The memos outline forum best practice. Rather than having stipulated a series of rules at the beginning of acf time and stuck doggedly to them come hell or high water, management prefers an organic approach, which is infinitely more flexible and adaptable to the needs at hand.

Contents
Naming topics
Moderation in punctuation
Inviting everyone in
Elsewhere
Troll talk
Spelling, grammar, and pedantry
Let it be
Editing with due care
Cut-n-paste
Choice words
Providing Context
Virtual hugs
Deleted accounts

dulce est desipere in loco

• The more descriptive the better: one word usually isn't enough. Headlines such as 'Help!', while likely to elicit the desired response, are unhelpful for future users of the forum, not to mention admin. 'Made me laugh', joke', 'Woo hoo!' and 'Guardian Today' are further examples of titles which aren't sufficiently enlightening.
• If you enjoy writing mysteries that's fine, but don't overuse the literary device of leaving your readers in too much suspense, i.e., What is...       ...this topic all about.
• Punctuation is seldom necessary in headings (though hardly banned; the consideration here is nonessential punctuation). Contemplate the environmental effect of too many full stops, for example. They consume valuable pixels. Please read 'moderation in punctuation', next memo down
• The caps lock is almost always best left off.
• Management is not excessively worried about correct spelling, but would appreciate if you gave your title the once over before launching your thread.
• Usual caveats about profanity apply, and *sterisks don't automatically green light 'F*ck', if you were wondering. Although personally far to the left, admin is an acknowledged right-winger as regards the sensibilities of workplace browsers and others. It is requested that you keep exclamations of disgust for your posts; if you are writing about a 'bastard', for example, hold fire until your actual message.
• No pings. Use the PM system.
• Think carefully before choosing 'bored', 'bored out of my head', or 'I'm so bored I could easily die of boredom just thinking about it' for a title. Undoubtedly stimulating discussions can and do take place in such threads. However, those perusing the forum, and especially the archives, may be put off by excessive declarations of boredom.
  
• Topics may be rebadged, modified or explainified without notice by management, who is no relation to W.

Kind Regards,
acf action team

to: All
re: Moderation in punctuation

Where would we be without punctuation heaven knows its too horrible to contemplate everything a runon sentence with no barriers between words it could be the end of civilisation as we know it fortunately long ago some wise person invented the full stop. Then a few other useful bits and pieces.

Always mindful of the public face of the forum, management would like to establish a modicum of grammatical decorum, particularly in subject headings. There is some concern at acf HQ that ...s, ???s and !!!!s are proliferating to an alarming extent. While seemingly harmless, an excess of punctuation tends, we have noticed, to be contagious. There is also the danger that with overuse it loses its meaning!?! and impact!
Other forum administrators have instituted strict rules against amok punctuation. We only ask that valuable keystrokes be conserved. Think of the children.

Kind Regards,
acf action team

to: All
re: Inviting everyone in

It's important that acf not only be comfortable for its current users, but to attract new ones. Management discourages topics addressed to specific other members, as the forum can start to seem like too much of a cliquily closed world. The effect is pronounced because of our modest size. Cozy is nice, but we've got to get the balance right.

Of course you can chat with other people here. Simply consider what it would be like had you just discovered acf. If there's too much in talk, mightn't you feel as if you were intruding on private conversations? Don't use names in subject headings, and when posting try to keep references only decipherable to longstanding members to a minimum.

All that's required is that you give some thought to the bigger picture.

kind regards,
acf action team

to: Dual citizens
re: Elsewhere

Please remember which forum you're on when you're posting. The rules in different places are different.

You needn't advertise if you've made a duplicate post or read a similar one on other cycling forums, or notify us when information has been gleaned from "across the road", "the other place", or "elsewhere". This is to help prevent the small world of UK cycling forums from becoming claustrophobic.

Don't hurt our chances of having active boards by directing people elsewhere.

Members enter acf with a clean slate; do not drag in forum business from prior engagements.

Kind Regards,
acf action team

to: All
re: Troll talk

As it says in the FAQ, "There are no Awooooogas here." Do not even suggest or hint that someone may be an underbridge dweller.

Kind Regards,
acf action team

to: All
re: Spelling, grammar, and pedantry

Although it would be appreciated if you took some care, especially when naming topics, there are no spelling or grammar police examining post content; refrain from citizen's arrests.

<pedant> mode should be used sparingly if at all.

Kind Regards,
acf action team

to: All
re: Let it be

Do not question or comment upon moderation decisions (including moved topics) mid thread, or start new threads about them. PM if you feel you need to, but please do your homework first, i.e., know how the forum works.

Kind Regards,
acf action team

to: All
re: Editing with due care

When deleting or modifying posts, you have a responsibility to examine any replies before making your edit and to be sensitive to the effect your alteration may have on the thread.

Kind Regards,
the acf action team

to: All
re: cut-n-paste

Members are requested not to reprint jokey lists and extended 'anecdotes' found elsewhere on the net. It is preferred that our storage lockers be reserved for original content or at least inspired plagiarism.

Kind Regards,
the acf action team

to: All
re: Choice words

Management requests that you moderate your language when you feel least like doing so. It's not about replacing letters with asterisks. Writing "This tw*t in a BMW cut me up..." isn't really an improvement.

Don't go on about "chavs" or "pikeys".

Please also refrain from putting muppets, numpties, idiots, etc. in subject lines, those generally qualifying as "terms of nonendearment" mentioned in the VIth Commandment. As requested in the naming topics memo, exclamations of disgust, if necessary, are best saved for your post itself.

Kind Regards,
acf action team

to: All
re: Providing context

When composing your post and referencing something which has been discussed elsewhere on the forum, please make a habit of linking to threads to help those not in the know. For example, if you were to write "I hate shoe shopping almost as much as Sam does" (would be quite a feat, by the way), only the few people who had read this thread would have the necessary background to fully appreciate the comparison.

Kind Regards,
acf action team

to: All
re: Virtual hugs

Save these for PMs

Kind Regards,
acf action team

To: All
Re: Deleted accounts

When an account is deactivated the posts remain (though may not be archived). You can see if somebody is gone by checking the memberlist.

You don't need administrative help to absent yourself permanently, and there is no obligation to explain why.

This is a private decision. Don't post a public goodbye.

Interested parties must refrain from speculating or commenting upon the departure of members in a new or existing thread. Nor shall there be a wake. Although the person has not ceased to exist, do not help them to become ghosts which haunt the forum by channeling them ("xxx says hello").

Kind Regards,
acf action team