Advertising Policy

[NewCrabber]

Dear LHC Members,Due to the fact that LHC has recently been inundated with requests for advertising privileges, we have been forced to reconsider our advertising policy. We feel the new changes are in the best interest of LHC and all of its' members, as we are sure no one wishes for it to become an overgrown bulletin board.Please be advised that our new rules concerning advertising are as follows:1. No member is permitted to advertise or discuss any present or future store, store sales, products or services in the LHC chat room. 2. Only Administrator-approved care sites will be permitted in the Links forum and linked in a signature (name of site only). Care sites which include sales will not be approved.3. Members who have been active for six or more months on this site (level of activity to be determined by Administrators) who have online sites and/or store fronts selling hermit crab-related products may include a link in their signature with only the name of the store. No slogans or advertising of any kind is permitted in a signature. 4. Members that do not have online sites and/or store fronts who wish to sell hermit crab products of any kind, whether homemade or purchased, will be given a one time opportunity to post their wares in a designated thread in the Abdomen Covers forum for a period of one month. Post must be submitted for approval. Links to photos of merchandise is preferred. Additions may be posted to an existing post upon approval. Interested parties must contact seller via PM or email. No replies will be permitted in the designated thread. At the end of one month a member may elect to set up and maintain their own site, and put a url store name only, in their signature. A six month active membership is required for review of any such request (level of activity to be determined by the Administrators).5. With the exception of the addition of the designated thread to the Abdomen Covers forum, this forum will continue to be used only for its intended purpose. That is, anyone who has been a member of LHC for a period of three months and has used items to offer, items they no longer need, those things purchased which do not work for them, a brand product they have switched from and have left over such as salt or food, etc., may continue to sell, trade or give away -- as well as members seeking a specific item for sale, trade or free. (Any member, including new members, may place his or her crabs up for adoption at any time.) If someone has posted to this forum who is seeking an item that may be found in a post in the designated thread, the owner of the merchandise in the designated thread may PM/email that member only. To reply in any other manner will be considered advertising and will be subject to a warning. 6. Members may continue to recommend sites in the Links forum upon approval. Replies are limited to one post per member in each thread. Those who have earned a place in the Links forum and have positive reviews may post one short introduction of themselves as the proprietor and invite members to visit their site which must be submitted for approval prior to posting. Those who would like to share additional information such as length of crabbing, experience, more detailed information on themselves and/or their store, etc., may want to add it to their own site, it will not be permitted in a post. Retailers may not post to a thread pertaining to their site with the exception of the above. Retailer requests to initiate a thread for their own site will not be approved.7. Members may post to alert others of an upcoming sale, a current sale, or a good buy on reputable sites not their own provided the purpose of doing so is not to promote that of another. Suspect thread starters/posters will be subject to the penalties in #10.8. There will be especially close monitoring of the Abdomen Covers forum, Links forum and the Chat room. Administrators may delete any violating thread or post without prior notice or explanation.9. There is no advertising of any kind permitted in areas of LHC which have not been granted within this policy and by the Administrators upon approval. 10. The penalties for breaking policy when suspected by Administrators on the matter of advertising will be one warning with a suspension from all areas of LHC for a period of two weeks. A second infraction will result in permanent banning from this site. Once a decision is issued by the Administrators, that decision is final and binding and cannot be debated. Attempts to debate the decision will result in the invocation of the Advertiser Discipline clause. 11. LHC neither endorses nor takes responsibility for any product found via landhermitcrabs.com.LHC has been free of advertising banners, pop-ups, spam and of charges for its members for years, and we do not wish to see that change.Happy Crabbing!The LHC Administration Team