Online Media Usage Policy

Online Media Usage Policy

As specified in the Terms of Use, participants agree to comply with this policy, which may be revised from time to time.

Overview

Spalding Labs strives to provide a constructive environment for discussion of the ownership, training and enjoyment of livestock of all kinds. Above all, we are committed to effective fly and odor control and the safe, light handed and appropriate handling of animals. We present information via this website and other media to promote discussion among, and for the entertainment of our user community. Naturally, we want members to find the Spalding community forum, blogs and Wikis useful and enjoyable.

This policy describes a standard of behavior intended to improve the online experience for all Spalding community members. By and large, they are based on commonsense notions of good manners and mutual respect. Naturally, we recognize that online interaction brings up unique problems, problems that, for instance, are not seen in face to face interactions. When conflicts arise, we rely foremost on our Spalding community members' goodwill and good sense to maintain decorum. The guidelines form a basis for adjudicating the more resistant issues. Keep in mind though, as with all participatory media, the ultimate nature of the online experience depends on you: Spalding community members and contributors.

Civility

1. Spalding community participatory media (forums, wikis, blogs, etc.) are designed for the exchange of, and the debating of ideas. Personal attacks ("flaming") are not tolerated. Personal attacks are defined as any attempt to short-circuit the debate by diverting attention to the shortcomings of the other parties in the debate rather than their arguments. We encourage you to challenge other points of view but please do so in a respectful and thoughtful manner. Think before clicking on the "send" button: is this something you'd say in person to a colleague? Would you like that comment to live “forever”?
   
   
2. Spalding community materials are often read by families of Spalding community members. Explicit, obscene or vulgar language is not appropriate and Spalding Labs may remove any material containing such language. Similarly, writings that solicit or offer (whether directly or implicitly) sexually explicit, X-rated, or similar "family unfriendly" content may be deleted without notice.
   
   
3. As a matter of policy, Spalding Labs does not preview or approve member content. However, your participation grants Spalding Labs the right to modify, or delete, material to conform to these guidelines. For instance, a misplaced post will be relocated to the appropriate forum without notice. The opinions expressed in this community are those of the members posting their comments and not those of Spalding Labs or its employees.

Intellectual property

1. Member contributions are intended to be shared within the Spalding community. Do not copy, reproduce, or post them outside the Spalding community without express permission from Spalding Labs or the author.
   
   
2. Do not publish copyrighted materials on the Spalding community unless you are the copyright holder. Examples include photographs, news articles, etc. If you don't own it, post or embed a link to the content but do not copy or upload it.
   
   
3. By contributing material to the Spalding community online media, you (1) represent that the content of your post is your own material and you have the right to post it, and (2) you grant a nonexclusive license to Spalding Labs to reproduce your material in any manner it sees fit, in any media or form, including the right to edit or alter your material without limitation. For example, the material you submit may be used alone or be combined with other material and reproduced on a website, in a magazine article or in any other media. Spalding Labs has no obligation to attribute the content to you in any such reproduction.

Forum posting best practices

1. Use meaningful subjects. Make it easy for readers to decide whether or not to read your post. Subjects like "Need help" or "Look at this!", or that are intentionally vague in order to attract attention, are considered bad form. Unclear subjects may be modified by a Website Editor to improve clarity.
   
   
2. Post in the appropriate forum. Read the forum descriptions and choose the forum appropriate to your topic. Posts placed in the incorrect forum may be relocated without notice. Individual forums may have additional guidelines.
   
   
3. Avoid duplicate posts on the same issue. Post your message only once in the most appropriate forum. The desire to reach the largest possible audience is not a valid reason to clutter up the forums. Essentially duplicate posts and the associated thread may be removed without notice.
   
   
4. Provocative political commentary does not belong in this community. If you insert it into forums you risk having your post removed.
   
   
5. Use "Conversations" or email for personal messages. You may be pleased to see one of your friends post after a long absence. A forum message such as "Hey Vlad, long time no see! How are things with the family?" does not add meaningfully to the discussion. Send Vlad a private email, start a conversation, or put comments on their profile instead.
   
   
6. Posts that constitute advertising, of either personal or business nature, must be made on the Marketplace forum. When a thread becomes predominantly marketing-oriented, perhaps due to participation of a vendor, it may be relocated to the Marketplace forum. Individuals affiliated with commercial organizations are requested to list their affiliation in the footer of their personal profile.
   
   
7. Discussion about Spalding Labs Customer Service or Fly Predator, or Bye Bye Odor performance is welcomed, but make sure you also enter your comments to the Customer Comments database, where it will quickly retrieved by Spalding Labs personnel to address any issues if needed and may be indexed for the community to easily retrieve long after your forum has been forgotten. If you have a gripe all we ask is to please make sure we have a chance to fix it.
   
   
8. Before posting, please ask yourself: "Will this post help my fellow Spalding community members with the safety, understanding, or enjoyment of their animals?" If you can answer "yes" to this, then please post. If not, then please refrain from posting. Similarly, before replying, ask yourself: "Does my reply offer meaningful advice or contribute to the conversation significantly?" If you can answer "yes" to this, then please reply. If you cannot, refrain from replying.
   
   
9. Respect the privacy of fellow Spalding community members. No personal information is available on the online community member database unless the member has chosen to make it visible. Do not post additional contact or other personal information without their permission. This includes information gleaned from Internet searches or any other means.
   
   
10. When discussing public figures, e.g., clinicians, trainers, veterinarians, competitors, authors, in our ecosystem accord them the same respect as you would a fellow Spalding community member.

Forum moderation

1. Forum software allows readers to flag offending posts through the "Report Inappropriate Content" facility. Moderators may remove the offending language or the post or the thread containing it, inform the originator of an offending post, ask the author to delete the post, or propose another conflict resolution approach.
   
   
2. Forum moderation performed by Spalding community volunteers is largely dependent upon member notification, and cannot be considered definitive or consistent. Prior posts that have not been deleted cannot be assumed to be in conformance with Spalding Labs community policy, and do not establish a precedent with respect to any moderation issue.
   
   
3. Discussion of Spalding community policy on moderation may take place on the Spalding community Organization forum. Reposting of material deleted or quarantined by moderators, or discussion of pending moderator action is not allowed.
   
   
4. Failure to comply with the guidelines or a recurrent pattern of offenses may result in being banned from the Spalding community.
   
   
5. If you feel that you are being attacked or harassed, avoid retaliating, use the "Report Inappropriate Content" feature and contact a moderator.

Your Identity

Spalding community policy requires that Spalding community members if they chose to post content accurately identify themselves by using at least their true first and last
name, which will appear in all posts and in their profile, and their true state name in which they principally reside, which will be visible to others only as specified in
the User Profile and in accordance with the Privacy Policy. The use of pseudonyms or "handles" is not permitted. Spalding Labs will never make any other information public. The community member alone will choose what information to make public and if they wish to accept “private emails”, but without having their actual email address revealed to the sender.