hooha

APC's mission is to provide a premiere place for the exchange of information regarding the planted aquarium hobby and to promote the hobby to others. The purpose of the For Sale and Trade forum is for our members to have an avenue to buy, sell and trade plants, livestock and aquarium-related items to other forum members.

To further this goal, we have created some amendments to the For Sale and Trade forum rules. Highlights of these changes:

- Members posting in the For Sale or Trade forums are expected to be active, participating members prior to posting.
- No commercial businesses regardless of size are permitted to post in the For Sale or Trade Forum. Advertising options are available at convenient pricing for interested businesses.
- Purchasing of goods with the intent to re-sell them on the forum is not allowed.

These are changes the staff at APC feel will provide a more user-friendly environment for members to buy or sell their items. It also promotes further discussion on the forum regarding our hobby.

If the staff feels these rules are not met, we will send a friendly reminder to the member with the expectation that the member will amend the situation. If the member does not satisfactorily fix the problem, the thread may be closed and the member may receive an infraction. An infraction involves temporary loss of privileges on the forum. Multiple infractions can lead to permanent banning from the website.

Again, the purpose of the changes is to make APC a better place for you, our members. The participation of the membership of APC is what makes this website what it is. We need your help to make APC a great forum!

hooha

Q: What is considered a 'participating member'?

A: Members who are active on the forum and provide quality contributions to the current discussions, or post new questions or information relevant to the hobby.
Posts that do not add to a discussion on the board are not considered 'quality contributions.' "me too" "nice tank!" "I agree" " Two words, Sham Wow!" are example of posts that are not considered quality contributions. Also, posting "Who do you like better, Miley Cyrus or the Jonas Brothers?" in the Water Bucket forum, while interesting, is also not considered a quality contribution.


Q: How do you calculate the amount of 'participation' needed to post on the For Sale or Trade Forum?

A: It's actually an elegant equation that we have devised:
P= (T-S)xZ(logV)/SxS Where P=participation V=number of visits S=sales threads T=total threads Z=participation coefficient. We consider this accurate to +/- 0.01. A member's participation is considered satisfactory if P is greater than or equal to 1.01. Feel free to use the equation to evaluate your own participation.

Or, if you're not mathematically inclined, consider yourself active if the total number of quality, non-sales posts is more than the number of sale/trade threads started. Keep in mind that APC 's success is based on members' participation. If you're 'straddling the line' we suggest considering adding a few more posts to the forum. Member participation is what APC is about!


Q: Wow, I haven't been really active on APC but I have a lot of Sale threads. Does that mean I have to make a bunch of posts to 'catch up'?

A: Yes. Go sit in the corner for a 30 minute 'time-out' first. Hey, don't be turning around! Keep your eyes looking into that corner!
Actually, no. As of the implementation of the new rules (Dec. 2008 ) the staff will consider everyone having a 'clean slate'. If you've fallen out of the category of a 'participating member', maybe it's time to re-evaluate your reasons for joining APC. If it seems it's more about the sales, APC is probably not the place for you. There are several commercial avenues that would be more appropriate for your endeavors.

Q: I'm not typically active on the forum, what should I be posting?

A: It's likely quite easy once you think about it. If you're relatively new to the hobby, think of the threads that interest you - is there another question you'd like answered? Want to share your own experiences? If you have a lot for sale on the forums, you're likely doing something right with regards to your stock. If you have a lot of rare plants or new plants, you can contribute your experiences with them to others. If you have success with invertebrates or fish that you sell on the forums, share your experiences with them with our members. We don't need a dissertation that can be published in a scientific journal. It takes only a few minutes of your time, and members' posts makes APC the place you have chosen to frequent.


Q: What items can you post for sale on the forum?

A: Anything related to our hobby is considered appropriate - plants, livestock, aquarium equipment, hardscape, etc. Keep in mind that any sales or purchase need to comply with state and federal laws.
Additionally collecting "in the wild" for sale on the forums is not allowed. APC encourages its members to explore their local environments and legally collect plants for their own use if they so wish.


Q: I've had problems with a transaction on the Sale forum. What are you going to do about it?

A: We will quote this message:
The staff has no power to address any disagreements or issues regarding transactions made on the For Sale or Trade forum. Be aware that any transactions made through the forum are at a member's own risk. The Rules are made and enforced to make transactions as safe as possible for our members. This includes:
- requirng a 25 post minimum prior to posting on the For Sale or Trade forum. This prevents people from coming on the forum with the only intent to make sales.
- amendments to the Rules to require a 'current active status'.
Additionally, the I-trader feature is available so that members can evaluate a potential transaction with another member prior to any money or items being exchanged. We encourage people to look at the I-trader rating of any person being considered for a transaction, and also encourage both buyer and seller to leave a rating after the transaction is finalized.

We would like to offer some suggestions for members to consider prior to making any transactions:
- is the other member active on the forums?
- has the other member had previous transactions based on the I-trader feedback? Is the I-trader rating adequate for your confidence level?
- is the worst-case scenario of loss of your items or money without compensation something that can be managed from your financial standpoint?

Please feel free to contact the staff if you feel that another member is repeatedly abusing the For Sale or Trade forum. We will monitor further activity by the user and consider appropriate infractions as necessary, however we have no ability to mediate or address any specific transaction.

Q: What does 'Hooha' mean? Why did you choose it for your handle?

A: Say it out loud a few times - Hooha! Hooha! Hooha! It's catchy!

BryceM

Questions raised earlier in this thread regarding the sale or trade of species prohibited by law have been moved to this thread.