Subforum RULES

[camaraderie]

We are trying to make Sailnet better and are today introducing 6 new forums where members may offer their boats for sale at no charge, and other members may view these boats. We are trying to do something for the membership but we need some ground rules to make it work to provide another service for sailors. As such, our preliminary rules follow.
Now, please bear with us if we need to change the rules mid-stream, based upon how this turns out.

The new "Boat Buyers Forums" Forums have been implemented to allow contributing sailnet members a place to display and sell their boats to other members. As such, there are EXPLICIT rules governing the use of these new forums. Failure to comply with these rules will result in the listing being deleted and further listings banned for 6 months.

1. To LIST your boat you must be a CONTRIBUTING sailnet member with EITHER 50 posts or 12 months of membership. 50 posts to the "song thread" don't count...you must be a legitimate community member and contributer.
2. ONE listing in any 6 month period is permitted. No flippers...no brokers. You must be the owner of the boat. Listing must be deleted when boat is sold.
3. Posts will be removed one year past their posting date to avoid clutter. You may re-post if boat remains unsold.
4. Posts may contain ONE photo of 400x600 pixels maximum (externally hosted) and may contain links to external site photos and descriptions. You may post as much text as you need in your description of the vessel.
5. Posters may NOT actively or explicitly direct others to their ad from other posts on sailnet, but may establish a link in their signature.
6. BUYERS...may contact sellers ONLY through PM's or E-mails. No posts other than boat listings may be made n these forums.
7. Banned members will have their listings deleted.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation in making these new forums work!

[Schuckerman]

As someone who is actively selling a boat and using message boards as much as I can to find the elusive buyer, and having a post removed, I'd like you to explain the reasoning behind the 'legitimate community member and contributer' requirement as well as all the other 'rules'.

This site is the same as all the other sites, SSCA, Cruisers Forum, Lats And Atts, Passagemaker, CruiseNews, Trawler forum and a bunch of others with the exception of being a retail supplier. They don't seem to have any problem with people posting their boats for sale.

What makes a 'legitimate community member and contributer' any more worthy of posting a boat for sale then anyone else? Is this not a free site? Are people posting boats for sale that much of a problem? Granted, there are a few who bump up their listing as often as they can. But that's not even a problem, unless it's a personal matter.
This whole process, rules, regulations & restrictions just seems waaaaaay to involved .
Scott

[camaraderie]

This is NOT those other sites is the simple answer. We don't want people coming here simply to sell their boats on the forums...indeed it is not permitted to sell anything else on these forums... and we simply wanted to offer real members a place here that is organized and up to date where they may offer their boats to other members.
You may list your boat when you have 50 posts.

[Schuckerman]

YES, it is those other sites. They all look the same. At least in the message boards which is what we're dealing with here. Same posters, same topics, same replies, including mine. But it's all in fun. Your reply sounds too elitist for me personally. I hope I'm not a 'real member' of anything. It's just too much to live up to. And since I've been a 'member' since 2005, I guess I can post my boat for sale. But I won't. The standards here are just too high for me .

Scott