Discussion Forum @

The Commander Club utilize the YahooGroups service to exchange questions and answers among members.

A sample of the most recent topics being discussed right now is displayed in the right hand column.

To participate an YahooGroups account is necessary. Click the Yahoo logo to go to Commander Club discussion group and to sign in (or get an account).

Rules of Conduct

We do not want to make long lists of things you can and cannot do. We have tried to keep it to a minimum and urge you to use common sense. It is a talent used by sailors for hundreds of years around the globe. It usually works.

Why Rules of Conduct?

The mail list and discussion forum constitute the Chris Craft Commander Club’s single most valuable asset. It is the tool that makes it possible for us all to exchange ideas with lots of other knowledgeable people devoted to preserving an enjoying Chris Craft Commanders.

There are three cornerstones that together make this tool so valuable.

First, it is our ability to maintain focus on the subject for which the CCCC was originally created, that is Chris Craft Commanders.

Second, it is the so-called network effect that results when a lot of people get together on the same subject. It is a common saying that the value of a network (i.e. the CCCC) equals approximately the square of the number of users of the system (n2). Hence the value of the club (network) expands with the number of users.

Third, mutual trust is essential in order to get some value out of the network and the focus.

Therefore, the rules of conduct for the CCCC mail list and discussion forum at YahooGroups is aimed solely at protecting these cornerstones from degrading and thus indirectly jeopardizing the club.

Item 1: Commander talk only!

All who joined this group joined because they wanted to learn more about Commanders and/or to share their experience.  Let’s keep it at that. If the discussion in the list or the forum deviates too much and too often from Commander talk, some people will lose interest and leave. Of course, exchange of information on closely related subjects (i.e. equipment, engines, materials, procedures, cruising information, etc) is OK as long as they are directly applicable to Chris Craft Commanders.

Typically you should avoid: Other subjects, like cars, other boats, fishing, other hobbies, houses, children, family, your work, your boss, etc. If you wish to discuss things like this, find another group or contact other members off list.

Item 2:  Be friendly, be helpful, and be honest

We are all in this because we want to have fun, therefore be friendly and helpful. If you think you may have an answer to a question posed by someone else, by all means contribute.  If you don’t have time to deliver the answer now, please send an e-mail to the person asking stating that you will come back with the answer later. Take care when delivering your suggestions, people reading them may not be able to distinguish between an educated guess and an expert’s statement.

You may not like everybody in the group, but nothing is gained by criticizing that person in a message to the whole group. Send him/her a private e-mail or call him/her on the phone.

Item 3: No commercials please

The mail list and the forum is not a marketing and advertising tool for companies or people in the marine industry, or any other industry for that matter. Do not try to sell things or services via the list or forum.

Of course, if you are a member of the group and you wish to sell your boat or the odd associated accessories and parts you are welcome to let the group know you have them, but one message is enough. Better yet, post your ad on the Commander Club website or our Trading Post (for parts), Commanderswap.com.

Members of the marine industry who are also members of the CCCC are more than welcome to provide specific answers or to suggest solutions when the question is raised by another member.

Item 4: No high-jacking please

The value of being a member is closely associated with the number of other members. It is therefore not acceptable if a member or group of members systematically use the mail list or the forum to market other clubs or services that could be regarded as a competitor to the CCCC, it’s mail list, discussion forum or website.

This does not prevent individual members from freely posting links or making reference to personal websites, personal blogs, or other relevant points of interest.  

Item 4:  Photos and files should be of modest size

Attaching photos or other files that can augment your posts is usually and highly appreciated. However, in order to avoid long download times for fellow members with slow internet connections, it is required that you adapt your photos and file size so that your post contain a maximum of 500 kb (0.5MB) of files. Photos can be adapted by any image editing software.

If you have larger files, you are obliged to: Either upload the photos or files to a personal (photo) website and then post a message with a link to the site. Or you can post a message describing which files you have and mail them privately and directly to other members upon request.

Item 5:  Copyright & enhancement of published posts

When posting information, data files, photos, drawings etc. to the mail list or forum, please be aware that the CCCC reserves the right to republish all such information via other forms of media such as print-outs, newsletters, club websites, CD-ROMs, or other digital media. In the process of publishing, the CCCC has the right to reorganize and enhance all information provided in posts in order to make the information easily accessible in the media format of choice. In any of these cases or other similar cases, you are not entitled to any reimbursement or fee for your contribution nor can you make any copyright claims towards the CCCC or its representatives.  This is our way of ensuring free sharing of ideas and know-how among members.

The rights of the CCCC to re-use information does not mean that the same rights are granted automatically to all other members. If you want to re-use information, photos etc. posted by other members on your website, another discussion forum or mail list, you are strongly recommended to get the approval to do so from the originating member.

Item 6:  Disclaimer

All information, opinions and advice shared by club members via the mail list or forum does not constitute expert advice. Anyone acting on comments posted must take full responsibility for the resulting outcome.

Item 7: Sanctions in the rare cases they are needed

If a club member fails to comply with the items described above, the Executive Committee of the CCCC reserves the right to take the following actions, step by step:

1. In the first instance the Webmaster of the Executive Committee has the right to send a warning to the member. The warning shall contain information about which rule of conduct has been broken along with a request to comply in the future.

2. If the same member posts more messages in violation of the rules of conduct within the next 90 days, the Webmaster has the right to moderate the member’s postings before they are published to the mail list or the forum. Moderation of a post shall be limited to approving or rejecting the post in its entirety, not editing the content. The member shall be notified by the webmaster of the change to “Moderated” status. Moderated status can be removed when deemed suitable by the Webmaster.

3. If a member continues posting messages that are in violation of the rules of conduct, or if a member in other ways is creating - or threatening to create- substantial damage to the CCCC, the member can be permanently removed from the list. Such a decision must be supported by a majority of the Executive Committee members.

There are a couple of situations when a member can be removed or put under “Moderated” status from the list without prior warning:

• If it is evident the member has no intention of complying with any of the rules of conduct.
  
  AND/OR
  
   

• The member is trying to use the list, the forum, or the membership list to launch or market a similar community as the CCCC or any kind of commercial product or service and it is clear that the posted information was not an answer to a specific question posted by an individual member.

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