Senior Member
Posts: 2,651
Join Date: Jan 2002
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*New* Forum rules! -
10-24-2004, 06:04 AM
If you break any of the rules below, depending on the severity, your post may be edited, your topic may be locked, and you will be warned. Repeat offenders will have their accounts deactivated. If that still can't get your attention, then we may be forced to put your IP onto our ban list.
1 No pornographic, graphically violent, or obscene content/links
Do not post images or links to content of a graphic or obscene nature in the forums. Any topic started for this purpose will be locked and its content deleted. Any image, or link to an image of an extreme adult theme within a legitimate topic will be immediately deleted. Images or links to content of an extremely obscene nature could get you banned from this forum without warning. If you are unsure if an image you wish to post falls into this category please ask one of the mods in a PM and we will help you.
2 No discussion about warez, or links to warez sites
This includes no-cd patches. Any topic started for this purpose will be locked and the content deleted. Any links or discussion to this effect within a legitimate topic will be deleted.
3 No racist comments
Extreme racial attacks will be edited. Do not resort to attacking someone's racial background or country. Discussion about racial differences without being offensive is allowed. Joking about racial differences is allowed so long as it does not contravene any other rules above or below this. If you are asked to stop making the racial jokes by anyone (not just moderators), however, you must do so.
4 Do not spam
Do not repeatedly flood the forum with images or pointless text. Do not continually use the quote tool without adding text of your own and try to keep the text relevant to the topic as much as possible. Here is a definition of what will be considered spam from now onwards:
i) Posting the same image, text or emoticons over and over. If you wish to use an image more than once in a post and it is relevant then it will be allowed, but this is up to the discretion of the moderators. Emoticons are there to brighten up your posts but they are not there to flood it. Any more than two emoticons in a row is spamming. Any more than 5 in a post is spamming. Any extreme flooding of text, images or emoticons will be deleted - Any topic started for this purpose will be locked and the content deleted.
ii) Posting multiple threads (more than 2 in immediate succession) is not allowed. If you wish to post 3 or more topics and they are all relevant and different then this will be allowed at the discretion of the moderators. However, if you are asked to stop posting threads repeatedly by anyone then please refrain from doing so. Any extreme abuse of this rule will result in the deletion of all topics by the user.
iii) Do not spam any member with private messages. PMs are subject to all of the rules but cannot be directly moderated. As such any such transgressions that are brought to the moderators' attention will be investigated on an individual basis.
iv) One word/line replies, single images with no text and emoticon only replies are not spam. So long as they are in direct reply to a relevant post or point they are allowed. However, if you are asked to stop doing this then you must do so.
v) One word/line replies, single images with no text and emoticon replies that have nothing to do with the topic whatsoever are spam. Particularly if repeatedly done so. In extreme cases the posts may be deleted.
vi) Replying to old topics is not spam and is not against the rules so long as you contribute to the topic and do not just do it to bring it back up to the top (Known as "Gravedigging"). If you do the latter you are spamming. In extreme cases the topic may be locked, or your post deleted/edited. You may also be asked to stop doing this by a moderator. If you are, please do so. Please note that so long as this rule is adhered to no member can ask another to stop doing it in order to force them to stop it.
vii) Try not to reply to one post more than once in a row, if you can. Use the edit button unless posting a second reply is relevant. Extreme abuse of this will be deleted.
viii) Keep your images (including any signature image) to a decent size. Signatures should be no more than 450x150 and 100kb in size. Images in your posts should be kept to a reasonable size, as well, but as larger images are likely to be less common than signatures this can be a little larger. However, do not post images any larger than 800x640 and do not post bitmaps (stick to jpeg, gif and png style formats). If your image is too big then post a link instead. If any image is deemed to be too large then your post may be edited so that it is a link instead, or it may be removed in extreme cases. Signatures will be edited in extreme circumstances.
5 Keeping on topic
Do not post unrelated replies soley to try to de-rail a topic. Digressions from the topic are allowed so long as it is in direct reply to a previous post, or it is linked in some way. You should understand that you may be asked to get back to topic by any member. So long as this is asked for politely then you must stop posting off-topic. Do not post totally unrelated material (This is spam, see Rule 4, v). A topic will not be locked because it is taken off-topic. The member(s) who break this rule will be dealt with, not the topic itself.
