Jump to content

Guidelines

 

This site is in no way associated with Porsche Cars Australia or Dr. Ing.h.c.F.Porsche AG.

Porsche is a registered trademark of Dr. Ing.h.c.F.Porsche AG.

 

 

 

 

PFA Code of Conduct

 

Over the few years that the PFA has been in operation it has developed a specific personality. The single most common comment of feedback that we get about the forum is with regard to its level of good natured, and well mannered content and conversation. This is not necessarily the norm as far as many car forums are concerned.

 

We have indeed had several incidents where our moderators have had to step in and adjudicate over inappropriate behaviour, and it is with this variable definition of acceptable behaviour in mind that we seek a common understanding of what is reasonable and acceptable. As we all know, one forum cannot be all things to all people, and as such we seek to nominate the following as a guide to where this forum sits.

 

We all assume that as Porsche enthusiasts you are familiar with the various international Porsche magazines TOTAL 911, Excellence, GT Porsche etc. These magazine's content is subject specific, and observes a level of decorum that means that you would feel comfortable about leaving them around the house for your partner, or children to see. This is the same level of moderation that we seek to achieve with the PFA. Many of our members view and participate on the forum whilst at work, or in the shared family environment. No matter how entertaining you may find your subscriptions to JUGGS or, TATTS on CHICKS on BONNETS, this forum is different, and designed to be family and female friendly (no offense intended to our well endowed, tatt-covered male and female members!). We would ask that your input of opinion, picture and video content reflects these guidelines.

 

This forum is not run by prudes, but it recognises what this platform of discussion and sharing is, and isn't, about. For a clearer description of what is not acceptable, please read our Rules and Guidelines below.

 

 

PFA Rules & Guidelines

 

Please remember that we are not responsible for any messages posted. We do not vouch for or warrant the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any message, and are not responsible for the contents of any message.

 

The messages express the views of the author of the message, not necessarily the views of this bulletin board.

 

Any user who feels that a posted message is objectionable is encouraged to contact us immediately by email. We have the ability to remove objectionable, inappropriate or just plain irritating messages and we will make every effort to do so within a reasonable time frame, if we determine that removal is necessary. This includes political, racist, sexist or religious opinions. This is a CAR FORUM folks!

 

The Porsche Forum will also NOT TOLERATE abusive or demeaning posts or personal messages toward Moderators. These people spend many, many hours keeping the forum free from the multitude of SPAM messages that land upon our site, as well as enforcing these very Rules and Guidelines that ensure we have a pleasant environment with which to spend our time. Their contribution is unpaid, and well beyond the time we all like to spend reading the posts that are of personal interest.

 

Unsanctioned advertising of products or services within the content of posts or profile signatures is also unwelcome and considered SPAM. Blatant examples of this will be deleted immediately, and the offending members will face temporary or permanent banning. The Moderators' decision is final.

 

You agree, through your use of this service, that you will abide by the rules set out in this document, and not use this bulletin board to post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise violate any law.

 

You agree, through your use of this service, not to post any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you or by this bulletin board.

 

Contravening any of these Rules and Guidelines may result in temporary, or permanent banning from this forum.

 

The Moderators of the Porsche Forum reserve the right to remove any member from the Forum who does not abide by these Terms, Rules and Guidelines. No further correspondence will be entered into.

 

 

 

SMT's (Sunday Morning Targa)

 

From time to time members will use the forum as a message-board to arrange social gatherings. Official PFA events are only those posted in our "Promo & Events" forum, under the "PFA NEWS" category.

 

A Sunday Morning Targa, or SMT as referred to forthwith, is an event organised by an individual, or individuals, using the message-board nature of the forum as a platform for discussion in order to orchestrate a social get-together and/or drive. It is not an event endorsed or organised by the PFA. Members who intend to take part in these events are invited to read the following suggestions of etiquette and conduct as requested by the membership.

 

Following a series of PFA publicly posted threads, as well as many PM conversations, as well as a carpark get-together discussions, I'd like to put forward a proposal of guidelines for conduct and etiquette for future SMTs based on the suggestions brought forward by the membership.

 

Firstly, it must be stated that there is an absolute expectation that when taking part in any independently organised social events or drives (as orchestrated on the PFA forum), that all PFA members should abide by all road rules relevant to their state including limits of alcohol, speed, and general safety.

