FAQ & how we operate here at home2

[ck1942]

Abbreviations/acronyms - glossary -- Here's a link:
http://www.internationalsexguide.info/foru...amp;postcount=1

Administrator - usually a moderator, but not always, whose authority extends to enabling provider status, banning members, awarding or rescinding points. These actions are usually done with consultation of other administrators and moderators.

Advertising - A post that promotes a provider's services, usually includes pricing, availability, etc. Ads may be posted only by members with provider status, and then, only in the various provider ad forums. Providers are limited to a maximum of one ad per 7 days, maximum of five different local ad forums, plus ads may be posted in the Weekend Ad forums and in other specially designated ad forums. Ads in these forums are at no cost to providers here. (Please see Advertising Paid below)

Advertising by "Proxy" - Posting ads unless you are a provider is usually not allowed w/o prior permission from forum moderators. However, more than one provider can be listed in a single ad, (See Cross-Posting for more information)

Advertising Cross-Posting - an ad post in which one provider mentions another one who also has a current ad running at the same time in the same city ad forum (current = anything less than 7 days old); "cross-posting" rules are relaxed at this time (12-31-2009).

Advertising - Paid - Not available at this time. May be a an option in the future.

Advertising - local forums in which a free ad may be posted per that forum's rules.

Alert - a forum in which members may report unacceptable behavior by providers or by hobbyists. If no BCD happened, use the normal post not the "Review" type of forum.

Alert - backchannel "off the board" reporting system for providers to share information about misbehaving members.

All Time Favorite - ATF - self-explanatory term, but, since some might need it, denotes a person who always pleases that particular poster.

Anonymizers - Registrations and/or posts via anonymizers and proxies and profile e-mails with anonymous domains are not permitted. Members who do not follow this rule will be banned.

Auto-Reply E-Mail - E-mail account "bingos" back to @home2.net addresses are not allowed. Members who do not control their bingos may lose their board access until the mail is controlled.

Avatar - photo/illustration associated with a handle (user name); must conform to board standards - no kids, no drugs, no violence, no bestiality - must use board selection process until 20 posts, then self-editing is available. Nudity is OK, but zero sexual activity, please, since avatars are hosted on board servers.

Banned Handles - Happens for a variety of reasons, and further discussion in open forums by any one other than a moderator is not encouraged.

Banning - a process in which a member accumulates 25 points in a year and loses board access for 12 months; also a process by which moderators may punish member misbehaviors. See Unbanning/Appeals

Banning - Lifetime -- Some members just don't "get it." Home2 is a privately owned web site and those who flout the rules in such an egregious manner may be banned for life.

BCD - Behind Closed Doors - e.g. the ability to read comments in reviews and/or Locker Room access. Granted mainly to hobbiests who post "confirmed" reviews or who are directly validated by established providers. This process is intentionally very different than many review boards. Some female members (female super moderators or paid advertisers) are allowed to read review comments and BCD comments in open forums, but not within the Locker Rooms. NOTE: The starter of any thread, especially review threads, may be able to read all comments in the review and even BCD comments that might be posted by others responding to the thread.

BCD - Earned - How to get it and how to lose it - initial BCD may be carried over from the greater community based on home2 staff guidance. Otherwise it must earned either by posting a new review every 90 days (with confirmation of the session by that provider) or by having two providers confirm sessions within the past 90 days. Keeping BCD access requires either a new review every subsequent 90 days or having two more provider confirmations.

BCD - Paid - Not an option here at this time.

Black Tuesday - refers to a 2004 Houston event in which multiple spas and agencies were busted.

Buddy List - A list used to send PMs (private messages) to multiple recipients. (See Ignore button)

Bumping - Posting to an old thread - usually when the last post is more than 30 days old. If a topic or a question needs further discussion, start a thread. Insert a "link" to the previous thread so members don't miss your point. See "Link"

Civilian - A person not in the Hobby. Disclosure of their personal data on Home2 is not allowed. Caution: Best not to use anything from your civilian life or outside-the-Hobby world here on Home2, like a common IM or user name from elsewhere, even if a pseudonym...as this can easily be tracked and co-located by search engines such as Google.

Comments - A portion of a review visible only to members with BCD. Expands upon the session and may be explicit or not. Newby - you wrote them, so yes, you can see your own review comments even in you don't have BCD yet. All reviews have both public and private comment sections. Also see Review Components

Complaints - Executive - Address these to support@orhome2.net when local moderators don't appear to be resolving an issue.

Complaints About Local Issues - Contact the local forum moderators.