There is one exception to this rule. The News section is there to discuss news in the gaming scene. It is not there for you to discuss any other un-related issue. There are other forums for this. Any extreme cases of this will be deleted, or edited, in order to get the topic back on track.
Post in the correct forum. If you aren't sure which forum to post in then state this in your post and one of the moderators will move it for you, if necessary.
Do not post duplicated topics. Try to check at least the last 2 pages on the forum where you want to post your topic and see if it has been posted recently. If it hasn't then go ahead. Your topic may be locked if it is a duplicated thread, but you will be told this and directed to the related thread so you can discuss it there. Extreme cases of this will be deleted.
6 Do not create multiple accounts
This is refered to as "smurfing". Unless you tell everyone that you have done it, you are posting under a pseudonym and this is not acceptable. If you do decide to change to a new account you must stop posting with the other account, and it may be deleted/deactivated.
7 Flaming, arguing and swearing.
Do not unfairly flame or insult any member. If they have posted something that you vehemently disagree with then you will be allowed to respond with a heated reply and you will be allowed to flame each other thereafter so long as you do not break any other rules in the process. If you are asked to stop flaming by any member politely then you must stop. Bear in mind that any impolite request to stop flaming does not have any weight here. Asking someone to stop flaming by effectively flaming them is hypocritical and will be disregarded. At any time a moderator may ask all parties to stop flaming at which time you must do so. No matter who started the argument all parties who do not stop when asked will be dealt with as normal.
There is one exception to this rule. The News section is there to discuss news in the gaming scene. It is not there for you to flame each other. Flaming of any kind in the News forum will not be tolerated. Any extreme cases of this will be deleted, or edited, in order to get the topic back on track.
This rule will require the most amount of common sense by members and moderators alike. We are fully aware that there are, and always will be, certain members who do not get along at all - It is expected that these members will argue more often.
However, repeated nit-picking, insulting, sarcastic remarks, provocative behaviour and any other "hand-bags at 5 paces" like that will eventually picked up on. If you can't resolve your differences after a few weeks then you should ignore each other totally. Whilst flaming and heated arguments are to be tolerated, within reason, continued abuse of common decency and mature behaviour will not be. If you are asked to stop picking fights with any particular member you must do so indefinitely. Moderators will give as much leeway as they can and will not let personall judgement sway their decision but this is now a rule and they will uphold it.
Swearing. Do not use foul language of any kind in the subject line of your threads or in signatures. No hard rule will be set for swearing but if you are asked by anyone to stop it politely you must do so. As before, impolite requests can be ignored, particularly if they themselves contain swearing of any kind. As there may be children reading this please avoid the use of more aggressive words. Any extreme usage of swear words may be deleted or edited.
Finally, try to be polite as much as possible. Whenever you ask for something, say please. It makes a huge difference to the replies if you are polite. If you ask a question or request an action in an impolite way and you are flamed then that will be allowed, as per the above rules. So, you may not get your answer/request at all unless you ask nicely. This also means that by asking politely anyone who does flame you or reply heatedly will have broken the rules and will be asked to stop.
8 Moderators
Are here to help you and to keep the forums running as smoothly as possible. If a moderator asks you to do something then you must do it. In extreme circumstances you may be told what to do, but this will be avoided as much as possible. Moderators are not here to order you around but if you disobey the rules then you will be dealt with.
If you have a question or request of a moderator do not start a new topic. Send one of them a PM. If you do not get a reply within 24 hours then try sending it to another moderator and so on. If none reply to you after a 24 hour period of you sending the PM then you can start a topic.
If this is still ignored after 24 hours then the moderators have not met your expectations and you can raise this directly with Badscript.
You may disagree with something a moderator does. You are allowed to state this, of course. Moderators are all bound by the above rules. As with any member please be polite in your request. Being abusive to a moderator may get you nothing and they are well within their rights to ignore impolite requests.
Moderators can also change any rules without any notice but a reason will be given and it will be cleared with Badscript first. Any suggestions by members for changes to rules will be considered but this must be done via PMs.
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Big thanks to Yidss for coming up with most of this, and zoner and rudedog for their input.
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