Policies

Download the pdf version.

AussieHomeschool Terms of Service / UserAgreement

Welcome to AussieHomeschool, your family friendly Internet trading boards! AussieHomeschool appreciates your interest in using the website, AussieHomeschool. Use ofAussieHomeschool constitutes your agreement to the following user agreement(“User Agreement”), which includes all terms listed on this page and all rules,policies, and procedures each of which is incorporated by reference and made a material part of this User Agreement. You must read and accept the entire UserAgreement, as set forth on this page and all hyperlinked pages, before you may register for an account or otherwise use AussieHomeschool. Registration for an account constitutes your representation, warranty and agreement that you have read, understand and agree to be bound by all portions of the User Agreement as if you had signed a written agreement containing the identical terms.

1. Users. Any person accessing or using AussieHomeschool is a “User” for purposes of this User Agreement, whether or not User has registered for an account or posted information on or sold or purchased products using AussieHomeschool. The term “User” applies individually to each person readingand agreeing to be bound by the User Agreement and collectively to all people who access or use AussieHomeschool. Use of AussieHomeschool indicates User’s complete acceptance of, and agreement to be bound by the User Agreement, including without limitation all AussieHomeschool policies, terms and conditionsof use. AussieHomeschool is owned and operated by Susan Priolo and provided for use by Users subject and pursuant to the terms and conditions of the UserAgreement and all other Website policies, rules, procedures and practices asestablished, posted and modified from time to time.

2. General Disclaimer. AussieHomeschool may contain information, facts,views, opinions, statements, recommendations, advertisements, sales, links toexternal websites and other content not created, provided, owned or controlledby AussieHomeschool or ADMIN STAFF. ADMIN STAFF and AussieHomeschool make no warranties or representations as to the accuracy, safety or value of Website Content and accept no responsibility or liability for or arising out of Website Content. AussieHomeschool and ADMIN STAFF accept no responsibility or liability for the actions of any User or third party or for Website Content created, provided, uploaded, linked or posted by any User or third party. Website Content does not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or recommendations of ADMIN STAFF or AussieHomeschool. Reliance upon Website Content is taken at User’s sole risk.

3. Purpose of AussieHomeschool. AussieHomeschool exists to offer Users an opportunity to offer, accept, buy, sell, transfer and exchange goods and services and to share information. Users must follow and abide by the UserAgreement, Website policies and applicable national laws as currently in forceand as subsequently revised, amended or restated. ADMIN STAFF and AussieHomeschool reserve the sole, discretionary right to (a) suspend or terminate all or any part of the password, account, use privileges and Website access of any User and (b) suspend, delete, block out or eliminate any Website Content, at anytime and for any reason, including without limitation a determination by ADMINSTAFF or AussieHomeschool staff that a User has engaged in conduct which violates the letter or spirit of the User Agreement, applicable law or any Website policy, rule, procedure or practice. Suspension, termination, deletion,blocking and similar actions may be temporary or permanent at the sole discretion of ADMIN STAFF and AussieHomeschool staff. User understands and agrees that suspension and termination rights referenced in this User Agreementmay be exercised at any time with or without cause or prior notice and may include full deactivation or deletion of User accounts and Website Content without restoration, backup or recourse. ADMIN STAFF and AussieHomeschool have no responsibility to provide User with copies of any suspended, deleted,blocked, terminated or eliminated Website Content.

4. Description of Service. AussieHomeschool provides User with various opportunities and services, including without limitation the opportunities toregister for an account, to post information and comments, to offer products and services for sale and to purchase products and services on and through the AussieHomeschool website. Only Users who agree to all of the terms of the UserAgreement and register for an account are permitted to use and access AussieHomeschool and services offered on and through AussieHomeschool. ADMINSTAFF and AussieHomeschool accept no responsibility or liability for the ability or inability of any User to access or use AussieHomeschool.

