- Joined
- 11 Oct 2012
- Local time
- 11:35 PM
- Messages
- 21,756
- Location
- SE Australia
- Website
- www.satnavsaysstraighton.com
I have finally updated the site rules - yeah, I know, admin and the likes, boring as hell, and I know very few of you read them, but the old rules were from the founder and original owner of the site, which I had added to with changes in laws (introduction of GDPR etc). I have (finally) completely rewritten them with the help of the moderators (Terms and rules), along with the various other help pages on
However, this is just to let you know so you can see what has changed and what hasn't.
(The image is just a copy of the old rules - for your reference, if it is readable)
- Recipe Copyright on CookingBites
- Image Copyright Guidelines
- Uploading Recipes on CookingBites
- Video Recipes on CookingBites
However, this is just to let you know so you can see what has changed and what hasn't.
(The image is just a copy of the old rules - for your reference, if it is readable)
| Old Rules | Revised Rules |
|---|---|
| These rules are not exhaustive and may be modified over time when necessary. Use common sense. | CookingBites is a global community for food lovers. We share recipes, ideas, and discussion in a friendly, family-safe environment. Access to the site is a privilege. These rules protect our members, moderators, and the reputation of our community. They may be updated at any time. Use common sense and good manners. |
| 1. Content - Our forums are for a general audience and should be viewable by anyone, including children. Please do not post anything inappropriate in this setting. This includes, but is not limited to, profanity, sexual, sexualised or illicit content, hateful, threatening, racist, political, provocative or vulgar content, and links to websites and discussions encouraging illegal activity. Please do not circumvent the censoring options we have set up. | Content Standards: Posts must be suitable for a general audience, including children. Do not post profanity, sexually explicit content, violent material, political advocacy, religious advocacy, hateful content, or discriminatory behaviour. Do not post or link to anything illegal or unsafe. Circumventing the word filter or using images to bypass it will result in removal or moderation. |
| 2. Conduct - Be courteous and respectful towards other members. Personal attacks, aggressive messages, and passive-aggressive behaviour is unacceptable. Do not insult, bully, undermine, stalk, flame, troll, bait or otherwise harass other members. If you take issue with another member and cannot reply in a civilised and constructive way to their posts, please ignore the user. | General Conduct: Focus on the thread starter’s question. Be polite, respectful, and constructive. Do not tell members to “look it up”; it is unhelpful and will be removed. If advice seems dangerous, report it for moderator review. Attack the argument, not the person. Insults, trolling, baiting, harassment, and bullying are not tolerated. |
| 3. On Topic - Posts should always be constructive and on topic. For common issues, telling someone to search is not acceptable. If you disagree with a post and need to say so, be respectful when explaining why and focus on post content and not the member who posted it. Off topic posts may be moved or deleted. | Staying on Topic: Discussion must remain focused on food/drink, cooking, and their production. Interesting 'off topic' posts may be moved to form new threads. Posts that drift from the thread topic may be moved or deleted. Political, faith-based, or social commentary is permitted only when it directly relates to food/drink or their production/consumption. All other political or religious debate is not allowed. |
| 4. Language - This is an English language site and as such, all posts should be in the English language. Short, commonly used non-English phrases that are in use the world over (such as bon appetit, ciao, auf wiedersehen, or au revoir) are fine because most people understand their meaning but anything more will be treated as spam and removed without warning. Posts entirely in any language except for English will be deleted and the contents reported as spam. Spamming can result in your account being closed, content removed, and your details reported to anti-spam databases. If in doubt, ask before posting. Any decision made by the moderator team to edit or remove non-English content will be final. | Language: English only, please. Short universal phrases (e.g., bon appétit) and common recipe names in other languages (e.g., bechamel, sag aloo, crème brûlée) are fine. Full posts in other languages will be treated as spam. |
| 5. Censoring - CookingBites uses a censoring system to remove commonly used profanity, sexual or sexualised words, racist, political, provocative or vulgar content. This is an automated system, and it can occasionally go wrong. If you believe this to be the case, please do not be offended. It applies to all members, moderators and the site owner alike. Please simply contact us using the Report system to let us know. Please do not circumvent the censoring options we have set up. Images posted to by-pass this filtering will be removed without warning and your account placed in moderation or closed entirely. Any decision made by the moderator team to edit or remove this content will be final. | merged with content standards |
| 6. Reporting/Bullying - CookingBites does not tolerate bullying in any form anywhere on this forum, but we need to be made aware of it because it is not feasible for moderators to read each and every single post on the site. If you feel another user is attacking or being aggressive towards you, report their message or post to staff using the report link. Do not respond publicly. This continues the back and forth, derailing topics and can be uncomfortable for others. If someone attacks you and you respond with an attack, you will both be warned regardless of who started it. | Reporting Problems: If you see bullying, spam, or rule-breaking, use the Report link. Do not respond publicly or escalate the situation. The moderator team will handle it. |
