Although the rules of the forum apply to all boards I see the local board as a lenient part of the forum. Newbies can make mistakes and be corrected with love easily on their local board. However such mistakes might lead to severe bashing in the international boards. It also makes new members more comfortable and confident since they are among countrymen. For non-English speaking members, the local board will be a good training ground to get used to the operations of the forum. It is not compulsory to join discussions but it could be very helpful. But some persons might have various reasons for not visiting their local board. Members might want to maintain absolute privacy and the international board is the most convenient to achieve it.