5. Fees. There is no cost or fee to create an account at AussieHomeschool or to access Website Content.

6. Status, Use and Content. AussieHomeschool and ADMIN STAFF are not traders and do not take part in or become a party to transactions between Users or between Users and third parties. AussieHomeschool is a website which permitsUsers to offer, buy and sell a variety of non-prohibited items pursuant to the specific terms of the User Agreement. User understands and agrees that ADMIN STAFF and AussieHomeschool do not control Website Content and that each User is solely and completely responsible for all information, data, text, messages,proposals, offers, promotions, sales, purchases, original or derivative ideas,works of authorship, joint works, titles, graphics, artistic works,photographic works, video, concepts, methods, ideas, software, websites,trademarks, trade dress and trade secrets, whether or not patentable or registrable under patent, copyright, trademark or similar laws, solely or jointly conceived, and whether or not produced, developed, experimented upon or reduced to practice (collectively, “Material”) and other Website Content created,provided, uploaded, linked or posted by that User. The defined term “WebsiteContent” includes, without limitation, Material posted by Users and thirdparties. ADMIN STAFF and AussieHomeschool neither endorse nor accept any responsibility for the acts, omissions and Website Content created, provided,uploaded, linked or posted by User or any third party, whether or not permitted or covered by the User Agreement. AussieHomeschool and ADMIN STAFF do not control, investigate, represent or warrant the nature, fitness, safety, legality, accuracy, quality or veracity of Website Content, including without limitation items offered for sale on or through AussieHomeschool.

7. Potentially Offensive Content. User understands that use of AussieHomeschool may result in exposure to Website Content that User finds offensive, indecent or objectionable and agrees to hold ADMIN STAFF and AussieHomeschool harmless from and against any responsibility or liability for offensive, indecent or objectionable content and conduct.

8. Agree to abide by terms and conditions of AussieHomeschool. For purposes of this User Agreement, User shall agree to abide by conditions as set by the board host, AussieHomeschool.

9. Personal Use. AussieHomeschool and related services are made available to User for personal use only. User may create, provide, upload, linkor post Website Content only in and on permitted portions of AussieHomeschool and may write edit, alter, overwrite, block or delete Website Content originally created, provided, uploaded, linked or posted by User pursuant tothe express provisions of the User Agreement. User may not frame or otherwise alter the appearance or functionality of AussieHomeschool and may not edit,alter, overwrite, block or delete Website Content created by AussieHomeschool, other Users or third parties.

10. Changes and Modifications. ADMIN STAFF and AussieHomeschool reserve the sole, discretionary right to change the User Agreement and Website rules,policies, procedures and practices from time to time and will notify Users of significant changes by posting notices on AussieHomeschool. Users are responsible for reviewing the User Agreement and associated rules, policies,procedures and practices on a regular basis. ADMIN STAFF and AussieHomeschool reserve the sole, discretionary right to change, suspend or terminate parts or all of AussieHomeschool and related websites and services at any time with or without prior notice. ADMIN STAFF and AussieHomeschool are not liable to User or any third party for any change to, suspension or termination of AussieHomeschool or related websites and services. ADMIN STAFF reserve the discretionary right to test new policies, procedures, “alpha” and “beta”programs, offers and technologies (collectively, “New Procedures”) at any time and in any manner.

11. Loss of Information, Outages. ADMIN STAFF and AussieHomeschool assume no responsibility or liability for deletion of or failure to store Website Content for any reason. ADMIN STAFF and AussieHomeschool have no fixed limit on the amount of Website Content a User may create, provide, upload, link or post but retain the exclusive, discretionary right to create, implement and enforce limitations at any time, with or without cause or prior notice. ADMINSTAFF and AussieHomeschool accept no responsibility or liability for “bugs,”errors, losses, damage or other claims relating to or arising out of internal or external hardware or software errors, power failures, outages or theinability of any person to access or use AussieHomeschool at any time or for any reason.

12. Right to Terminate Service. ADMIN STAFF and AussieHomeschool reserve the right to suspend or terminate all or any part of the password, account, user privileges and Website access of any User or third party, and to suspend,delete, block out or eliminate any Website Content, at any time and for any reason, including without limitation a discretionary determination by ADMINSTAFF or AussieHomeschool that a User has engaged in conduct which violates the letter or spirit of the User Agreement or any other Website rule, policy,procedure or practice. Suspension, termination, deletion, blocking and similar actions may be temporary or permanent at the sole discretion of ADMIN STAFF andAussieHomeschool. Suspension or termination of a User’s account may also result in the suspension or termination of all other accounts registered (a) in thename of the User whose account has been suspended or terminated, (b) to members of the same household as the User whose account has been suspended orterminated and (c) to computers or Users sharing a physical or IP address withthe User whose account has been suspended or terminated. A User whose account or access privileges have been blocked or suspended may not create a new account, access Website using an account belonging to another User or other wise use or access AussieHomeschool while the User’s privileges remain blocked or suspended. A User whose account or access privileges have been terminated may not create a new account or access or use AussieHomeschool in any manner. User understands and agrees that rights reserved by or belonging to ADMIN STAFF andAussieHomeschool may be exercised at any time with or without cause or prior notice and that those rights include full deactivation or deletion of Website Content, including without limitation Material created, provided, uploaded,linked or posted by User. ADMIN STAFF and AussieHomeschool have no responsibility to provide User with copies of any suspended, deleted, blocked,terminated or eliminated Website Content.