| 7. Advertising / Spam / Affiliate Programs - We invest a lot in our community and take a very dim view of anyone using it primarily for self-promotion, marketing, free advertising, affiliate revenue generation, or solicitation of our membership. Spamming can result in your account being closed, content removed, and your details reported to anti-spam databases. If you are unsure whether your content will be viewed as spam by our team, please contact us before posting. | Advertising, Food Bloggers & Self-Promotion: Accounts created primarily for promotion, solicitation, or link-dropping will be closed and reported to anti-spam services. Genuine contributing members may share their food blogs, videos, or social media within relevant threads and in their profile or signature. Contribute first, promote second. Active members may, link to their own work when relevant to the discussion, include one link in their signature, post a single “profile thread” about their blog. |
| 8. Foodbloggers - Foodbloggers who become an established and valued member of our community will be permitted to advertise their foodblog via their signature and homepage link. Furthermore, we will permit, once you are an established member, links to your blog within appropriate threads, discussion of your blog and your photographs and other advertising of your blog. You will also be invited to write a profile thread about your foodblog. Foodbloggers who are here only to advertise their blog will find themselves subject to our advertising rules and their content regarded as spam and their accounts closed. | merged with Advertising, Food Bloggers & Self-Promotion: |
| 9. Account - Your username should not be your real name and should not contain anything that would allow you to be personally identified (unless by agreement with the site owner). You are only allowed one user account, which must not contain anything inappropriate in the username or custom title and must not include URLs, domain names or any form of advertisement. Usernames or custom user titles must not be used to impersonate, or attempt to impersonate forum staff, user groups, or any entity to which you are not associated. We reserve the right to merge, change, close or remove accounts without discussion or notice. | User Accounts: One account per person. Usernames must not reveal personal data, impersonate others, or advertise. Accounts used abusively, for trolling, or for spam will be suspended or removed without notice. |
| 10. Usernames - We prefer usernames not to be changed as it can cause confusion for other members and staff. However, we do permit a username change, but will generally ask that your avatar (if set) remain the same and your custom user title reflect the change with “Formerly known as “ and your prior username. Such changes will only be allowed once in any 12 month period and all username changes will be at the sole discretion of the site owner. | merged with user accounts |
| 11. Location - Cooking measurements, food names and ingredient names vary from country to country. In order not to cause confusion, your true location is mandatory. Members who fail to disclose their true location will find their account subject to change, moderation, or closure without notice. The moderator team reserves the right to add or modify your location without notice. Members who repeatedly modify their location to make it inaccurate, will find their accounts placed in moderation or closed entirely. | Location Requirement: Because cooking terms vary worldwide, members must list their actual country of residence. If a location is missing or inaccurate, moderators may correct it, place the account in moderation, or close it. Repeated falsification will lead to account closure. |
| 12. Leaving - On registering for a user account, you accept information you post publicly will remain in our database and on public record, even if you later decide to leave the site or close your account. If leaving, you may request the removal of personal information linked with your account and specific personal information that you or others may have posted. We will only anonymise your account on request to the site owner only. We will not delete your account or any associated messages. | Account Closure & Right to Be Forgotten: Public posts are part of the ongoing community record and cannot be deleted without damaging discussions. If you choose to leave, we will anonymise your account and delete Personally Identifying Information (or PII). This meets all privacy and “right to be forgotten” obligations. |
| 13. Right to be Forgotten - On registering, you agree that posts you make become part of an ongoing public discussion. For technical and legal reasons, these posts cannot be individually deleted without damaging the continuity of the forum. Under privacy laws such as GDPR, you have the right to have your personal data removed or anonymised, but not to have public discussion content erased. If you wish to leave, we will anonymise your account and remove any personal details or identifying information upon request. This process fulfils all “right to be forgotten” obligations while preserving the shared community record. | merged with Account Closure |
| 14. Avatars - Avatars should not be defamatory, obscene, abusive, unlawful or used for advertising or self-promotion. Unsuitable avatars will be removed without notice. | Avatars: Avatars must not be defamatory, obscene, hateful, unlawful, or used for advertising. Unsuitable avatars will be removed. |
| 15. Signatures - Signatures may contain two lines of text and two links and must not contain inappropriate or offensive content. No images are allowed, except our own smilies. Text should be no larger than the default forum post size and formatting should not overly emphasise your signature in comparison with the surrounding message text. Signatures are a privilege and can be revoked. The moderator team reserves the right to modify or remove signatures without notice. | Signatures: Signatures are a privilege. They must not contain offensive content, images, or large fonts. The moderator team may modify or remove signatures at any time. |
