Forum hints, tips & info

[Korn]

Hi all!

Some news...

Due to repeated problems with some of the Styles after forum updates (eg. white text on white background), I have temporarily disabled most of this style options. The default Style is 'Kelisa' for now, and you can also choose the blue and white factory default from vBulletin.

Also: the so called Social Group area has been disabled - at least for now. This area wasn't used much, there were more visual / style related problems in that areas than in most or there areas, and using the regular subforums for all kind of posting currently seems to be the best solution. Please send me a PM if you think we need more subforums/Permission Groups!

In order to get access to more subforums than you may have access to right now, look here: http://www.veganforum.com/forums/profile.php?do=editusergroups

[Korn]

Hi all,

Those of you who have had a look at the user profile area after the update to vBulletin 4.08 not long ago, have probably noticed that - depending on which skin you use - lots of the text in that area is now unreadable, due to an undocumented change in the software.

Various theories about how this issue can be fixed have been posted on vBulletin.com, but I'm not going to try any of them until I'm 100% sure that the fix I'll try will work. I spent a few hours earlier this week only trying to find out what the actual problem was - because there are many parameters that can be changed in the Admin panel - parameters that control the look of the profile section - but they have no effect.

Until we can solve this problem, the best solution for now is to use a forum Style with a light background.

Sorry for the inconvenience...

[Korn]

A lot of threads have been moved lately, and hopefully most of them have ended up in the right subforum. We have several new food subforums, and there have been some other structural changes as well, which is why many threads have been moved.

There will still be some adjustments - eg. maybe some subforums will be merged or renamed in the process of making it easier to find posts about specific topics without being to dependent on the vBulletin search feature (which IMHO needs an update soon).

We've also installed a new plugin a while ago, automatically posting members about moving or deleting posts/threads... so thanks for your patience while this reorganizing process is going on. Hopefully the result will be a better overview of all the threads and posts we have.

[Korn]

Here's a useful setting for making the built-in search engine find threads about a certain topic:

Go to Advanced Search.

1) Under 'Search Types': Select Posts (this includes titles) and Forums (includes forum names)
2) Next to "Search for", select "Search Titles Only".
3) Find Posts: Select Any Date (and "And Newer").


That's it - select Save Search Preferences.


Now you can enter a keyword, eg "Fish". If done right, the software should now show you all threads with the word Fish in the title (42 threads at the moment).





Since you saved your preferences, all you need to do next time is to enter a keyword.

[Korn]

Hi all,

Many people come here to promote anti-vegan/pro-meat articles or sites. So we have this rule in the guidleines about posting links to anti-veg articles, which requires more than just a 'this is ridiculous' added.

Of course non-vegan visitors (90% of our visitors aren't members) assume that we think the attacks on veg*ns are silly anyway, so just saying that they are silly don't add much balance, if any at all.

There's no reason to share such links if it's not to more or less tear the article apart (ETA: 'tear them' as in commenting what they write in a way that makes non-vegan readers understand our perspective on the topics they discuss, not as in vent, moan and insult). We don't want people to use the forum to post links to all the silly things that are written by non-veg*ns out there - unless the purpose is to counterargue what they write.

We know such articles will keep coming, and it's great if we can use this forum to comment them, and show our visitors and new/potential vegans a vegan perspective on what these writers bring up.

But please don't contribute to help making these articles widespread unless you also go further than saying that they are stupid. Otherwise our forum will serve as a PR agency for these writers: the end effect is simply that more visitors will move over to eg. The Guardian and read their anti-veg articles instead of our many pro-veg threads. That's not something we want.

[Andy_T]

Very good point!

So the essence of your post is 'If you post a link to an anti-vegan article, be sure to put enough effort into explaining why it is wrong'. Makes a lot of sense to me.

Best regards,
Andy

[Korn]

When we quote someone, or edit a quote, the result sometimes end up without that quote look. So here's a little tip if you want to get it right:

1) Make sure, when you edit a quote (eg. if you want to remove some non-relevant text) that you only remove text from the message itself, and not the '[' or the ']' which comes with it.

