Guidelines and Rules for posting to the SingleDivers.com Community and Forums:
also note...
1. Membership Rules & Guidelines Info click here!
2. SingleDivers.com FAQ's Rules & Guidelines click here!
1. General Respect:
SingleDivers.com is a place for all members to have fun! we'll all have fun because we are about meeting other singles and diving. This is a place to learn about each other. This is a place to learn about new and exciting places to dive. This is a place to learn more about diving. This is a place to express yourself. We strongly believe in the free exchange of ideas. Keep in mind; you need to express those ideas in a way that does not personally attack another member nor the community nor the entity of SingleDivers.com. We want everyone to have fun but respectful posts, both you and those with whom you disagree. Be courteous to your fellow members. Flaming is never acceptable. The best way to deal with trolls is to ignore them or use the report post button which goes directly to the Administrators or pm a moderator.
2. Respect to Members of the Opposite Sex:
SingleDivers.com is NOT a dating site. Our Hookups are to Tanks! However our name is confusing because in the old days, 'single' meant no buddy and was not referring to your marital status. So to protect our member both males and females we ask that you do not solicit 'pictures of members in bathing suits' or other requests that could be taken as 'inappropriate'. Please do not PM/directly communicate or otherwise pursue unknown members unless the member invites you to do so. We ask that you do not post 'dating profile' style posts or make posts that request an opposite gender dive buddy desired for romantic reasons because other members will remind you that 'we are not a dating site'. (Please understand that what happens between two consenting adults on a trip is your business and will remain that way.) We simply ask that your posts afford as much respect to members of the opposite sex so as to not give the club the impression of being a 'dating or hookup site'. Many of our members are married but their spouse does not dive. When that spouse sees 'dating style posts' they worry we ARE a dating site vs a buddy site.
3. Account Security:
You are responsible for the security of you account. You have a password; use it to secure your account. If another person posts with your account, you get all credit and all blame for everything posted. Everyone should post only from his or her own account. If your account is used by another person we may ask both you and that person to leave our community.
4. All Volunteer Organization and Role of Moderators & Administrators:
SingleDivers.com is and all volunteer organization and is operated through the use of volunteer moderators and administrators. By posting in this forum, you are expressly giving SingleDivers.com permission to publish, edit, move or delete your posts, messages, signature lines, profiles, photos, without notice when deemed necessary, by these moderators and administrators. All moderators and administrators can moderate all sections of the forum. We reserve the right to edit, move, hide, or delete your posts, messages, signature lines, profiles, photos, etc without notice.
5. Please keep topics on topic as much as possible:
We understand that in the normal course of conversation, topics will wander. This is normal and expected. On the other hand, we also like to keep discussions on topic. This is a conflict not easily resolved. We ask our members to stay on topic when possible. When discussions get off topic, we may split a thread to put the original thread back on topic. We ask your patience and assistance in keeping threads on topic. When one thread starts to wander to a different topic, please start a new thread to discuss the new topic.
6. Your right to post material on SingleDivers.com:
When you post material on the SingleDivers.com website, you guarantee you have the right to do so, that you are not posting copyrighted material unless you hold the copyright. The user indemnifies SingleDivers.com of responsibility for any such breach of copyright and accepts sole responsibility for any legal action or claims arising from messages posted on this forum.
7. Your rights as a member of SingleDivers.com:
You are part of a private community that functions for the best interests of its members. Most of our members are women who want to DIVE. They do not want to be 'hit on' or have others 'assume they are on a trip for one reason...ie. hookups'. They want to have fun enjoying the sport they love, making new friends and participating in a community that protects them and these rights. In a private community you agree to abide by the rules that are in place for that community. Your rights to free speech are limited by those of this community that you have voluntarily joined. Our members appreciate that we are uniquely the only online community where you can ask a question and not be 'bullied, trolled, or demeaned' and 'all members can feel safe and secure in our private online community as well as on our trips.