 

More specifically to our membership though are the following points which have been raised by members as issues of concern:

 

1. Video.

 

Probably the biggest single concern from our membership is the proliferation of miniature video cameras (GoPro etc) attached to cars on recent SMT runs. Some of our members are quite happy to have their car included in fellow members video exploits, however the overwhelming majority of communications that I have had suggest the opposite, and at best consider the recording to be an unwelcome surveillance, and at worst, an invasion of privacy. The fact that these cameras are more often than not pointing out the front windscreen, or externally attached, also pointing away from the host car, means that the videographer is predominantly capturing images of other cars whether they like it or not.

 

As many of you are aware I'm sure, current state and federal laws go out of their way to ensure the privacy of the individual, and although I'm not sure that any of these laws apply directly to this situation, it is the tenor of these restrictions that we would seek to employ as our own guidelines for video capture.

 

Members request is that no video capture is made at, or distributed online of, the SMT runs.

 

It should be said that almost everyone involved in this discussion was eager to have video shot of their cars, but in the environment that was felt appropriate, on the track.

 

It should also be noted that some members were eager to organise a drive that sat outside of any PFA umbrella event in order to orchestrate such a video opportunity for like-minded enthusiasts. It has been stressed however that these are not organised under the banner of the PFA.

 

 

2. Other Marques?

 

When we first began our SMT drives, our numbers were relatively few. Over this last season of runs we've been buoyed by the numbers of cars, so much so that we've had to resort to sending groups of cars out at 10 minute intervals in order not to end up with a very slow "conga-line" of cars.

 

It was also my rationale in the early days that "the more the merrier" and that everyone was welcome, after all, we're all Pcar nuts, but few of us are exclusive in our taste.

 

At a recent SMT, one of our leaders found himself leading a group of 8 cars, and his was the only Porsche! As he pointed out, and as been pointed out on many other occasions, different performance cars have different driving potentials, and where a stinky V8, or even a V12 might enjoy stellar straight line grunt, other cars are built to travel swiftly between apexs on a twisty section of tarmac! As such a hybrid of marques often means a disjointed and less than fluid journey between points A and B.

 

For this reason, we are restricting SMTs solely to Porsches, and preferably to those who are members of the PFA, and who have dutifully had an opportunity to read and understand these very guidelines! I have always thought that an SMT was a great way to introduce a potential member to the social side of our forum, however I would request that anyone inviting a friend along as an introduction, that they also insist on these guidelines being read.

 

The obvious exclusion from this would be the SMTs in those states where numbers on runs are few, and desire to make up the numbers, as we did here in Victoria. I have no interest in promoting that guidelines be upheld where there is no necessity for them. This particular decision is made ifor the benefit of Victorian PFA member's driving experience and satisfaction, rather than marque snobbery.

 

3. "The Concertina Effect".

 

As anyone involved in any of our SMTs would have observed, we seek out stretches of road where we are able to drive our cars enthusiastically, however within the designated speed limits. Not infrequently we happen upon another car in front of the peloton which chooses to transverse at a far lesser "Sunday Morning" speed. There has developed a strategy of pulling over to the side and slowing to a halt, taking in the early morning country air, then after the slower car has advanced a suitable distance, continuing on the drive unhindered by the farmer's ute, truck full of chickens, or English car club contingent.

 

The driver in the lead might pick a spot to slow to a halt, then the second driver responds, and the third, etc, but by the time this message gets back to the fourth or eighth driver who has just arrived around a bend to find many of his comrades parked in front of him... peril abounds!

 

It has been requested that this "concertina" strategy only be deployed where enough straight road is available for all cars to have amble space to comply with safety.

 

 

4. Passing

 

As diverse as our cars are, so are our driving styles.

 

At the start of most of our SMTs, an order is usually formed by those that are insistent about being toward the head, and those who are happy to leave the carpark last, content to form the tail. For the body of drivers in the middle however, there can often be a "settling in" period where the level of enthusiasm is more fluid.

 

As a result, another issue which has been brought to our attention is the issue of passing etiquette whilst in formation. Many of our members, myself included, have felt it to be too much of a provocative action to "flash" the driver ahead who we might feel is driving slower than you, and you desire to pass.

 

Going forward, we will announce at the first briefing of the morning that the flashing of headlights to be forth-hence considered an action of common etiquette, and as such understood to be a respectful request to pass when safe and legal to do so.

 

We trust that this will be taken in the nature that it is intended, and that this should promote a more involved and rewarding drive, conducive to the individuals driving style and talents.

 

 

 

 

This site is in no way associated with Porsche Cars Australia or Dr. Ing.h.c.F.Porsche AG.

 

Porsche is a registered trademark of Dr. Ing.h.c.F.Porsche AG.

×
×
  • Create New...