Post by Arthur on Jan 19, 2009 17:32:37 GMT -5
The Rules
1) No profanity, inappropriate material, or content.
2) No illegal content.
3) No harassment.
4) No flaming.
5) No trolling.
6) No spamming (advertising, bumping, and multi-posting included, see below).
7) No trick links/pranking
8) Stay on topic.
9) No whining.
10) Game accounts (No giving away/selling account/s, begging, offering upgrades)
11) No spoilers.
12) Account Responsibility - Protect your password; keep it updated.
13) No multiple accounts.
14) No plagiarism.
15) No backseat/mini-modding.
16) No posting for banned members at any time
17) Foreign Languages - not allowed without translation
18) Release of Other User’s Private or Personal Information
19) Staff can delete or lock messages at any time
20) No impersonating a moderator/operator
21) Moderators have the final say
SPECIAL: signature limitations
1) No profanity, inappropriate material, or content.
We have users from differing ages. Do not post links to sites that have content rated more "mature" than PG-16/17. Any material that is pornographic, sexually explicit, graphically violent (detailed descriptions of violence include describing/referencing torture, vicious acts of physical brutality, etc), visually offensive, derogatory, or discriminates on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, color, creed, religion, lifestyle, or, any other material (includes nudity and offensive pictures) that may be deemed as objectionable in a public community environment is strictly prohibited.
Profanity is strictly prohibited. Use of foul language, including swear words, real-world racial slurs, alternate spellings, and other language that is not consistent with the environment we try to create here will be considered a disruption.
The filter is there for a reason. If you need to really curse out, and it isn't offensive to anyone AND in acronym form (like just randomly spouting WTF) is allowed, although frowned upon.
This includes offensively-named accounts which may be deleted/renamed at any time. The filters are used for a reason; circumventing these filters is considered breaking the rules.
2) No illegal content.
This includes linking to any sites that may violate the rules. If you have any doubts whatsoever about the appropriateness of the content you want to post, don't post it. This includes but is not limited to:
• adult-oriented content
• content that breaks any laws
• copyright infringement (many MP3s, ROMs, etc.), warez, CD keys, cracks, passwords, serial numbers, etc.
• gambling and drugs
• hacking materials and information
• terrorism (promotion/carrying it through)
• trojans, viruses, worms, and other such harmful things
3) You must not harass or abuse others.
Harassment is defined as specifically targeting another player or group of players to harm or inconvenience them. As harassment can take many forms, the moderators will make a determination as to whether or not a "reasonable person" would feel harassed and act accordingly. Actions which would be considered abuse include but are not limited to:
3.1) Sexual Abuse or Harassment - untoward and/or unwelcome advances of a graphic and sexual nature - PMs: If someone tells you to stop PMing them and includes a reason, you stop. If you do not, it will be considered harassment.
3.2) Attempting to Defraud - creating false information with the intent of harming another and/or receiving benefits as a result - This includes reporting user misconduct without basis for it.
3.3) Personal Abuse - includes but is not limited to sending excessive private messages or e-mails to a mod/op or staff member, making physical threats, or using abusive language against a moderator.
3.4) Fellow Users - The above also apply to fellow users on the boards.
4) No flaming (inflammatory/insulting speech).
Any speech or inference, direct or indirect, that constitutes a personal attack against another individual or group is prohibited. Do not insult other users for their ideas/opinions no matter how ridiculous they may be. Snide remarks will not be tolerated. Any post found to be flaming another user/group is cause for discipline above and beyond the usual warning.
5) No trolling.
Trolling is posting with the intent to cause a negative reaction in an individual or group of people. This can take the form of pointlessly spamming a thread or a more directed form of posting something you know is likely to upset them. If you don't have any serious things to contribute to the conversation, stay out of it. In other words, do not post anything intended to provoke someone into replying negatively. The forum is intended to be a place where the members of the community can come together and associate; anything that deliberately sets out to disrupt that will not be tolerated and is cause for discipline above and beyond the usual warning.
6) No spamming.
Please keep threads on a topic related to the board you are posting in, and replies relevant to the topic you are replying to.
Spam includes, but is not limited to, the following:
• creating threads on a topic that is already being discussed. Make sure to read all forum and sub-forum descriptions and their rules before posting new threads to ensure that you follow the rules and post in the correct place.
