Focus on the Family forums exist to provide a safe place for fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, singles, students and ministers to build a positive community with one another. While it is our desire for those involved to discuss issues, ask questions, and receive encouragement, suggestions or prayer from each other without having to weed through the often offensive content found on other forums, we also realize that people often look to us as an expert resource on family-related matters. On occasion Focus on the Family would like to share our perspective via forum moderation. Our ministry staff and moderators can be identified by the Focus on the Family logo in their signature.
To post messages to these forums, you must register as a member. This registration is free of charge. By registering, you indicate your acceptance of the following Terms of Membership:
Joining our Forums
For the Marriage Forum, you must be at least 18 years old to register as a member and post.
For all other Focus on the Family forums, you must be at least 15 years old to register as a member and post. You must have your parent's or legal guardian's permission to register as a member if you are under 18.
Registration:
When you register on our forums we collect your e-mail address and member name. Periodically we may use this information to contact you regarding site updates, ministry events and promotions or a violation of these terms of service. However, we will never rent or sell your personal information. Please see our Privacy Policy at http://www.focusonthefamily.com/privacy/.
Avatar/Author Icon Guidelines:
Our Avatars are restricted to a maximum of 120 x 120 pixels and must not be political, vulgar, pornographic or controversial. They must not infringe on the copyright of any third party nor incorporate any person's image or likeness. Focus on the Family has the right to remove any avatars deemed inappropriate.
Username and Signature Guidelines:
Personal Web addresses or last names posted are not allowed. This is for safety reasons and if posted they will be removed.
Our forums software does not allow for duplicate user names and e-mail addresses. If the name or address you enter is already in use, you will be prompted to choose another one.
To prevent a member from using another member's username, each users account is password protected with e-mail verification. When you register, you will receive an e-mail verifying the username and password you chose. If your last name is used in your username we will not post your comments until that has been changed. Our staff will need to change it for you and will e-mail you a new username as part of this change procedure. If you forget your password and cannot obtain it through the forum's e-mail my password process, we are unable to provide it for you. Instead we will reset it and inform you of the temporary password so you can access your account and create a new password.
Using the Forums
Board Guidelines:
Messages posted on our forums express only the views of the author of the message and do not necessarily reflect the views of these forums or any person or entity associated with them. Therefore, you agree that neither these forums, nor any person or entity associated with them, may be held responsible for the contents, accuracy, completeness or validity of any information contained in them.
Focus on the Family moderates all posts before they are made public. This policy is to help foster a safe environment for all forum users. Any user who believes that a posted message is objectionable is encouraged to contact us immediately by e-mail at marriageadmin@family.org. Upon receipt of such notification, we will make every effort to take such action as we deem necessary within a reasonable period of time. Since this is a manual process, you are advised that we may not be able to remove or edit particular messages immediately.
You agree that you will not use our forums to post any comments or material, or links to any material, which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's right of privacy or publicity, infringes on the copyright of any third party, or otherwise in violation of any law. This includes disguising profanity through mixing letters and symbols. Any posts containing profanity or disguised profanity will be edited or removed.
Focus on the Family forums do not permit name calling or personal attacks. Posts that attack and/or disrespect others, Focus on the Family or Christianity will not be allowed. Disagreements will arise and we ask that they are addressed respectfully.
Advertisements, chain letters, pyramid schemes, journalism, personal research, marketing and solicitations are not allowed.
While we allow posting links to other sites, Focus on the Family reserves the right to delete or block access to these sites. We do not however, allow recruiting to competing forums. Please also note that our ministry policy does not permit forum users to link to YouTube and social networking Web sites such as MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Focus on the Family reserves the right to edit or delete any message for any reason whatsoever, at our sole discretion. You agree that you are solely responsible for the content of your messages and that you will indemnify and hold harmless Focus on the Family, Jive Inc. (the software manufacturer) and their agents and employees with respect to any claim based upon the appearance and/or transmission of your message(s).
Focus on the Family, at its discretion, may bar registration from any specific e-mail service or ISP or inactivate a user's membership.
You agree that you will not post any copyrighted material without the express permission of the copyright holder, unless such copyright is owned by you, this forum or Focus on the Family.
In the event of legal action arising from any message posted by you, Focus on the Family reserves the right to reveal your identity and any other information we may know about you.
Thank you for joining our forums.