Community Announcements

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THE NEXTBENCH COMMUNITY RULES FOR PARTICIPATION

These Rules for Participation supplement the hp.com Terms of Use.  By participating in The Nextbench Community site, you are agreeing to these Rules for Participation as well as the hp.com Terms of Use and HP Online Privacy Statement.  If you don’t accept these Rules for Participation, don’t use this web site. 

If there is a conflict between the hp.com Terms of Use and these Rules for Participation, the hp.com Terms of Use control.  There is one exception to this general rule:  the section of these Rules for Participation titled “Copyright Infringement” controls over any conflicting terms of the hp.com Terms of Use.

The following rules are your guide to getting along in The Nextbench Community.   It is up to The Nextbench Community moderators to enforce the Rules for Participation and the Terms of Use in their discretion.   Do not argue with the moderators.  If you have a complaint, you're welcome to contact us via email at thenextbench.admins@hp.com

General:  “Don’t Be a N3wb.” 

The main thing to remember when participating in The Nextbench Community, the one rule that will be most helpful to you, is “Don’t be a N3wb.”  By this we mean we expect participants’ posts to be respectful, relevant, and legal and otherwise observe basic rules of netiquette as well as the rules listed here.  Discussions are to be carried on intelligently and calmly. You may express your opinions, but avoid mocking somebody else if their views differ from yours.

Please protect privacy (yours and others” ) by not publicly posting your contact information or other personal information, or that of others.  And always apply good judgment while participating in this community. Much of the information here is from other users and like any other information you find on the internet, it may be extremely helpful or it may be wrong.

Please also take the time to search existing threads, as well as FAQs and archives for the answer to your question before posting.   Your question may be answered faster this way.

If you're new to The Nextbench Community, you can simply join in on the existing threads or start one of your own to announce your presence. If you do start an introduction thread, please take the time to tell us about yourself, because while we're generally friendly and interesting people it's difficult to respond to "Hi I'm new. Bye."   Handy icebreakers include what some of your interests are, how you found us, or even what part of the world you hail from.

Make your signature a reasonable size. Large and slow loading signatures visually pollute the board, enlarge threads and slow down modem users.   Show respect for your fellow posters by ensuring your signature, if used, is somewhat discreet, space efficient (avoid using vertical content or images that break the layout of the forum) and quick loading.

If You Break the Rules for Participation:

Moderators may remove from public view posts that break these Rules for Participation or any others, that, in their discretion, they determine are disruptive or detrimental to The Nextbench Community.  Multiple rules violations or one-time rules violations that are serious may result in suspension of or loss of your membership in The Nextbench Community.

There is a card system implemented in The Nextbench Community that assists moderators in keeping the peace. We operate on a three strikes and you're out policy. If you act against the rules, or against common sense or better judgment in any way, you will be added to a yellow card list. If you are added to the yellow card list 3 times, you will be banned from The Nextbench Community.

Some offences are so serious that they will lead straight to suspension or termination of your membership in The Nextbench Community.  So do not think that you have a two-card buffer to break the rules.   

This system applies to rule-breaking done as a “joke” or because of another “excuse,” so be forewarned.

Blue Cards are your tool to help moderators. If you see someone breaking the rules in a way that annoys you or makes you uncomfortable, report the post or thread to a moderator and you will be added to the Blue Card list.  A moderator will deal with the situation.  Do NOT try to take matters into your own hands. 

Age

You must be13 years old or older to participate in the The Nextbench Community. 

No Socks, Please

A “sock” (or “sock puppet” ) is a user with multiple accounts in place. This is usually done by folks who have been banned from a web community in an attempt to circumvent the ban.

All members are expected to stick to one user account. If you have forgotten your account login or password, click the Forgot Password or Forgot User ID at the HP Passport login page, submit your email address and your information will be sent to you.

Watch Your Language

Swearing, obscene or indecent language is against the rules, excessive use of slang swears or *@# l33t 5\/\/3@r’ing is also against the rules.  As is directing any language of this sort at a fellow community member.


No Flaming

Whatsoever.

If you can’t express your opinion of someone else’s actions without being mean, childish, insulting or spiteful, keep it to yourself.

You are allowed to express your opinions, but you must do so calmly, intelligently, and without purposeful intent to attack the other party. The interpretation of whether an attack has occurred is entirely up to the moderators, so if you are not completely sure that you can express your opinion without it sounding like an attack, you’re best off just not doing it at all.

Anyone seen attacking another Nextbench Community member for any reason will have his or her Nextbench membership terminated.

This includes the degradation of so-called “fan boys” and attempt to disrespect or otherwise insult these individuals is prohibited.

This is an HP-run forum, and people may have questions on a PC, notebook, or others of our products.  If you choose not to answer the question – don’t – but please do not disrespect this person for asking the question.

Also, bringing up old “flames,” as in old animosities which have since been resolved, will result in strict action against the member. Bringing up old flames usually creates new ones.

Outright flaming, trashing, rants, slams or legal threats against the Voodoo or HP brands,  or HP or any other company  is also prohibited.


Absolutely NO Trolling

A good explanation of internet Trolls can be found here.  Don’t troll in The Nextbench Community.   

• The no trolling rule applies to you if you are a new member and you immediately start going into any thread and stirring things up with personal attacks or off-topic posts. 

