WHAT are the Community Guidelines? AND, HOW do they effect Y!A Users?

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The Guidelines, which, for some strange reason, yahoo hides from users, are not some arbitrary set of rules, but are necessary for the whole purpose of this site; say that things that aren't real questions or real answers are abuses of this site.

The Guidelines (link, as others have pointed out, at the bottom of most pages) are a set of rules stating what kinds of things aren't allowed on the site.

Well, 'allowed' maybe isn't the right word here, but aren't supposed to be posted on the site.

Since the site is supposed to be for asking and answering questions -- advice, curiosity, fun and silly stuff (in the humor or polls categories) -- then all things that interfere with those purposes aren't supposed to be posted.

People should feel free to ask their questions, without being subject to verbal abuse (insult), or having to wade through hate posts, and have a reasonable expectation of getting answers from people who want to help them.

Some of the rules seem silly to people who want to turn this site into a chat site (I gather there are other sites on the web for chat), but each rule supports that purpose.

That's why non-questions and non-answers, chat, fightin' words, hate, and spam are all against the guidelines -- they push the real content off of the site by filling the site with sludge and shoving real questions and answers off the front pages where they can been seen.

Since everyone who signed up for this site, in some sense, agreed to the guidelines, and the guidelines define the site, and they're Yahoo's guidelines, yes, they are mandatory. (As someone who hates rules, and really hates arbitrary limits, I have to say that all of the guidelines are, in fact, necessary to the site's fulfilling it's purposes. It's a good set of rules; nothing arbitrary about them.)

If you violate them you SHOULD have the violating posts removed, and you should be dinged some (meaningless, worthless) points.

If you're committed to violating those principles, you should be banned from the site.

When all works well, this is what happens.

As it should.

If more people on this site knew this, and knew that they can help this site fulfill its purpose (by following the guidelines and by reporting abuses), then the site could be a place where people can find help and satisfy their curiosity, and generally have a fine old time.

What a fabulous thing, when it works.

Let's Make It So....Show more

The community guidelines are a set of rules relating to what the acceptable behaviour is expected of all users who wish to particpate on the yahoo answers site.

they are mandatory to follow or else you risk the chance of not only losing your yahoo answers account but your WHOLE account including email, 360, yahoo groups etc.

is it really worth taking the risk by breaking the guidelines?? i dont think it is.

if the guidelines are followed then this site will be a valuable asset to yahoo and for the people who wish to ask questions and get quality answers.

the community guidelines can be found on the bottom of this page and when your answering questions to the left hand side of the page....Show more

following the community guidelines is mandatory, considering you agreed to follow them when you signed up for Yahoo! Answers.

when you agreed to follow these rules, you allowed yahoo to "...the right to remove content that we determine, in our sole discretion, to be inappropriate and/or in violation of the Yahoo! Answers Community Guidelines or the Yahoo! Terms of Service"

any violation of the Community Guidelines or the Yahoo! Terms of Service result in a violation notice and a removal of the offending question, answer, item on your profile page. if the violation is severe enough, they could deactivate your account and all yahoo! properties attached to that account (see Response to Violations in the Community Guidelines)...Show more

the community guidelines are set forth by the sole property owners, the YAT. we are merely participants in this community..we have to try and abide by the rules..those who do not wish to do so, are urged to not join in the first place! i, myself try and abide by the rules, sure, i did get a few violations in my time..but iam human, not a bot-LOL. the consenquences of not abiding by the rules, would ultamitely create an abusive scenario-reflecting on such abuse like: harassment, impersonation, ratings abuse, NBA abuse, targeting, spamming, chatting, points gaming etc. and those kinds of activities would send red flag to YAT, and most likely suspension or banning may occur..some are rehablitated after they are suspended for a breif while..others arent so lucky...that is my answer to your question-IMHO!!...Show more

they don't ordinarily, in case you hadn't aspect out something about your call i does not have said, i'd be more effective in all chance to understand you by technique of avatar if I said more effective of your questions in parts the position we worked. Chetak...Show more