13. Rules and Policies. User has read, understands and agrees to the terms of the AussieHomeschool Privacy Policy, Selling Rules, Purchasing Rules,Restricted Items Policy, SPAM and Unsolicited Contact Policy, Language Policy,and Dispute Notification Policy each of which is incorporated into the User Agreement by this reference as if fully set forth herein.

14. User Accounts. Users who register for an account withAussieHomeschool must provide certain personally identifying information andwill receive a password and other account information, some of which may be selected or provided by User. User accepts full personal liability and responsibility for all activities occurring under or arising out of accounts registered to, for or by User, with no exceptions. User accepts full responsibility for maintaining the confidentiality and security of passwords and account information. User may change the password assigned to User’s account pursuant to instructions posted at AussieHomeschool. User may close existing accounts and set up new accounts at will, provided that a User may not close an existing account or open a new account (a) for any reason or purpose which would violate or circumvent the User Agreement or any posted rule,policy, procedure or practice, (b) to commit or encourage others to commit any illegal act, (c) to misrepresent the identity of User or any third party, or (d) to re-establish an account or access to AussieHomeschool for or on behalfof any individual whose use privileges have been suspended or terminated for any reason. User must immediately notify AussieHomeschool of any unauthorized use of User’s account or any other known breach of the User Agreement.

15. Terminating Accounts. User may terminate accounts registered to, by or on behalf of User. If User objects to any portion of the User Agreement or any other rule, policy, procedure or practice established, revised or posted by ADMIN STAFF or AussieHomeschool the only remedy or recourse available to User is to immediately cancel all accounts registered to, by or on behalf of User and discontinue use of AussieHomeschool. Access and use privileges terminate immediately upon cancellation or termination of a User account. User has no right, and AussieHomeschool and ADMIN STAFF have no obligation, to delete or to continue to post Website Content, to forward unread or unsent messages to User or to provide User with information, access or service of any kind duringsuspension or following termination of an account registered by, for or on behalf of User, regardless of the reason for suspension or termination. ADMINSTAFF and AussieHomeschool reserve the absolute, discretionary right to terminate, delete, modify or restrict access to any and all Website Content and User accounts at any time with or without cause or prior notice. User agrees to the terms of this paragraph without reservation. User understands and agrees that the right of ADMIN STAFF and AussieHomeschool to terminate, delete, modifyand restrict access to Website Content and to terminate AussieHomeschool and related services at any time, with or without cause or prior notice is a vital,non-negotiable part of this User Agreement.

16. User Conduct. User may access and use AussieHomeschool subject to the User Agreement, posted rules, policies, procedures and practices and applicable law. User is completely responsible for all Website Content created,provided, uploaded, linked or posted by User or by any person using an account registered to, by or on behalf of User. User hereby covenants and agrees:
a. To comply with the User Agreement and all posted rules, policies, proceduresand practices of AussieHomeschool.
b. Not to disrupt, interfere with, “hack” or access without permission AussieHomeschool or any website, network, server, system or computer connected to AussieHomeschool.
c. Not to use AussieHomeschool or the name of AussieHomeschool or ADMIN STAFFfor or in connection with chain letters, junk mail, “spam” or unsolicited communications and not to contact any other User without his or her priorwritten consent.
d. Not to create, provide, upload, link, post or transmit any unlawful,harassing, defamatory, libelous, abusive, offensive, inappropriate, sexuallyexplicit, threatening, harmful or non-permitted information or Website Content, including without limitation offensive, profane, obscene, racist or sexually explicit content and language which substitutes asterisks or other alternative characters for part or all of a term which would otherwise violate the UserAgreement.
e. Not to create, provide, upload, link, post or transmit any information or Website Content which encourages or incites conduct which gives rise to actual or potential criminal or civil liability or violates applicable law, and not to knowingly create, re-create, provide, upload, link, post, re-post or comment on deleted or banned information, warning letters, sanctions or private communications from ADMIN STAFF or Aussie Homeschool.
f. Not to intentionally interfere with the operation of AussieHomeschool or the use and enjoyment of AussieHomeschool by any person or in any manner. ADMIN STAFF and AussieHomeschool reserve the right to immediately delete any Website Content and to terminate the access, use privileges and account of any User whose conduct fails to conform to the User Agreement and all posted rules,policies, procedures and practices.
g. User will not, and will not use software or programming code designed to,strip, gather or harvest information from AussieHomeschool about other Users,User accounts, third parties or the contents of AussieHomeschool servers, lists and information caches.