Contributor - A member who expands the review data base by posting reviews that reflect quality research and experiences. (See Lurker and Squatter)

Cookie - A bit of data that Home2 puts into your computer so you can navigate the site properly. Your internet browser must allow cookies, even temporarily, in order to access various site functions.

Crash - Crash of 2005 & 2009 -- Refers to a boardwide event in mid-August 2005 in which the website failed due to hacking, wiping out all member accounts, threads and posts created after early March, 2004. The site has been strengthened since then and "backups" are maintained off line to assure a more swift recovery of data should the site again fail. (Obsolete topic)

English - is the basic language used at Home2 and, excepting a few common foreign language expressions, members should post in English out of respect for the majority of posters with English as a first language. Absent a clear meaning of a post, moderators likely will remove extensive foreign language phrases and sentences and remind the member appropriately.

F.A.Q. - FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions - a collection of data, usually in a web site like the one you are reading now.

Flame - Flaming - A condition in which members are harshly criticized; usually characterized as less than respectful.

Forum - a place where threads and posts may be made; some forums are very restrictive, and may also be gender-restricted; staff forums are accessible only to moderators. "Open" forums are visible by anyone lurking here or registered here. Most home2 forums are "open." The many special forums here for validated hobbiests and companions are not visible to lurkers or to members with restricted status or access.

Forum "Shopping" - Activity in which a member denied permission in one forum tries to get permission to post in another forum. See "Moderator Shopping"

Freebie - Usually refers to no-pay/play. Moderators are not allowed to accept freebies or discounts that are not offered to other members. Reviews of freeby sessions are not given bcd credit. The board owner's PHILOSOPHY. Freebies usually lead to all sort of issues both on and off the board.

GFE - Girl Friend Experience - often used in reviews in an attempt to describe "activities" but there is no generally accepted definition. Unless explained further, GFE doesn't add much to the visible portion of a review.

Handle - See Member Handle. It's your account name.

Harassment - Bullying - unwanted and unwarranted behavior by one member against another, on the board it is a measure of disrespect and may be actionable by moderators; off the board it may also fall under moderator purview depending on circumstances; see board owner's PHILOSOPHY. Report issues to your local moderators or to

Hijacking - A reply in a thread that sharply diverts or distorts the intent of the thread starter's topic. Not allowed and may be pointed by moderators.

Hobbyist - A person who engages others for adult activities, or members (male or female) in The Hobby; some females may hobby as well as provide adult services.

Hobbying - how we refer to activities discussed on Home2. See this
Primer for the married man (& all with S.O.s) for more information. (link to be input soon)

How to Post - use the new thread button unless posting a review, which is the new review button. (obsolete topic)

Ignore button - A tool for members to suppress PMs (private messages) from other members; also used to blank those member's posts in threads, but leave the thread visible.

ISO - In Search Of - Questions of this nature should be posted only in the ISO forums, some of which are "free standing" in major cities, but may otherwise be of the "Coed & ISO" forums.

ISO does not mean "Immediate" as in "I need a date tonight." Posts such as these are allowed in the "Red Hot" forums or possibly other forums. See those forum rules or ask a moderator. Offending posts will be removed and the posters may be sanctioned.

Link - The web address (location) of another post or thread; captured from the "window" in your browser using "copy" and "pasted" into your new post. http://www.ourhome2.net/vb/forumdisp...-Welcome-Wagon or the same thing
"compressed" for example. Putting a link into a LINK is discussed in the Tech Talk forum. Hey, we gotta make you search just a little bit!

Linking to other websites - is permitted for data purposes only; promotion of other review boards is not permitted here.

Lurker - a person who views the site but doesn't register and is thus not allowed to use the PM system or post. Lurkers are welcome to browse here! Even more so, they are very welcomed as registered members, too.

Member Accounts - Access Restricted - Allowing others to have access to your account w/o prior permission from the moderators is not permitted. It's for your security.

Member Accounts - E-Mail Requirements - All members must have a working e-mail address at all times or lose access to the board.

Member Accounts - Guarding them and their access - This is the member's responsibility; guarding your email is also critical, since those with access to your email may be able to compromise your account access.

Member Behavior - All members are expected to follow the rules: RESPECT OTHERS and The Basics and Some Suggested Reading and PHILOSOPHY. Stalking, harassing, hazing or bullying of others is not permitted here.

Member - E-Mail Account must be kept current; failure may cause loss of board access. We understand the need for "spam filters," however, mail that is returned to staff senders (moderators) may cause the member's loss of account access until the communication channel is open.

