Forum FAQ's or Rules

[Reverie]

How do you go about your forum FAQ's or Rules? Do you customize them to your specific forum, or do you use a generic set of rules? How do you come up with these? Do you edit these ever, or do they collect dust? What are the basics any proper community should have in your opinion?

 

[Clarice]

I try and use a simple yet stern form of rules. In past forums, members have hated listening to any sort, but truth is they are needed if we want to avoid any arguments happening on the sites.

 

[Cory]

I mainly suggest using common sense and using the forum software's TOS for general guidance on what is and what is not allowed. Of course, I have specific rules set in place and most of these rules were honestly ideas from other forums rules that I looked over. If someone does something that I don't wish to be done on my forum and it isn't outlined in the forum rules, then I would edit the rules in hopes they will abide by them. I haven't had to edit my forum rules in years now, however.

 

[ClicketyKat]

I like to customize the Rules to a small degree so that members can really understand what is expected of their behavior. On the Christian forum site I run, flaming is our biggest rule violation, so I even created a thread to give examples that person flaming was not allowed, but theological flaming was. You can say an idea is stupid but you can't say that the member is stupid. You'd think it would be easy to grasp that concept, but they still take offense when someone says their belief is stupid and then go on the attack of that member.

 

[Oblivion Knight]

I currently use a standard set of Terms and rules, though I can't remember if they come with the software, or if they were contributed by the community..

I also use the Frequently Asked Questions add-on from OzzModz, and write my own questions and answers.

 

[Ravenfreak]

I just use my own set of rules, I never really bother editing the terms of service that comes with some software or the FAQ. Depending on the niche of the forum, I may have a separate set of rules in certain areas of the board that go along with the main global rules.