17. Ownership and Proprietary Content. User may not make any claim to ownership of AussieHomeschool, ADMIN STAFF, Website Content, Material,trademarks, property or other rights belonging to ADMIN STAFF, AussieHomeschool or any third party, whether or not wrongfully used, appropriated or infringed by User. User understands and agrees that Website Content not specifically created by User belongs to ADMIN STAFF, AussieHomeschool or other third parties and may be protected by patent, copyright, trademark, trade dress, service mark or other applicable law and that User is permitted to use and access Website Content only pursuant to the provisions of the User Agreement or specific written authorization from the owner of the Website Content. User may not use,reproduce, copy, publish, distribute or create derivative works based uponWebsite Content owned by ADMIN STAFF, AussieHomeschool or third parties without the prior written consent of the legal owner.

18. Acceptance of Risk. Website Content created, provided, uploaded,linked, posted, downloaded, obtained or accessed from or through the use ofAussieHomeschool is created, provided, uploaded, linked, posted, downloaded,obtained and accessed at the sole discretion, risk and responsibility of User.User accepts sole responsibility and liability for any loss or damage of any kind, including without limitation monetary losses, unforeseen and consequential damages and damage to User’s computer, hardware, operatingsystem, software, network, server and Internet service resulting from orarising out of use or access to AussieHomeschool and Website Content.

19. Indemnity and Release. User hereby releases and agrees to indemnify ADMIN STAFF and AussieHomeschool from and against any and all claims, losses,liabilities, damages, demands, suits, causes of action, judgments, costs and expenses, including without limitation court costs and attorney fees, resulting from or arising out of use of AussieHomeschool or any breach of the User Agreement by User or any third party using an account registered to, by or on behalf of User.

20. Notice. ADMIN STAFF and AussieHomeschool may provide valid, effective notice to User by posting or broadcasting notices on AussieHomeschool or related websites or by sending User electronic communications at the e-mail address provided by User. Notices are deemed given when posted or sent.

21. Acceptance by User. User understands and agrees that use of AussieHomeschool indicates full and complete agreement to each and every one of the Terms of Use as if User had signed a written document containing the same.

You can download a copy of our Advertising Policy by clicking the link.

Thank you for your interest in marketing your service, business, product or ministry through AussieHomeschool. Once you get to know us, you’ll understand why our advertisers are so happy to be a part of the AHS family. We host the largest and longest serving (15 years and counting) homeschooling forum in Australia, with the unique AussieHomeschool Classifieds being very popular.

We have an active presence on Facebook so as home education continues to grow and develop we aim to reach as many local homeschoolers as possible. We aim to offer a few advertising options at very competitive rates, providing you with a wide exposure.

Please know that our site has a family-friendly, Christian rating and all advertisement campaigns are allowed at the discretion of the admin team.

Standard Web Banners

Contact

To submit your advertisement or make an enquiry, please email your questions and/or submission by using the contact form on our website.

Terms & Conditions Specifically for the Download and File Sharing

* The member/person who is uploading files to be distributed is hereby referred to as ‘Publisher’.

1. GRANT OF LICENSE. Publisher grants to AussieHomeschool a non-exclusive, world-wide license to produce and sell electronic book versions of the Products (hereinafter “Licensed
Files”). Publisher grants AussieHomeschool the right to sell each Product’s files to consumers at the price listed by Publisher.

2. COPYRIGHT. The Publisher agrees to only submit files to which they are legally entitled to distribute. Check here for our thoughts on Homeschool Copyright.

