Q: May I advertise my widget cards on Card Talk?
Advertising on Card Talk is only permitted in the special advertising forum. Additionally, you should not promote specific dealers or other sales websites. This is the same as advertising. And finally, attempting to bypass the no advertising rule by posting "call me," "e-mail me," "PM me," or by any other means isn't acceptable. Posts of those nature will be edited. We realize you may have just found an outstanding deal on a box of widget series 2 cards and would like to tell others where they can find them but NSU has advertisers in the magazine who pay good money to be there as well as in the Card Talk Advertiser's Forum and it is not fair to them when you post this sort of thing. Card Talk was originally established as an advertising-free haven for card collectors to discuss their hobby. We still pursue this direction today.

Q: May I post a buying ad on Card Talk?
Buying ads are only permitted in the advertising forum.

Q: May I link my personal or commercial site to Card Talk?
We prefer that sites are linked to the Non-Sport Update site, rather than directly to Card Talk. Card Talk is Non-Sport Update magazine’s online forum and is a subsection of the site. Additionally, if Non-Sport Update changes hosts for Card Talk, your direct link to the forum may no longer be valid. Thus linking to http://www.nonsportupdate.com/ is the preferred option. If you would like to include a banner ad on your website for Non-Sport Update and/or Card Talk, please e-mail us and we will get you set up with the appropriate graphics.

Q. What about other card collecting message boards,lists or card collecting publications? Can I link to those?
Yes, as long as it is for information's sake. We do not take kindly on anyone trying to "poach" our members so if that's your intent, kindly go pound sand!

Q: Will Non-Sport Update ever reveal my identity?
Under normal circumstances, the answer is no. By signing up for Card Talk, however, you must accept the rules as stated in our Forum Rules, Policies and Disclaimers document (you must be logged off of Card Talk for the link to work).

One of those rules states "We at Non-Sport Update also reserve the right to reveal your identity (or whatever information we know about you) in the event of a complaint or legal action arising from any message posted by you." We will do everything in our power to keep your identity private if those are your wishes. Please try and use Card Talk in such a way as to not force us to test that rule and reveal information about you.

Q: Will Non-Sport Update sell my name and/or e-mail address?
As a general rule, Non-Sport Update does not sell its mailing list for the magazine or its online list of Card Talk members.

Q: What if someone posts something that violates the rules or that I feel is questionable?
Card Talk offers a convenient way to alert the forum administrator of questionable posts. Each message is displayed with an alert icon. By clicking the “message alert” icon and filling in the short form, you can send an e-mail to the administrator and moderators letting them know of a potential problem. Please note that your “message alerts” are private and will only be visible by the forum administrator and moderators. Other Card Talk members, including the original poster, will not see your “alert.”

The only caveat is that if the original poster is a moderator (noted by the inclusion of the word "moderator" under their user name), they will see your alert. In this unique (and hopefully unlikely) situation, you should simply send an e-mail to the admin, Harris Toser, at h_toser@nonsportupdate.com.

Q. What is the spam policy?
Advertising is not allowed except by paid subscription in the advertising forum, but even virus warnings, chain letters, etc. are a nuisance and very often untrue so please don't post them.

Q. What about profanity?
The message board has an automatic censoring function, but this is a family board visited by kids, so don't please post anything you wouldn't want your eight-year old to read.

Q. What is flaming anyway?
Flaming is a personal attack, which is against Card Talk rules.

We all feel passionate about certain things, and we enjoy arguing and discussing them, but going after someone on a personal level is not acceptable.

To show the difference:

Discussion/Argument: "I think you're wrong about the value of that promo. I checked the latest price guide and it's twice what you're saying."

Flame: "You obviously haven't read the NSU guide or a newspaper since 1977, you moronic, ignorant cretin!"

If you have an issue with a member about something that was said, we suggest private email to the moderator (if you think a rule was broken) or the poster.

Q. What about bashing?
Bashing is a post that while technically true, is extremely negative and hurtful. We don't want Card Talk to degenerate into a war zone or scare off the newbies, so if you think anyone (fellow Card Talk members, manufacturer, advertiser) might be hurt, don't post - take it to private email. It's the basic kindergarten rule: don't do anything you wouldn't want done to you.

Q. Can I post anything sent to me privately on the board?
The only way you would be allowed to post something would be if the sender explicitly gave permission to do so. Posting of private correspondence is not only tacky, but might get you suspended.

Q. I just found out some juicy information about the ACME Trading Card Company! Can I post this?
Because often such information is rumor and innuendo, we discourage posting of gossip. We will not allow posting of proprietary company information such as financial dealings, contracts, etc. unless it is specifically posted by an authorized representative of the company in question.

Q. I just discovered a way to locate the autograph card pack in the Primal Fuzzbusters Series One box! Can I post this?
Although there will always be people who try to circumvent the system by attempting to 'cherry-pick' or 'box-strip' packs out of opened boxes, we don't allow posting of such information on the board. It goes against the principles of fair chance, and since NSU is supported by card manufacturers through their advertising, we don't want to risk any of them losing business because of deceitful practices.

Q. What happens if I break the rules?
Most times it's an innocent mistake, which the moderator, or your fellow board members, will gently point out. We only maim on alternate Thursdays. <g>

A blatant violation, however, such as a major flame, profanity, etc. may get you banned from the board.

Q. But I saw something posted about me and it's not true!
Talk to your moderator if you can't reason with the person who posted it.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but even if it isn't a flame, being nasty is just going to get someone shot down by their fellow card members, not to mention major bad karma, so the bottom line is: let's all just get along.

