is there a rundown or explanation of these so-called "infraction points" anywhere? ive been a member here since early 2003 and never got these infractions, but ive managed to rack up 3 in the last 24 hours. all for reasons of which i dont understand.

the first 2 were from a thread in OT, i posted a GIF that was from a copyrighted site, the GIF was apparently taken down without me being told about it. i then reposted it thinking i hadnt copied and pasted correctly. it was deleted again and i was given 2 "infraction points".

the other was from a FS thread where i didnt post a pic of the items. the thread was deleted and i was given another "infraction point". i looked thru the Rules of the Marketplace and NOWHERE does it say an infraction point will be given, it says the thread will be deleted.

WTF? are mods just pulling rules from out of the clouds or what? what determines how many points are given, how many points are we allowed, etc?

i looked for info Re: the "infraction points" but I cant find anything.

 

The infraction points system has been in effect for quite some time, around 2 years or so. If you weren't aware of them until now, then that just means you hadn't made any posts that go against our TOU.

Think of infractions system as a way for the moderators and the users to keep track of official warnings. These points do expire with time and it allows everyone to have record of it. We used to and still do keep manual logs, but this just organizes things.

BTW, moderators cannot arbitrarily assign points/duration on a whim, as they've all been predefined by me as appropriate according to our TOU prior to implementing the system.

Basically, for each TOU clause and forum-specific rules that we have, there is an infraction point(s) that is paired with it. If you break that rule, you get whatever point/duration is assigned to that when you receive the infraction. Many of them expire within a month and are only worth 1 point, but others like "forum security breach" or "harassment of staff members" lead to permanent or instant bans, respectively.

The bans that are associated with infraction points are based on the total number of points acquired (only the active points count, not the expired; 5 pts = 7 days.. 10 pts = 2 weeks.. 15 pts = 1 month and so on) and the number of times you received infractions (3 of any infractions, regardless of total active points = 1 day ban as a reminder to adhere to our TOU).

Hope this helps.

 

helps a ton thanks. so the 2 i got were because i had double posted it, makes sense. but i still dont know why i got one for the FS thread w/o a pic, the rules dont say anything about infraction points for that. either way its fine, hopefully i can go another 8 years without any.

 

There's a point system in place?

Good to know.

 

The copyright infraction is worth 2 points each time. IB wanted this enforced pretty strictly.

I mentioned in my previous post that subforums have their own set of rules in the form of stickies or announcements. Check out each of the subforums in the Marketplace for more info.

 

How is a copyright infraction determined?

 

There have been times where IB received a direct email from companies/organizations saying that they need certain content removed from our forums or IB would have to face legal consequences. Other times are determined by the staff member(s).

 

thank goodness iv never received an infraction point......

 

you get an infraction for the sake of infractions

 

Is there an appeals process? srs..

 

^

Yes - you are always free to appeal to the person who gave it to you. If that doesn't satisfy you, you are free to take it up the ranks to an Admin.

 

Thanks, awaiting response on appeal then..

 

^ I just took a glance at your infraction points history. Without going into details publicly, I can say that those points will not be reversed. That specific rule has been in place for as long as I can remember. Sorry.

Just remember that the points do expire with time so as long as you're not constantly accruing points, you should be fine.

 

what about mine that i got from the Marketplace. nowhere does it say you get an infraction point for not having the card with your name and date on it in the ad. The rules say the thread gets deleted. Mine got deleted and i got an infraction point.

 

So, relating to images from google, If it says "image may be copyrighted" and we posted it as an example we would get an infraction? Or would it be subject to IB being contacted?

 

That rule has been in place even before the implementation of the infractions system. It is enforced to keep the members of our community from getting scammed. It is there for your benefit.

Read my previous posts in this thread, specifically post number 2 and 5, where I already addressed your question. I stated that any violations of TOU or sub-forum rules are subject to receiving infraction points, and that includes the Marketplace rules.

And just in case you still don't believe me....

Check your inbox.

 

^ I did, and thank-you. My above question was unrelated to that specific issue.

Are Images obtained from google off limits, regardless of where they are pulled, or is it dependant upon if they are copyrighted? Or in my above example "image may be copyrighted"?

 

i understand why its there, and i appreciate it. i just hate being told the rules are clearly stated, when they arent. yall need to go change the Rules of the Marketplace from "your thread will be deleted" to "your thread will be deleted AND you will recieve infraction points".

from the Audio/Video Marketplace Rules...
-All sellers are required to post at least 1 picture of each item listed in his/her classified ad to verify ownership of said item(s). In doing so, however, the picture must contain a slip of paper with the seller's My350Z.com username and date, name and date must be clearly visible. While this does not prove without a doubt that the seller owns the said items, it will minimize/reduce the possibility of potential scams. Keep in mind that in these times, not having any access to some sort of digital camera is not an excuse. Any and all threads that do not adhere to this new rule will be deleted without prior notice or warning.

no mention of infraction points.

sorry but you never addressed it in post 2 or 5 so i was still wondering.

 

For the most part, if you can google it and see it without much concerted effort, it should be fine. We STRICTLY enforce it when we get reports of legal action, otherwise, we are pretty relaxed on this one.

ORLY?
Hope this answers your questions.

 

i looked in every subsection in every section of everywhere........and it isnt posted or stated or explained anywhere which means it doesnt exist.

you telling me to look somewhere when it isnt posted there doesnt help but it doesnt matter, im just gonna let it go.

i really do appreciate you trying to help me tho.