3. ROYALTIES.
(a) AussieHomeschool shall pay to Publisher a seventy percent (70%) royalty on the sales of Licensed Files for which the Publisher supplied AussieHomeschool with an unlocked pdf
file of the Product.
(b) Publishers may request a payout at the beginning of each calendar month but not before the total of $25 has accrued. If a total payment amount due is less than twenty-five ($25.00) dollars then AussieHomeschool may accrue the amount due to the following month’s amount due instead of making payment.
(d) There shall be no deductions from the royalties owed for uncollectible accounts.
(e) Royalties shall be computed and paid in AU Dollars. Royalties shall be paid via PayPal or Direct Debit to Publisher’s nominated account.
(f) Publishers may view royalty sales/credit amount via their AHS Client Area –> Account Credit

4. FORCE MAJEURE. In the event AussieHomeschool is prevented from operating or performing its duties under this Agreement due to strike, war, embargoes, acts of supernatural powers or acts over which AussieHomeschool has no control, AussieHomeschool shall be relieved from complying with the terms of this Agreement until the event has passed and
AussieHomeschool is again in a position to comply with the terms hereof.

5. TERMINATION BY PUBLISHER. Publisher shall have the right to terminate this Agreement (and remove their file/s) and the rights granted to AussieHomeschool if AussieHomeschool does not make timely payment of royalties, or if AussieHomeschool violates any of its obligations under the terms of this contract.

6. ACCEPTANCE by USER. User understands and agrees that use of AussieHomeschool indicates full and complete agreement to each and every one ofthe Terms of Use as if User had signed a written document containing the same.

7. CHANGES and MODIFICATION.  ADMIN STAFF and AussieHomeschool reservethe sole, discretionary right to change the User Agreement and Website rules,policies, procedures and practices from time to time and will notify Users of significant changes by posting notices on AussieHomeschool. Users are responsible for reviewing the User Agreement and associated rules, policies, procedures and practices on a regular basis. ADMIN STAFF and AussieHomeschool reserve the sole, discretionary right to change, suspend or terminate parts or all of AussieHomeschool and related websites and services at any time with or without prior notice. ADMIN STAFF and AussieHomeschool are not liable to User or any third party for any change to, suspension or termination of AussieHomeschool or related websites and services. ADMIN STAFF reserve the discretionary right to test new policies, procedures, “alpha” and “beta”programs, offers and technologies (collectively, “New Procedures”) at any time and in any manner.

view the pdf version here.

What information do we collect?

Wecollect information from you when you register on our site.

Whenordering or registering on our site, as appropriate, you may be asked to enteryour: name or e-mail address. You may, however, visit our site anonymously.

Google,as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on your site.
Google’s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to your users based ontheir visit to your sites and other sites on the Internet.
Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad andcontent network privacy policy..

What do we use your information for?

Any ofthe information we collect from you may be used in one of the following ways:

; Topersonalize your experience
(your information helps us to better respond to your individual needs)

; Toimprove our website
(we continually strive to improve our website offerings based on theinformation and feedback we receive from you)

; Toimprove customer service
(your information helps us to more effectively respond to your customer servicerequests and support needs)

How do weprotect your information?

Weimplement a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of yourpersonal information when you enter, submit, or access your personalinformation.

Do we usecookies?

Yes(Cookies are small files that a site or its service provider transfers to yourcomputers hard drive through your Web browser (if you allow) that enables thesites or service providers systems to recognize your browser and capture andremember certain information

We usecookies to understand and save your preferences for future visits and compileaggregate data about site traffic and site interaction so that we can offerbetter site experiences and tools in the future.

Do wedisclose any information to outside parties?

We do notsell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personallyidentifiable information. This does not include trusted third parties whoassist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or servicing you,so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential. We mayalso release your information when we believe release is appropriate to complywith the law, enforce our site policies, or protect ours or others rights,property, or safety. However, non-personally identifiable visitor informationmay be provided to other parties for marketing, advertising, or other uses.

CaliforniaOnline Privacy Protection Act Compliance

Becausewe value your privacy we have taken the necessary precautions to be incompliance with the California Online Privacy Protection Act. We therefore willnot distribute your personal information to outside parties without yourconsent.

As partof the California Online Privacy Protection Act, all users of our site may makeany changes to their information at anytime by logging into their control paneland going to the ‘Edit Profile’ page.

