NYYFans.com Community Standards and Posting Guidelines

Provided you don't post anything disruptive and your opinions are expressed in an intelligent way, chances are your posts will not be moderated and you will not likely be banned. The overwhelming majority of our users do not violate these rules, as long as they keep them in mind when posting. Regardless, everyone should read and be familiar with these guidelines. There is one basic principle that you should keep in mind when posting here: think about what you're saying before you post it! Just because you can say something doesn't mean that you should say it. These Community Standards are meant to serve as an example of the style of posting we encourage here and do not limit the action we may or may not take in a certain situation. We may modify the Community Standards, guidelines for posting and rules of the site at any time, for any reason and without notice, and at the discretion of the moderating staff.

Edited, Moved, or Deleted Posts/Threads
By posting, the user acknowledges that their post may be edited, moved, or deleted at the sole discretion of the moderators, and that all posts are accepted at the discretion of NYYFans.com. Freedom of Speech does not apply here - only these guidelines and the discretion of the moderating staff apply.

Explanations for Edited, Moved, or Deleted Posts/Threads:
If your post is edited, moved, or deleted and the moderator responsible does not leave an explanation, you may ask about it in the Suggestion Box forum or by PM or email to one of the forum moderators.

Flaming/Bashing Other Users, Trolling, etc:
Any user who flames, bashes or insults another user, either directly or subtly using avatars, comments in sig files, custom user titles, coded messages or any other means, is in violation of the Community Standards, and may have their posting privileges revoked without warning. Likewise, trolling is not allowed since it is basically an attempt to get other users to bash or flame and is subject to the same remedial actions as someone who flames or bashes. Please DO NOT respond to flames or trolls - you'll only make the situation worse.

Respect Everyone's Opinion:
Please treat your fellow forumers with respect. Just because you disagree with another user's opinion doesn't give you the right to insult or otherwise demean someone. An opinion different than yours isn't necessarily a wrong one, nor does it mean that the other person is lacking in intelligence because they don't see things your way. We want our users to feel comfortable posting their opinions, even unpopular ones, without fear that they will be slammed for it. No matter how crazy or outlandish an opinion is, it is still that user's opinion and they are entitled to it. Insults, whether direct or indirect, are not permitted. For example, posting "Only a moron would think that signing Johnny Damon was a good move," might not directly insult a specific user but is still a violation of our Community Standards.

"True" or "Real" Yankee Fans:
Whether you watch one game a year and only keep up with the team on the evening news, or you watch every game and subscribe to all the daily papers - you're a Yankee fan. If you just started watching the Yankees in 1998 or have been following them for half a century - you're a Yankee fan. Do not question anyone's fandom or whether they are really a Yankee fan. We all choose to be fans in different ways. There is no such thing as a "true" or "real" fan. Any discussion of what kind of fan someone is can only lead to insulting or offending other users, therefore posts/threads that question someone's fandom are not allowed.

Fans of Other Teams:
We welcome all types of fans here, even fans of other teams provided they follow the Community Standards. This site is primarily for Yankee fans and will always have a Bronx bias but we will not ban users just because they are fans of another team.

The Steroids Issue:
Users are welcome to discuss the steroids issue as it relates to the Yankees, specific players, other teams and baseball in general. However, while we will allow speculation, we do not allow discussions that accuse specific players of using steroids without proof. That a player has gained or lost weight or has suddenly started hitting more or less does not constitute proof. Evidence of steroid use is an admission, leaked grand jury testimony, a positive test for steroids, or some other more concrete proof beyond "Player X looks like a steroid user."

Bashing Players, Managers, the Media, etc:
Bashing of players, anyone who works for the Yankees or covers the Yankees will not be tolerated. That goes for ALL players and ALL teams. But remember - negative analysis is NOT bashing, provided it is backed up with fact. For example: Bashing a player would be saying: "Derek Jeter sucks!" Whereas a legitimate analysis of a player would be: "I don't think that Derek Jeter is the best defensive shortstop in the league, but based on his fielding percentage and range factor, he isn't near the bottom of the list either." In addition, bashing players on other teams, other athletes, celebrities or others in the public eye will also not be tolerated.

Reporting Posts to a Moderator:
Don't take it upon yourself to chastise or "moderate" another user when they do not follow the guidelines beyond directing them to this page or to the Suggestion Box forum. If you see a post that is inappropriate, click on the "Report Post" indicator. You're not being a tattle tale, and the person you're reporting won't know who reported them. This is by far the best way for the community to police itself since all the moderators receive the notification.

Keep Threads/Posts On Topic and in the Right Forum:
Posting something that doesn't relate to the intended topic of a thread or forum is not allowed. Expect your post to be moved, deleted, or split into its own thread.

Creating New/Duplicate Threads:
Before creating a new thread, please check the first few pages of the forum and/or other forums to make sure the topic hasn't already been started.

