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Terms and Rules
1. Overview
In the HAM Team’s experience, air gunners are wonderful people: pleasant, friendly and helpful. All are welcomed to the HAM Community!
So why have HAM Community rules?
They are simply to re-assure and protect the overwhelming majority of members from the actions of a few. We know that many people are put off from joining online communities because they dislike the unpleasantness of a small minority of members. These HAM Community rules work unashamedly for the benefit of the (usually silent) majority to encourage a safe and welcoming environment.
Unfortunately that means that there are many rules, but they all have one core aim: to encourage - and enforce where necessary - a safe, harmonious and enjoyable online sharing experience about airguns.
All rules are enforced by the Community owners, administrators and moderators with discretion as needed. Anyone disregarding these rules may be banned from the HAM Community. The HAM Community Owner, Administrators and Moderators reserve the right to ban anyone for violations of the posted rules.
Before using the HAM Community (this Service), please read the rules below. By using our Community you agree to these rules and conditions. If you do not agree with these terms, please DO NOT register or use the Service. Use of the Service constitutes acceptance of these terms. If you wish to close your account, please contact us immediately.
Note that these terms may be changed at any time without notice. If they are changed, and you cannot agree to them, please contact us. We will disable your account, removing all pertinent personal information. Your account WILL NOT be deleted, your posts will remain visible. They simply will no longer be associated with your user account.
To enforce HAM Community rules, the Owner, Administrators and Moderators may - at their sole discretion - remove, edit, move or close any thread, post, posted image, or other material (Content) in the Community or on any other part of this website. They may remove or modify any Content submitted at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice. In addition, they may terminate your access to all or any part of the Service at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice. This also applies to any HAM Points that may be in your account - they may be deleted if you break the rules!
The HAM Community is only for users who are at least 16 years old. If you live in California, you must be at least 18 years old to access the HAM Community. This is in compliance with CA State Assembly Bill 2571 prohibiting the marketing of firearms to minors in the State of California. If you are younger than this, please do not register for this Service. If you register for this Service, you attest that you are this age or older.
NOTE. If you see any Content in the HAM Community that you believe is in violation of any of our rules please use the "Report" button near the bottom of every post to alert the Moderators.
2. Language
2.1 This is an English-language Community, so please use English only. When posting, please use proper grammar. Do not use 'text-message' style substitutions of words like 'u' for 'you'. As this is an international Community, some of our non-english speaking members must use translation software, which may mis-understand abbreviations. By using proper grammar, you are helping them.
2.2 Do not use foul, defamatory, obscene, rude, lewd, insulting, violent, threatening, abusive, racist, sexist, pornographic or hateful language anywhere in the Community.
2.3 Personal attacks are not allowed.
2.4 Please think before you make a post. Be aware of your words. They may be used against you, and the shooting community as a whole by others who are "anti-gun" in every way. If in doubt, do not post!
2.5 Be friendly even if others may not be.
2.6 Please use descriptive topic titles, e.g “Problem with Accuracy”, is better than "Newbie Questions". You will get more/better replies this way.
3. Diversity of Opinion
3.1 In any group of people there will be diversity of opinion. This is healthy and is also true in our HAM Community. After all, we learn through diversity and discussion. But please have respect for differences in opinions with your fellow HAM Community members. After all, the Community would be a dull place without interesting, intelligently-expressed, yet conflicting opinions!
3.2 Remain courteous and respectful to other members at all times. You may obviously not agree with some views but do not let this descend into arguments or abuse. Be nice. Rude comments have no place here!
3.3 We are committed to providing an environment that is free from harassment. Harassment based upon race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability/handicap condition, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, veterans status, political affiliation, or other any other legally protected characteristic will not be tolerated.
4. Online Behavior
4.1 Any member who threatens anyone on the Community, via private message, email, or Social Media will be banned immediately without notice.
4.2 Don't troll. In other words, don't bait people with inflammatory posts or make posts for the purpose of disruption. Do not respond to trolls - also known as "haters" - report that post to the Moderators for attention.