Member Handle - user name chosen during registration; caution, handles that are too close to existing handles of long time active members will often conflict; the senior member usually will be granted historic rights to the handle, especially if both appear in the same region of the country; the new member will need to change the handle, so please choose wisely. Not a good idea to include any of your personal data in your handle. Or any of your "civilian" or other "real world" data in your profile. Don't use a handle/screen name at Home2 that, if discovered, can compromise your personal or civilian life. No drug or other banned references are allowed as part of a member handle.

Member Handles - Underlines - what goes beneath a member's. Verified hobbyists and established companions and providers may have an extra line beneath their avatar or another mark granted by the board staff to note their authenticity.

Member Handles -- BANNED - the member may not access the board nor use its resources, such as the PM system; most forums forbid any reference to banned members during the ban. Staff may also declare that Banned Members may NOT be reviewed for bcd credit. May also say access not permitted at this time.

Member Handles - Changing Them - contact support@ourhome2.net or your local moderator.

Member Handles - disappeared - or "guested" means they have been removed by the moderators, usually due to retirement or personal or board security issues -- custom requires no board mention of these former members; no one may re-register using a disappeared handle. Reminder, even if you choose to disappear here and even if your posts and threads have been removed, those data will still be out there in Google and a dozen or more other archival websites.

Member Handles -- Removing them from the board - Those who register and post at Home2 should expect that data to remain here for a long time. In special circumstances, the moderators may allow removal. (see Retirement)

Member - Password is Lost; Retrieving - there is on the home2 main page a link that will allow you to retrieve your password. Otherwise, please contact support@ourhome2.net from the email in your account.

Member - Password - the code used to access a member account; your computer must accept cookies from Home2 in order to access your account properly.

Member - Security - Members are reminded that "only you can prevent forest fires" and security starts with each individual member. More information LINK HERE is coming soon.

Mentor - usually a senior member appointed to assist newbies -- volunteers should contact local staff. Those in need of a mentor should do the same.

Message Tracking - This function of the PM system usually allows members to know if and/or when their sent message has been read.

Moderator - usually a senior member experienced in the hobby who is appointed to help keep a forum orderly according to local and special forum rules. We prefer that the members "police" themselves, of course. The first person you should ask for help for local issues and the folks who OK local provider credentials. Although the moderators may be assigned geographically to city or to other forums, all of the moderators comprise our entire moderating staff, a "team" group who operate and independently, too. And they communicate with each other frequently as a team.

Moderator - Mediation - Usually a request by members for moderator assistance or interference in resolving off-the-board conflicts. Folks, we are (right!) all adults here and moderators have enough to do w/o getting involved except at their own risk. But, since members sometimes find it difficult to "keep stuff off the board," moderators sometimes must help resolve such conflicts to keep them off the board.

"Moderator-Shopping" - Activity in which a member seeks permission from a second, third, fourth moderator to do something after being denied by the first moderator contacted. See "Forum Shopping"

Newby - describes a member who has not been on the board very long or has relatively few posts and/or reviews. Also: noob Also see: Newbie

Newbie - one who has carefully read these rules and follows them well. (No Evil Will Befall You here)

Old threads - see "Bumping"

Outing - refers to the posting or other distribution of personal data; violates the rules here and usually community-wide.

Passwords - Retrieving Them When Lost - see action above.

Personal Data - NO posting of any person's name, address, phone number, email, etc. is allowed -- with some exceptions in the public Alerts -- ask the local moderators for guidance. In some instances, personal data may be published in the internal (non-public) security forums. A member's handle or a provider's own published data usually is not considered "personal data." No sharing of other member's or persons email or PMs is allowed, either.

Points - A system by which moderators can track misbehavior by awarding points, a vacation or denial of access to forums or the entire board. See WARNINGS and points last for one year. The moment 25 points are in place, the member is banned for the following 12 months. Members may always appeal their punishment, starting with the moderators who issued the points, and moving up the "chain" from there.

Post - A single message on this board, may be a reply in a thread, or the start of a thread. Also see Review.

Post - Editing/correcting - A member has 59 minutes to edit the post from start to finish. At minute 60, the post self-locks. If further edits are needed, communicate with moderators, and, if allowed, always use the Report to Moderator link to do so. Some forum moderators may not permit RTMs for this purpose.

Posting - Where to start? Try the Welcome new member forums in your city. Most of them are very closely watched and responses will be quick.

Private Message (PM) system - A method of internal communication between board members; often used to vouch and verify handles. In your profile/personal settings, make sure you indicate if you want the system to keep a copy of your messages. Message capacity is limited by member profile category. Fully accredited members here may keep up to 1,000 messages in their PM folders.

PM system limits - Due to storage and/or bandwidth restrictions, members are limited to the number of messages they may store within the system or the number they may send or the number of other members who may be included in the to: copy: or BCC: fields. Accredited members have higher limits.

