Official Luthiers Forum!

We have had a lot of requests and encouragement to post a list of rules, something that we can all fall back on from time to time to remind us what the basic guidelines are in order to participate at the Luthiers Forum.
So, with that said, please visit the link below.

Thanks!

OLF Code of Conduct

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Right on Lance! Hear Hear!!!

Code of Conduct read and duely noted, sir.

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Sounds Fair to me!

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Everything has beauty, But, not everyone see's it!

This topic should be left here, at the very top for EVER!

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Lance/Brock.

You should repost this, close the discussion and keep it nailed to the top of the list, it will always be there and then will not be encumbered by the many "right on's" you are about to recieve that will make this "topic" too long to leave at the top of the board.

Shane

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Canada

Shane, you are correct, for now well leave it open though.
Its linked to my guitar site, but when we get a page built for the OLF Server we will move it over here and post a permanent link at the top of the forum, not in the forum.

Great suggestion though!
Thanks

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

You're too kind Lance!

Thanks
Shane

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Canada

OK!

But I always thought swearing was "juvenile" language, not "adult" language!

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Hank Mauel

Amen...ooops Right on Lance/Brock

Great

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Thanks for the guidelines, Lance and Brock!

However I do wonder about a few of the phrases that seem to be aimed at those who may have stepped over the line in the past. They seem to come from some emotionally charged place. I can understand those sentiments, but the vast majority of us don't deserve language such as "You have been warned!" or "This is not THAT tough of a rule. Just learn to live with it."

That aside, these guidelines are definitely something we've needed. I vote for a sticky too. And have it come up during the registration process.

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Pat,

I agree with you that the vast majority of OLF members don't need firm language.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I like most of it, and agree with Burbank that any sarcasm in the rules is not a good idea. I can understand why there would be a strong temptation for that. We can be an obstreperous bunch!
It seems a shame that members can't post a "prayer request" thread in the off topic area.
This is a pretty close knit community and I believe many here would like to be able to pray for others for things like shoulder surgery and other medical needs, financial needs, divorce, kid trouble, etc.
It is a great way to share information and be helpful to members in need.
If anyone is offended by a prayer request thread, they need not open it.

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

Read

Guys, please don't turn this into a debate. Somewhere rules need to be put in place where things aren't self policing. They are hardly onerous...please let's not debate specific words but focus on the intent behind them.

Steve I am going to go out on a limb here - Off Topic if someone says "let's say a prayer for...." it's innocuous and common place language that it doesn't infer "religion" or "religous belief". I read it as please be thinking of a certain individual. It's as innocuous as Ronald Reagan used to say "God bless" or "God Bless America" in his addresses.   

Have I just broken the "intent" behind Lance and Brock's policy -- I don't think so.

   This was a good idea, Lance. It's important that we are all o the same page
as far as protocol and rules for participation. It eliminates aot of questions
and debates that can come up if we're not.

   I do agree with Anthony Z that asking for prayer is not a topic of faith or a
particular religious view or belief, but a call for general support from the
community that the OLF is. Anyone who would have a problem with such a
request is just someone who is looking to have a probem...period....or to
cause problems i the community to disrupt it or get some some porrly
earned attention.

Thanks for the post,
Kevin Gallagher/Omega Guitars

[QUOTE=burbank] However I do wonder about a few of the phrases that seem to be aimed at those who may have stepped over the line in the past. They seem to come from some emotionally charged place. I can understand those sentiments, but the vast majority of us don't deserve language such as "You have been warned!" or "This is not THAT tough of a rule. Just learn to live with it." [/QUOTE]


I understand where you are coming from, but trust me when I tell you that you are only seeing the tip of the iceburg. We have gotten countless numbers of PMs and emails threatening us with legal action and in one situation a thinly veiled threat of violence. And, neither Lance nor I even participated in the threads in question.

We have had sponsors leave due to the actions of some of the members and again, none of this had to do with neither Lance's or my actions.

We want to make it CRYSTAL clear that you (in this case we are referring to the collective you... not you personally) must be responsible for your own words. We are simply making a community available, not endorsing the entirity of the content. That is the reason for the strong language.

And I will concede that the quip about the swearing may not be necessary, but as often as we revisit this topic I fail to see why it is so difficult. I can't imagine that any of you swear more than I do, yet I don't find it to be that tough to remove that language from my posts.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Good stuff guys Thanks

I just ripped off the "cuss" buttons from my keyboard back when I stopped swearing . Now I have a hard time typing numbers when I need to

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[QUOTE=SteveS] I like most of it, and agree with Burbank that any sarcasm in the rules is not a good idea. I can understand why there would be a strong temptation for that. We can be an obstreperous bunch!
It seems a shame that members can't post a "prayer request" thread in the off topic area.
This is a pretty close knit community and I believe many here would like to be able to pray for others for things like shoulder surgery and other medical needs, financial needs, divorce, kid trouble, etc.
It is a great way to share information and be helpful to members in need.
If anyone is offended by a prayer request thread, they need not open it.[/QUOTE]


Clearly if you are a religious person there is nothing wrong with praying for your friends. But I think everyone will concede that matters of worship and politics almost invariably supercede all rationality and the topics are hotly debated. Again, the point of the community is simply to participate in our shared love of guitar building.

The rule is not meant to diminish the role of religion but to simply factor a hot topic out of the mix.

If I had my preference you would not know my beliefs on religion or politics and I would not know yours.

Clearly we skirt the fringes from time to time, we discuss the legality of BRW, international treaties, economic theory, etc. Some of this pertains to guitar building and when it does I think we have to evaluate the discussions on a case by case basis and try to rein things in if they wander too far afield.

And, consequently, if someone is in need and a post is made that says "So&So could use your thoughts...." and a response is made that says "I will pray for you" this is not an issue.

But to post the text of a prayer, or to quote your own personal flavor of holy book is not. We have had trouble with this in the past, and again, I think this rule just keeps us away from the topics that cause such a ruckus.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

[QUOTE=Kevin Gallagher]

   I do agree with Anthony Z that asking for prayer is not a topic of faith or a
particular religious view or belief, but a call for general support from the
community that the OLF is......
[/QUOTE]

You're kidding, right???
Asking for folks to make a request to their particular 'Supreme Being' (ie pray) is not religious?

If you want to ask people to keep someone in their thoughts, just ask- in those words.

Prayer is a religious act.

John

[QUOTE=JohnAbercrombie] [QUOTE=Kevin Gallagher]

   I do agree with Anthony Z that asking for prayer is not a topic of faith or a
particular religious view or belief, but a call for general support from the
community that the OLF is......
[/QUOTE]

You're kidding, right???
Asking for folks to make a request to their particular 'Supreme Being' (ie pray) is not religious?

If you want to ask people to keep someone in their thoughts, just ask- in those words.

Prayer is a religious act.

John
[/QUOTE]

This illustrates my point perfectly.

I have no issue with either point of view, however, it is clearly something that people take to heart and it is much simpler to leave it at the door.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Noted, Lance! I was also thinking of how new members might take to those parts not knowing the circumstances that made these guidelines needed.

Overall, I think this is a healthy part of the process of a forum's progress and growth. Organizations follow a sort of organic form as they evolve. They often start out as a loose free-for-all, since the implications for having few rules (or perhaps none) have not yet surfaced. When trends in undesired behavior develop, then policies, rules or guidelines are put in place to bring those behaviours back in line. I think that time has arrived at the OLF and I'm glad to see this taking place. It's a good sign that the OLF is growing and this will help ensure its health in the future.

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Well said Pat!

Thanks!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com