• It also applies to any member who posts the same message or a message on the same topic in multiple threads.  Keep any questions or comments you have in your own thread.  Do not go from thread to thread spreading your frustrations.  It is very disrespectful to the person who started the thread. The offending post will be moved or removed.

Do Not Dig Up Zombies!

If a thread hasn't been replied to in...say...a month. Let it die. Do not dig up the Zombie.

If it has gone that long with no activity, then the question asked has been answered, or has been hi-jacked to the point of being completely off topic,  and folks have lost interest in it.  So let it be.

If you want to bring up the topic again, start a new thread. (Bringing up the Zombie Thread will probably refresh the hi-jacking and you will get no where.)


No Offensive Content
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Offensive content includes, but is not limited to:

• Gore and excessive violence (both photographic and animated) including:
  • 'stick death' and violent Flash animations
  • Pornography and strongly sexually suggestive material (both photographic and animated)
  • Full nudity (both photographic and animated)
  • Bigoted, hateful, racially offensive or religious comments
  • Other material generally considered rude, vulgar or crass (including bodily functions)
• Posting written material or inline images containing the above is unacceptable.
• Links to gratuitous examples of the above is prohibited.

It is sometimes reasonable to link to an external resource that contains borderline material because of its redeeming attributes (an article about a breakthrough in medical science with graphic pictures of surgery for instance) but it is polite to warn people about what they might see. Please note this is simply netiquette and not a license to break this rule.

No Drive-By Posts

Going from thread to thread and making posts for the sake of posting is not allowed. If you have something to contribute, please feel free. If you post in any and all threads just to get your post count up, or increase your rank, or to increase your visibility, you will be annoying other members as well as the admins.

Flooding threads with "Me too!" posts is not advisable.
Both of these situations tend to annoy other users and the admins. Doing these could result in account suspension or termination.

Participate in a mature fashion. Contribute to threads and be respectful.

No "Jack In The Box" links

Websites that have you look at a pretty picture of a house, or a cute little puppy, or optical illusions and without warning, a grotesquely disfigured face pops on the screen and screams and causes you to jump out of you seat are strictly prohibited. Thisis a sure fire way of getting your account suspended.

No Illegal Content

This includes, but is not limited to:

• Content that solicits or promotes the use of illegal substances
• Content concerned with making weapons and explosives
• Content promoting  crimes, frauds or other illegal activity or discussing these
• Content you don’t have the right to transmit under law, such as copyrighted material you don’t own or have permission from the copyright owner to provide (including but not limited to pirated software, music or other media), material protected as trade secrets or subject to nondisclosure agreements
• Commercial game emulation, file -sharing networks and cracks or other ways of circumventing copy protection.
• Content that is threatening, defamatory, or contains private information about someone other than yourself or the name, likeness, or voice recording of anyone other than yourself.

Discussing the implications, ethics and other theoretical aspects of these subjects is acceptable, but promoting, advocating or providing specific details is not.

No Advertising, Spamming, Soliciting or Scams

This includes, but is not limited to:

• Advertising other web communities, message boards, online services, sites, products, services, companies, or anything else, be it directly or indirectly, including passing through The Nextbench Community to advertise your service, event, competition, or personal web site - even if your link seems to correspond to the theme of the message board.
• Pyramid and other MLM schemes, referral programs, chain letters, and money scams.
• Business Propositions
• Media events
• Partnerships
• Class action solicitations
• Charitable appeals

Any and all business matters shall be directed by emails to individuals not posted publicly on the boards.

Links in your signatures are allowed, but be responsible with them.


Harmful Code

This includes but is not limited to:

Files or links to files that contain viruses, corrupted files, “Trojan Horses,” or any other contaminating or destructive features that may damage someone else’s computer.

Avoid Seeking Legal/Medical Advice

This is a site for gamers and PC enthusiasts.

Not all threads stay within those realms but this is not the place to seek advice of a medical or legal nature. A web community message board isn't a good trade up for face to face meeting with a professional.

Copyright Infringement

HP respects the intellectual property rights of others.  Please do not post content that infringes the copyrights or other intellectual property rights of others.  It is HP’s policy, in certain circumstances and at its discretion, to terminate access to this site of those who may infringe or repeatedly infringe the copyrights or other intellectual property rights of HP and/or others.

If you believe that work belonging to you has been copied onto The Nextbench Community without your permission, please notify us by sending a written notification of claimed infringement to:

Attn: Melanie Erasmus
Hewlett-Packard Company
3000 Hanover Street, MS 1051
Palo Alto, CA 94304
Tel: 650-857-1501
Fax: 650-236-9855
Email: dmca_copyright_notice@hp.com

In accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, your notification must include:

• A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.
• Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or, if multiple copyrighted works at a single online site are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works at that site.
• Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity and that is to be removed or access to which is to be disabled, and information reasonably sufficient to permit us to locate the material.
• Information reasonably sufficient to permit us to contact the complaining party, such as an address, telephone number, and, if available, an electronic mail address at which the complaining party may be contacted.
•  A statement that the complaining party has a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
• A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.

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The opinions expressed in the The Nextbench Community are those of their authors and not of HP or its subsidiaries and affiliates.

HP reserves the right to modify these Rules for Participation at any time.  Modifications are effective upon posting.

Message Edited by iMaxx on 05-20-2009 09:55 AM