FOH Forum Rules

[MoeFOH]

FOH Forum Rules

 

Welcome to the Friends of Habanos forum. This is an international forum where members from all over the world can discuss the world of Cuban cigars, the people and lives behind them, and just about any topic you wish to engage in--with some exceptions (please keep reading!).

Every community needs a set of rules and guidelines to provide guidance for the benefit of the community as a whole. Very little moderation is required on FOH because its members are "Keepers of the Culture" which has made FOH one of the leading forums in the world.

If a member is concerned a transgression to the rules has occurred please PM a mod. Keep in mind that in some cases a perceived breach is in a grey area. We will assess those breaches in those cases with an open mind but always against the backdrop of "does it enhance the FOH community".

RULE 1 No Attacks Against Other Members.

This is not life and death, people. It’s the internet and a discussion board. We can all feel aggrieved at certain times and hold strong personal thoughts on a subject. Express those thoughts but do it without personal malice or reference to another member.

RULE 2 No Discussion Of US Politics

Many of us are fascinated with US politics but, unfortunately, open discussion without abuse has been rarely practiced. 

Let's drop it.

From time to time, politics of Cuba, Europe, Oceania, Asia, Middle East etc will be posted which may refer in some part to US policy (current or past). This is not an open invitation to attack. Use tact and focus on the issues at hand, devoid of discussion or denigration of left and right US policy.

Rule 3 No Ridicule Of Religion

Religion to many here is a personal pursuit. There may be topics of interest involving religion which are acceptable. What is not acceptable is inciting denigration.

Rule 4 No Discussion Of Shipping

Shipping is not discussed on the forum. It is a core rule and has been so since inception and always understood by members.

Posts regarding shipping, regardless of who it is about, will be deleted immediately. Mods will enforce.

Contact your supplier directly to answer any questions or issues regarding shipping.

Any references to shipping or pictures of parcels (worse) is an automatic forum 30 day ban and a permanent FOH purchasing ban. 

 

Rule 5 No Discussion Of Sources And Prices

There are thousands of online suppliers of cigars around the world. Some good, some average some thieves. This board does not discuss any. This country has some of the most stringent defamation laws in the world and I am liable for any lawsuits that come from threads such as "**** sent me fakes". You are intelligent people. Use the PM feature or email me if you have any questions. Where I come across flagrant sellers of fakes I may post it. However, it will be a post coming from me, based on 100% certainty. 

In relation to prices from sources, this can always be done through internal PM between members, which the forum supports. It will not occur on the Forum or Shoutbox. The only exception is when Regionals or specific country cigars are released. These are priced by distributors and are uniform; thus general discussion of the price is permitted but not discussion of a specific vendor.

Rule 6 Signature Tags

Maximum Size: 120 x 320. No promotion of one’s business or other commercial or social forums without prior approval from myself. As a rule, I need to know you for some time before I will permit a commercial or a social link. If you already have one and have been around for a while I have no problem. If you have any doubts, shoot me a PM.

Rule 7 Trading Room

Trading Room is exactly what its name suggests and will remain so. Trades only with the exclusion of humidors where a member can post pictures and description. NO price but request PM enquiries.

It might be an old fashioned way of looking at it but then again the core tenets of FOH: Laughter, Friendship, Loyalty, Fraternity are old-fashioned concepts which I am happy with. You need a minimum of 100 posts & 6 months membership on FOH before being permitted to use the Trading Room.

All disputes to be handled between the traders and are never to appear on the forum.

You can always publicly "thank" a good trader in the Trading Room.

Rule 8 No Discussion Of Guns

I love firearms but there is to be no open discussion or inflammatory imagery of firearms. Such topics have invariably led to unwanted US political discourse.

Posting a stand-alone photo of a bison on the bonnet of a Dodge is inflammatory imagery.

Posting a thread stating that you are going to a pro or anti-gun rally is inflammatory commentary.

Showing yourself at the gun range on a “What are you up to this weekend” thread is fine.

Too tough to work out?  Leave it alone ?

Let your benchmark always be "does this post enhance the FOH Community" and you won't go wrong.

Rule 9 Soliciting 

Soliciting, commercial or otherwise, is not permitted without prior approval from me (Rob/El Presidente). If you are soliciting money for charity, votes for a contest, answers to a survey, or any such things you MUST check with me via PM first. Posting and saying "mods, feel free to delete if this contravenes any rules" is poor form. Don’t put the cart before the horse, take a moment to ask politely for permission. 

Rule 10 Language 

Strictly speaking, profane language is not permitted on the forum and may result in warnings or immediate bans. That said, common sense must prevail, so context and usage are taken into consideration here. Saying something like “I had a crappy day” will likely not result in any censure. Use your head, try to avoid any bad language. We strive to maintain a “clean house” here at FOH so everyone can enjoy the content. We all know the words and usage that fall into the category of foul and unacceptable--any such usage will be met with swift and appropriate punishment. Similarly, racial, political, gender and sexual orientation, religious epithets or denigration of any kind will not be tolerated. 

Rule 11 Chatbox

All forum rules above apply to the Chatbox. The additional things to consider with Chatbox usage are:

1. Remember, not everyone uses or even looks at Chatbox. Thus...
2. Would your post be better as a Topic rather than a Chatbox post? As its name suggests, this space is for a chat or quickfire common banter. E.g. “Morning all. Have a great day!”, “Did anyone see the Pat’s game? Crazy game!”

If your post is looking for specific feedback on a general discussion topic, then it’s preferable to create a Topic post wherein all members can interact and provide more detailed responses.