# Sticky  New OGF Member Handbook



## ShakeDown (Apr 5, 2004)

Welcome to OGF, Ohios Complete Anglers Resource!

OhioGameFishing.com first came online in April of 2004, with a goal of providing a place for sportsmen and women to share their passion for the outdoors. If this is you, youve come to the right place!

I wanted to share with you a few very helpful links as well as some unwritten rules of engagement that will help your transition from lurker to poster, so you can join in the fun while ensuring your membership will be productive and pleasant.

*TOS (Terms of Service):* Commonly referred to as our TOS, this set of terms and parameters outline our general forum rules regarding posting, behavior, and what is allowed and what isnt. Its the document you agreed to when you registered your account, and the rules all of us OGF members live by. You can familiarize yourself with these here: http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/community/faq.php

*Starting New Post/Threads:* With a site as old as we are, some topics have been discussed quite a bit in the past. Fishing reports change daily, however other more static topics (For example, Where are the ramps at Alum Creek) have most likely been discussed. We urge you to use our forum SEARCH feature prior to posting, as in the event the topic already exists or has been discussed, it might get closed in an effort to keep the content fresh and current.

*Controversial Topics:* OGF is built on the sharing of informationand hopefully that is exactly why youve chosen to join us! However, some topics have proven themselves over time as hotbeds for controversy so we urge caution and common courtesy if you choose to discuss them. Heres a short list of some of those topics/issues:

	Paylakes
	Catch & Release
	Legal harvesting 
	Exposing fishing spots openly without respect to other anglers
	Challenging of fish weights/lengths

These are all good examples of subjects that are allowed per our rules, but if mutual respect is not given to members on both sides of the topic when addressing them, these topics could head south rather quickly. As with any posts that are started for the sole purpose to be disruptive, and non-constructive posts can be removed without notice.

*Ignore Feature:* In the event you find yourself in constant disagreement with another member which cant be resolved, our forum software has an IGNORE feature. This is a rare occurrence, but if necessary you can add specific users to your IGNORE list preventing you from receiving private messages, and seeing their posts.

*Report a Post: *If you see a post that violates our TOS, please do your part in keeping our community a positive and credible environment by using the Report Post feature within our forums. We never share who reports what (you will remain anonymous) and with a staff of 9 and a membership exceeding 45,000, we simply cant see everything in every forum the moment it happens.

*Misc Issues or Questions:* If you need to contact a staff member, please use the View Forum Leaders link at the bottom of the main forum index. If your issue prevents you from using OGF (password/account issues, etc) you may email our general account at [email protected].

Our community is only as prolific and enjoyable as our members make it and considering weve been around for 10 years and continue to grow strong, were extremely proud to share a site and community with everyone. We look forward to your posts, insight and information and look forward to seeing you become a part of Ohios Complete Anglers Resource!

ShakeDown,
OGF Administrator


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