PWP Rules + Regulations

The Legal Stuff

PWP, Inc. and pwpforums.com is a professional resource for professional photographers. The forums at PWP are international forums for the discussion of photography.
By registering and posting on PWP, you agree to abide by these rules and any rules that may be added in the future.
You agree, through your use of the Forums, that you will not post any material or links to any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, libelous, inaccurate, rude, racist, disrespectful, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, threatening, obscene, profane, pornographic, racially or ethnically offensive, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise in violation of any law.
You will not upload or attach files that contain software or other material protected by intellectual property laws (or by rights of privacy of publicity) unless you own or control the rights thereto or have received all necessary consents.
You agree not to violate the rights of others, such as content which infringes any copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret or violate any right of privacy or publicity, or otherwise violates any applicable law or reputation.
You remain solely responsible for the content of your messages, and you agree to indemnify and hold harmless the owners PWP, Inc. with respect to any claim based upon your message(s).
You agree to give PWP permission to store all message content, to display it on the board as posted, and to archive it, regardless of the state of your current membership status (expired, active, inactive, etc.)
You will not impersonate any person or entity, falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity, nor will you register with multiple identities or usernames.
You will not provide information about or link to any site that distributes illegal software, ROMs, media, or emulators, helps to circumvent any copyright laws, admit to possessing and/or distributing illegal copyrighted material, or encourage software or media piracy. Violation of this rule will result in an immediate, permanent ban with no appeal.
You will not directly sell any product and/or service on the PWP Forum in any area other than the Classified area if you are a member. If you are a Vendor, you will not directly sell any product and/or service, or solicit any clients or customers by posting outside of the Vendor Talk area.
You will not post chain letters, pyramid schemes, "spam", multi-level marketing, or other solicitations.
You will not use the PWP Forum private messaging system or PWP Forum email system for marketing or to solicit clients or customers.
You will not collect, record or otherwise use any other users' e-mail addresses or other personal information for any purpose other than those pertaining to participation on PWP Forums.
You may not register with a user name that is rude, racist, disrespectful, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, threatening, obscene, profane, pornographic, racially or ethnically offensive. PWP has the right to change username at our discretion.
You will not upload or attach files that contain viruses, corrupted files, or any other similar software or programs that may damage the operation of another's computer.
You will not attempt to access any protected sections of the site or forum, nor make use of any hacks, cracks, bug exploits, etc. to bypass or modify the features of the software at PWP Forums.

Posting and General Use

Discussion and debate are welcome on PWP. Please remember that disagreement and debate are not attacking. If you choose to involve yourself in a controversial topic, you need post with a thick skin. Posts will not be moderated for strongly voiced disagreements. However, attacking, flaming, harassing, or picking on another user is unacceptable. This includes name calling, racial or sexual slurs, etc. Ad hominem attacks are strictly forbidden.
Members are allowed to edit their posts for up to 1 hour after the post is made. After that time period, a post is considered final and only a Moderator or Admin may edit or remove a post. Members are not allowed to delete posts.
Stalking members is strictly forbidden. Stalking includes following a member from board to board and posting contradictory statements simply for the purpose of harassing or inflaming. Stalking also includes sending PMs or emails to or about a user to other users in such a way as to damage or attempt to damage that users reputation or character.
Avatars and signature files must not contain any offensive material, nor must they be used to promote political agendas. Signatures are limited to no more than FOUR LINES of text (including spaces and returns). They may include links to your websites, but may not include solicitations. They may not include any images other than emoticons. PWP reserves the right to edit any signature that does not meet these rules.
This is a professional forum open to adults over the age of 18, therefore adult language, concepts, and images may be posted. Profanity and swear words, images with nudity, and links to adult-themed images or sites will not be removed or censored. Please don't report them unless they are directed at someone in a manner that violates the rules. By the same token, PWP asks that everyone be respectful of members who don’t care to see/read such things and/or who are participating on the board from a work or other restricted environment by clearly marking posts that might contain objectionable material.
PWP is a professional board where working professional photographers share opinions, thoughts, and advice. We require that you provide your real name in your profile. Your name will be displayed above every post you make along with your user name. Anonymous posting will not be allowed and members who do not provide their real name will not be allowed to post.

Reporting, Moderation, and Enforcement

Members are asked to report posts that violate the rules. The "Report Post" button looks like this: and is in the top, right-hand corner of each post. If a post is not officially reported, we will not respond to complaints about it. Do not respond to the post with flames, accusations, hostility, or anger, or attempt to moderate the issue yourself.
The PWP Moderators use an Infraction System based on point values to moderate the board. Infractions range in value from 1 point to 5 points and expire after 30 days. If a member of the PWP receives 10 points in a 30-day period, that member will automatically be placed on Read-Only Status for 10 days. If a member of the PWP receives 20 points in a 30-day period, that member will be banned for 10 days. If a member of the PWP receives 30 points in a 30-day period, that member will be banned permanently.
No membership fees or prepaid contest entries will be refunded if a member is banned for violation of the rules.
PWP has a policy of not removing or editing posts unless they are slanderous, violate copyright, reveal personal or confidential information without proper permission, or are spamming in nature. Any other infraction of the rules will result in a thread being locked.
User IDs, posts, and threads will not be removed if a member chooses to no longer participate on the PWP Forums. Please do not ask for them to be removed.
Do not assume that because you don't see something happening, that nothing is being done. Many times communication happens behind the scenes and in private.
These rules are subject to change. They will be enforced at the discretion of the Admins and Moderators. If you have any questions about the rules and how they will be enforced, please email someone on the Admin or Moderation team.