| 16. Using the Ignore Function - CookingBites is a family, and we all know that from time to time some members of the family don't get on with each other. To this end, the CookingBites forum has an ignore functions that we strongly recommend you use if you find another member winding you up or you are just generally not getting on with them and don't wish to see their threads or posts. It is, however, not permitted for a member to place a member of the moderator’s team into their ignore list. If you do so, and you fail to remove them on request, or repeatedly place members of the moderator team into your ignore list, your account may be placed into moderation, have permissions removed, or temporarily suspended. | Ignore Function: If another member irritates you, use the Ignore feature for users, threads, or forums instead of engaging. |
| 17. Post formatting - Our default style and font colour gives a consistent look and feel to threads and posts making them easier to read. Please do not use excessive formatting changes in your posts for colours, fonts, sizes, styles and smilies. Additionally, please do not post thread titles, or content, in ALL CAPS (this is considered shouting). Moderators may adjust your posts where they feel the formatting is excessive or too out of line with the default style or to correct grammatical errors. The moderator team reserves the right to modify grammar without notice. All moderator changes are final. | Formatting & Style: To keep things readable for everyone, including members using accessibility settings, use the default forum font, colour, and size. Do not change text colour or background, or use pale/low-contrast shades. Avoid excessive formatting (bold, italics, oversized text, colour changes, ALL CAPS, emoji or emicons). Titles should contain text only. Moderators may edit posts for clarity or readability. Edits are final. |
| 18. Giving Advice - When giving advice, please focus on the questions asked by the thread starter; do not get into protracted debates or circular arguments with other members. Check your advice suits your audience - beginners will benefit from easy to digest basic advice, whilst experienced members might prefer more complex replies. Please do not tell a member to 'just look it up' or similar. It is not nice and will be removed without notice. Repeat offenders will find themselves moderated with all posts having to be approved by a member of the moderator team before the post(s) become visible to all. If you feel advice given by others is potentially dangerous, please report it (using the report button) for the moderator team to deal with. | merged with General Conduct |
| 19. No Bumping - Threads should not be bumped unless you have something to add to the discussion. Additionally, avoid replying to inactive discussions from several months ago or longer, unless you have something valuable to add. | No Bumping: Do not reply to threads solely to push them back to the top. (“Bumping” = posting without adding anything meaningful.) |
| 20. Derailing - Do not derail or hijack discussions. Discussing side issues or elements of a conversation in detail can be done by starting your own thread or sending a message via the personal conversation system. | merged with General Conduct |
| 21. Personal Conversations - The personal conversation system allows you to communicate privately with others. The same rules of conduct apply. It is reasonable to expect privacy, but we cannot guarantee it; we therefore recommend you do not share anything via personal message that you would not want made public. Personal information and private discussions may not be posted on the forums, unless there is clear consent from all parties. Personal conversations from staff should be considered strictly confidential and sharing or publication of such messages may result in your account being closed. | Privacy & Conversations: Private messages follow the same rules as public posts. Do not publish them without permission. Messages from staff are confidential. Abuse of the conversation system may result in moderation or removal. |
| 22. Recipes - It is our site policy that recipes are uploaded in full in a new thread. There are no exceptions to this rule. Each recipe must be contained within a new thread and should be uploaded into the most suitable forum. It should have a suitable title and the prefix "Recipe" or "Recipe & Video". Full ingredients and method are also mandatory. A standard format is expected: an optional introduction, a full list of ingredients with quantities and a full written method. Photographs are optional but are appreciated by all. These photographs should be your own and if showing a step in the method, should be posted where they apply. Videos should be added below the method. Please note that we do not offer video hosting (only photographs/images can be hosted on the site server) and please remember that not all members have access to super-fast broadband hence requirement for full ingredients and full written method. Guidelines are that your recipe should be complete without the need to watch a video. All recipes should be cited correctly and full credit given to the original creator (where it can be established) even if your recipe has only been inspired by them. Further guidelines can be found under the Help link. Recipes not meeting these minimum requirements will be removed without notice. | Posting Recipes: Every recipe must be posted in its own new thread, not inside other threads. Recipes posted elsewhere will be moved or deleted. Recipes must be rewritten in your own words, not copied from books/magazines or websites. Posting copyrighted text/images from books, magazines or websites is not permitted. Copyrighted content will be deleted. Always credit the original creator or source of inspiration. See Recipe Copyright Policy. Photos and videos must follow the CookingBites Policy on Images and Copyright Full details can be found at Rules for Uploading Recipes and Retro Recipes on CookingBites.com and Additional Rules for Uploading Video Recipes on CookingBites.com. |
| 23. Copyright - CookingBites takes a firm stance on copyright even though it can be difficult to work out what applies in which country. Recipe and photographic copyright should always been followed and credited accordingly. If you fail to acknowledge the author (or the letter of the law taking into account the stricter of both countries' copyright laws (the country you are posting from and the UK where the CookingBites server is hosted)), we will remove your recipe without notice. Recipe (photographic or videographic) citation is important, and we will enforce it. Further guidelines can be found under the Help link. | merged with posting recipes |
