Site rules

Rules for the use of ProZ.com

The following rules have been created to extend and protect the pleasant, results-oriented atmosphere of the ProZ.com translation workplace. By using the site, you indicate your acceptance of, and agreement to abide by, these rules.

Site Rule

1	The ProZ.com Blue Board is provided as a resource for referencing outsourcers of translation, interpreting and other language-related work, and for expressing willingness to work again with given outsourcers. Use of the Blue Board for other purposes is not permitted.
2	Certain conditions must be met before Blue Board entries can be made. Entries concerning the Likelihood of Working Again (LWA) with given outsourcers are allowed only when (1) commissioned work has been completed in full and delivered on time, and (2) there have not been complaints related to quality shortly after delivery. Entries may not be made on the basis of negotiations, test translations, or other preliminary or non-commissioned interactions.
3	It is not possible to edit an entry once a reply to it has been received. A service provider is allowed to make one brief entry, and the outsourcer is allowed to make one brief reply. (Note that it is possible to edit an entry until such time as a reply has been received.)
4	It is not possible to edit replies once they have been submitted.
5	Site users are allowed only one entry per outsourcer, per year. Additional entries may be added once yearly, under the condition that additional work has been performed since the last entry was made.
6	Self-entries are not permitted. Outsourcers, and owners and employees of outsourcing companies listed in the Blue Board, may not make entries concerning their "likelihood of working again" with themselves or their companies.
7	Defamation is not permitted. The Blue Board may not be used to defame any individual or business. Entries, comments accompanying entries, and responses to entries, must focus strictly on willingness to work again.
8	Attempting to influence another's use of the Blue Board is prohibited. Exerting pressure on someone to change a Blue Board entry or reply, or to make a new entry or reply of a specific nature, is forbidden. (Inviting service providers or outsourcers to make entries or replies is acceptable, as long as there is no attempt to influence the content of those postings.)
9	The Blue Board may not be used to coerce. Using the Blue Board, or threatening to use the Blue Board, in such a way as to pressure an outsourcer or service provider into taking some action, is strictly prohibited.
10	Blue Board records will remain in place for at least six months following any form of outsourcing activity. ProZ.com will consider requests from outsourcers to have certain contact details removed from the Blue Board when specific reasons are given. However, in most cases, such requests will not be considered until at least six months have passed after the date of last known outsourcing activity.

Adherence to the above rules is a condition for continued right to access and use the site.

Enforcement

Staff members and moderators may take any of the following actions to enforce the above rules:
* contacting site users to call attention to specific rules
* refraining from approving (or removing/hiding) postings that violate a rule
* causing a message related to the rules to appear to certain users when they undertake certain actions
* suspending, temporarily or permanently, access to site features that have been used in violation of the rules.
* termination of profile or membership (staff only)

Moderators and staff members must act in accordance with, and are protected by, site rules in exactly the same way as other members.

Termination

In rare cases of severe infraction, ProZ.com staff members may terminate a profile (and membership) with immediate effect. In most cases, however, ProZ.com uses a "yellow card/red card" policy, akin to yellow-card/red-card practice in the sport of football/soccer, for terminations.

Yellow and red cards are issued only by staff members. Rules are cited by number, and the date of the card is logged. The terms "yellow card" or "red card" are used explicitly; if an email is sent, the terms appear in the subject line.

A site user who has been issued a yellow card may continue to use the site (sometimes with certain restrictions), but is otherwise under notice that further infractions will lead to termination. A person whose profile has been terminated will not be readmitted to ProZ.com.

Outsourcers are subject to the site's Termination policy.

Clarification

For clarification regarding any of the above rules or rules enforcement, please submit a support request.