AudioCircle maintains a fine balance between the interests of consumers and those in the audio industry. On the one hand, we encourage participation by those in the industry and value their insight and the knowledge that they share with us. On the other hand, we don't want AudioCircle to be overrun by inappropriate advertising and promotion.
This is the definition we use:
An industry member is someone who makes a significant portion of their income from an audio-related business, or who uses this site to promote audio-related services or products from which they derive income.
For example, someone who makes audio widgets and has a website listing products and prices is assumed to be an industry member. So is someone who consults as a designer of amplifiers or speakers. However, a hobbyist who does the occasional mod or build (for example) and receives payment for it is considered to be a regular member, not an industry member. If that person were to start using this site to promote those services, then we would consider them an industry member.
Industry members are required to disclose that they are involved in the audio industry. This is initially done by posting an introduction thread in Industry Introductions.
There are two membership groups for industry members:
Your group membership will be shown under your username anywhere that you post.
All of the standard Posting Guidelines apply to industry members.
If you are new to the site or have newly become a member of the industry, start a thread in Industry Introductions that introduces yourself and your product. The thread should be about your overall product range, not just one product. You are not allowed to start more than one thread.
You are allowed to discuss your products or services only in:
Your thread in Industry Introductions, provided that it has not been locked.
Commercial circles of sponsors. If you are not a sponsor, then you are allowed to use a sponsor's circle only to discuss that sponsor's products. You can not use a sponsor's circle to promote your own business or to discuss products you sell that are not produced by that sponsor.
If you are an industry participant and your introductory thread has been locked, it means that you are not longer allowed to use the site for any form of commercial activity or promotion. This includes PMs ("Personal Messages").
Please note that "non-commercial" means non-commercial. Promoting the product of a vendor with whom you have a business or personal relationship is considered commercial activity as much as if it were your own product, and doing so in a non-commercial circle is considered an infraction of the rules.
All industry members are expected to behave in a professional and responsible manner. You are expected to post rationally and intelligently, and to not get into pointless disputes, whether related to your product or not. You are expected to consider the best interests of this site and its members at all times. Any activity such as attacking or threatening members, threatening members or the owners and operators of this site with legal action, exposing or furthering disputes between you and other parties, or attacking this site or using this site to attack other audio sites, may result in temporary or permanent suspension of your posting privileges.