BALI travel FORUM -- FAQ

Q:	What's the purpose of this forum?
A:	We maintain this forum to help travelers planning to visit Bali to get an initial "feel" for this island. After reading the experiences of others it will be easier for first-time visitors to make sensible decisions about where to stay, what to see and do, where to eat, where and how to do their shopping, how to get around, and to be aware of the various "do's" and "don'ts".

Q:	What kind of questions can I ask, or what information should I post?
A:	Feel free to ask any kind of question, and share any experience you might have had – as long as the message relates to travelling to and within Bali. All messages others can benefit from are welcome – including warnings and recommendations.

Q:	Can I use this forum to advertise or promote a shop, restaurant, hotel, or any products?
A:	No, you cannot. This forum is not commercial and should be used only for messages and information related to travelling within and to Bali.

Q:	Can I use this forum to promote, announce, or publicize my photo-page? It contains nice Bali photos and I want to show them to my friends.
A:	No, you cannot. Please use e-mail, sms, IRC, or any other means to inform your friends about your photo page.

Q:	Hey, but my homepage is non-commercial!
A:	If you provide straight-forward information about Bali on your home page which relates to a specific question posted on the forum, and your home page is really non-commercial, you may give the URL in the answer to this question. Please do not use the "Bali travel Forum" to promote your homepage by posting your URL over and over again.

Q:	I registered, but didn't get my activation code!
A:	Hotmail users: Hotmail classifies all emails coming from un-known domains like balitravelforum.com as spam. Therefore activation codes end up in the trash automatically. If you are using Hotmail, please check your trash for your activation code before asking for assistance.

Q:	I received an email from the Bali Travel Forum asking me to re-activate my user account. Is this genuine?
A:	Yes. Once a year every user has to re-activate their user name. This helps to keep our database nice and tidy. ATTENTION: Hotmail users: Hotmail classifies all emails coming from un-known domains like balitravelforum.com as spam. Therefore activation codes end up in the trash automatically. If you are using Hotmail, please check your trash for your activation code before asking for assistance.

Q:	I forgot my user name or password. How can I retrieve it!
A:	Go to the main Forum page at www.balitravelforum.com. In the top part you'll find a box titled "Click on the links below to manage your user name.". One of those links reads "Retrieve User Name / Password". Click on it to --and you guessed it-- retrieve your user name or password.

Q:	I have a Bali SIM card, that I wish to pass on. Can I use the forum to do this?
A:	Please don't. Indonesian SIM cards have to be registered to the owner of those cards. For security reasons it is not allowed to pass these cards on.

Q:	Can I use the forum for personal or private messages?
A:	Please don't. Private messages as well as the infamous "xx sleeps to go" messages, "is anybody on the flight AIR123" messages, or "roll calls", just use up valuable diskspace and bandwidth and make it difficult to get decent results from the forum's search engine.

Q:	I found something interesting about Bali on a different website. Can I just copy it and post it on the Bali Travel Forum?
A:	You need the permission of the copyright holder to copy anything from the web. You may be requested to put the source of the copied material into your post. Common decency demands this anyway... If you break copyright laws, we may restrict your access to "read only", and we may give your user details to the copyright holder on demand.

Q:	I like to organize a meeting or function. Can I use the forum to do this?
A:	Please don't. The forum is for travel related questions. Use a different, more suitable platform.

Q:	I like to post under various aliases. Can I have more than one user name?
A:	No. One person should only have one user name. Multiple aliases will be deleted.

Q:	Which language shall I use to post messages?
A:	The official language on this forum is English. English is a "common denominator", and to avoid a "Tower of Babel" chaos on the forum, we don't allow other languages here.

Q:	But I'm not a native English speaker. It would be much easier for me to post in my own language.
A:	Please don't. If you understand enough English to read the messages on the forum, you are able to post in English, too. Don't be shy, as long as other participants can understand what you're trying to say, nobody will mind your grammar or your spelling.

Q:	Is this forum moderated or censored?
A:	No, it is not. We remove only duplicates, advertisements, and offensive or outright stupid messages.

