Forum Rules/Etiquette

[Gwen_Goth]

OK, so it’s been noticed by a few of us manners are slipping

Some basic points EVERYONE really should follow:

• Listen to the moderators and administrator. We aren't what we are for no reason; we usually have much more prior experience and will ALWAYS have valid reasons to back up our words and actions.
• Please dont use "Jap" as an abbreveation for Japanese / Japan; it can still be considered offensive due to its World War II connotations; if you *HAVE* to abbreviate (althoug really you just shouldnt) use J-~ eg instead of Jap Food try J-Food
• Don’t use strange, over/under sized fonts or colours that are hard to view on some monitors
• Remember this is an international forum; not everyone will have a solid grasp of the English language, please be tolerant of others mistakes, it may be a poster simply hasn't put accross thier point in a very concise manner; simply ask them to explain what they mean a little more; and if you DO get asked to go into more detail; it isnt an insult; it means someones interested, take it as a compliment!
• Read the opening posts. It’s just rude if you don’t, and completely ruins the point of some threads, for example, the favourite anime characters thread.
• Please read previous posts. It may be that someone has already brought up an issue, and it may also contain something which you will find useful or interesting. Don't just put up what you want to say, that’s what blogs are for. This is a forum; use it for discussion.
• Don’t start pointless threads. Chances are someone had already started a thread about your subject. Add to it, it shows more solidarity for your subject; don't go creating new threads that could have a high probability of developing into something already classified under a similar thread. Our aim is: To minimize as many independent threads as possible, so as to make room for more, before putting them together under one whole section of a forum to form the latter.
  We already have Introduce yourself and post your picture threads, make use of them.
• Be courteous to other users. Everyone has opinions, sometimes they should be kept to you. Don’t Flame.
• Try to use polite language, swearing is permitted, but it should be for a reason, not just for the sake of swearing.
• When quoting someone with images, remove the [IMG][/IMG] tags. This stops threads having huge download times. Clicking the small arrow near the quote will take you back to the original post anyways.
• Quote what is relevant; you don’t have to quote someone’s' entire post just to criticize /add one point.
• Don't derail from a thread's theme, the guys created a derail thread specificly for that use! Everyone is welcome to use it! (notice how I used all styles + red?)
• Don't use random/wierd acronyms! Unless the theme is computers lets say, then obviously RAM is gonna reffer to Random Access Memory. But take a search in the acronym dictionary. You'll get over 84 results for RAM. If you want to use an acronym, write it out, then put an acronym in bracks. [i.e., Random Access Memory (RAM)]
• Don't FISH FOR COMPLIMENTS in FACER! Enough said.

These should be treated as rules to help this forum run smoothly We'll add more as they're deemed needed.
Have a suggestion? PM Gwen, Vesperd, CoolNard, Kanji or Kudou with it.

Standard rules of no flaming / spamming / trolling always apply.

THREADS When creating a thread PLEASE WRITE IN PROPER ENGLISH, NO SLANGS AND ABBREVIATIONS IN THE TITLE. ALSO PLEASE USE THE CORRECT FORM OF GRAMMAR.

AVATARS
Also, we see this question posted a lot on the forums: You cannot use a custom avatar, title, or signature, until you have a post count of 25. You then have to log out, and log back in for the option to appear.

Avatars are acceptable in all formats, EXCEPT for bitmap.


Thank you!

- Gwen
- Kudou (Edits/Additions)
- Kanji (Edits/Additions)
- CoolNard (Edits/Additions)

[Kanji_The_Wanderer]

I have noticed lately that member's conduct has been slipping, so I felt it was time to lay out from good rules, to help everybody out. Since there was never offical rules written previously. This is a guide, and should be followed.

Do read the following, or risk having certain privileges removed /permanent ban. If you're not sure if something is against the rules, PM a moderator before doing it (for God's sake, the [spams/bans/flames] thread ain't just there for forum deco), don't correct something yourself to avoid getting implicated, which I may add, will result in more work for us, mods. =.=


Also pay attention to sticky threads in General Discussion they are also Forum Tips.

RESPECT:
Know who you are talking to. There are a lot of people on these boards that have been in the community a long time, think, moderators and naturally the administrator. Advice from these members is not to be taken lightly. You, after all, asked the question and wanted information, not them.


Mutual respect is what counts.

BE NICE:
Be nice to each other. With a lot of people together in one place, naturally not everyone will see it eye to eye, and agree with you. Everyone is entitled to their opinions on various issues, let's all be respectful towards each other and our views.

Let's also keep in mind that not everyone is as "gifted" as *you* are. In short: Be respectful, and try not to be rude.

Don't go Off-Topic
Try and keep the discussion on-topic as much as possible. If a thread gets out of hand, leave it be, and contact a moderator/admin.

Have some respect for another person's topic. If the topic means nothing to you, then stay out, but don't make remarks that you find "funny". If your remarks are enough of an annoyance/offense to other members, appropriate action may be taken by moderators and administrators, always following these rules.

For General Discussion:
The topics of Religion and Sexual Orientation have been banned from these boards. Such topics will be closed immediately, the moment they are discovered. These threads turn into gigantic hurtful debates between parties. It is best to not even engage in these types conversations.

Also, if you want to post a video, please post it in an existing Video Thread. Do not make a new thread to post videos on.

Threads created out of boredom, or because you want to be "random" are not allowed. There will be no "chat" threads, randomness threads, or boredom threads.