ChildrensOnline Privacy Protection Act Compliance

We are incompliance with the requirements of COPPA (Childrens Online Privacy ProtectionAct), we do not collect any information from anyone under 13 years of age. Ourwebsite, products and services are all directed to people who are at least 13years old or older.

OnlinePrivacy Policy Only

Thisonline privacy policy applies only to information collected through our websiteand not to information collected offline.

Your Consent

By usingour site, you consent to our online privacy policy.

Changes to our Privacy Policy

If wedecide to change our privacy policy, we will update the Privacy Policymodification date below.

Thispolicy was last modified on 10/09/2011

ContactingUs

If thereare any questions regarding this privacy policy you may contact us using theinformation below.

http://aussiehomeschool.com.au/blog
Adelaide, SA 5125
Australia
aussiehomeschool.admin@gmail.com

Thispolicy is powered by Trust Guard PCI compliantscans.

Download the pdf version of the Disclosure Policy here.

This policy is valid from 10 September 2011

My desire is to provide a helpful forum and tools for Australian homeschoolers and/or parents. Quite a large amount of time and money has gone into creating and maintaining AussieHomeschool. As such, I feel it is acceptable to be compensated by way of advertising and participation in selected affiliate programs. I will only promote and endorse products and services that I have personally used or will recommend without hesitation.

This site is owned and operated by me. For questions about this site, please contact Susan Priolo (susanpriolo @ gmail .com).

This site accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

The compensation received will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this site. All advertising is in the form of advertisements generated by a third party ad network. Those advertisements will be identified as paid advertisements.

The owner(s) of this site is compensated to provide opinion on products, services,websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this site receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this site are purely the site owners’ own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This sitedoes not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

The moderators and owners of the site are Christian, as are many members and this will be reflected in the site content. While the site is open to all, we trust that all members would respect our beliefs while using the site. We, as Christians endeavor to be welcoming and open to those of other faiths and expect the same respect in return.

The owner/moderators are free to block/delete any posts/threads that are deemed inappropriate or provocative in nature, as per the site policies.

AussieHomeschool has an extensive section of Terms & Conditions, Guidelines, Netiquette and Policies. However, our forum guidelines have not been strict nor set out in point form. In this section, we endeavour to do that.

HOW TO POST ON THE FORUMS

1. Pre-existing. Does my question or comment already exist? Check first.  Browse the sections or use the Forum Search Bar at the top right of the main page.
2. Do Choose Correct Category. Can other people looking for answers find my topic?
3. Do Write Clear title. Does my title give a clear indication of my topic?
4. Do Write Clear Questions or Statements. Do people understand what I am asking? Have I used the edit options to set out my post clearly?
5. Avoid Using Excessive Capitals. On the web, exclusive capitals equals shouting.

WHAT TO POST ON THE FORUMS

6. Your Own Words. It is your own? Only post your own words. External information can be provided by a link and/or a single sentence or short paragraph. Forums are relational – we want to get to know you and your thoughts, not opinions that you agree with. We also have no wish to infringe on anyone’s copyright.
7. Remember the Audience. Not everyone is female. Not everyone is Christian. Even if there are many Christians, not everyone is the same denomination or persuasion as you are. (*more notes?)
8. Use Quotes Concisely. Only quote the part of the post you are directly addressing. Keep in mind that readers can most likely still see the post you are quoting from and can read it again if need be.
9. Don’t Beat A Dead Horse. Don’t push one topic to the exclusion or overshadowing of all others. Don’t become known as “the member who always rattles on about….” AussieHomeschool is for everyone (all 3,845 members) not just for one or two people or one or two opinions.
10. Don’t Be Divisive. Many topics are a matter of conviction and/or preference. These include topics such as (but not limited to): The Trinity, Bible Translations, Baptism, Diet, Vaccinations, etc. AussieHomeschool is for binding together in the unity of homeschooling, not dividing over matters of conviction. See here for our Statement of Belief.
11. Do Post Encouragement. As a general rule focus on posting encouraging articles, links and/or opinions regarding our role as wives, mothers, and homeschoolers. Build each other up in these tasks.
12. Do Post Technical Queries. When making a technical inquiry or request for technical assistance, include as much technical information as possible, especially in the subject line, so that your query can be handled as swiftly as possible. Link to Tech Support Forum.
13. Don’t Hijack. Stay true to the original question. If other questions arise, start a new thread and provide a link from the old thread to the new thread.