2) Remember that you can quote only a part of the original text: Click on "Quote selected text " instead of "Reply with Quote".

3) If something went wrong, make sure the quote ends with [/quote] and starts with [quote].

The resulting quote should either look like this:
739


...or like this:
740

[SlackAlice]

Timely advice Korn;)
In light of the fact that I have just made two posts and somehow managed to mess up..(I thought I had followed the same procedure as usual but apparently not)

Oh the shame!!!:o

[Korn]

1.
Q: Can i upload copies of commercial music tracks on internet and post links to them here?
A: No.

2.
Q: Why not? I've changed the original tracks (added a loop, changed tempo/pitch or something similar).
A: That doesn't make a difference. Most likely, this music is copyrighted, and even you had a written approval from the owner of each of the tracks you have uploaded, they most likely wouldn't want to you to give their music away for free, since they live off the royalties from their songs. (If you sold it, most of them they'd want part of the sales income.)

3.
Q: But it's not one track - it's a long track consisting of many songs from various artists, tied together as one long file?
A: Removing the gap between songs from an album, or from multiple albums doesn't entitle you to sell or give away their music.

4.
Q: But I'm not making any money on it!
A: That doesn't help the artists who created the originals. On the contrary, if anyone can download their music from internet for free, they're more likely to sell fewer records. And even if a DJ mix actually will increase their sales, it's up to them, and not any random DJ mixer or bit torrent site to decide whether their tracks shall be available for free.

5.
Q: Copyright/permission is not required for DJ mixes (unless a DJ is selling i.e. profiting from a mix), because DJ mixes are treated 'demos' - showcases for a DJ's talents and a demo i.e. example of their work.
A: Lots of artists don't want their finished tracks to be considered 'demos' that are distributed for free on internet to demo someone else's ability to DJ their tracks.

6.
Q: But DJ mixes are often considered helpful by the musicians featured in them (and their labels) because we are promoting their work?
A: If an artist has given a DJ a written permission to distribute their songs for free on internet, we'll reconsider the situation when we see that written permission.

7.
Q: But some of these artists already make lots of money on their music?
A: Not relevant, because we can't check an artists' income before we allow someone to share their music on internet... and his income or lack of income doesn't change the ethics or legality of the situation.

8.
Q: But I'm a musician myself!
A: Then you can post links to eg. your MySpace or similar site and upload your music for free there (unless other circumstances prevent you from doing that). You can't combine songs from other artists and consider them yours, altered or not.

9.
Q: Many of the artists featured will have benefited from my mix - not least from me buying the ones I didn't have already!
A: They may have made some cents by selling you a copy, but that doesn't mean that you can take over the distribution of the file you paid for.

10.
Q: But its' a DJ Mix!!!
A: Often, the main part of a DJ Mix is nothing but identical replicas of others' music, with the normal gap between the songs removed, so they appear as one long file or a 'mix'. Sometimes grooves or sounds from other tracks are added to the original track - without permission from any of those who own the rights to the tracks. Again: you don't get the right to do what you want with someone else's work by ripping off some seconds, minutes or the whole song from an album and calling it a 'mix'.

---

Copyright laws vary from country to country. Some governments disallow copying/sharing others' work but do nothing to stop it. The biggest names out there may not care, but many artists' income is threatened by having their work freely available on internet (against their will).

This topic (sharing/distributing/altering/DJ-mixing/remixing etc) is discussed all over internet, but our policy regarding these things is not up for discussion. You may still, of course, discuss the legality of file sharing, how you think the laws should change and what kind of actions or alterations that you think makes sharing a music file into something else than plain "file sharing" (eg. changing it's tempo, adding a loop, removing the gap between songs, not charging anything from the copies you upload etc).