Private Message - downloading - The system here allows members to download all messages very easily in either HTML or text formats. Staff suggests strongly that members keep off site copies of important PMs, just in case access here might be interrupted. Members may also set their PM system to notify them of a new incoming PM via email or SMS texts to their cell phones. Note, you only get the alert, not the content of the PM itself.

Provider - A person who offers to provide adult services; the title here gives one access to provider only forums such as ad forums. Moderators here cannot guarantee anything about a provider. Companions are providers validated to higher levels of access.

Provider - How to be enabled -- usually starts by contacting the LOCAL moderator. See post at bottom of this thread.

Provider status - a process by which moderators determine that a person is indeed a provider, usually by verifying a website, senior member or known provider references, reviews here or elsewhere. Provider status allows the member to post in Ad forums; the access reverts if the provider doesn't post over a period of more 90 days.

New Provider Welcome Area - Only verified females may have access in this forum.

"Red Zone" - special areas with greater immediacy access, or greater "immediate" needs. The "Speed Dial" forum, for example in San Antonio and elsewhere.

Referrals - a number associated with those members who have cited another member as a reference when joining home.

Registration - How you joined this board. Humble advice, do not use a "civilian" e-mail addy for adult activities. Nor a civilian cell phone, either.

Report to Moderator Key - RTM -- it's a little diamond shaped symbol with an exclamation ! point inside at the bottom left of any post. When clicked, it sends a message to the moderators of that forum.

Reputation - Members here are expected to build theirs through reasonably intelligent posts and threads. An apparent failure to research what has gone on in the past usually indicates someone who may be willing to "cut corners" rather than being self-sufficient. There's an inner set of symbols that may sometime in the future be activated here. Or not, depending.

Research - A process through which most members discover the Joys of Home2. Many senior members don't mind answering an occasional question or two, but beyond that, it seems, new members, especially, seem to encounter resistance. As the saying goes, ... "helps those who help themselves...."

Respect - Members here are required to show it to themselves and to others, both here and in other sites and places, too. (link coming)

Retirement - a process by which a member can formally withdraw from the board and have the handle retired in place or "guested;" contact local staff to initiate. "Unretirement is the reverse process in which a member asks to be reinstated; note, re-registration is not an option. Retirement does not mean removal of any post or thread. However, providers who fully retire may request that reviews be removed from public viewing. Moderators will consider such requests on a case-by-case basis. Handles that have been retired (no longer visible to general members) may not be reissued to others, nor may they be discussed in member forums.

Review - An original account of a paid BCD session, (if available, must use the board's automated "review" form to be considered for BCD credit). Copying review from/to another board may be considered a copyright violation elsewhere but we encourage members here to archive their reviews from elsewhere and build the current data base. Reviews should be posted only in the city or state review forums where the session happened.

Use of the review form for any other type of report is not allowed since it would not be an efficient vehicle to convey information, especially of an "alert" nature, since the comments are NOT available to those w/o BCD access.

Reviews are the essence of the Home2 data base and are intended to give fair, vital basic information to all viewers, and, to those viewers who earn or otherwise pay their dues, additional information via the non-public comments.

Review - Activities Acronyms - Members filing reviews should use what is most convenient for them and what is consistent with local forum posting rules which means in some instances the "traditional" acronyms are replaced with L1, or L2, etc., or with LT (light touch) or LT+ or LT++, etc. See explanations in the local forums for further guidance. "See BCD" or "See BCD Comments" are not considered adequate data.

Review - Components - The several portions of a review, all of which must be fairly complete for the review to meet BCD approval and gain BCD credit. Especially critical areas include date of session, accurate and clear contact data, fees, clear report of activities (just stating see BCD or Total GFE will not be approved), and COMMENTS without which the review will be summarily rejected.

Review - Count - is a number associated with a member's approved reviews and is done elsewhere but not here. Providers are encouraged to put links to their favorite reviews into their signatures or their ads.

Review -- DUCK - a derisive term used to describe reviews that appear to be phony.

Review -- How to Learn to Write Them - ONE VIEW and ANOTHER VIEW (links to come)

Review -- NO REVIEW Policy - a condition by which a provider forgoes reviews and she may not post formal or informal ads; moderators will usually enforce a no review policy; alerts, however, are allowed. If a provider allows reviews elsewhere, she usually will not be granted a no review policy here.

ALL UTR providers here get an automatic no review policy as long as they are UTR everywhere else. Persons who are not normally considered as providers -- think strip club entertainers or RMT or LMT spa workers -- may NOT be reviewed here unless they have first given staff their validated permission.