4.3 Abuse of post editing privileges is not permitted. Editing posts for grammar or information is fantastic, but after an initial grace period of 10 minutes, users may not delete/edit content for the purpose of evading possible moderation (removing flames, trolls, etc.). Also, starting a thread, not liking how it turns out, and then deleting your own posts is irresponsible and unfair, and an actionable offense. It's simply not cool to troll users and then delete it, acting as if nothing has happened.
4.4 Don't spam the Community. In other words, do not post the same topic in more than one Category. Pick the most relevant Category for your post. There is normally one Category which is the most suitable to post your question.
4.5 Do not post any material that may infringe on any intellectual property rights, copyright or trademark or any rights of any third party.
4.6 Don't use the Community for illegal activity. This includes but is not limited to posting links to or trading pirated photography-related applications.
5. Content - Words
5.1 Basically, the goal is for the content in the HAM Community to be appropriate for all ages of readers in all of the countries from which we have a substantial readership. We want the Community to be a place where all of our members can feel comfortable to participate. So...
5.2 Do not post any Content that is - or might be construed as - illegal, immoral, or unethical.
5.3 Discussion of politics and religion is not allowed anywhere on the site.
5.4 Do not submit any Content that includes personal information, or that you consider to be private or confidential in any way.
5.5 Do not post off-topic. Please keep your comments consistent with the subject and purpose of the conversation thread. Consistent off-topic commentary, or other deliberate disruption will result in you being banned.
5.6 Please start a new thread for a new question. Make a search before asking questions. You may find that they have already been answered!
5.7 No disingenuously editing quotes. If you want to respond to a post quote them accurately. Don't change the wording to make it seem like the previous poster said things they didn't, even sarcastically. Editing to reply to a smaller part of their post is fine, so long as you don't change the context of what they said.
5.8 The HAM Community is dedicated to airguns. So specific posts about firearms and airsoft are not allowed. However, responsible discussion of similarities between airguns and firearms is acceptable, particularly in the "Replica Airguns" Category.
5.9 Do not post Content about illegal use of airguns. Also no Content regarding unsafe handling, operation, storage, use or shooting.
5.10 Be aware of your local, state and/or national laws regarding hunting and taking of game. Posting details of - or links to - illegal kills can result in your prosecution by the authorities.
5.11 Airgun silencers (moderators) are legal - even encouraged - in some countries, yet may be illegal in others. The situation in the USA seems to be somewhat unclear. Generally, it seems that if a silencer is built-in to an airgun by the manufacturer and becomes non-functional when removed (through dis-assembly, for example) it is legal in the USA. Separate, aftermarket airgun-only silencers may be legal provided that they cannot be used on a firearm. As a US-based Service, the HAM Community may accept discussion of airgun sound-reduction capabilities. But it will not allow discussion of any changes or modifications to silencers, nor the design or construction of silencers. Please be aware of the law if posting on this topic!
5.12 Your User Name must be polite and inoffensive. Please remember that a word can have completely different meanings in different countries or languages. If you deliberately - or inadvertently - choose an offensive User Name, you will be required to change it.
5.13 Do not post links or requests for warez (illegally-copied software).
6. Content - Images
6.1 Nudity and sexually explicit images are not allowed. Pornography is not allowed under any circumstances and will not be tolerated.
6.2 Pictures depicting hunting or game may only be posted in the Hunting Category. Nowhere else!
6.3 Avatars must be in good taste. So, do not use pornographic, profane, vulgar or violent images. Avatars that are found to be inappropriate will be removed at the discretion of the staff.
6.4 Videos may be posted in the HAM Community. To do so, first have your video hosted on YouTube. Then copy and paste the "Embed" code provided by YouTube into your HAM Community post.
6.5 Still photographs and graphic images may have their quality and/or size reduced in the HAM Community. This is to reduce file size and allow faster display, particularly for cell (mobile) phone users. If you have the software and knowledge to reduce the file size eg "Save for Web" of your images please do so before uploading. Thank you!