Q:	I get an error message when posting a certain word or name!
A:	The use of certain words (mostly expletives) and names (mostly known advertisers) is prohibited. When you use such a word, you will get an error message and can correct your post. Any attempt to sneak past this filter may result in the immediate withdrawal of your writing privileges.

Q:	Do the owners of the "Bali Travel Forum" support the opinions expressed on the forum?
A:	No, of course not. As the forum is not moderated we don't verify or support any opinions expressed by participants.

Q:	I have a technical question concerning this forum. Shall I post this question here?
A:	No, please don't. Instead please contact the Forum Administrator at http://www.balitravelforum.com/contactfa.php, and he will answer your question directly by e-mail.

Q:	I feel offended by a post. Shall I give this poster a stiff talk to get him back on track?
A:	Please don't. This will start a flame war and we want to avoid this.

Q:	I think a message breaks one or more of the Forum rules. Can I give the poster a swift reprimand to get him back on track now?
A:	No, please don't play Forum cop.

Q:	How do I get the e-mail address of a participant?
A:	Participants have the option of providing their e-mail address when posting a message. If they do, the poster's address will appear as an e-mail link next to his name above the particular message.

Q:	How do I view the archives?
A:	In the top part of the Forum's Main Page you'll find a selection box saying "Select an Archive". Select the month you want to review and click the button "Go to Archives" next to it. Your browser must be JavaScript capable and you must have JavaScript enabled to use this feature.

Q:	How do I search the forum?
A:	Click the button saying "Search the Forum". Your browser must be JavaScript capable and you must have JavaScript enabled to use this feature.

Q:	Why do I only see old messages?
A:	You're probably getting this old information from your computer's cache. Force your computer to update the page: Mozilla/Safari/Konqueror: hold down Shift while clicking Reload (or press Ctrl-Shift-R) IE: press Ctrl-F5 Opera: press F5

Q:	Why are all e-mail addresses prefixed with "_noSpam_"?
A:	To protect your e-mail address from being collected by robots or spiders, a prefix ("_noSpam_") is automatically added to it. Remove the prefix to send e-mail to a forum participant.

Q:	When I try to post a message I get a message back saying that I am not allowed to post to the forum. Why is this?
A:	Basicly there are only three reasons that prevent you from posting to the forum. You use a word or words that are considered unsuitable for this forum. You use a word or words often used by spammers or advertizers. You are an unregistered user trying to post a message using a banned ISP.

Legalese
Considering the real-time nature of the "Bali travel Forum", it is impossible for us to review every message or confirm the validity of information posted. We are not responsible for any messages posted. We do not vouch for or warrant the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any message, and are not responsible for the contents of any message. The messages express the views of the author of the message, not necessarily the views of the "Bali travel Forum" or any entity associated with the "Bali travel Forum". You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use the "Bali travel Forum" to post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise violative of any law. You agree not to post any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you. We reserve the right to delete any message for any or no reason whatsoever. You remain solely responsible for the content of your messages, and you agree to indemnify and hold harmless the owners and sponsors of the "Bali travel Forum"), and their agents with respect to any claim based upon transmission of your message(s). We also reserve the right to reveal your identity (or whatever information we know about you) in the event of a complaint or legal action arising from any message posted by you. Advertisements, chain letters, pyramid schemes, and solicitations are inappropriate on the "Bali travel Forum".

Legalese

Considering the real-time nature of the "Bali travel Forum", it is impossible for us to review every message or confirm the validity of information posted. We are not responsible for any messages posted. We do not vouch for or warrant the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any message, and are not responsible for the contents of any message. The messages express the views of the author of the message, not necessarily the views of the "Bali travel Forum" or any entity associated with the "Bali travel Forum".

You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use the "Bali travel Forum" to post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise violative of any law. You agree not to post any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you.

We reserve the right to delete any message for any or no reason whatsoever. You remain solely responsible for the content of your messages, and you agree to indemnify and hold harmless the owners and sponsors of the "Bali travel Forum"), and their agents with respect to any claim based upon transmission of your message(s).

We also reserve the right to reveal your identity (or whatever information we know about you) in the event of a complaint or legal action arising from any message posted by you.

Advertisements, chain letters, pyramid schemes, and solicitations are inappropriate on the "Bali travel Forum".