Change to the site rules

[ricktas]

We have just made a small change to one of the site rules, to relax the location requirements provided by members in their profiles.

The rule has changed from:

[2] We require that members provide a valid and real location name, being your town/suburb/city name. This is a required anti-spammer measure. Your IP address will be matched to the location provided. If we cannot match your IP address to the location you provide, you risk being banned from the site.

To:

[2] We require that members provide a valid and real location name, being your town/suburb/city/region. Your IP address will be matched to the location provided. If we cannot match your IP address to the location you provide, you risk being banned from the site. Examples. Select Queensland from the drop down menu field "Australian State / Country" and then in "suburb/town" field you can enter : Brisbane / South East Queensland / FNQ / Rockhampton, or similar. As long as the field is completed with an IP address verifiable/matchable location, it is acceptable.

So members do not have to put their suburb/town details anymore, a regional area is acceptable.

[SirLozalot]

Sounds fair to me. One of the things I like about AP is the seriousness wrt security, copy right, etc.

[Kym]

In general the rules we have are there to...

1. Protect members from spammers, fraudsters etc.
   The rules are also there to make AP safe and positive for sharing of member's creativity
2. Protect Rick and the mods from any legal entanglements
3. Protect AP's revenue stream, and give good value to sponsors, so that the site runs and members get prizes etc.
   FYI the site costs are broken down as:
   
   • Monthly hosting fees (we are on a XEN VPS, 8 virtual CPU cores, 4GB memory, 160GB raid disk, and use ~200GB/month bandwidth)
   • Software licenses (usually annual, we pay for the Library (wiki), Skins, and Gallery; on top of vBulletin for which we recently purchased an advanced license for V5)
   • Prizes

There have been people critical of the AP rules over the years,
but I've noticed issues with their behaviour on other fora so in the end the rules work.
In the end AP does not suit everyone, and we have no issue with that.
All we ask is regular contribution in the form of CC and posting images, or just being helpful to other members.

AP is about helping you improve and enjoy your photography!

[Bear Dale]

I think thats a good amendment. I live in a very small village of <100 people, the world is small place with the 'net'. I know it's probably slightly paranoid, but I have $30,000 worth of photography gear listed under my username, I like the ability of saying a region rather than a specific locale.

[ricktas]

I think thats a good amendment. I live in a very small village of <100 people, the world is small place with the 'net'. I know it's probably slightly paranoid, but I have $30,000 worth of photography gear listed under my username, I like the ability of saying a region rather than a specific locale.

On AP, only members can view member profiles, so anyone who is not a member, or has not posted to the site cannot view your profile.

[Redback200]

So what happens if you try to login from another city/region that your visiting? Say to get some good locations of that city/region while your there? I go between Melbourne and Brisbane but live in Brisbane. That's the only reason I ask.

[William]

So what happens if you try to login from another city/region that your visiting? Say to get some good locations of that city/region while your there? I go between Melbourne and Brisbane but live in Brisbane. That's the only reason I ask.

You get an Automated message , Please explain , Happened to me while visiting my son in Sydney , Just a quick PM to Rick fixed it at the time , No prob's

Rick or a mod may elaberate on this reply , Just a quick answer to your question - Bill

[ricktas]

So what happens if you try to login from another city/region that your visiting? Say to get some good locations of that city/region while your there? I go between Melbourne and Brisbane but live in Brisbane. That's the only reason I ask.

All ok. unless the site picks up something odd, which it does at times. We would only contact you if the site reported an anomoly and then we ask you before anything happens. Unless you were logged in from Brisbane now, and in 15 minutes time you logged in from Beijing..then we would suspect your account had been hacked, close it down and email you and get it sorted, then re-activate your account.

[Bear Dale]

Unless you were logged in from Brisbane now, and in 15 minutes time you logged in from Beijing.

But what about my 'Beam me up Scotty' Teletransporter that I bought from Deals Direct

[ricktas]

But what about my 'Beam me up Scotty' Teletransporter that I bought from Deals Direct

send it back and ask for a refund. Its a fake!

[Bear Dale]

send it back and ask for a refund. Its a fake!