• any posts that serve no purpose and/or fail to contribute to the overall productiveness of a thread (includes off topic posts)
• double/multiple posting (Unless sub-forum rules explicitly state that you are allowed to do so, multiple posting will be considered spam.)
To further clarify, this means that no one has posted after your earlier post. If this is the case, use the Edit button.
• posting in all caps and/or other pointless formatting
• excessive use of smileys (maximum five smilies per post. This excludes the use of text smileys)
• extra lines of space (only makes the post longer, wasted space)
• threads targeted at one person/a few people (use PM, e-mail, or IM instead - If no information is provided, nothing can be done.) This includes direct things at forum staff, general conversation posts/threads (these serve little purpose on the boards and are better off in private ("How are you doing?", "I'm fine.", etc.), same as the above)
• and excessive quoting - quoting the post immediately above you (unless you are relevantly breaking down a post several lines long), quoting a quote, and quote pyramids).
• unsolicited advertising of other websites or products. No advertising something you're selling or sites which allow you to earn money by clicking ads, for example.
• Posting in a thread after it has "died". This is called "bumping". If a thread has not been posted in for two weeks or more, it is dead. If you want to talk about the thread's topic, just make a new thread. Remember to use the search function to find threads that already exist on a topic you'd like to discuss.
7) Trick links and pranking
• Trick links (Saying a link will show someone something, but then actually linking to something else) are not allowed. Trick links of a malicious nature (browser hijacking links, for example) will be severely punished, even for a first offense. (simply put? No rickrolling here guys, sorry
)
• Pranking is also not allowed. Pranking is posting anything which you claim is truthful even though you know it to be false.
8) Stay on topic.
While the staff respects and appreciates your privilege to freely express yourselves, the fact remains that our games are topical in nature. As such the posting of material should remain at all times within a board that is topically appropriate. It is not, for example, appropriate to role-play in the game discussion forums, nor is it appropriate to post stories (think books, novellas, short stories, etc.) in the question-asking forum. Please keep replies and posts relevant to the board on which they are posted or they will be removed. Remember to read each the description of each place, the guides, and any pinned (stickied) topics before posting. Do a search if you want to ask a question or start a new thread to make sure that it hasn't been posted before.
This also applies to posts within a thread. Keep posts within a thread on-topic - asking questions contrary to originating thread purpose is thread hijacking.
9) No whining.
Whining is defined as "an attack upon an idea, concept or problem, without offering a counter-idea, alternative concept, or a solution" or anything along the lines of "It's not fair" or "This sucks because..." without offering a reasonable solution to resolve the issue. Any and all whining is strictly prohibited.
Ideas are welcome, however, attacking ideas without offering constructive criticism is counter-productive. Accounts created for whining will be banned.
10) No giving away/selling your game account/s
Sorry guys but this stuff is illegal, so it’s a forbidden topic here. Had you actually read the games Terms of Service you agreed to when you signed up to play your account, you might have found this line: "You may not sell, redistribute, or reproduce the Software...,” meaning you signed a contract saying you wouldn’t sell it. Simple: don’t.
10.1) No begging.
Do not ask anyone to upgrade your character in any game, buy you a game, or whatever. Do not ask for someone else's account information. This includes via the forum, PM, and chat. Accounts created for begging will be banned.
Do not ask to become an administrator, moderator, etc. Asking is an indication that you are not yet ready to become one. Do not ask for titles, or special treatment, as, you guessed it, asking for it will ultimately eliminate the chances for you to get it.
10.2) No begging others to play your account
The proper thing to do when someone approaches you via PM or email asking you to play his/her account is to report it to a forum moderator/operator. We do understand that to turn a person in can make you feel uncomfortable, but it is in everyone's best interests to do so in this situation. These people tend to send out multiple messages to various people, and it is for everyone's protection that this is stopped. The person begging can end up with a ruined account due to a misdirected PM and/or someone being untrustworthy. Additionally, the overwhelming percentage of people reporting that their characters were 'hacked' by someone were not actually victims of a hacker but really just shared their account information. It’s just a stupid idea all around.
11) No spoilers.
Spoilers are fun things for users to find for themselves. ‘Spoiler tags’ are to be used for any information which players are supposed to find on their own. If you're not sure if what you want to post is a spoiler or not, PM a mod first. Quoting someone else so that the information appears will be considered as violating the "no spoiler" rule.