Q. Why was my post edited? Can I post how dissatisfied, etc I am with a certain company, artist, collector? Don't I have the right to say whatever I want?
Card Talk is a community that is shared by all members of the industry from collectors and dealers to artists and manufacturers. All members of the community should be treated with respect in every post on the board. We don't expect everyone to agree all the time, and while we don't take sides in discussions or opinions, we will take action against persistent posters who drive others away from the community. Card Talk is not a sounding board for complaining about artists, dealers, manufacturers, or other collectors. If you have an issue with any of these entities take your issue directly up with them. We welcome diverse thoughts and opinions as long as they are respectful and constructive, negative posts are not conducive to a community atmosphere and are not welcome on Card Talk.

Q. Can I link to an outside web site?
Certainly, if it's your personal trade web site, but linking to any sales or auction sites is only allowed in the paid advertising section. Please use common sense and discretion in your links, as some web sites do not want unauthorized links because of bandwidth problems and some sites are not suitable for a "G" audience.

Q. Can I link to my eBay auctions?
Not unless you're a paid advertiser.

Q. Can I link to any eBay auctions or other auctions?
As long as you are not the seller, you can link to items of general interest that are unusual items or items out of the norm. Examples of this would be the American Card Catalog or no-longer available back issues of Non-Sport Update.

Q. I've just had a bad experience with an eBay (or other) dealer and would like to post about him/her on Card Talk. May I do so?
Posts of this type often turn out to be a “lose-lose” for the forum as the question of who the parties involved are comes up. While members usually do not post the eBay members name, it's usually not that difficult to figure out. And it always creates hard feelings for those involved and often ends up reflecting poorly on NSU itself, even though NSU has had nothing to do with the transaction.

So to this end, NSU Card Talk will diligently edit/remove posts of this type. We ask all members not to post about bad eBay and other dealer transactions. They are really a matter to be worked out between buyer and seller and have nothing to do with Card Talk or the other members. In the unlikely event that the matter was one made via an ad in NSU, then you should send us a private e-mail. NSU is not the “non-sport police” nor do we wish to be, and we don't think it's fair to expect NSU or its forum to solve these types of problem.

Q. Can I link to other publications?
Non-Sport Update pays for this board so please don't link to other publications.

Q. Can I discuss other publications?
You may discuss The Wrapper, Promo Card Encyclopedia, or the Gum Guide. We said discuss...but please don't link to sales of these items as they may interfere with sellers in the special Advertiser's Forum.

Q. How about a really outrageous auction I want to point out for discussion?
That's allowed, but only if you or your family isn't running the auction. No free ads, people! ;-)

Q. What is permitted in my signature?
Setting up a signature on Card Talk can be a very helpful tool for those who post often. For the uninitiated, a signature is a bit of text that you can set up in your member profile. This text will automatically be added to the bottom of all of your posts when you click the signature option at the time of posting.

You may include anything within reason in your signature. There are a couple of items that we do not permit, however. You may only include links to other sites that include trading activity (i.e. no sites with sales, buying, or commercial in nature). Additionally, you may not include an eBay User ID in your signature. You may, however, include your eBay User ID in the special field in your member profile.

Q. How do I decide which forum to post my message to?
Ah, glad you asked! We have many wonderful forums:

NSU Discussion - this is where you can discuss the NSU magazine, articles, price lists, etc. If there are major problems (lost issue, bent promo card and so on) we suggest emailing NSU privately.

General Card Talk - General discussion of trading cards. It's kind of a catch-all area for all things related to card collecting.

News and Rumors - Heard about an upcoming release? Read an interesting article about things to come in the collecting world? Here's the place to post. Often, representatives from the various card manufacturers who lurk on the board will post news or answer questions.

Shows and Conventions - Here's where you can post about upcoming card shows in your area, coordinate travel plans to said shows with your fellow Card Talk members, post reports and pictures, and find out more information.

Polls - For those who would like to know how the Card Talk community feels about card trading issues, you can post a poll. It's fun, informal, and often quite surprising.

Card Talk's Greatest Hits (AKA the Threads That Wouldn't Die. ;-) - This is where some of the classic discussions get resurrected with new posters contributing their thoughts.

Card Trading - 1990 to Present - If you have cards to trade from 1990 to the present, you can post your trade lists to this forum. Again, selling is not permitted.

Card Trading - 1989 and Previous - If you have vintage card trades from 1989 and before, please post here.

Card Talk Advertising - Here's where our paid advertisers post information on their latest products. While Card Talk/NSU does not specifically endorse or guarantee any advertisements posted here, we pretty much know everyone here and they're good people. :-)

General Entertainment Discussion - Movies, TV, music - whatever your obsession, share your news and views here.

Chatter - Anything else that doesn't fit, goes here. It's sort of the Free Zone for whatever strikes your fancy.

New Promos - News, sightings, discussion.

General Promo Talk - For those promo collectors who want to discuss in depth and detail. Promo trades should be posted in the two card trading forums.

Announcements - This is where Card Talk moderators will post important news and information

Suggestions & Requests - Got a brilliant idea to make Card Talk the ultimate card collecting message board? Like to share ways to improve what we have? We welcome all input from our members on how to make our playground a better place.

Test Forum - This is where newbies sweat trying to make their sigs, avatars and image links work. It also evolves into some funny threads from time to time.

Special Events - We added a special area for a two week long interview with artist John Czop, and hope that in the future we will be able to post other interviews and special events here. Take a look around, then feel free to post your thoughts.