7. Copyright
7.1 Copyright is a complicated subject, and laws differ in different countries. We realize that a case could be made for fair use in some specific situations which are beyond the scope of what is discussed here. However, this is a privately owned and maintained site, and the HAM Community rules for Copyright apply site-wide in addition to any applicable national laws.
7.2 By posting in the HAM Community, You are granting us a non-exclusive, permanent, irrevocable, unlimited license to use, publish, or re-publish your Content in connection with the Service. You retain copyright over the Content.
7.3 The basic rule is to not post copyrighted material unless you own the copyright. Link to content elsewhere on the Internet, rather than posting it in its entirety.
7.4 You may post a small quoted excerpt of a post or article from another site here with attribution and a link back to the source. The amount of the text which you copy and post here should be very limited in relation to the original work. A small excerpt can be used as a point of discussion or as part of a news summary. If the scope of a quote is enough to disincentivize people from reading the source, ie all the content has been disclosed here, then it goes beyond what is allowed in the HAM Community.
8. Moderation
8.1 Please follow the rules! Moderators are here to enforce them for the benefit of the majority.
8.2 All content you submit, upload, or otherwise make available to the Service ("Content") may be reviewed by staff members. All Content you submit or upload may be sent to third-party verification services (including, but not limited to, spam prevention services).
8.3 When posting you agree that the Administrators and Moderators of this Community have the right to modify, delete, edit or close any topic, signature, account, or profile data at any time that they see fit.
8.4 HAM Community Moderators may remove or modify any Content submitted at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice. Requests for Content to be removed or modified will be undertaken only at our discretion. We may terminate your access to all or any part of the Service at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice.
8.5 You may not re-post any content that has previously been deleted or modified by a Moderator.
8.6 If you object to the comments or actions of a Moderator, PM (Personal Message) the Moderator, an Administrator, or the site Owner. Do not post your objection in the HAM Community. The purpose of this rule is to not censor members; it is to avoid repetitive bumping of topics which may harm the experience of other members on the site.
8.7 HAM Community staff have the right to ban members. They may also remove HAM Community Points from your account for bad behavior. You will probably be warned if you are under consideration for a ban.
8.8 Bans can be for a short term or indefinite. In either case your IP is kept in the database for control/checking aspects for ban enforcement. Bans are permanent and non-negotiable. Returning banned members will be re-banned.
8.9 No "Armchair Moderating". If you're not an assigned HAM Community, do not post attempts at moderation, suggestions for moderation actions, or complaints about moderation unless you are explicitly invited to do so by a moderator. All concerns about moderation should be sent to the Administrator via the Report button or by creating a new thread in the Contact Staff section.
9. Accounts
9.1 Each HAM Community member may have only one account. Register using only one username. Multiple accounts may result in all being banned.
9.2 Each Community member must maintain a valid e-mail account. All users must provide a current, frequently read, e-mail address in his/her internal profile. Note that non-moderators do not have access to your internal e-mail address.
9.3 You can request account deletion using the "Contact Us" link in the site footer (bottom of the page). Account deletion removes all profile information including your contact information.
9.4 Deleting an account does not remove previously made posts from the Community, nor quotes of those posts by other members. Deleting an account is permanent. Be sure to edit any posts you want to edit and delete before deleting your account. Once your account has been cancelled, you will no longer be able to edit them.
10. Responsibility
10.1 You are entirely responsible for the content of, and any harm resulting from, any material you post or read in the HAM Community.
10.2 All threads, posts and opinions expressed in the HAM Community are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the views, beliefs or opinions of the site owner, operators or administrative staff.
10.3 It is your responsibility to know, understand and comply with any national, state or local laws regarding airguns, shooting and/or hunting.
10.4 It is also your responsibility to make your own judgement about the safety and legality of any Content published in the HAM Community. This applies to both registered HAM Community Members and un-registered "lurkers". If you do not fully understand the implications of anything you see here, do not do it!
10.5 The HAM Community makes no warranties as to the accuracy of the Content posted by members. It may not be possible for us screen or authenticate every post, article or other information (Content). There are no warranties, expressed or implied, that any Content, instructions or information in the HAM Community are accurate and reliable.