To use the spoiler tags, just put the information in a quote bar and make the text white. Like this:
Abuse of the spoiler tag (using it to make it look like something is a spoiler/attempting to hide flaming, trolling, profanity/etc) can result in anything from a warning to severe warning to ban (whether temporary or permanent). If you would get into trouble for it in a normally displayed post, you'll get into more for attempting to conceal it.
12) Submission of Ideas
Submitting ideas does not in any way mean your art, ideas, etc. will be used or included in any way. Any ideas submitted to Finality forums are free to be used by the higher staff members (mods, admins, head admin) as desired. Any ideas, art, works, or suggestions submitted to Finality forums, or a member thereof, automatically becomes property of me (the head admin). By submitting your ideas to this site, this means you agree to this rule. You are, of course, still free to post the ideas on other websites. (Meaning: just don’t try to sue us please)
13) Account Responsibility
You are fully responsible for your own account and protection of your password. Statements such as "My friend/sister/brother/dog was using my account." are not acceptable as an explanation for the violation of any rule. If you share your account with someone and they break the rules, it will be treated the same as if you broke the rules yourself. It is also your responsibility to keep the account up to date, particularly the e-mail. If you use an e-mail that you rarely check, it is no one's fault but your own if you miss important notices from the staff. The same applies to using an invalid e-mail. Once again, your account and password are your responsibility and no one else's.
Members of Finality staff will never ask for your password.
14) Multiple Accounts
Multiple accounts are not allowed on the board. There is no reason for any user to have more than one forum account; any additional accounts created will be banned. Should you make too many additional accounts, your original account may have disciplinary action taken against it.
15) No plagiarism
Plagiarism is taking the work of another person (be it art, stories, or even ideas) and claiming that it is yours. Do not take credit for someone else's work. Plagiarism will be cause for discipline above and beyond an ordinary warning.
16) No backseat/mini-modding.
Minimodding is acting as if you are a moderator, which is to say, that you have the ability to tell other users what to do or not do. This includes things like demanding that a user delete his/her post and/or getting the thread locked (e.g. Delete your post! This thread should be locked.). Any action where the user attempts to take over for a mod anywhere on a sub-forum without explicit permission may be considered mini-modding. Please see the board-specific rules for what is permitted when helping others.
A good guideline for what is not minimodding is if a post attempts to politely assist another user (rather than telling them what to do/what they did wrong) by suggesting what they should do/where they should go instead, it's likely you're not minimodding. However, the decision as to whether or not something is minimodding is up to the moderator who sees the post.
Additionally, if someone has already posted proper advice on where to post, do not post the same advice worded in a different way, or posting “Member X is right!” or other statements along those lines.
Posting in a particularly troublesome thread will only prolong the life of that thread, inviting more people to break the rules. The best way to take care of rule violations is to PM a mod. Only PM the mods once per violation. It is the responsibility of the mods and the staff assistant groups to enforce the rules. Please make sure to PM the correct person in the staff assistant groups, as most of them only moderate in specific boards and are not moderators. Please do not hinder them by posting in threads that need moderator action. It only serves to revive the thread and create even more of a hassle.
17) No posting for banned members at any time
Posting for a banned member/allowing that person to use the account is not allowed and could be considered ban evasion. This includes allowing a banned member to use your account to send PMs. This really should be obvious.
18) Foreign Languages
While we realize our members are international, the boards are English-only and do not allow any foreign languages, unless a translation is provided. Just deal with it.
19) Release of Other User’s Information or Communications
It is unacceptable to post another user’s private/personal/public information, including email address, location of residency, contact information, or other information without express permission from that user.
Private messages from the forum or external chat clients, emails, memos and all other forms of communication are classified as personal and are not to be publicly posted in any shape or form onto these forums, or PMed to other users of these forums, without express permission from all parties involved.
20) Staff may delete and lock messages at their discretion.
Part of the job of moderators is to keep the boards clean. Messages deemed inappropriate, old, or off topic may be deleted/locked by mods/ops at any time.
21) No impersonating a Moderator/Operator
Falsely representing yourself to another player as a staff member is against the rules. This includes using anything restricted to mods/ops and making it seem like a staff member edited it into the thread, implying that you can edit someone's posts, ban someone, etc.
22) Staff have the final say
If you are told by a staff member to stop doing something, you cannot claim that it was not stated in the rules. It is impossible and impractical to list every rule possible. Attempting to circumvent a rule will result in a more severe warning. Also, the determination of things such as begging, flaming, spam, whining, etc. are dependent on the mod, not the users. Any complaints involving attempts to find loop holes in the rules and complaining that it was not explicitly stated in the rules will not be acted upon.
