Rules that don't exist until you break them.

[hotspot]

Have you ever come across a forum where you got in trouble for something that was not stated in the rules?

Like it is a rule, but it's clearly not stated it is a rule in the rules topic or page?



This has happened to me twice already, the first time was in 2008. I was banned and deleted entirely from a forum, because I had a link in my signature. Even though the rules did not state you couldn't; I even tried talking to the moderator who banned me for it, but they would not listen. The funniest part is that the admin of the forum didn't seem to mind and was hoping I'd stick around.



Another time was very recently, I was making posts in older topics... A.K.A Necro posting or Grave Digging.

And a member sent me a pm telling me not to make posts in older topics, in which I responded... that I would not have done that if it said not to in the rules.



I do not understand why forums have invisible rules, is it like some sort of trap or something?

How can you obey the rules, if they do not list all of them in the rules?



Has anything like this ever happened to you? Have you ever gotten in trouble for doing something that was not posted in the forum rules section?

 

[Sinon]

Some rules should be quite obvious. I've seen people use the excuse of well it wasn't in the rules when referring to posting illegal content or pornography. Things like that, while not always outlined in the forum rules, ARE outlined in the terms of service (which nobody ever reads)

 

[Feeblemind]

OK, I am new here, but will jump in. Why does it sound like creating rules to fit the situation. Especially if the admin liked you in that one forum.



I once belonged to a forum where old posts were locked..on purpose..after a certain length of time just to prevent them from being bumped. I never got that....you get a new member of a forum and you pretty much tell them..that post was made before you got here...tough.



Hey, if you can prove that the issues were not in the forum rules, and if you care....then do something.

 

[hotspot]

OK, I am new here, but will jump in. Why does it sound like creating rules to fit the situation. Especially if the admin liked you in that one forum.



I once belonged to a forum where old posts were locked..on purpose..after a certain length of time just to prevent them from being bumped. I never got that....you get a new member of a forum and you pretty much tell them..that post was made before you got here...tough.



Hey, if you can prove that the issues were not in the forum rules, and if you care....then do something.

That was four years ago, I did try something but they didn't listen. XD

If they hadn't deleted me, I would have taken the link off if they had asked me.



If someone tells me a rule is a rule, I will follow it. But if they don't show it anywhere visible, I don't see how they can think people will obey it.

Especially with Necro-posting, I allow it on my forum and many forums do allow it, so I didn't think it would be any problem; especially since they didn't state it anywhere.