Just a few comments and ground rules

[Golden]

We are over 12 million hits a month, so there are a lot of new users and I thought I'd better take a minute or two to go over a few
ground rules for the new guys.

I don't allow free advertising on the message boards.

They are here for the free and open exchange of information.
The signature files are there for slogans, contact information or whatever, but it is not there to advertise your website.

I've noticed a few of the new people with signatures leading to websites that offer more than personal information.

Now, let's make one thing clear. I'm not trying to put blinders on anyone, and I'm not trying to pretend that Walleye Central is the only
walleye website in the world.

Here is how it works.

We pay alot of money to keep this website online.

The only way to do it is just like any other media does it, to charge for advertising. TV, Radio, Magazines .... any type of media has to
have advertising to pay the bills until some guru comes up with a better idea.

Charging you guys for access to this site has never been an option, I intend to keep it free and open to the public at no charge for as
long as it's online.

But, and this is a very important but,... I cannot charge people for advertising if I let you guys do it for free.

Why would Crestliner pay for advertising if all they had to do was use the message board and post "Come to Ranger Boat's Website". Or
they could answer every message on the board with a www.rangerboats.com signature.

Why pay for something you can get for free?

So, in order to keep this a "free and open" site for all of you guys you have to help me out. I cannot allow free advertising for a reason,
not because I'm selfish or because I think I'm the only game in town... it's to pay the darn bills to stay online, to pay the costs of
sending a person to every major Walleye Tournament to do the Live LeaderBoard and take pictures.... site development... and the list
goes on and on.

So, help me out. Please don't use the signature file to advertise your website. I need to sell advertising to stay online, to keep this site
open and free to the end user. That is you.

I guess I beat that up enough, but there's more

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This should go without saying, but please use the right board for the right post.

There is a post on the General Discussion Board right now from a guy looking for lures.

That is for the swap board, not General Discussion. And, it's gonna get nuked too.

If you want to swap, buy or trade... then you have to register. We have to know who you are when money is being transfered. I don't
allow swapping, trading or selling unless you are registered. If some lowlife tries to cheat someone, I want to be able to find that guy
fast and easy to make things right.

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I'll end this with the usual "We don't allow personal vendettas, slamming or any trouble makers on this website".

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We all try very hard to keep this for what it was meant to be. A fun place to visit, a place to get or offer information. A place to find
help with a problem or offer solutions.

Or just a place to goof off, I like that too.
So keep it civil, keep it clean and keep it fun.

I'm not pretending I'm a frigging preacher, anyone that has met me know's I'm not. But I don't try to cause trouble, I don't solicit gossip
and I don't expect to see that here either. (Not that there is anything wrong with being a preacher, I'm just not one although I'm doing
a little preaching right now)

Whew, long winded, but I thought it had to be said........again.

Thanks to everyone for making this site what it is, let's keep it like it was while we're at it. OK?

Scott