8. SD.com not open to minors under 18:
This forum is not open to minors under 18, but we do ask you not to use obscenities as such behavior does offend people and is not in keeping with the spirit of courtesy we would like to keep as a basic part of this website.
9. 'Inflammatory By Nature' Topics i.e. Politics, etc. NOT allowed on SingleDivers.com:
Some topics are inflammatory by their very nature, others can easily become so. Political commentary (i.e. jokes, pictures, solitary asides, etc) always seem to hurt people's feelings or get tempers flaring. Therefore, all political discussions, jokes, cartoons, pictures, commentary, asides, etc. that cast a political figure from any country (since we are a multi-national site) in poor light or has political overlays or can be construed as political are never allowed on Single Divers.com and will be modified or removed. Religion seems to be a topic most of us can discuss without offending others. Religious discussions will be very closely monitored. Any hint that the discussion will offend a member will result in the thread/post getting pulled. Click here for additional clarification on this policy.
10. "Universally Offensive" Topics and Images NOT allowed on SingleDivers.com:
Some topics are almost universally offensive. Jokes and casual comments about incest, rape and bestiality or violence will be pulled immediately. This includes links and images from your posts, signature line, or profile to this content or material. Serious discussions about such issues are possible, for example a high profile rape case in the news might generate some discussion. Any such discussion will be monitored closely. Click here for additional clarification on this policy. Some images are also universally offensive. Images depicting any of the universally offensive topics noted above, porn, and any others that are determined by the Moderators & Administrators to fall within this category will be pulled immediately
11. Spam:
Spam (chain mails, repetitive posts, unrequested mail, including PMs, in which you are soliciting people for your agenda ) will be removed immediately. In the case of PMs, we obviously can't remove them, but PM privileges can be suspended. Additional action may be taken when deem necessary. Click here for additional clarification on our Spam policy.
12. Signature Lines:
Signature lines are a place for you to express yourself, your personality, your philosophy on life, your humor…etc. However, to preserve primary focus on posts, signature lines are restricted to a maximum of 4 lines with small sized font. Private email addresses other than MemberName@SingleDivers.com, links to any websites/URLs* (without special SD permission), text reflecting our banned policies e.g. porn, etc., and/or insults against other members or the SD community are prohibited in signature lines as well as member profiles and posts on SingleDivers.com. *Website/URL links are allowed in signature lines for our Professional/Diving Trade/Industry Members pursuant to certain guidelines. See membership levels for details.
13. Site Maintenance & Site Difficulties:
From time to time, we may need to take the board off line for routine maintenance. When this becomes necessary, we will try to give advance notice. It may not be possible to give advance notice. We will do everything possible to get the board operational ASAP. From time to time we may experience technical problems on the site that results in lost posts and/or pms. We will do everything we can to restore any lost data.
14. Feedback:
We want feedback from our members. If you have an idea, let us know. If you have a complaint, let us know. Sometimes when we have complaints our emotions become involved. Please remember to be courteous. If you have a complaint or concern, please send it via pm to comments&concerns or via email to commentsandconcerns@singledivers.com. If posted on the open board, it will be removed and placed into our private Feedback Resolution Forum to ensure your concern is handled privately and confidentially.
15. Private Messages:
Private messages (PM's) are private. We cannot see them, nor do we wish to see them. Your passwords are encrypted. This protects your privacy. If you feel another member is being abusive in PMs to you either because you feel uncomfortable with the content or because they are sending you spam, please forward it to an Administrator explaining your issue with the PM and telling us from whom it was received. Also keep in mind that we are a small, tight community and if you use pm's for spamming our members, to recruit for non-SD trips, to circumvent our TOS, to solicit dates or make unwanted advances against members, that you will usually be reported for it and asked to leave our community depending on the severity of the offense. So it’s best to not do it. If you wish to send something to another member or post something for that matter but are not sure it is acceptable, please contact admin@singledivers.com for assistance.