WHEN TO POST ON THE FORUM

14. Don’t Be A Forum Hog. Are you being heard too often, particularly on the same subject. Consider the timing, frequency and volume of your posts. Active regular involvement is good. Over expressing opinions is not. Avoid being the dominant voice.
15. Don’t Push Your Barrow. A business, opinion, or personal beliefs anywhere in the forums – including by PM – even if it is a method of homeschooling or Christianity. Know your audience.
16. Do Respect Privacy. Don’t reveal members personal information to any other member or non-member (including their real life name).
17. Do Post To Share Relevant Info. This forum is for encouragement and empowerment in our lives as wives (spouse), parents, and homeschoolers. Please share here anything that will help each other to achieve these goals.
18. Do Ask For Help. This forum is for your encouragement too. Please ask questions freely – the members here are a wealth of information and encouragement.

WHERE TO POST IN THE FORUM

19. Do Post in the Correct Category. Please post your question, comment, or link where others can find it again. In this way we can build a strong resource for the homeschooling community.

WHO CAN POST IN THE FORUMS

EVERYONE!

Everyone should feel free to post. To make this a safe place to do so, everyone needs to remember these things:

20. Do Post As Yourself. Please only post as yourself. Do not allow others (including family) to post on your account. Encourage others to create their own account, even if it will only be occasional use. Your account is your identity to other members. Allowing nonmembers to post on your account compromises the safety and privacy of other members.
21. Do Respect Other People. Other peoples time (we all have families to care for), internet connection (not everyone is lucky enough to have a quick internet connection) and opinions (they have probably researched and experienced just as much as you).
22. Do Be Quick to Forgive Other Peoples mistakes. They will have plenty of opportunity to forgive you.
23. Do Refrain from lashing back at a poorly behaving member or participating in a flame war. Instead, respond in love with gentleness (if necessary) and report the post to admin.
24. Always Love one another deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. Set aside harsh words or contentious arguments and personal feelings that react to them. Instead, respond with gentleness and patience.

WHY POST IN THE FORUM

25. To Bless Others: always consider others needs and perspective before your own desire to respond. To avoid appearing self absorbed, one should respond to topics started by others more often than starting your own.
26. Be Focused: Ask questions and partake in discussions regarding our roles as wives (spouse), mothers, and homeschoolers.
27. Remember Context Matters: This is a homeschooling forum. Homeschooling topics matter. This is not a general social club or a church bible study.
28. To Share: This forum is for encouragement and empowerment in our lives as wives (spouse), mothers, and homeschoolers. Please share here anything that will help each other to achieve these goals.
29. Do Ask for Help:  This forum is for your encouragement too. Please ask questions freely – the members here are a wealth of information and encouragement.

MISCELLANEOUS

30. Observe PM Etiquette. See more here.
31. Signature Guidelines. Signatures should generally have a maximum height of 100 pixels, so as not to cause clutter in the thread.
32. Include Your Blog or Website. Create a link in your signature line so others can learn more about you if they desire to.

REPORTING POSTS

When To Report A Post: Each member has a voice and has a right to speak up when they feel threatened or denigrated in any way or are concerned that this could be so for other members. For the safety of all members, and to maintain a site of integrity, please make sure you report posts that you believe are contrary to the aims of AussieHomeschool or that compromise the safety and integrity of members.

How To Report A Post or Thread. Each post on the forum has the ability to be reported. Simply click on the ‘report’ button and fill in the information. Please include why you are reporting the post and include a reference number of these points above, if it is appropriate.

All reported posts can be read by the administration team but is kept strictly confidential. No one, other than the admin team, know who has reported a post.

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The 10 Commandments for Posting

Our guidelines are based on what “Love is” according to 1Corinthians 13

1 – Be patient with others…
for sometimes the written word is hard to understand at first reading.
Remember that most people are not trying to hurt anyone’s feelings when they post here.

2 – Be kind to each other…
for we all need another friend. You don’t have to agree with everyone, but remember to keep it discussions and not arguments.

3 – Do not be boastful or proud…
when posting on the boards re-read everything that you write. Make sure that it is coming across in the best possible way.

4 – Do not be rude or self-seeking…
there is no need for puffing yourself up or putting others down. We will allow no crude, vulgar, racist, sexually explicit or graphic language of any kind, or any personal attacks. All such posts will be deleted immediately.

