY FORUMS - Please remember, this web site is family oriented, and must be a safe, educational environment for visitors of ALL ages.  Please keep it clean, and "G" rated.  No profanities in typed words, or images will be tolerated.

DO NOT FLAME - Flaming, in the most common sense definition, is saying something negative in an attempt to get a more negative response. This is completely and totally unacceptable. It will not be tolerated, and in most cases will be punished severely. Never resort to personal insults, never extend a debate beyond the topic on hand needlessly, and try to avoid patronizing language.

DO NOT FLAME THE STAFF - They have the final say. This forum isn't a democracy. Your vote doesn't always count. They try to please everyone they can, but in the end, they're charged with making this community as enjoyable for as many people as they possibly can. They can not always be right, nor can they please everyone with the decisions made, but they're doing their "jobs" and hopefully we can all agree that they're doing their best to ensure a good community here. If you feel that an egregious oversight has been made, then pm the moderator group. Do not post complaints on the forum.

WARNINGS, USER LOCKING, BANNING - If the Moderation Team feels that a user has "crossed the line" one too many times, they will issue the user a private warning. If the warning goes unheeded, further action will be taken. This can be anything from locking the offending user account, to deletion and banning of the user. Action is generally on a case by case basis.

REPORT - Please report any trouble, concerns by private message to any of the moderators. They are here to listen and act quickly should there be a problem or trouble. Thank you.

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*L'il Beginnings Forums are intended for the open exchange of opinions only. Facts and advice must be taken in that context and should not be acted upon without third party verification. The opinions expressed do not represent the opinions of L'il Beginnings, they only represent the views of the members offering their opinions. L'il Beginnings and it's moderators are not responsible for the content of the opinions posted. All members, guests and anonymous users are required to abide by the rules and regulations of the forums as noted at this link. Opinions may be offensive to those who disagree, however attacks on or off of the forum are inappropriate. It is the management's sole discretion to remove posts or ban individuals from participating in the exchange with or without prior warning. Opinions are protected free speech and it is the intent of the forums to preserve that freedom.

Get me back to L'il Beginnings Miniature Horses main page please!