Guidelines for building a positive community:

1.) Be positive. Constructive criticism is allowed. Rude, antagonistic comments are not; they are grounds for a warning.

2.) If you don't like a member's posts, then don't read them. Leave them alone. If you have multiple conflicts with the same member, stop posting on each other’s threads.

3.) If you feel that a forum member is breaking the forum rules, report it using the "Report Abuse" button located at the bottom righthand corner of each post. 

4.) If you feel the need to address a personal problem with a fellow forum member, contact them off the forum. Any personal correspondence that takes place in this manner is just that — personal. Posting a personal e-mail on the forum will result in a warning.

5.) If a conflict develops, notify the moderator then leave it alone. Every post on a flame thread, no matter how well intended, contributes to the bandwagon effect and keeps the post at the top of the list.

6.) A thread that starts out innocently can sometimes degenerate into a flame thread. If this happens, the person who started the thread should request that people drop the subject immediately. This request should be a red flag to other members that posting on that thread is no longer allowed — no apologies, no last words, just leave it alone until a moderator can lock it.

If you have any questions, please contact me at lhaedt@beadstylemag.com.