10.6 You agree to not use the Service to submit or link to any Content which is defamatory, abusive, hateful, threatening, spam or spam-like, likely to offend, contains adult or objectionable content, contains personal information of others, risks copyright infringement, encourages unlawful activity, or otherwise violates any laws. You are entirely responsible for the content of, and any harm resulting from, that Content or your conduct.
10.7 Please be aware that any legal action which arises from a posting you make in the HAM Community will be your own responsibility. Any litigation for defamation, libel, or otherwise highly offensive or illegal content rests entirely with you as the "original author" of the content.
10.8 If someone believes that what you have written about them in the HAM Community is false and has damaged their reputation, the onus is on you to prove that your comments are true. So if you make a damaging claim you must be prepared to prove it. Furthermore, not only the person who originally made the allegations who can be sued, anyone who repeats false allegations can also be sued. Be careful!
10.9 As a member of the HAM Community, you are responsible for your account, the password to your account and any activities conducted while logged into the account. You are responsible for the safekeeping of the password and the account.
10.10 NOTE that - once posted/uploaded to the site - your words and images are available to the general public. We have no control over and offer no protection against how anyone utilizes your posts and/or images after obtaining them here. Nor can we help you to delete your posts other places on the internet (Google cache, etc).
10.11 The providers ("we", "us", "our") of the service provided by the HAM Community ("Service") are not responsible for any user-generated Content and accounts. All Content submitted expresses the views of its author only.
11. Service
11.1 By using the HAM Community you acknowledge that you agree to our terms of service.
11.2 HAM Community owners may halt the Service at any time and without notice. We will do everything in our power to keep the Community open 24/7, however unexpected technical issues do happen!
11.3 We will on occasion have to undertake maintenance or upgrade work on the Community but you will be notified if and when this is scheduled to happen.
11.4 As with any website, the owners cannot make any commitments to an error free service. Nor do we commit to an un-interrupted service.
12. Advertising
12.1 The airgun industry is unusual in that many airgun-related businesses started as a result of the owner's interest in airguns and the relatively low barriers to entry. (This includes Archer Airguns Inc., the owner of the HAM Community). This means that many airgun company owners and executives are themselves enthusiastic airgunners.
12.2 Like all businesses, the HAM Community needs to make money. That makes it free for you, our members! So while we encourage input from airgun industry players of all sizes that support this Community, we need to restrict unauthorized posting from businesses that seek to market in the HAM Community, yet not contribute in return. Hence these rules...
12.3 Obviously mentions of commercially-available products are acceptable in the HAM Community. However, do not use the HAM Community for the conduct of business, without first becoming an advertiser.
12.4 No unauthorized advertising is allowed. This includes posting in existing threads, starting new threads, and private messages (for the purpose of advertising your business, product, etc.). If any Member sees such behavior, please report it to the Moderators. Thank you!
12.5 Don't embed any affiliate sales codes in HAM Community posts. (It will be treated as spam).
12.6 Don't use a URL address as your username (or as a part of your username). It will be considered as advertising.
12.7 Don't list items for sale or services in your signature.
12.8 To advertise and participate in the HAM Community as a business, please contact the Publisher, Stephen Archer.
13. Limitation of Liability
13.1 Under no circumstances shall Hard Air Magazine be liable to any registered or unregistered user who misuses any Content published or linked in Hard Air Magazine or the HAM Community.
13.2 The resources and Content available in the Hard Air Magazine Community are provided by the users of the site. Hard Air Magazine assumes no liability for the quality, completeness and accuracy of any information, which is presented here “as is” without warranties of any kind.
13.3 Any Content expresses the views of the author only, not Hard Air Magazine or its owners.
13.4 Under no circumstances shall Hard Air Magazine be liable to any registered or unregistered user who uses or mis-uses any Content published or linked in Hard Air Magazine or the HAM Community.
13.5 You will not hold the HAM Community owners and staff responsible in any way for any material, advice or opinions published on the site. This includes reviews, links and advertisements on the site. This limitation of liability also applies to Third Parties.