Disagreeing with them in anything other then a private, respectful manner will be considered not only harassment but trolling. If you have issues with moderation that has occurred the correct actions to take are:
For an Operator: (All contact mentioned is by PM/Private Message)
PM them first as an attempt to resolve the issue. If you are unable to resolve the issue with the operator then you may contact head moderator of the forum you are inquiring about. See the “List of Staff Members” to find out who to contact. If you are unable to resolve your issue, then you can take it to a Forum Admin. Refer to the same list to find out which Forum Admin would best be able to help you. If none of them fit the bill, contact the Head Forum Administrator. (Which would be me, Arthur)
For a Moderator: (All contact mentioned is by PM/Private Message)
Contact the head moderator of the board you are enquiring about when attempting to resolve the issue. If you are unable to resolve your issue, then you can take it to a Forum Admin. Refer to the same list to find out which Forum Admin would best be able to help you. If none of them fit the bill, contact the Head Forum Administrator.
Failure to proceed in this manner, such as by posting a public thread indicates you haven't actually followed the rules, and as such your thread may be locked or deleted.
SPECIAL: Signature limitations.
I've got nothing against a nice signature, really, but I don't want to see any huge pictures or blocks of text on here. Generally, as long as your sig doesn't exceed about 400/400 px, you'll be fine. Even when it's bigger, you may not be in trouble, but consider yourself whether /you/ think it's hindering to other users.
If a staff member deems your sig is of such a size it is hindering to others, they will pm you, asking you to reduce the size of your signature. If you don't agree, you are free to ask one other staff member about it. If he/she agrees with it being too big, you will be forced to reduce it's size. If he she says it's okay, you may keep it. However, if ANOTHER staff member asks you to remove your sig as well, you are forced to change your sig.
Blocks of text will be removed, and the user of the sig might get warned, depending on the stupidity of the text.
Small bits of text is fine (For example: look at my sig).
Also, beware of moving pictures, as for these go the same rules as for big pictures. As long as your sig isn't all hectic or anything, you'll probably be fine, though.
1) No profanity, inappropriate material, or content.
2) No illegal content.
3) No harassment.
4) No flaming.
5) No trolling.
6) No spamming (advertising, bumping, and multi-posting included, see below).
7) No trick links/pranking
8) Stay on topic.
9) No whining.
10) Game accounts (No giving away/selling account/s, begging, offering upgrades)
11) No spoilers.
12) Account Responsibility - Protect your password; keep it updated.
13) No multiple accounts.
14) No plagiarism.
15) No backseat/mini-modding.
16) No posting for banned members at any time
17) Foreign Languages - not allowed without translation
18) Release of Other User’s Private or Personal Information
19) Staff can delete or lock messages at any time
20) No impersonating a moderator/operator
21) Moderators have the final say
SPECIAL: signature limitations
1) No profanity, inappropriate material, or content.
We have users from differing ages. Do not post links to sites that have content rated more "mature" than PG-16/17. Any material that is pornographic, sexually explicit, graphically violent (detailed descriptions of violence include describing/referencing torture, vicious acts of physical brutality, etc), visually offensive, derogatory, or discriminates on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, color, creed, religion, lifestyle, or, any other material (includes nudity and offensive pictures) that may be deemed as objectionable in a public community environment is strictly prohibited.
Profanity is strictly prohibited. Use of foul language, including swear words, real-world racial slurs, alternate spellings, and other language that is not consistent with the environment we try to create here will be considered a disruption.
The filter is there for a reason. If you need to really curse out, and it isn't offensive to anyone AND in acronym form (like just randomly spouting WTF) is allowed, although frowned upon.
This includes offensively-named accounts which may be deleted/renamed at any time. The filters are used for a reason; circumventing these filters is considered breaking the rules.
2) No illegal content.
This includes linking to any sites that may violate the rules. If you have any doubts whatsoever about the appropriateness of the content you want to post, don't post it. This includes but is not limited to:
• adult-oriented content
• content that breaks any laws
• copyright infringement (many MP3s, ROMs, etc.), warez, CD keys, cracks, passwords, serial numbers, etc.
• gambling and drugs
• hacking materials and information
• terrorism (promotion/carrying it through)
• trojans, viruses, worms, and other such harmful things
3) You must not harass or abuse others.