| 24. Links - Open exchange of information is a basic tenet of the web, so we allow natural links to other resources (including competitors) if the linked page is helpful to our members and directly related to the discussion. However, we also make a substantial investment in our community and understandably do not want our resources used for our competitor’s benefit, so we do not allow links to competing sites in member signatures, unnatural promotion of competing site links in our forums, and any links soliciting our members to leave our site and join a competing site or service. Links are also considered a privilege and as such need to be approved by a member of the moderator team for all new members. | Links: Links are a privilege and require approval for new members. |
| 25. Moderator Directives - If a moderator or staff member makes a directive in a thread (for example to focus on the topic and not other people) you must adhere to these directives. If you discover a directive only after you’ve posted a message contravening it, please delete your post or it will be taken to be ignoring moderators. | Moderator Authority: Moderator instructions are binding. Public arguments about moderation will be removed. If you need clarification about a moderator decision, contact the moderator team or site owner privately. The site owner’s decision is final. |
| 26. Moderator Decisions - If you have a problem with or a question about a moderator’s decision, contact the moderator or site owner privately or submit a message through the contact system. Public posts or topics discussing moderator actions will be removed without notice and accounts placed in moderation or closed entirely. | Moderator Team: Moderators are volunteers who keep the site running smoothly. Please treat them with the same respect you expect in return. |
| 27. Moderation Queue - The moderator team may queue-and-review, suspend or close the accounts of anyone who wilfully violates the forum rules, continually needs warning, monopolises moderator time, or who tries to damage the community or its reputation. | deleted as irrelevent |
| 28. Cross-posting - Do not create the same thread in more than one forum (cross-posting). You should select the single most appropriate forum for your message and post it there. Duplicate threads and posts will be deleted. | Cross-Posting: Do not create the same thread in more than one forum. Duplicate threads or posts will be deleted. |
| 29. Tagging – tags are words and phrases that you can add to content to make it easier for other people to find. They are also used by search engines to help visitors find content on our site. Please try to make your tags useful, helpful and representative of the content being tagged and be aware that misuse of tagging can result in you being excluded from adding further tags. | Tagging: Tags are words and phrases that make content easier to search. Keep them functional and representative of the content. |
| 30. Warning System - CookingBites uses the warning system to track member who continually ignore site rules, policies and moderator notices etc. Warning points can and will be issued and if a member continues to ignore site T&C's, their account can be temporarily or permanently banned from the individual threads or the site. | Warnings & Bans: Persistent rule-breaking, harassment, or disruption will lead to warnings, moderation, and, if necessary, a permanent ban. Re-registering after a ban will result in the new account being removed immediately. |
| 31. Bans - A ban from our community means you are no longer welcome at our website. Re-registering will lead to a permanent ban of the new account. | merged with warnings & bans |
| 32. Feedback - Feedback, suggestions or questions about the operation of the site are welcome but please send them directly to the site owner via a forum personal message or the site Contact Us link. Please do not post them in the forums as they will be removed. | deleted as irrelevent |
| 33. Technical Restrictions - Some regions impose bans or restrictions on social media or discussion forums. CookingBites complies with local law and reserves the right to restrict access where legally required. Members are responsible for ensuring their own participation complies with their local regulations. | Technical Restrictions: Some countries restrict access to social media and forums. Members are responsible for complying with their local regulations. CookingBites complies with applicable laws and may restrict access where required. As such, a valid date of birth is required to ensure compliance with age-related legal and platform obligations. |
| 34. Site Management and Legal - The owner may remove, edit, move, or close any post or account at any time, without notice, in the best interests of the community. We may disclose information if required by law or in connection with legal action arising from user content. | Site Management & Legal: The owner may edit, move, or remove any post or account at any time, without notice, in the best interests of the community. We may disclose information if required by law. |
| 35. Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed in posts, recipes, or comments are those of the individual members and not of CookingBites or its staff. The site owner and moderators are not responsible for the accuracy, legality, or content of any member submissions, linked material, or external websites. | Disclaimer: Views and opinions expressed by members do not represent CookingBites. The site owner and moderators are not responsible for the accuracy or legality of member-submitted content or external links. |
| The rules cannot cover everything so we reserve the right to edit or remove any content and take any action necessary to ensure the smooth running of the site and the protection of members, staff, and community reputation. | Final Provision No rule set can cover every situation. The site owner and moderators may act at their discretion to protect the community. By continuing to post on CookingBites, you acknowledge and accept that you will follow all forum rules, guidelines, and policies. |
