Community Guidelines
The 10+ Commandments of ProCollabs
The rules, in a nutshell.
- Thou shalt have no other purpose before music
- Thou shalt be original
- Honor thy project
- Dig thy collaborator as thyself
- Remember thy community, keep it stoked
- Thou shalt not diss
- Thou shalt not rip-off
- Thou shalt refrain from profanity
- Thou shalt not make unto any vulgar Cover Art
- Thou shalt not bear false witness via kudos
And the eleventh commandment, Thou shalt not kill the vibe!
The Law
- Absolutely no bullying! Name calling, direct insults to members, threats, harassment – will result in a warning and possible termination of your account. Bullying will not be tolerated in any way, shape or form. In a case where members are having a debate or heated discussion, swear words may be tolerated (we are adults) but profanity directed towards a member will not be tolerated. I.e, FU so-and-so, or suck my &#@#, etc… Believe me, we understand how a simple discussion can escalate into debauchery, and cuss words start flying around in hope to get your point across – that does happen from time to time, but no need to verbally attack anyone!
- When posting cover art or images on the site, please be mindful of other community members and site visitors. Images that could be considered vulgar, racist, sexist, derogatory, hateful, or could cause embarrassment to other members (e.g. the manipulation of profile images as a joke), or that are excessively offensive in any way are unacceptable. Images that contain nudity or are considered inappropriate in any way may be deleted without warning.
- Cover songs are allowed but must be done using a Private or Secret Project. However, songs in the Public Domain are acceptable.
- No uploading music/lyrics or art that is not owned by you – unless you have permission.
- Do not post any personal information of any other user!
- Slurs or hate speech, including demeaning comments involving race, sexual orientation, religious or political belief, age, or just about anything else, whether they be personal or general, besides being very uncool, are not allowed.
- Do not create fake accounts to assault other members or try to deceive ProCollabs – you will be caught & banned immediately. Further, multiple accounts are not allowed!
- Don’t post anything inappropriate about minors, including things that are violent or sexual in nature.
- It is unacceptable for a member to deliberately introduce any form of malicious code into the community. Whether in jest or as a means to test the security of the site, all such behavior is strictly prohibited. In the event that any security vulnerability or weaknesses is identified, members are expected to report the issue directly to ProCollabs as quickly as possible.
If you break the rules we may contact you and ask you to rectify the problem immediately. If you don’t, your account may be suspended or deleted, your username forfeited, and you may be permanently banned from logging into ProCollabs. We reserve the right to enforce or not to enforce these rules in whatever way we see fit, at our sole discretion.
Etiquette
The customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group
Dipping your toes into a project or creating one, especially if it’s your first time, can be a bit terrifying! Are you doing or saying the right things? Would people think you re silly or annoying because you’re asking a bunch of questions? Is it better to say nothing at all if you don't like what someone's contributed?
Here are a few pointers to follow if you’re a newbie!
- If a member contributes to your project, whether it is a guitar track, vocals or lyrics it is common courtesy to acknowledge that member. Even if it is not what you expected or wanted, a simple thank you will suffice. By not saying anything and ignoring the track because it isn’t your cuppa tea can be considered poor form and disrespectful. It is best to be honest. Remember, acknowledgement is important when collaborating!
- R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Every now and again a member might decide to take a little break from collaborating. Whether it is for personal reasons or they simply need a rest. In turn, they may decide to turn off their invites until they’re ready to resume collaborating. It's easy to see if a member has their invites turned on or turned off. If a member has disabled invites, it means they do NOT want to be invited to any projects! It is considered rude if someone disrespects their wishes and tries to contact them using another method, i.e., via private message or email. No one who has turned their invites off wants to get a message saying, “I know you are not accepting invites but”. NO, there should be no “buts” about it! Please be mindful of member’s decisions.
- Do unto others or as the expression goes, you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. Keep in mind that ProCollabs is made up of an online community. To be a part of any community, you should put in as much as you expect to get back. Now, that doesn’t mean you have to go around giving everyone a 'like' on their songs if you don't actually “like” their songs, but the simplest and best way to make people take notice of you, is to mingle. When you move to a new neighborhood, or start a new job the first thing you should do is introduce yourself and get to know the people around you. The same applies to an online community so stop by someone’s project, give ‘em a listen, perhaps a comment or some constructive criticism and hopefully they will return the good gesture. True, your talent should speak for itself, but if you don't make yourself present, you're most likely to go unnoticed.
- Constructive Criticism - many people appreciate and look forward to it, granted that it is given in the right way. Effective criticism should be positively intended, specific, objective, and constructive in order to achieve results. Effective criticism -
- Is appropriately motivated and positively intended
- Should be objective
- Is specific, relevant, and to the point
- Must be constructive, with the goal of improving a situation
So in a nutshell, please avoid saying things like, I think your song sucks! That is NOT constructive at all.
- Receiving criticism can be equally as difficult. We know there’s value in constructive criticism, and being able to handle it calmly will only help us maintain relationships and be more successful in everything we do. Expressing appreciation doesn’t have to mean you re agreeing with the critique, but it does show that you’re acknowledging the effort that others took to evaluate your music and share his or her thoughts. Remember, feedback is not easy to give and it's certainly not easy to receive, but it will help us now and in the long run.