Review -- Non-Graphic/Non-Explicit - Required by some providers, but enforced by moderators only in certain forums. Usually uses a + or ++ etc., or L1 or L2 etc. rating code to indicate level(s) of service.

Reviews - Repeated - Generally, a member may review (for credit) the same provider only once every 90 days. Most moderators will reject more frequent reviews of the same provider, and indeed, in some forums, any more than a couple of reviews on the same provider by the same member in less than a year usually will be rejected for BCD credit or may be restricted from appearing.

Review -- RMTs/CMTs - reviews of legitimate massage spas and technicians usually are not allowed on ASPD without them giving their prior permission to the forum moderators.

Review Forums -- Posting NOT Allowed - generally no female may post in a review thread; however, some forums may allow female posts in other than review threads.

Reviews by females -- please ask your local staff regarding these.

Review Rebuttals - providers who wish to comment on their reviews may start a thread in the appropriate coed discussion forum, but may not post in a review thread.

Reviews - Where to Post - Independents, Spas, Agencies, Strip Clubs, Street reports, etc. are posted in the city or state forum in which the session happened.

Screen name - see "handle" references.

Screening - The process by which a provider dictates what data she needs for members to set an appointment. There is no "one formula fits all." There are multiple threads and discussions on this throughout the various city forums.

Searching - Each main forum and sub forum has a search link at its top. The main sight search button is on top of any forum page. More info on searching can be found in the "Tech Talk" forum.

Security - It starts with YOU, right here!

Signature Block - A space at the bottom of all posts in which a member may post items of interest. The line count limit is 10 lines (including line spaces) and that's limited to 10 lines of normal size text. Limited advertising content may be allowed in local forums, but no outright content that approximates traditional ad forum ads with a combination of prices, times, dates, geography, multiple links, etc. Check the local forum moderators on local needs. The signature block is accessible to members via the USER CP button (edit profile). Members can turn the signature block on or off globally via the USER CP area; during the editing process in any post, the signature block can be turned off or on for that single post.

Socials -- Meet & Greet events organized by members that may often be mentioned on the board but are not sponsored by Home2 -- check local forums; some cities these are very under the radar, others not so secretive; also known as GTGs (Get Togethers) and M&Gs (Meet & Greets). There are very private forums here open only to validated and vouched M&G attendees.

SPAM - refers to overposting on a single subject; or to unsolicited email or PMs to members; spammers will usually receive points for violating this rule; additionally, very little turns a member off more than spam.

Squatter - A person who chimes in on many threads but rarely posts anything original or starts threads of interest (Not to be confused with Lurker)

Stalking - a form of harassment in which a member is followed around the board or even outside the board

SUPPORT - the group of board administrators who monitor registrations and processes member requests for access assistance; if your issue is forum related, best to first seek assistance from the forum moderators. Otherwise, contact support@ourhome2.net from your member profile e-mail addy and state your handle when writing.

Threads - start one by using the new thread or the new review button, if the post will be a review.

Threads - Locked - They will have a little lock next to them and members may not cannot continue to post on that subject or item, even in a new thread, unless they want to test the moderators' patience. Sometimes an explanation from the mods is there; sometimes not. If in doubt, ask permission, not forgiveness.

Trade-Out - Usually defined as a no-cash exchange of "service" for "services," e.g., an attorney receives BCD in exchange for legal services. (1) This type of session is not eligible for BCD credit in a review; (2) All too often, the provider may be the person who really gets "screwed."

Unbanning/Appeals - A process in which a banned member applies to local moderators for commutation of the year's sentence. Local moderators may or may not escalate the sentence to others the staff to consider a member's contrition and the original sin(s) and punishment. Most moderators are sometimes human and every century or so have impaired judgment. All moderators are kind, gentle and compassionate, but there are limits to these qualities -- see "Banning - Lifetime."

User titles - the automatic line under a handle.

Still Looking Around - less than 25 posts
Figuring It Out - 25 to 150 posts
Hobby Addict - 150 to 300 posts
Beyond Addict - 301 + posts

There are those here who might well have "several comma" posts counts. Indeed, some might even be able to power a windmill and generate electricity.

Provider titles are set by the administrators

Self-titles are available at the 30 post level. (obsolete)

New Member Welcome Area - A forum in most cities intended to help new members find their way into the community. Designated as a space where questions are welcomed not flamed.
NO ADS ARE ALLOWED IN THESE FORUMS, PLEASE.

White Knight - WK - Term applied to a member who constantly defends his favorite provider.

Working e-mail address - Per the Terms of Service, members must maintain a working e-mail or the account may be suspended. (See "auto reply email" & "member account e-mail")