Forum Rules (Please read before posting)

These forums exist to support WordPress users.

Remember – WordPress is FREE software. When you make a request for help here, no-one is being paid to help, or answer you. Being polite is extremely important, especially to those who do help here. And, if you do get an answer that works, if you could, please come back to your thread and say so, that would be wonderful.

A: The following posts are moderated automatically:

1. Those containing email addresses. The email address will be broken, but readable. So google@google.com would become google @ google . com or google AT google DOT com
2. Those containing passwords. The passwords will be removed.
3. Those that have tag faults, which break, or, adversely affect the forum software.
4. Those which contain incredibly long sections of code or error messages.
5. Those containing affiliate links. Affiliate links are not permitted in the forums.

A note may or may not be made in the thread or in the post if such action has been taken.

B: The following posts will be deleted on sight.

1. Topics or replies with no body.
2. If you post just to spam, or get ‘google juice’, then you WILL be blocked and the url you are using will be broken. These forums will stay clean of spammers, and the useless junk they bring.
   Google juice is PR linking.
   These forums have a high PR – the front page of Support has a 9 which is very high. PR for sites is judged – in part – by not only who is linking and how many but also how high those linkers are too.

   So we get Mr and Mrs Spammer coming here, registering, posting a few inane “OMG LOL !!!” type junk to the forums so they can get some of the PR linkage – the Google Juice. (Someone more SEO inclined can probably say more but I think that is correct).

   So because they post useless garbage, we kill their linkage.

3. Posts which are destructive in nature. To put it basically, if you cannot say anything positive or helpful, or provide pointers that can assist the original poster, and do so in a constructive manner – then do not post.
4. If your post contains abuse or flames then this will not merely be removed from a post, your whole post will be deleted.
5. If your post directs offense at another forum user, it will be deleted.
   Do not try to use words cleverly – if there is any doubt, it will be deleted.
6. “Bumps”. Do not bump posts on this forum. Putting posts at the top doesn’t help them get noticed here. The volunteers who try to answer questions look for those without replies first. If you bump a post, then it disappears from the “no replies” view. DO NOT BUMP.

A note may or may not be made in the thread if such action has been taken.

C: Pasting Code:
This may be moved to a FAQ, but for the time being, I’m posting it here.

Many posters have a problem pasting snippets of code, or don’t know what the pertinent code is for their problem, and paste a whole template looking for help. The forums are not a good place for that, and it can be a confusing process.

If you have a couple of lines to paste, by all means, paste it in your post. The process of doing that is to use the code tag, then a backtick ( ` ) then your code, another backtick, then close the code tag (/code). For those not familiar with the backtick, it’s the key just to the left of the number 1 key in the upper left of your keyboard (shifted, it returns a tilde ( ~ ).

For longer snippets, we have created a WordPress specific pastebin at: http://wordpress.pastebin.ca/
The code will be archived for future reference, and is a handy place to keep such.

Simply paste the code from your template in the pastebin, then include the link in your post. This will make reading posts easier, and will better format the code, especially ones with links and unordered lists.

Thank you helping us with this effort.

D: Reporting threads
To report a bad post, add a tag called ‘modlook’ to the thread. That feed is checked very regularly and we can zoom in on it.

E: Signatures
Signatures on all posts will be removed. Signatures create clutter and distract from the information and help we are trying to provide.

F: Paying for services
Requesting paid help is discouraged. We do not want to give any impression that WordPress help is anything but free. We also do not need bidding wars in the forums.
If you have posted some contact information your thread will be closed.
If you have not posted that information we will ask you to and when you do the thread will be closed.
Any thread that offers any service for money can be closed at any time. We are not against paid services but these forums are not the right place for them.
We have a WP-Pro mailing list which you are encouraged to use.
http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-pro

G: Staying Work Safe
Some people will be helping here from work or a computer which is not their own. Other people may not wish to view sites which have content which has questionable or adult material. If your site could cause offence, you must mark your links as NSFW (Not Safe For Work). Additionally please do not link to your site in your profile – someone inadvertantly clicking your link could be offended.
You will still get any help you need, but we can’t have people getting into trouble when they are trying to help.
Any links not so marked will be altered by Mods or removed at their discretion.

H: General
To report something you are concerned about (including bad posts) you can join the forum mailing list (see below)
Please don’t use CAPS – it’s like shouting and very rude.

I: Complaints
Before you complain, please remember that all help here is free. Also remember that text alone can be a very poor medium for communication – if you have disagreed with someone you may both be misunderstanding. You have bad days so does everyone else – one post that you disagree with does not make the other person bad and neither does it make them a target to be got at. And please remember that this is only software, not something essential to life itself. Getting the last word in is not being constructive either.
If after considerable thought you want to make a point about someone, email me: tamba2 @ gmail . com. If you want to make a point about something then join the forum mailing list (see below).

J: The mailing list
http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-forums
It exists to positively discuss how we can improve the forums. It’s not a place for complaining, it’s not a place for destructive comments. It is where decisions are discussed and agreed by forum members who are out to make what we provide even better.

Please remember that this forum exists for one purpose only – to help people.
Constructive criticism and debate are welcome where appropriate – negativity is not.
If you can post positively to the forum then please do 🙂