John's Rules of the Road for "the Forum."   (forum decorum)        Home

Rule 1.  You can post anything you like to "the Forum."

Rule 2.  The moderators and I can delete anything we don't like from "the "Forum."  (However, we don't believe in censorship.)

Rule 3.  I am not, nor is anyone else, responsible for what is said in "the Forum."

Now that we've dispensed with all the rules, I'd like to give you my ideas on what the JB Forum should be -- what it should do and what it shouldn't do. 

On posts that offer technical advice on home improvement/home repair topics, including tile and marble, a name and valid email address is requested .  In other words, if you are holding yourself up as an "expert," or if you claim some authority on a subject, we want to know who you are in case some one wants to check your credentials (Please register).  If you are only seeking advice, on the other hand, registration is optional.

Although "the Forum" has evolved into an advice board dealing mostly with ceramic tile and marble questions, that is not how I envisioned it.  I would like it also to serve as a community forum for anything and everything.  If you have announcements or notices to post on any subject whatsoever, go for it. The Mud Box is a good place for that.

You will find it possible to post live links.  Just type in or paste a valid url (http://, etc.), and when you post the message, the link will be given life.  If you want to post a link back to your own site, that's okay, too. Unsolicited commercial posts, sales pitches, etc. will usually be deleted by the moderators.  You can place a link to your commercial site in your signature, though.

You can post photos and other images to the various boards.  Currently, we limit image size to 51 KB.  You can post images stored on your hard drive by clicking on the "browse" button near the bottom of the forum reply form.  To post images and photos that are stored on the Internet, follow the instructions in the Forum FAQ area.  The link can be found in the dark blue links bar just under the page header.

We ask you not to copy and paste articles and documents from other web sites. First, it is a violation of copyright law (which I am very keen on, being a publisher) and second, it's a wasted of space and bandwidth on our server. The correct and polite way is to post the url of the article or document you wish to draw attention to.

I love to argue, and I think that differing views on technical procedures, etc. are key to understanding fundamental processes and techniques.  So healthy argument is encouraged.  I've been setting tile and marble for over 30 years, and I am amazed at how much I don't know.  There are other pros and experts who show up around here, and I'm sure they feel that way, too.  I'll argue their ears off, but I'll come away with some new knowledge each and every time.

What is not encouraged and what will not be tolerated is unacceptable social behavior, to include mean spirited or rude posts on any subject.  Indecent or disgusting language will likewise not be tolerated.

Our general policy is to not delete anything that has been posted.  That doesn't mean it won't happen, though, and there is nothing preventing us from barring a person from the site.

"Political speech," as defined through the years by a succession of justices of the Supreme Court, is protected on this web site no matter how upsetting it might be. The founders of our nation felt so strongly that open, unfettered speech is necessary to a strong society that they specifically protected it in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. I have no intention of trying to second guess those distinguished old guys.

Still, though, political speech that is intended merely to inflame others (to insult or degrade fellow users), will not be condoned. Though we are fortunate to live within an open and free society, this little corner of it is not a democracy.  It is a privately owned web site.

Please enjoy the "John Bridge Ceramic Tile Forums."

John Bridge, 

(Last updated September 11, 2005)

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