Harassment is defined as specifically targeting another player or group of players to harm or inconvenience them. As harassment can take many forms, the moderators will make a determination as to whether or not a "reasonable person" would feel harassed and act accordingly. Actions which would be considered abuse include but are not limited to:
3.1) Sexual Abuse or Harassment - untoward and/or unwelcome advances of a graphic and sexual nature - PMs: If someone tells you to stop PMing them and includes a reason, you stop. If you do not, it will be considered harassment.
3.2) Attempting to Defraud - creating false information with the intent of harming another and/or receiving benefits as a result - This includes reporting user misconduct without basis for it.
3.3) Personal Abuse - includes but is not limited to sending excessive private messages or e-mails to a mod/op or staff member, making physical threats, or using abusive language against a moderator.
3.4) Fellow Users - The above also apply to fellow users on the boards.
4) No flaming (inflammatory/insulting speech).
Any speech or inference, direct or indirect, that constitutes a personal attack against another individual or group is prohibited. Do not insult other users for their ideas/opinions no matter how ridiculous they may be. Snide remarks will not be tolerated. Any post found to be flaming another user/group is cause for discipline above and beyond the usual warning.
5) No trolling.
Trolling is posting with the intent to cause a negative reaction in an individual or group of people. This can take the form of pointlessly spamming a thread or a more directed form of posting something you know is likely to upset them. If you don't have any serious things to contribute to the conversation, stay out of it. In other words, do not post anything intended to provoke someone into replying negatively. The forum is intended to be a place where the members of the community can come together and associate; anything that deliberately sets out to disrupt that will not be tolerated and is cause for discipline above and beyond the usual warning.
6) No spamming.
Please keep threads on a topic related to the board you are posting in, and replies relevant to the topic you are replying to.
Spam includes, but is not limited to, the following:
• creating threads on a topic that is already being discussed. Make sure to read all forum and sub-forum descriptions and their rules before posting new threads to ensure that you follow the rules and post in the correct place.
• any posts that serve no purpose and/or fail to contribute to the overall productiveness of a thread (includes off topic posts)
• double/multiple posting (Unless sub-forum rules explicitly state that you are allowed to do so, multiple posting will be considered spam.)
To further clarify, this means that no one has posted after your earlier post. If this is the case, use the Edit button.
• posting in all caps and/or other pointless formatting
• excessive use of smileys (maximum five smilies per post. This excludes the use of text smileys)
• extra lines of space (only makes the post longer, wasted space)
• threads targeted at one person/a few people (use PM, e-mail, or IM instead - If no information is provided, nothing can be done.) This includes direct things at forum staff, general conversation posts/threads (these serve little purpose on the boards and are better off in private ("How are you doing?", "I'm fine.", etc.), same as the above)
• and excessive quoting - quoting the post immediately above you (unless you are relevantly breaking down a post several lines long), quoting a quote, and quote pyramids).
• unsolicited advertising of other websites or products. No advertising something you're selling or sites which allow you to earn money by clicking ads, for example.
• Posting in a thread after it has "died". This is called "bumping". If a thread has not been posted in for two weeks or more, it is dead. If you want to talk about the thread's topic, just make a new thread. Remember to use the search function to find threads that already exist on a topic you'd like to discuss.
7) Trick links and pranking
• Trick links (Saying a link will show someone something, but then actually linking to something else) are not allowed. Trick links of a malicious nature (browser hijacking links, for example) will be severely punished, even for a first offense. (simply put? No rickrolling here guys, sorry
)• Pranking is also not allowed. Pranking is posting anything which you claim is truthful even though you know it to be false.
8) Stay on topic.
While the staff respects and appreciates your privilege to freely express yourselves, the fact remains that our games are topical in nature. As such the posting of material should remain at all times within a board that is topically appropriate. It is not, for example, appropriate to role-play in the game discussion forums, nor is it appropriate to post stories (think books, novellas, short stories, etc.) in the question-asking forum. Please keep replies and posts relevant to the board on which they are posted or they will be removed. Remember to read each the description of each place, the guides, and any pinned (stickied) topics before posting. Do a search if you want to ask a question or start a new thread to make sure that it hasn't been posted before.
This also applies to posts within a thread. Keep posts within a thread on-topic - asking questions contrary to originating thread purpose is thread hijacking.