Here are some links to discussions on other sites:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101008203714AAm1DBx
http://ezinearticles.com/?UK-Music-Copyright-Law-Basics&id=2444263
http://www.mixmeister.com/company_isthislegal.html
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/youtube/thread?tid=54e5ae9d995e551d&hl=en
http://www.livecrunch.com/2010/10/26/uk-music-copyright-law-basics-6/
http://forums.powweb.com/showthread.php?t=81854


---


A DJ Mix distributed on internet is often very similar to a situation where someone would make a free internet magazine by taking the best articles from a number of random websites/writers/magazines - including copyrighted material - change the articles here and there, copy some viewpoints from one article into another etc.... all without permission from those who have written the original articles. Then the self-proclaimed editor (the 'magazine mixer') could claim that it's now his/her work, or that there's no legal restrictions on editing/distributing others' articles this way because they do it for free. Nothing could be further from the truth: not only are they risking that that their mixes will influence the income of the royalty owners, but they are also editing their work without permission. The exception is of course if those who created the original work specifically have claimed that others can do what they want with it, including altering it and distribute altered versions for free on internet.

[Korn]

A member posted a message yesterday containing an encouragement that people should start growing marijuana plants. I removed that message, and since we've had a few cases where people are 'playing games with the rules' here lately, I also banned him (for three weeks only). Just encouraging people to stick to our simple rules have no effect on a few of our members.

Growing marijuana is illegal where I live, it's illegal in most of the countries our members live in, it's illegal where our server is, and AFAIK, it's also illegal in New York, where this member lives.

From our rules:

7) Don't post anything that might be interpreted as supporting (being involved in, defending, justifying/glorifying) anything illegal. Don't promote sites which support/promote illegal activities - or link to sites, books or other media that do.

Marijuna is legal - at least for for medical use - in some areas. I still don't think you can start to "plant a seed - grow some weed" freely in states/countries where it's legal for medical use. It's also legal to use marijuana for non-medical use in some countries.

In Iceland, the age of sexual consent is 14 years. In most countries it's 16-18. But if a a 50 year old member here wants to write about having had sex with 14 year old boys or girls, I won't use Iceland as a reference, or check if there may be remote counties out there where such laws don't exist. Maybe growing marijuana is legal in some remote countries too.

On this forum, we're not going to use these exceptions as a reference for what's legal/illegal.

This member (andybuildz) now tells me that he won't come back, and asks me to say good bye to anyone that might miss him.

From Wiki:


The legality of cannabis has been the subject of debate and controversy for decades. Cannabis is illegal to consume, use, possess, cultivate, transfer or trade in most countries. Since the beginning of widespread cannabis prohibition around the mid 20th century,[1] most countries have not re-legalized it for personal use, although more than 10 countries tolerate (or have decriminalized) its use and/or its cultivation in limited quantities. Medicinal use of cannabis is also legal in a number of countries, including Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Israel and 15 states of the United States.

[...]

While more than a dozen US states have decriminalized possession or personal use of cannabis, it is illegal at the federal level under the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970. In this act it is classified as a Schedule I drug, deemed to have a high potential for abuse and no legitimate medical uses. As such, it prohibits the possession, usage, purchase, sale, and/or cultivation of marijuana.

If you want to discuss or suggest that growing marijuana should be legalized for all kinds of use, that's of course fine. If you want us to change the board rules so you can post about start growing marijuana or have sex with 14 year olds because it may be legal in some countries.... forget it! :)

[Korn]

Hello there!


I really apologize for the trouble, but I accidentally selected one of the "mobile" styles when I went to configure the forums layout. And because the settings option is not available via the mobile style, I'm unable to revert my layout back to default! What else can I do to restore my layout back to default? I'd greatly appreciate any help!


Thanks so much!


Hi,
the mobile style is a style with some limitations... unlike the other styles, it doesn't show the full site. If you want to get back to the normal version of veganforum, scroll down to the bottom of the page and choose "Full Site"! This will always remedy your problem, except when you just have posted a message.

[Gwydion]

One for the Tip Temple.

If copying and pasting info from another webpage / external source, you may want to highlight said text and hit the 'Remove Format': http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/melvinsstew/removeformat.jpg button before posting - save the reader think they are tripping / to keep things pretty :)

[Korn]

For those who don't know this already: In such situations you may also use the icon on the right side of the one you posted, which lets you paste in stuff from other side without any formatting.