OK, so let's get some forum conduct rules going
 

Over the last few months, as we've expanded, we've seen quite a few users challenging us in a number of ways, and doing stuff we don't consider appropriate IMFDB etiquette. Most of these things are various little nuisances that bothered us a little bit (i.e. failing to spell properly or failing to use proper grammar in movie titles), others a bit more serious (vandalizing pages).

So, I call on all of my fellow IMFDB admins (Bunni, Gunmaster, Orca MoviePropMaster, Alienqueen, Excalibur, etc.) to help me put together a set of rules that relate to IMFDB content. What we agree on in this topic should become final for a page that all users will be expected to follow.

I will start:

(1.) (Most important) IMFDB HAS A ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY FOR VANDALISM. Anyone who is caught inserting gibberish into pages or removing content from pages unnecessarily will be immediately banned. (I think first-time vandals should get banned for 2 days, and then permanently if they do it again).

(2.) Do not upload images or make pages for guns that we already have, unless it's another variant that we missed. Even then, we prefer that you do not upload images of guns that do not appear in movies, or which could not possibly appear in any movies. What this means is that weird experimental guns that never went into production should not be on IMFDB.

(3.) MoviePropMaster's gun images are absolutely untouchable by anyone other than himself, because the fact that they're exclusive to us makes them by default better than anything we can get off World Guns, Remtek, or any other site. This is sort of a moot point, since he can protect his images now, but just in case he ever forgets one...it is NOT to be messed with.

(4.) When doing a new page for a film, make sure the title is grammatically correct and capitalized, and don't use symbols unless they actually appear in the official title. For instance, "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade‎" should not be "Indiana Jones & the last crusade". When in doubt, go to IMDB and copy-and-paste the title as it appears there. (However, I must remind Admins that we have many users on here from other countries, for whom English is not a first language. In Spanish, for instance, only the first word of any title is capitalized. So be picky, but be culturally sensitive, too. :) ).

(5.) Before you make a page for a gun that you THINK IMFDB doesn't have, check carefully. Just because it doesn't have its own individual page doesn't mean it doesn't have one on another page. The M4 Carbine, for instance, goes on the "M16 rifle series" page, while all of the MP5, Glock, and SIG P220 variants are grouped on one page, etc. IMFDB's de facto policy for a while has been to group variants of particular guns - or guns that belong to the same basic family of weapons - on one page.

(6.) ANY USER-CREATED MEDIA - meaning any movie, TV show, video game, or anime series that is not documented on IMDB, All Movie/TV/Game Guides, TV.com, IGN, or any other reputable media database - does not belong on IMFDB. This site documents gun appearances in professional media only. More specifically, this applies to user-made flash games, YouTube home movies done with airsoft guns, or anything else of the sort. The only exceptions will be user-created mods for first-person shooter video game (i.e. any of the mods for "Half-Life") - provided they are well-known and popular enough to warrant a page. When in doubt, ask an administrator and we will determine a game mod's value to IMFDB.



Keep 'em coming...

Could you clarify rule 3, cause I have used MPM's images (resized as thumbnails) here and there off of the site, though I have never taken credit for them as my own. Am I in violation of anything; do I have to delete them?

I meant don't edit/replace MPM's pics on this site. As far as using them off site, I dunno, you'd have to ask him.

Oh I get what you're saying now. Nevermind then.

Thanks for posting the clarification re my pics. :) It has been nice that you guys have been pretty protective of the pics I upload. :)

As for IMFDB. Any user or member can utilize the pics to populate pages on THIS site with pics of the guns. That's what they're here for. I granted IMFDB exclusive usage rights, which makes IMFDB the only place on the web who can LEGALLY use them. Of course there are some exceptions when IMFDB members in some way promotes or markets this site on other sites.

I am sure any other member who takes photos of their own guns or of example weapons would have the same copyright agreement. On another note, I am personally 'tickled' that we have pics that no one else on the web has. As well as custom movie gun photos that no other firearms site would ever have. :) So use them on any page on IMFDB that you so desire. I only have issues with other websites using them, unless I granted them permission.

What about years at the end of some films that aren't remakes? As in the year the movie came out

Well, in that case, it is alright if I used them for a text based RP for the gun shop? I had a format set up, where all of the firearms needed to be resized, oriented to the left, with a white background. I'd really like you to approve them, as they are freaking awesome images, and a pain in the ass to match but they are yours, so if you want me to take 'em down, say the word.

Eh? What? Uh, no. The images (for now) are only for IMFDB. Since they take me so long to do, I don't allow other sites to pirate the images. Thanks for your understanding.

Alright, all the content I coud get rid of is gone. I lost about 30 images, and it's gonna be a pain to find any that will fit the format, or that were even close to being as good as what you had, but I get the whole "taking what's not yours" mindset. Let me know if you change your mind.

For originals, I would think it's not necessary to put the year down, but for remakes, I think it would be better.

So what's the deal on posting images on the site without the permission of the original photographer or owner of the item?

GUN IMAGES:
Well regarding some of the images here on IMFDB.org .... Some of the images are obviously from some Airsoft vendor's sites, and this would be infringing on their copyright. We are trying to change that. Some of the images are from Wikipedia, so the original site should be attributed in the image. I've cleaned up some other member's contributed shots (color corrected, aligned straight, etc.) but I don't know where they got the originals. Again this is an ongoing and very large process. And many new members upload any manner of 'jacked' images which we have to assess or remove if necessary.