9) No whining.
Whining is defined as "an attack upon an idea, concept or problem, without offering a counter-idea, alternative concept, or a solution" or anything along the lines of "It's not fair" or "This sucks because..." without offering a reasonable solution to resolve the issue. Any and all whining is strictly prohibited.
Ideas are welcome, however, attacking ideas without offering constructive criticism is counter-productive. Accounts created for whining will be banned.
10) No giving away/selling your game account/s
Sorry guys but this stuff is illegal, so it’s a forbidden topic here. Had you actually read the games Terms of Service you agreed to when you signed up to play your account, you might have found this line: "You may not sell, redistribute, or reproduce the Software...,” meaning you signed a contract saying you wouldn’t sell it. Simple: don’t.
10.1) No begging.
Do not ask anyone to upgrade your character in any game, buy you a game, or whatever. Do not ask for someone else's account information. This includes via the forum, PM, and chat. Accounts created for begging will be banned.
Do not ask to become an administrator, moderator, etc. Asking is an indication that you are not yet ready to become one. Do not ask for titles, or special treatment, as, you guessed it, asking for it will ultimately eliminate the chances for you to get it.
10.2) No begging others to play your account
The proper thing to do when someone approaches you via PM or email asking you to play his/her account is to report it to a forum moderator/operator. We do understand that to turn a person in can make you feel uncomfortable, but it is in everyone's best interests to do so in this situation. These people tend to send out multiple messages to various people, and it is for everyone's protection that this is stopped. The person begging can end up with a ruined account due to a misdirected PM and/or someone being untrustworthy. Additionally, the overwhelming percentage of people reporting that their characters were 'hacked' by someone were not actually victims of a hacker but really just shared their account information. It’s just a stupid idea all around.
11) No spoilers.
Spoilers are fun things for users to find for themselves. ‘Spoiler tags’ are to be used for any information which players are supposed to find on their own. If you're not sure if what you want to post is a spoiler or not, PM a mod first. Quoting someone else so that the information appears will be considered as violating the "no spoiler" rule.
To use the spoiler tags, just put the information in a quote bar and make the text white. Like this:
[quote][color=White][/color][/quote]Abuse of the spoiler tag (using it to make it look like something is a spoiler/attempting to hide flaming, trolling, profanity/etc) can result in anything from a warning to severe warning to ban (whether temporary or permanent). If you would get into trouble for it in a normally displayed post, you'll get into more for attempting to conceal it.
12) Submission of Ideas
Submitting ideas does not in any way mean your art, ideas, etc. will be used or included in any way. Any ideas submitted to Finality forums are free to be used by the higher staff members (mods, admins, head admin) as desired. Any ideas, art, works, or suggestions submitted to Finality forums, or a member thereof, automatically becomes property of me (the head admin). By submitting your ideas to this site, this means you agree to this rule. You are, of course, still free to post the ideas on other websites. (Meaning: just don’t try to sue us please)
13) Account Responsibility
You are fully responsible for your own account and protection of your password. Statements such as "My friend/sister/brother/dog was using my account." are not acceptable as an explanation for the violation of any rule. If you share your account with someone and they break the rules, it will be treated the same as if you broke the rules yourself. It is also your responsibility to keep the account up to date, particularly the e-mail. If you use an e-mail that you rarely check, it is no one's fault but your own if you miss important notices from the staff. The same applies to using an invalid e-mail. Once again, your account and password are your responsibility and no one else's.
Members of Finality staff will never ask for your password.
14) Multiple Accounts
Multiple accounts are not allowed on the board. There is no reason for any user to have more than one forum account; any additional accounts created will be banned. Should you make too many additional accounts, your original account may have disciplinary action taken against it.
15) No plagiarism
Plagiarism is taking the work of another person (be it art, stories, or even ideas) and claiming that it is yours. Do not take credit for someone else's work. Plagiarism will be cause for discipline above and beyond an ordinary warning.
16) No backseat/mini-modding.
Minimodding is acting as if you are a moderator, which is to say, that you have the ability to tell other users what to do or not do. This includes things like demanding that a user delete his/her post and/or getting the thread locked (e.g. Delete your post! This thread should be locked.). Any action where the user attempts to take over for a mod anywhere on a sub-forum without explicit permission may be considered mini-modding. Please see the board-specific rules for what is permitted when helping others.