16. SD.com Dive Trips and Member Initiated Dive Trips:
SingleDivers.com exists for the benefit of our members. One of our primary goals is to help our members dive. To accomplish this goal, we organize trips to various locations 1-2 times a month vs. 1-2 times a year like most organizations. Since many of our members wish to travel outside of our trips but use our BOOKING CLOUT and BUDDY FINDING ASSISTANCE, feel free to ask us to book your travel for you and we will help save your money, get better service and help you find a dive buddy. Email sdtravel@singledivers.com for help with your trip! Our trips do generate some income for the club which helps along with membership fees to cover expenses and helps to ensure the continued health and growth of SingleDivers.com. For this reason, promotion of and/or recruiting for (whether direct or indirect) commercial, private or competitive trips other than those sponsored by SingleDivers.com is not permitted in this community.
17. A few rules regarding posting non Single Divers sponsored trips:
a. One day non-commercial trips (no overnight stay involved) are always allowed.
b. Overnight trips cannot be posted unless they are approved by SD or they are an official SD event, activity or trip. To obtain approval send your request to: Comments&Concerns via pm or commentsandconcerns@singledivers.com via email.
c. Trips in which you assist with flights, hotels or dive operators and/or act as a trip leader, organizer or sponsor are never allowed whether you do it privately or public. This applies even if you don't collect money.
d. No active recruiting of SingleDivers.com members for any non SD trip is allowed via pm, email, in member profiles, posts, threads, or any other electronic means using the SD community or contacts.
e. In your announcement post, you must clearly state the trip is a member 'pick up' trip, has been approved by SD once it has, and is not an official Single Divers event.
f. The style of the announcement post cannot duplicate the style of posts used for recruiting for official Single Divers trips.
g. No posts can be made more than one month in advance of the event unless the event is an official SD event.
h. While we can't see your PMs, members do often report questionable PMs they receive. These rules apply to PMs as well as posts.
18. Participants on Trips:
a. We do not as a general rule limit who may or may not go on an SingleDivers.com trip. We pride ourselves in being INCLUSIVE and not EXCLUSIVE. However from time to time situations may arise where participation may be limited.
b. Couples may join our trips and we often have "Sleep Together Discounts" to encourage them to join and simultaneously help our rooming problems when we need 2 people in a room and there is only one bed.
c. We will not allow the mix of couples to exceed the mix of solo travelers so as to lose a suitable pool of appropriate roommates and dive buddies.
d. Former couples may also join our trips as long as both parties agree that its ok. If one party is not comfortable with the other being on the trip with them then the party that signed up first will be permitted to join that trip. In cases where couples are not on good terms we ask that each of you agree to not join a trip the other has joined. Joining is defined as being the first one to sign up and pay their deposit for the trip.
19. Multiple Accounts on SD.com:
Multiple accounts are NOT allowed for any reason. The same member creating multiple accounts is grounds for immediate suspension and/or banning.
20. Solicitation on SingleDivers.com or of SingleDivers.com members:
Solicitation on the site or of our members is not allowed. If you wish to offer your services to our members please do so through the appropriate membership level or contact info@singledivers.com directly to discuss your idea first. This applies to all members and non-members and all levels of membership.
21. Use of Email and Addresses on SD.com:
Personal e-mail addresses are not permitted in signature lines, member profiles, nor posts on SingleDivers.com for security, safety and spam reasons. The only e-mail addresses permitted on the forums are @singledivers.com addresses. Email is not enabled on our site except for our staff members who use it to contact non-premier members for official SingleDivers.com business and matters only. Any other use of the site's email is not allowed.
22. Suspension/Banishment policy:
For a first violation, you'll get a soft reminder from from a moderator or administrator quoting the particular rule violated AND mentioning the suspension policy.
For a second violation within 30 days of the first violation, you'll get a STRONG warning from moderator or administrator quoting the particular rule AND a reminder they will be suspended if they violate the rules again.