NO FLAMING:
Flamewars contribute absolutely nothing to the forums. Don't get aggravated. If a mod or Admin encounters a flamewar, the participants, but in any case the starter, will be warned. In other cases if that member being warned, has received previous warnings, a mod/admin may ban the member for as long as they seem fit.

There is no gain in going on and on about a particular subject. If a thread degrades to a "yes/no" fight, be the smarter one and leave it alone.

Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a problem many people have to deal with. That's why, every now and then, when someone posts it may not be in perfect grammar/spelling. It's not appropriate to keep pointing out these little mistakes.

If you know you are dyslexic, try to keep it short, and press [Enter] every now and then. Even though many people have tried, time has proven that reading through large posts without commas, enters and so forth will discourages readers from paying attention to the post in question. Your post may be neglected, and that's a shame.

Racism, Cultural Intolerance and Gender Discrimination:
Racism, inappropriate remarks pertaining to cultures, gender or other degrading remarks are things you do only once. Posting of such slander most likely will get you a ban, the length will be up to the Banning Moderator and can be Permanent.


Don't SCREAM:
Don't go screaming for a solution (Screaming? How do I do that in a text-based discussion?). For example, the excessive use of caps. TEXT WRITTEN LIKE THIS is extremely annoying, and you will annoy the other users. If you ever want to make yourself CLEAR then you just accentuate a particular piece of text. Stay true to and keep your caps in check.


Discussions and questions about things like MP3s are file formats/codes and those are not illegal, their content however, can be illegal. If anything, try and use logic when posting links to such downloads.


Pornographic Material:
Posting such material are grounds for a temporary to permanent ban, subject to the severity of the offence and discretion of the moderators.


Advertisements or SPAM:
If you want to advertise your forum/website, put the link in your profile. If people want to visit your site, they will use the link in your profile. But outside of these, advertisements are NOT tolerated.


Thread Titles:
Please be certain that your topics and posts are clear as to their meaning, and contribute to the forum or thread. Uncertain thread titles such as "O my Gawd!" or "Lookut wut i did!" create confusion and make it difficult for people to discern your purpose. Moderators may rename your thread title if they find it unclear or unspecific.

Spoilers:
Keep the spoilers in check, we have a movie/gaming and manga forum and some people are not at the point where you are, and perhaps vice versa.


Seek, and you will Find:
The VB board has a cool function, we know as "the Search Function". When posting a topic, or asking a question, use the search function first to make sure the question has not been answered yet.



Personal affairs (problems with other members) are NOT to be fought out via the forums. If you have some kind of problem with someone, you can always e-mail each other, or use the PM function.

The forum and its members have no part in it, so don't make them be.


Theft:
Yes, even here on the forums it can occur. Theft can occur in various ways. Anyone caught stealing someone else's avatar, signature content, banners, artwork, or for that matter any thing that is created by/for a specific member, and is taken by another member for whatever reason, without permission from the creator/owner - will obtain a theft ban.
The length of the ban is up to the discretion of the banning moderator, dependent upon the severity of the theft.


Images:
When an image moves the forum out of proportion please link it.
Uploading/Posting any inappropriate or pornographic material is prohibited and can result in a permanent ban.
Stealing of images from users on the forums is an offense which carries a ban. The length of the ban is up to the banning moderator and severity of the theft.


Signatures & Avatars:
Do not use too many signatures because they make the forum load slower as well as make it longer to scroll. If you have too many signatures we will tell you to remove them or an administrator will have to remove it personally.
Any type of pornography's prohibited in avatars and signatures.

Also due to members questioning, and stretching this rule of signatures to the max. I had decided to make up the biggest size signature that is allowed.....
A signature isn't allowed to be any bigger than 700 pixels wide, and 300 pixels long. If a sig is made that is bigger then this, then the member will be asked to take it down. If they do not listen to this request, then they shall be temporarily banned for as long as the moderator feels necessary.


YOU NEED 25 POSTS BEFORE YOU CAN UPLOAD YOUR OWN CUSTOM AVATAR.


Bumping Topics:
Do not double post to bump threads. In fact, don't bump threads, period. If it's on the second page (or even the bottom half of the first) and you don't have anything good to say, don't reply to it.


* A lot of rules, but very simple. All these rules are not here to get in your way, but to make these forums a fun place to hang out for young and old, to foster pleasant discussion

* Members are responsible for reading rules and relevant stickies pertaining to guidelines. Claiming ignorance doesn't justify violation of rules. Rules are subject to the application and interpretation of the moderators and administrators. (Just to add on) Being an adult doesn't justify for the fact that you don't need to read/follow forum rules and etiquette at all.
A forum is indeed, a place for communication and obtaining relevant information. However, there's a right time and right place for everything, which is why this forum has been divided into many sections.
Making it clear: As long as none of the forum rules are broken, JF's reputation is secured and hence, we couldn't be bothered about what you say, unless the matter concerns our interests as individuals.
Again, just because it is expected does not mean it should be done. Being a kid doesn't make you any less susceptible than the others to forum rules, since you've proven your basic command of English by logging on; you're obliged to be taught at a young age: In every family, there are family rules, as in every country, there are national laws. We aren't much different; no one, including the mods and admin, is above the law/rules/regulations.

* If you feel someone has to be dealt with, or a thread has to be closed, cla-ri-fy e-ve-ry-thing with us first.

* PM the moderators, instead of trying to reply to any of their posts in any thread, if they're stating the message in a position of authority, to prevent derailing, unless the mod(s) in question oblige(s).

* Also note that the moderators and administrators hold the right at any time to remove your posts and/or ban your access to the forum.