A good guideline for what is not minimodding is if a post attempts to politely assist another user (rather than telling them what to do/what they did wrong) by suggesting what they should do/where they should go instead, it's likely you're not minimodding. However, the decision as to whether or not something is minimodding is up to the moderator who sees the post.
Additionally, if someone has already posted proper advice on where to post, do not post the same advice worded in a different way, or posting “Member X is right!” or other statements along those lines.
Posting in a particularly troublesome thread will only prolong the life of that thread, inviting more people to break the rules. The best way to take care of rule violations is to PM a mod. Only PM the mods once per violation. It is the responsibility of the mods and the staff assistant groups to enforce the rules. Please make sure to PM the correct person in the staff assistant groups, as most of them only moderate in specific boards and are not moderators. Please do not hinder them by posting in threads that need moderator action. It only serves to revive the thread and create even more of a hassle.
17) No posting for banned members at any time
Posting for a banned member/allowing that person to use the account is not allowed and could be considered ban evasion. This includes allowing a banned member to use your account to send PMs. This really should be obvious.
18) Foreign Languages
While we realize our members are international, the boards are English-only and do not allow any foreign languages, unless a translation is provided. Just deal with it.
19) Release of Other User’s Information or Communications
It is unacceptable to post another user’s private/personal/public information, including email address, location of residency, contact information, or other information without express permission from that user.
Private messages from the forum or external chat clients, emails, memos and all other forms of communication are classified as personal and are not to be publicly posted in any shape or form onto these forums, or PMed to other users of these forums, without express permission from all parties involved.
20) Staff may delete and lock messages at their discretion.
Part of the job of moderators is to keep the boards clean. Messages deemed inappropriate, old, or off topic may be deleted/locked by mods/ops at any time.
21) No impersonating a Moderator/Operator
Falsely representing yourself to another player as a staff member is against the rules. This includes using anything restricted to mods/ops and making it seem like a staff member edited it into the thread, implying that you can edit someone's posts, ban someone, etc.
22) Staff have the final say
If you are told by a staff member to stop doing something, you cannot claim that it was not stated in the rules. It is impossible and impractical to list every rule possible. Attempting to circumvent a rule will result in a more severe warning. Also, the determination of things such as begging, flaming, spam, whining, etc. are dependent on the mod, not the users. Any complaints involving attempts to find loop holes in the rules and complaining that it was not explicitly stated in the rules will not be acted upon.
Disagreeing with them in anything other then a private, respectful manner will be considered not only harassment but trolling. If you have issues with moderation that has occurred the correct actions to take are:
For an Operator: (All contact mentioned is by PM/Private Message)
PM them first as an attempt to resolve the issue. If you are unable to resolve the issue with the operator then you may contact head moderator of the forum you are inquiring about. See the “List of Staff Members” to find out who to contact. If you are unable to resolve your issue, then you can take it to a Forum Admin. Refer to the same list to find out which Forum Admin would best be able to help you. If none of them fit the bill, contact the Head Forum Administrator. (Which would be me, Arthur)
For a Moderator: (All contact mentioned is by PM/Private Message)
Contact the head moderator of the board you are enquiring about when attempting to resolve the issue. If you are unable to resolve your issue, then you can take it to a Forum Admin. Refer to the same list to find out which Forum Admin would best be able to help you. If none of them fit the bill, contact the Head Forum Administrator.
Failure to proceed in this manner, such as by posting a public thread indicates you haven't actually followed the rules, and as such your thread may be locked or deleted.
SPECIAL: Signature limitations.
I've got nothing against a nice signature, really, but I don't want to see any huge pictures or blocks of text on here. Generally, as long as your sig doesn't exceed about 400/400 px, you'll be fine. Even when it's bigger, you may not be in trouble, but consider yourself whether /you/ think it's hindering to other users.
If a staff member deems your sig is of such a size it is hindering to others, they will pm you, asking you to reduce the size of your signature. If you don't agree, you are free to ask one other staff member about it. If he/she agrees with it being too big, you will be forced to reduce it's size. If he she says it's okay, you may keep it. However, if ANOTHER staff member asks you to remove your sig as well, you are forced to change your sig.
Blocks of text will be removed, and the user of the sig might get warned, depending on the stupidity of the text.
Small bits of text is fine (For example: look at my sig).
Also, beware of moving pictures, as for these go the same rules as for big pictures. As long as your sig isn't all hectic or anything, you'll probably be fine, though.