For a third violation within 60 days of the first violation, you'll get a STRONG denouncement of the continued violations AND a 3 day vacation from the site.
For a fourth violation within 120 days of the first violation, you'll get a simple message indicating your member account has been banned from SingleDivers.com.
It should be noted that discretion in these types of situations is important. If a member repeatedly makes violations just outside the 30, 60 or 120 day limits they can, at the discretion of SingleDivers.com board management, be given suspensions and/or be banned. Also, SingleDivers.com board management has the discretion to forgo suspensions in unusual cases. If evidence is discovered of a serious or material violation of SD's policies, stalking or threats against our members, or someone trying to harm SD, or its members, the person committing such acts will be banned with no warning. Individuals joining our site who have been banned from other sites with grounds may be denied membership at SD.
Appeals may be made to the board governing body of SingleDivers.com. Decisions of the board governing body are final. You may contact us via commentsandconcerns@singledivers.com to file a protest.
Voluntary, mutually agreed upon, or mandatory departure from SD will not entitle you to any refund of membership fees, nor any other consideration given to SD.
23. Links:
Links to porn sites or other offensive sites are not allowed in posts, profiles, signature nor in any other place on SingleDivers.com. Links in signature lines are reserved for our business/trade members only. Other links in posts may be allowed but only at the sole discretion of the mods and admins of this site.
Note: Views expressed by individual members, moderators or administrators do not necessarily reflect those of SingleDivers.com.
24. Avatars:
Avatar: Avatars are representations of ourselves. An avatar is fun to have by your name in your posts. Usually they are cartoons or drawings but we have chosen to use miniature photos of ourselves. When we use photos of ourselves as avatars, it lets us get to know each other better. It is easier to remember faces than names, especially screen names. Since our purpose is to get to know each other and to dive together, our avatar policy promotes this. Please note that the picture you upload or have us help you to upload MUST be of you, preferably including your head/face. It can be a diving picture or a 'dry' shot, whichever you prefer. At this time rotating avatars are reserved for SD Staff only and therefore not permitted. To upload your avatar click on "My Controls" then click on EDIT AVATARS under Personal Profile on the left toolbar. PLEASE note that your avatar shows up next to your posts on the site and your Profile Picture is only in your profile.
Note: If you need help uploading or resizing a picture for your avatar, SD.com will help you do that. You send the pictures to us via admin@singledivers.com or via the details below and we will send them back resized or cropped to highlight YOU! There is no charge for this service and is provided free of charge by some of our members.
Click here for help with Avatars and Profile Pictures.
25. THE "EX" RULE:
While we are not a dating site...our hookups are to tanks...sometimes chemistry happens and relationships happen. Sometimes they last and sometimes they dissipate and sometimes they blow up. If you part on good terms then this rule does not apply. In the case of the latter or if you happen to find SD and you currently have an 'ex' and do not care to travel with them, SingleDivers.com honors a "first signed up is the only member allowed on that trip" rule. Here's how it works... be the first to sign up for and pay the deposit on one of our trips and your ex (we need to know who they are in advance) needs to book another trip. Conversly if you try to sign up for a trip your ex is on and your parting was not friendly (and you have advised us in advance) then you will be asked to find another trip to travel on that your ex has not signed up for and paid her/his deposit. And while this does not happen that frequently...it does come into play. We ask that you refrain from even showing interest in a trip your ex is on but we also know that plans change so we ONLY ENFORCE TRIP SIGN UPS and not the trip 'interested' lists. And no this isn't a chance for you to book directly with the resort/locale to be at the same place as your ex but not technically via SingleDivers.com. (Should this happen you will not be able to dive with our group and if necessary further action may be taken regarding your membership on the site.) Please ask us for more information if you think this rule will be helpful to your situation. And please make sure we know in advance if you plan to apply this rule to your personal situation when attending our trips via kamala@singledivers.com
