**New Proposed Charter, please read and comment**

LoLth

the original Security forum charter has aged quite a bit. As such, I'd like to re-write/word the charter and hopefully use it to clarify what teh security forum is and is not.

However, I dont want to just post up a set of rules and say "obey these or else". So, below I have my first draft (draught?) of the charter and I'd like the security forum users' opinions and feedback. Ideally I'd like this to be a form of social contract. the mods agreeing to provide a service in a certain way in return for the users agreeing to participate within certain limitations.

Havign said that, I do realise that the topic of security can be a very dangerous topic for open discussion. I believe it should be discussed openly but we always run the risk of "a little knowledge" and, if computer games can be blamed for someone not knowign that its wrong to pick up a gun and shoot someone, I dont want to run the risk of boards.ie or this forum being blamed for some script kiddy being stupid enough use this forum as a source of offensive weaponry to try out on the first virtual person that passes by.

So, without further ado, the proposed charter is posted below. Feel free to comment and critique, i wont be hurt if you dont like it at all, they're only feelings after all! its not like they bleed or anything

timeframe: there has to be a cut off point. So I'm going to leave this active for about a week before drawing up a second, or possibly final, draught (draft?):


Security Forum charter:

Wikipedia defines information security as

“Information security means protecting information and information systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification or destruction”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_security

This Forum is for the discussion of all topics relating to that definition of information security.

The forum is NOT a technical support forum or a discussion on the operations and capabilities of an OS outside of the scope of security concerns.

For technical support queries please visit: HERE

For Operating Systems discussion in a general sense please visit: HERE

For electrical security (home alarms etc): HERE


The field of Information Security is constantly growing and has crossovers with many other fields of Information Technology (databases, programming, network administration). As such, a certain amount of blurring is to be expected but all users of the forum are expected to restrict all discussion, as much as possible, to topics relating to the security aspect of these fields.

Eg: discussions of tools to perform security code review or asking advice of best practise for database permission settings are encouraged while requests for how to write a piece of code (unless security related) and questions on how to build SQL query strings (again unless security related) are not.

Code of Conduct:

Along with the standard Boards.ie policies on behaviour the following rules will be applied:

Off topic posts: hijacking a thread to divert conversation away from the original discussion is not allowed. Sometimes a discussion will veer away from the original topic and that is to be expected over time. Whether or not a post is off topic is a decision made by the moderators of the forum and such posts may be removed or edited.


Any queries or discussion on a moderator decision should not be posted in the thread or in the forum. The moderators are more than happy to read and respond to any grievances by Private Message. If you are still dissatisfied with the response you receive, you are advised to contact the category moderator (MiCr0) to have him review the issue as a neutral party.
Personal abuse will not be tolerated. No name calling or abuse of posters will be allowed by users or by moderators. If you have an issue with a poster, contact a moderator. If you have an issue with a post, post a counter argument.

Evidence: unless requesting information or trying to confirm a rumour all posts containing “facts” should have links to any relevant supporting material included or include an attribution to the author/publisher of the “fact” . Think of it as the security forum’s version of “pics or GTFO”

Links: posting a link to a compromised online resource or to insecure material deemed dangerous to general internet users WITHOUT A CLEAR WARNING of the links content and risk will result in an instant ban from the forum (permanent pending discussion and review by the mods and , where necessary, the cmod).

Step by Step description: of illegal activites are not permitted. Requesting such information is also not permitted. If it is relevant to the discussion a link to a proof of concept or an alternate discussion on another forum is allowed but the poster is responsible for any issues that arise from the information given out. Links deemed unsuitable by the moderators may be removed.

Users are requested to report any posts they find in breach of the charter and the general ethos of Information Security

Moderator behaviour:
Moderators will abide by all of the rules of the forum and of boards.ie.

If a post is edited or a link removed a reason will be provided either in the post or via PM.

This forum will make use of the infraction system:
Minor transgressions will receive a minor infraction that will be removed after a week.

Repeated transgressions will result in increasingly severe infractions and/or a permanent infraction keeping record of misbehaviour.

In the interests of discussion continuity, disruptive posters may be asked to refrain from posting in a thread. Failure to comply with this request will result in an infraction or possibly a temporary/permanent ban from the security forum.

Deliberate attempts to cause damage to a user’s system or to compromise a site or users security will result in an instant and permanent ban from boards.ie and a notification to the injured party that boards.ie are fully willing to help in any resulting legal investigation in any way we can.

Threads better suited to another forum (such as Windows OS or HTPC for example or Virus/Malware removal advice) will be moved to that forum and a brief note explaining why will be posted in the thread. No redirect will be left in the security forum.

KoolKid

LoLth wrote: »

Threads better suited to another forum (such as Windows OS or HTPC for example or Virus/Malware removal advice) will be moved to that forum and a brief note explaining why will be posted in the thread. No redirect will be left in the security forum.

Hi LoLth,
I think to save confusion we should decide on a timeframe for temp redirects . I would say 3 or 7 days. This will give the OP a chance to see where their thread has gone & should also prevent the front page getting too cluttered with redirects. Having said that the charter is very clear on what should be here & what should not. If I start seeing re-offenders we will be having words;).

LoLth

I'll be closing this thread for comments @ 2pm tomorrow (Friday 5th March). if there arent any objections by then i'll assume everyone is oK with the charter (with Koolkid's change) and we can go ahead with the next stage.

KoolKid

Looks fine.
When you lock that tomorrow we probobly should unstick dogs old thread here to save any confusion.