5 – Do not be easily angered or keep a record of wrongs…
remain calm and forget offenses. If there is a problem that can’t be worked out privately please do not post it on the boards. You may send a PM to a moderator or site administrator.

6 – Do not delight in evil, but rejoice in the truth…
don’t be happy when bad befalls another person, but look for good in all things. Remember that we are all here for support and ministry.

7 – Protect each other…
this is a place where we should not fear to come. It should be a place where we can find solace, inspiration, and a place for learning more about the love of God. If you see a post that is contrary to the Word of God before we see it, please let us know. Let’s protect each other in a way that we are all looking out for each other spiritually.

8 – Trust each other…
try not to take things personally. While reading posts that were intended for you or for others, remember that everyone is trying their hardest to come across the “right way“. If something has two inferences, take the nicest one and assume that was how the other person meant it.

9 – Hope for the best for each other…
in your words that you leave for others to read. Remember that this is not a private arena. Others will read your messages and we want this place to be one where anyone would enjoy coming. Please help us present this image with what you leave behind.

10 – Persevere in love and don’t let it fail…
if you constantly love the other person, in everything you say or do, then everything else will take care of itself.

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Private Messaging Etiquette & Guidelines

Private Message is a way to correspond with an individual member without publicly displaying your conversation. Private Messages are private & confidential conversations between two members.

To maintain privacy:
1. Don’t forward another person’s PM onto another member or some other third party.
2. If you receive a general forward or article be aware that these are usually covered by copyright and should not be passed around via PM.

How to deal with unwanted Private Messages 
1. Ask the member to stop PMing you. If they are seeking off-topic counsel refer them to a face-to-face counselor such as their local pastor.
2. Ignore any further PMs from that member
3. If the member persists in PMing you please notify a moderator.

The Discussion Forum is non commercial…not the place for businesses or vendors to advertise or promote their resources. If you receive an unsolicited PM that does not uphold these guidelines, please inform a moderator/administrator.

Yep, you guessed it. Just as manners and etiquette are required in a real life community, so there are online as well.

In a nutshell, here are some basic forum netiquette guidelines, taken from Wikipedia.

Forum etiquette

Certain rules of unspoken etiquette are recommended to be followed when using Internet forums. They include:

• One should read all the rules and guidelines established by the community. Some communities may have different regulations on a particular subject.
• One should always be courteous to other forum members.
• Before creating a new topic thread, one is advised to search to see if a similar topic already exists.
• Contributors should follow standard grammar and spelling rules and avoid slang. Of course this practice is rather subjective. Context is everything!
• If the forum is categorised, one should strive to post in the correct section.
• When making a technical inquiry, one should include as much technical information as possible, especially in the subject line.
• Contributors are asked to stay on-topic.
• Contributors should avoid double posting and Crossposting.
• To avoid appearing self-absorbed, one should respond to topics started by others more often than starting topics of one’s own.
• Contributors should avoid the use of all CAPITAL LETTERS in posts. ALL CAPS is considered “shouting” and causes readability issues.
• One should try to refrain from lashing back at a poorly behaving member or participating in a flame war; instead, notify the messageboard’s staff of the event.
• When quoting a previous post, one should only include the relevant portion of that post. Contributors are requested to keep in mind that their audience can likely still see the message they are quoting on the same screen and can read it again if need be.
• Signatures on forums should generally have a maximum height of 100 pixels, as to not cause clutter.

But don’t stop there! To maximise your online relationships, look into it further. Do some more reading here:

http://en.wikipedia….wiki/Netiquette
and
http://www.albion.com/netiquette/

The above site is fairly definitive. Listed is the ten most basic but important guidelines of netiquette:

• Rule 1: Remember the Human
• Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of behaviour online that you follow in real life
• Rule 3: Know where you are in cyberspace
• Rule 4: Respect other people’s time and bandwidth
• Rule 5: Make yourself look good online
• Rule 6: Share expert knowledge
• Rule 7: Help keep flame wars under control
• Rule 8: Respect other people’s privacy
• Rule 9: Don’t abuse your power
• Rule 10: Be forgiving of other people’s mistakes

Of course, each community has its own little hot spots that should be avoided and other points which aren’t so rigid. However, Rule 8 is a must for any type of relationship- in real life or online.