Descriptive Thread Titles:
Please use descriptive titles for your threads so people know what it's about. With the sheer amount of threads on our forum, be courteous to other users by using descriptive thread titles. If you're worried about people seeing your thread and wanted to use an ambiguous title to increase your views, don't worry about it -- you'll get the views anyway, maybe more.

What Threads Belong Where:
Yankees: Inside The Lines: This is for threads that directly relate to the Yankees on the field. Threads and discussion about current players, the coaching staff, Steinbrenner, possible trades, etc. ONLY.

Yankees: Player Performance Threads: In this forum, each player gets one thread devoted exclusively to them for the current season. Also in this forum is a thread to discuss injuries for everyone. No other threads should be started here.

Yankees: Out of Play: Threads that are Yankee related but not specifically about what happens on the field or in the clubhouse belong here. Examples of those are threads about Bernie's CD, upcoming Yankees games you're attending, tickets you want to trade, TV coverage, web resources, player signings, etc. In other words, if it's not directly related to the Yankees playing on the field, it belongs in Yankees: Out of Play.

Around the Majors is for threads that involve other teams. That includes trades that other teams make. It doesn't matter how huge the trade is or how it will affect the Yankees; if it's not directly about the Yankees those threads belong in Around the Majors, NOT any of "The Yankees" forums. We expect that discussions of the other MLB teams in these threads will be civil. Do not bait fans of other teams into an argument.

The Sports Bar is a very lightly moderated place to have a more adult discussion and otherwise talk about things that would be inappropritate elsewhere. The Community Standards still apply, but are somewhat relaxed. Basically, proceed at your own risk.

Additional Rules for Gamethreads: See the sticky thread at the top of the Gamethread forum for additional rules that apply.

Anything that involves other teams and does not relate to the Yankees DOES NOT belong in the Yankees category. The other forums here either speak for themselves or have special instructions contained in sticky threads at the top of the forum. Obviously, there are some grey areas, but please take the time to make sure your thread is in the right forum. There is an increase in users who don't seem to care where they are posting their threads, and we will get extremely heavy-handed if that's what's necessary to start getting people to follow the rules. We know this will make people unhappy who feel that we are being too strict but as always we will do what we must to make sure that this forum does not get out of control.

Contacting Other Users via PM or Email:
Any user who sends obscene, threatening or insulting messages to any other user via PM, Email or forum post, will have immediate and revocation of their posting rights. Any other abuses of the private messaging system or the forum will also not be tolerated.

Discrimination:
Racist, sexist, homophobic or any other kind of discriminatory remarks or sentiment will NOT be tolerated in any way, shape or form. You will be banned.

"Adult" Material:
Sexually explicit pictures and or discussion is not allowed.

Politics and Religion
Due to the highly contentious nature of political and religious discussions, neither are allowed here.

Inappropriate Language:
We have a language filter that will prevent selected words from being displayed. Do not attempt to override or bypass the filter, or otherwise purposely mis-spell inappropriate words. If you type a word and it displays in the post, that doesn't always mean the language is appropriate. Use common sense....if you can't use the language in most real settings it's probably not a good idea to use it here.

Excessive Negativity:
Everyone is entitled to their opinion and some of that opinion may be negative, whether it concerns a player, coach, the front office or the entire team. However, constant and excessive negative posting, either in one thread or spread out over numerous threads, is frowned upon and won't be tolerated.

Getting Banned:
Any user may be banned at any time by name, IP address or other identification without any prior warning and without any explanation given. However, we will usually oblige the offender with an explanation if asked nicely.

User Accounts:
Users are entitled to one account. If we discover that you have more than one account you will be banned from all accounts. If we find any reason to suspect that you were previously banned and have re-registered under a new name, you will be banned immediately, without notice, and without regard to how you have behaved or how long you have been here under a new account.

Linking to your Homepage vs. Spamming:
If you have a personal home page, feel free to include the link in your signature. But remember - this forum isn't here to drive traffic to your site, and spamming or advertising will be promptly deleted - and the offender typically banned.

Posting Copyrighted Material:
Due to copyright law you may not copy and paste entire articles on the forum. You may post quotes and excerpts from articles as long as you also provide a direct link to the entire article. In addition, do not post copyrighted photos from other websites.

Posting Personal Information:
We urge all of our users to use care regarding the personal information, including photos, that you post. Please be aware that if you choose to post personal information you do so at your own risk and we assume no responsibility for any information you choose to share.

Moderating Principles:
We will not hesitate to be heavy-handed if that's what it takes to keep things under control and civil. That will probably make some people unhappy who feel that we are being too harsh or trying to stifle certain points of view, but the moderating team will do what is necessary to ensure that this forum remains an enjoyable experience for our users. All Moderators are instructed not to argue over actions they take. They will be more than happy to explain the reason if asked nicely, but are not required to justify their decision or debate the merits of their decision with you. If you have any issue with forum moderating, please do not post it on the forum or question a moderator via PM or email. As generous volunteers they attempt to follow all the rules and guidelines that have been set forth, but they are not robots who can respond and react to every instance of every kind of behavior.