Hello RHP'ers!

Welcome to Forums if you are a new user, and to those who regularly contribute to the threads, we thank you for your wit, charm and energy. Please help guide the newbies to be just like you.

This is just a basic guideline to give you an idea of what the Forums are about. We like to view the Forums as a big party for open-minded adults and as party guests, you can choose the topic of conversation with your fellow party-goers. However, you should mingle the forums exactly as though you are in an actual social setting in real life. So please:

Think before you post: We don't provide a means for posters to edit or delete so you need to choose your words wisely or own them and suffer the consequences of your forum faux pas. Forum moderators can remove posts if requested, but just like spoken words, what you post can't be taken back by those who read it, so think twice!

Stay On Topic: Just as with any other online forum, we prefer that our posters stay on topic where possible. This means only adding to the original poster's (OP) topic of conversation with answers or opinions pertaining to that topic. Threads can often organically change directions which is fine but there should be no deliberate attempt to move focus away from the OP's topic.

Don't Hijack Threads: You wouldn't stop someone mid-way through a conversation by starting a new one in real life (we hope) so please don't do it in the Forums. If you desperately want your own situation or story to be read and commented on, it would be best to start your own thread.

Think of Moderators as Hosts, not Police: If the Forums is a big party, then please consider moderators as its hosts. They will move from group to group to make sure conversations are going smoothly but we can't pick up every backhanded comment or hidden insult that are dished out by our less polite party-goers. Sure, if the noise is loud enough, we'll rush over and intervene (by removing threads or posts) but we'd like to think that you are all adults and able to sort minor skirmishes out amongst yourselves. Naturally, if you feel that an issue requires intervention, then please let us know via the Abuse Report Form.

Do Not Start Flame Wars: The world would be a boring place if we all had the same opinions so please be prepared to come across party-goers whose views may differ to yours. Perhaps just agree to disagree where possible. What we don't want happening at our party is a full-on slanging match so please think twice before starting a war of words. Other than raising your own blood pressure, it's a mood-kill for other party-goers.

Be Discreet: You probably wouldn't tell complete strangers at a real life party that you slept with Anne Bradshaw of 25 Collins Street, South Yarra, so please don't do it in the Forums. We don't mind 'blind' discussions where names, places and other identifying details are omitted (and all the juicy details intact) but deliberately using the Forums to identify someone on RHP or beyond is not cool.

Have Fun: The Forums (like any party) is meant to be fun, social and a great way to meet new friends. You can get a whole lotta information and advice to boot. Contribute as much as you can and you'll get bucketloads (of advice...) back in return. Don't judge people and if you can't say anything nice, then please don't say anything at all.