But, IMFDB's own policy is that we try not to jack other people's gun images without their permission. That is why I have spent so much time doing my own photographs and replacing all the images which are 'questionable'. My images that I photographed myself are copyrighted to me and I am granting license to IMDFB (and imdfb only). That is an on going process, but I intend to replace all possible weapon images (if possible, it may not be....) with images that are licensed to IMDFB specifically. I've already photographed over 260 custom images for this site. And we are the ONLY educational website (like Guns of the World, SecurityArms.com, etc.) who is actively creating our own gun images.

So far, the images of guns (from unknown sources) can stay, but if the owner requests for the removal of such image, we would do it right away. That's one of the reasons why we remark to members NOT to constantly upload images that aren't theirs (especially if they are not necessary or filling an obvious gap) ESPECIALLY if we already have our own LICENSED image of that same gun.... If a gun site or store or owner saw their own gun's image on here, they have the right to request it's removal and we would honor that request.

Any member of IMFDB can link to or place the thumbnail or image of our reference gun images on any movie / Actor / Genre page within IMDFB.org. The only restriction on using gun images on any other site, is related only to the ones that I have photographed myself. My images are for this site only and are copyrighted. Any other site illegally using them (especially for commerce) will be getting cease and desist letters for me (or my attorney) . However, I speak only for myself and not the site in general. The other images which I have not photographed, I have no control or authority to restrict their use.

SCREEN GRABS:
This one is in a grey area. It dances the fine line of journalism since there is no practical way to 'declare' that a certain firearm appears in a scene unless there is a screen grab to prove it. Since IMFDB is an educational site and not engaged in any commerce, I believe it is okay. We are not "Youtube" and we aren't sharing any video or music content. We are web based journalist/scholars (amateur of course) who are writing educational pages about the 'details' and 'trivia' of a movie, not replaying or broadcasting those movies or shows. I've noticed many high profile movie REVIEW sites which have screen grabs of the movies they are reviewing. Obviously their visibility is much higher than ours and I still see them using screen grabs when talking or reviewing a DVD or movie. So when it's 'journalist' or 'education' then it falls outside the purview of commerce.

Hope this helps. I noticed no one answered your question for several days and I was off line for a while and didn't log in until tonight.

BTW, ignore the fact that I wrote "forum rules". I have no idea what I was smoking when I wrote that.

Anyway, I would like more input from the other admins. What other rules do you want to add? Also, do you think I am being too harsh with the "zero tolerance" policy on vandalism?

I don't. If some guy thinks they can dick around with our hard work because they find it funny, we should give them the boot. At most, a warning then kick them off.

Like those people who add porno links to the pages and write comments like "Those assholes" or "what douches" after informative paragraphs (like ones that talk about the Clinton Admins. or the BATFE.) We are all thinking the same thing but our opinions are ours, not posted to 1000s.

We should just write this stuff in big bold letters on the main page since no one seems to read the rules and regulations.

1. Don't mess with MPM2008's images or steal them for your own needs.
2. Don't vandalize our website with your crap, you will be deleted.
3. Ask an administrator before modifying the website drastically *cough* templates *cough*.
4. Don't make blank pages or ones with only one or two sentences on them. If you are "going to add info to them later", leave that message on the page so we all know your agenda.
5. If you add bootlegs or illegal screencaps, you are not just downing the reputation of the website, you are commiting a federal crime and can do jail time if people track you down (not to dig on the users who did this by mistake).
6. Don't remove screencaps people worked hard on because they seem repetitious. If you really find this necessary, ask the original capper before removing the images. Don't remove them for your own amusement or you will be banned or killed (if you piss off the capper enough).

Sound good? XD

I think we should start protecting pages more cause I am kinda getting annoyed at these anonymous people with no profiles popping up. I think on the main page, we should state, sign up, and remember to write your signature so we know you did it. Cause it gets tiresome going into the history section to see who did what

I protect SOME of my pages so that only myself and other admins can edit them.

I also agree that the Main Page should not able to be edited by anyone except admins.

Replacing jacked images with licensed ones.
 

We should have a policy where jacked images are deleted when an exact same original LICENSED image of the same gun is uploaded. I don't want to annoy some of the IMFDB members, but if they did not take the photo themselves, then they have no right to complain if it is deleted and replaced by an authorized image.

Usually I overwrite some of the jacked images, but some of them are still on the site, even though we have newer authorized images of the same gun. Even though all the admins pretty much agree on this, I wanted this to put out there so that I don't piss off any of the rank and file members.

How will we post these rules? Will there be an FAQ button on the main page?

There will be both a "Rules of Conduct" page and an "FAQ", yes. Ideally, somewhere in the Menu bar along the left. But I haven't talked with Bunni about this yet. Right now, I'm still just gathering ideas from all y'all so that I can draft something in the (not too distant) future.

Good question. There will be both a "Rules of Conduct" page and an "FAQ", yes. Ideally, somewhere in the Menu bar along the left. But I haven't talked with Bunni about this yet. Right now, I'm still just gathering ideas from all y'all so that I can draft something in the (not too distant) future.

Wow Déjà vu

Wow Déjà vu ;)

Yeah, that is weird. How many times is this now? Maybe I really do have Jedi Mind Powers. I think I had better go find some Yoda out there to help me cultivate them. The things I could do...

I'm sorry for posting on a dead thread but, i really think this thread should be stickied.

Anyone with me?