Online Community Rules & Etiquette Guidelines
Thank you for being part of our community. By joining and using any community on the PTG website, you agree that you have read and will follow these rules and etiquette guidelines. These rules and guidelines will be updated as needed, and the current version will always be available to view by clicking the “help” button on the website.
In order to preserve a climate that encourages both civil and fruitful dialogue, we reserve the right to reject any message from anyone who violates these rules, as well as the right to suspend or terminate membership in this community for such violations. We also reserve the right to allow, limit, edit, moderate, delete, move, and curate communities and community content as needed to ensure the best possible experience for community members and the general public.
If you have questions about these rules, contact The Piano Technicians Guild Home Office via the Contact Us link on this site.
The Rules
• Discuss Pianos
The PTG communities are for discussing pianos, piano service, and the PTG. Discussions of societal, religious, political, medical, or other potentially divisive or alienating topics and the airing of beliefs about such topics have no place on the PTG communities. While discussions may occasionally stray from the original topic of a post, community members should not hijack threads through multiple off-topic responses. Reserve discussions and shared files, content, and links to that which is suitable for a piano technology forum.
• Be Professional and Respectful
It is okay to disagree or share different opinions, but it is not okay to use rudeness when responding to others. Disrespectful behavior, insults, threats, and other abusive forms of communication, whether clearly stated or implied, are not allowed. All defamatory, abusive, profane, obscene, threatening, offensive or illegal materials are strictly prohibited. Remember that other participants have the right to reproduce anything you post to this site unless you specify otherwise.
• No Commercial Messages
Don't post commercial messages on any discussion list, resource library entry, or other areas where others might see it. Use caution when discussing products. Information posted on the lists and in the libraries is available for all to see, and comments are subject to libel, slander, and antitrust laws.
• Report Violations
If a posted message violates the Community Rules users can notify the appropriate group by clicking the "Mark as Inappropriate" button. Use of the "Mark as Inappropriate" button is taken seriously, and the complaint will be investigated. It is your responsibility to use the system sparingly and appropriately. The message will be reviewed in context, and if the rules appear to be violated by the author, either that individual will be asked to edit their post, or the post will be removed. Continued offenses will result in a suspension of access to the forums.
• Note carefully “The Legal Stuff” below
Online Community Etiquette
1. Be Helpful
a. This is a great medium with which to solicit the advice of your peers, benefit from their experience, and participate in an ongoing conversation. PTG’s technical forums can be a very valuable source of learning for technicians at every level, but especially for beginners. Please remember that everyone started out as a beginner, and seemingly obvious questions are not so obvious to those with less experience. Please make an effort to make newer technicians feel welcome and remember that questions from new technicians often spark the most valuable discussions.
2. Keep it Short
a. State concisely and clearly the topic of your comments in the subject line. This allows members to respond more appropriately to your posting and makes it easier for members to search the archives by subject.
b. Warn other list subscribers of lengthy messages either in the subject line or at the beginning of the message body with a line that says, "Long Message."
3. Keep it Organized
a. When possible, include only the relevant portions of the original message in your reply. Delete any header information and put your response before the original posting.
b. Include a signature tag on all messages. Include your name, chapter, affiliation, location, etc.
c. Consider posting a thread in only one community and linking to that thread from another community rather than cross posting. Example: Post a new message in Pianotech. Copy the URL. Go to your chapter community and create a new message. Click “insert link.” Paste the URL in the appropriate box. Click “OK”. Describe the link and click “Post.”
4. Post to the Appropriate Audience
a. Only send a message to the entire list when it contains information that everyone can benefit from.
b. Send messages such as "thanks for the information" or "me, too" to individuals--not to the entire list.
c. Do not send administrative messages, such as remove me from the list. Instead, use the web interface to change your settings or to remove yourself from a list. If you are changing e-mail addresses, you do not need to remove yourself from the list and rejoin under your new e-mail address. Simply change your settings.
Questions should be directed to The Piano Technicians Guild Home Office via the Contact Us link on this site. Technical questions on association management issues should also be directed to the Home Office or you may call 913-432-9975.
The Legal Stuff
This site is provided as a service for the members of The Piano Technicians Guild. The Piano Technicians Guild is not responsible for the opinions and information posted on this site by others. We disclaim all warranties with regard to information posted on this site, whether posted by The Piano Technicians Guild or any third party; this disclaimer includes all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness. In no event shall The Piano Technicians Guild be liable for any special, indirect, or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data, or profits, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of any information posted on this site.
Do not post any defamatory, abusive, profane, obscene, threatening, offensive, or illegal materials. Do not post any information or other material protected by copyright without the permission of the copyright owner. By posting material, the posting party warrants and represents that he or she owns the copyright with respect to such material or has received permission from the copyright owner. In addition, the posting party grants The Piano Technicians Guild and users of this site the nonexclusive right and license to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print, and use such information or other material.
All members should be familiar with PTG's Antitrust Guidelines and abide by them when posting information. Messages should not be posted if they encourage or facilitate members to arrive at any agreement that either expressly or implicitly leads to price fixing, a boycott of another's business, or other conduct intended to illegally restrict free trade. Messages that encourage or facilitate an agreement about the following subjects are inappropriate: prices, discounts, or terms or conditions of sale; salaries; profits, profit margins, or cost data; market shares, sales territories, or markets; allocation of customers or territories; or selection, rejection, or termination of customers or suppliers.
The Piano Technicians Guild does not actively monitor the site for inappropriate postings and does not on its own undertake editorial control of postings. However, in the event that any inappropriate posting is brought to the attention of The Piano Technicians Guild, we will take all appropriate action.
The Piano Technicians Guild reserves the right to terminate access by any user who does not abide by these guidelines.
Updated 8/2021.