Post-Related Infractions

• Abuse of Other Members
  Our Premium Members are all to be treated as members of a community. Members are expected to behave as one would in mixed company. Name-calling, intentional abuse or otherwise creating a hostile environment for other Premium Members is forbidden.

• Abusive Posting & Personal Attacks
  Personal attacks on other Premium Members are strictly prohibited. It should be noted that Heidi and Frank are Premium Members and any postings which reflect contempt of Heidi or Frank, the Heidi and Frank Show, or HeidiAndFrank.com will not be tolerated. Personal attacks against any of the groups or individuals named above are not permitted. Constructive, non-personal criticism and civil discourse is permissible; personal attacks are not.

• "Call Out" Threads & Stalking
  Starting a thread for the purposes of starting an argument with another Premium Member, or starting threads with other Premium Members' names or usernames contained therein is not allowed. Likewise stalking, following a Premium Member from one thread to another or from one Message Board to another for the purposes of continuing an argument & or harassing another Premium member, is prohibited and will result in a warning.

• Impersonating Other Members
  Copying another Premium Member's demeanor and/or closely approximating their screen name for the purposes of being mistaken for them or mocking them is prohibited.

• Obscene and/or Racist Postings
  Linking to obscene web sites, posting obscene or graphic language, or violating the standards of decent behavior falls under obscenity, and is not allowed. Any postings which are deemed, in the discretion of HeidiAndFrank.com staff, to be racist, anti-Semitic, or condemning any persons ethnicity or religious beliefs, or which otherwise reflect prejudice are not allowed.

• Bumping/Flooding/Excessive Posting
  "Bumping" is generally defined as posting irrelevant messages just for the sake of pushing a particular thread to the top of its Message Board topic. "Flooding" is generally defined as bumping other threads out of view in order to increase your own visibility, or to decrease the visibility of another thread. This can either take the form of cross-posting identical threads in different Message Boards or multiple threads in any one Message Board with identical or nearly identical content. We reserve the right to move or delete any offending threads. If we decide to remove threads that fit into this category, do not repost them--doing so is grounds for immediate termination.

• Spamming/Advertising
  Just like spam emails, "spamming" refers to posting of irrelevant and unwanted advertising, whether by hand or by an automatic "spam-bot." This also includes repeatedly posting a link (so as to be considered by Staff as "excessive") to any site. While it's one thing for a Premium Member to post a link or two to a site of interest, it's an entirely different matter to repeatedly post links to that site for any reason. Commercial advertising is strictly prohibited.

• Trolling
  "Trolling" is generally defined as posting derogatory, inflammatory or otherwise irritating comments in an attempt to "bait" other members into responding angrily. This is not allowed on our site. Personal attacks are viewed independently of what prompts them, and anyone who attacks anyone else, regardless of whether or not that person is a troll, is subject to a warning or termination. Do not, under any circumstances, inflame the situation by replying to or attacking a troll.

• Personal Information
  Do not post personal information, including phone numbers, email addresses or other addresses of anyone on our Message Boards. Posting personal information belonging to anyone else is grounds for a warning or termination, and will be deleted from the boards as soon as it is detected.

• Multiple Screen Names
  Premium Members are permitted one, and only one, active account. Any "extra" accounts we discover will be cancelled. Only you may use your account & you will be held responsible for anything posted from it.

• Termination Bypass & Fraudulent Accounts
  Terminations are irrevocable and permanent. Premium Members who have been terminated, and who re-enter the Message Boards fraudulently, are subject to immediate ejection. (We often refer to these individuals as "ghosts.") This ruling includes, but is not limited to, the creation of new accounts in name of another family member or friend in order to re-enter the Message Boards. Furthermore, we reserve the right to terminate all memberships in the household of a terminated member.

• Reporting a Post
  If you see a post that you think is offensive, or breaks the rules outlined here, do not respond to it. Instead, we ask members to simply click the "Report This Post" button that appears adjacent to each post. The reported post will be evaluated and if deemed a violation the offending member will be sent a warning by our Customer Service Department. The faster offensive posts and posters are reported the faster they can be removed from the message boards.

• The "One Warning" Rule
  Users who violate the rules receive one, and only one, warning, which is not subject to appeal. (These warnings "expire" after six months, but we reserve the right to review a user's record to make termination decisions, especially if a user shows a consistent pattern of rule-breaking.) If a user who has one current warning on record breaks the rules a second time, he or she will be immediately terminated. However, as set forth below, certain conduct may be deemed by the HeidiAndFrank.com Staff to be so objectionable that instant termination may result. The decisions of the HeidiAndFrank.com Staff are final and not subject to appeal.

• Instant Termination
  This is a no-questions-asked, no-warnings-given termination, and is exercised at the option of HeidiAndFrank.com Staff in instances where a warning is not a sufficient option. Again, the decisions of the HeidiAndFrank.com Staff are final and are not subject to appeal.

• Reporting a Post
  If you spot a post that you feel is offensive or breaks the rules outlined here, do not take the law into your own hands and reply. Instead, click the "Report This Post" link that appears adjacent to each post and explain what the problem is. (Remember, if you attack someone else, you're breaking the trolling rules and opening yourself up to a warning.) A report will be evaluated and if deemed necessary, the offending user will be sent a warning by our Customer Service Department. A second warning automatically generates a membership termination.