The Big Book of Rules and Guidelines - Update; August 5, 2010

Update; August 5, 2010

The forum rules can be updated at any time under any circumstances. Whenever an update is made, it will be noted in the thread title and in this post. Be sure to keep updated with these rules. This thread is a Global Announcement, so that shouldn't be extremely difficult.

The rules are still under construction; updates to the rules slated include more rules to be applied to Section A, a Section B for roleplaying rules (since some Section A rules aren't applied to roleplays, and vice-versa), and a Section C for basic guidelines and norms.

Section A - Posting Rules

1. Proper spelling and grammar is encouraged on this board. If your posts are actually so poor that they cannot be interpreted, you will be banned. It's a dictatorial rule, perhaps, but nobody wants to strain their eyes and brain trying to translate "u no ho 2 ply tis".
   
2. Flaming and trolling is not allowed, and constitutes an immediate and permanent ban. I don't need my forum closed because someone made you butthurt.
   
3. No derailing threads. This is an aggravating thing to enforce, since people guilty of this generally cannot stop doing so. Posts that derail threads will be immediately deleted upon review. Addendum: Any threads that grow increasingly irrelevant and stray from their original topic will be locked. This is in the case that the thread derailing manages to slip under the radar.
   
4. Defiance will be responded to with whatever disciplinary action is best suited for the circumstances. Defiance qualifies as failure to listen to a staff member's request to stop doing something (as in breaking the rules), consistent disregard of the rules, refusal to listen to a roleplay moderator/master, among other things.
   
5. The act of "post whoring" is heavily discouraged. If you are simply posting effortless replies or threads deemed irrelevant, you will be punished for spam.
   
6. Supplementing the above rule, spam is obviously illegal on this forum. It is defined as unsolicited messages in mass quantities, or something simply so irrelevant that there is absolutely no decent purpose for it to exist. It also may refer to three-to-six-word posts, or anything under ten characters.
   
7. Content is to remain PG-13. Swearing is encouraged to remain at a possible minimum, as well as perverse or offensive comments. Any offensive comments used in an intentionally vulgar fashion will result in your post being deleted. Addendum: This rule will not apply to roleplays, but warnings are asked to be included in particularly vulgar posts.
   
8. Unsolicited advertisement, in its worst case scenario, will result in permanent banning, both e-mail address and IP.
   
9. Keep posts in the correct boards. Roleplays do not go in the Introductions board, and your cat's illness does not go in The Drawing Board.
   
10. Pornographic material (as in pictures), at the moment, is not allowed on the forum. I may eventually open a Not Safe For Work/School section, but for now it is forbidden. Linking or posting child pornography will result in immediate referral to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I am not joking about this rule.