Sanis Prent
Apr 1st, 2003, 01:08:15 AM
General Overview
These are the SWfans Forum rules. If you don't agree with them, you can leave or refuse to register an account. If you break any of these rules, then you will be forced to leave. It's THAT SIMPLE!!!
Why Are There So Many Damn Rules?
We have to painfully explain each and every aspect of common sense and acceptible behavior because if we miss one single point, people will claim that it was not covered in the rules and therefore they shouldn't be punished for it. If you want a summary of the rules, here it is: DON'T BE A DICKHEAD. That is all; use common sense, don't be a troll, and keep the forums clean.
General Conduct
Each forum pretty much makes it clear from its name and description what is acceptable in there or not. Be sure you have the appropriate forum before posting. If there is no forum dedicated to the topic you wish to discuss, use OOC. Do NOT post porn or any "questionable" material in OOC; if you would be uncomfortable viewing it at work, do not post it there. Keep all disgusting pics in the Box Office Discussion Forum.
Before posting, please ask yourself the following question:
"Am I making a post which is either funny, informative, or interesting on any level?"
If you can answer "yes" to this, then please post. If you cannot, then refrain from posting.
Before replying, please ask yourself the following question:
"Does my reply offer any significant advice or help contribute to the conversation in any fashion?"
If you can answer "yes" to this, then please reply. If you cannot, then refrain from replying.
Rules:
If you post "FIRST POST" or "postcount++" in a thread, regardless of placement, you will be banned. First posting is the equivalent of forum diarrhea. "postcount++" or any variation thereof is an obnoxious waste of server space and essentially announces on an international level that the poster has nothing worthwhile to contribute.
Bitching about a custom title (either having one or not having one) will not get you a different custom title. In fact, it will probably result in a reset post count or a ban, depending on the admin's mood at the time. Custom titles can be granted at group-specific boards, but don't harass the owners, or you will be banned. Impersonating an SWfans character is not funny. In fact, it is the total inverse of funny. If a mod doesn't make your life hell for doing it, the rest of the forum will.
If a post of yours has been edited or deleted, it's been done for a reason. Restoring or bitching about an edited post will only annoy the moderator responsible and probably get you banned.
Posting that you're leaving SWfans for good will result in a ban, since you obviously don't need to use your account again. This is to catch all the pathetic attention whores out there.
Adding any malicious hidden links (ie, URLs that are hidden to put users on your ignore list, to log people off the forums, or go to a site which floods you with nonstop popups) will result in a ban.
Discussing and planning forum invasions is bannable, unless the thread has been started or approved by a moderator. We don't promote "invading" other forums and being mean to people who haven't done anything to you, regardless of how stupid or contemptible you feel they are. Feel free to laugh at them and mock them at SWfans; do NOT take it into their own forums.
People who use anime characters, unless intensely humorous, will be banned and shot in the face if at all possible. Same goes for people posting parody threads.
Stay out of people's personal lives. Don't drool over and post pictures of their ex-girlfriends / boyfriends.
We don't give a crap if you're new; posting "HELO I AM NEW HERE U GUYZ SEEM KEWL" threads will result in your immediate dismissal from the forums. These posts are forum trash, and if you're dumb enough to not know these threads are frowned upon here, you shouldn't be posting.
If you are posting solely to inform us how drunk or drugged up you are, we will reply informing you how banned you are. NOBODY GIVES A CRAP IF YOU ARE DRUNK OR HIGH.
Posting any image which is longer than one screensize (800 horizontal or 600 vertical) will result in a warning followed by a ban. As much you think everybody loves to see an image which causes them to spend 15 minutes scrolling, people really don't care for it and it's not funny. At all.
Do not post threads with subject lines that are nonstop spamming characters which break the forumdisplay table index.
If you are new to the forums, always lurk before posting. This will give you a good idea of what is acceptable and unacceptable posting in practice. It will also give you the chance to observe how you can avoid pissing off individual moderators, since some mods find certain infractions more offensive than others. Furthermore, it will keep you from making stupid n00b RP mistakes, such as godmoding, whining, and things that new people do.
Flamewars and other crap-flinging contests must be confined to Box Office Discussion Forums. Persistent offenders will be made Box Office-only, then banned if they continue to flame in non-Box Office forums.
Whining about a banning will result in your banning. This is a private forum and these rules are limits on what can be done by its participants.
Catchphrases get on our nerves VERY quickly. Please refrain from running catchphrases into the ground. This also applies to gimmicky images, such as using characters from LotR, or from annoying anime in your avatar or signatures.
If you have been banned and you're thinking of emailing us to ask about your ban... DON'T. You won't get unbanned.
If you complain about what you feel are shortcomings of the current moderation team, either real or imaginary, you will be banned. If you don't like it here, feel free to leave.
Any form of moderator harassment including insults, failing to delete a thread that you were asked to delete, doing the opposite of something you were asked to do, reposting a thread that was deleted, or opening a thread that a moderator closed, will result in a ban. Just don't piss off the mods.
Intentionally using the wrong thread tag in OOC (i.e., "NSP" for a thread where there's spam) will result in a ban since it negates the purpose of having thread tags.
Please leave your personal grudges with other forum members at the door before entering the forums. Nobody wants to read two posters constantly bitching at each other like a married couple.
We will ban anybody attempting to circumvent any rule in a way that they obviously feel is remarkably clever and witty.
If you have any questionable, annoying, or non-work safe images in your sig file, avatar, or thread it will be edited or you will be banned, depending on how badly you broke the rules.
If someone is making you feel uncomfortable on the forums because of direct harassment, take the issue up with them in private email / PM. If it continues, publicly ask them to stop. BE ADVISED THAT FLAMES OR INSULTS DO NOT CONSTITUTE HARASSMENT. If you waste our time with non-harassment the last person who you'd expect to receive punishment will be banned - you.
THE POSTING OF ANOTHER'S REAL LIFE INFORMATION IS PROHIBITED. The only person you can post real life information on is yourself. The fact that the information that you post of another party is available elsewhere (such as a whois search) will NOT be accepted as justification.
I will close any thread starting with "So," as in "So I just had my colon removed" or "So I just found out I am an adult canine." You can repost the thread again with a new subject title, just as long as it doesn't start with the cliched "so." Seriously, it's not needed.
Image / File Rules:
Keep all disgusting pictures in Box Office Discussion Forum. Posting pornography, hilariously revolting images stolen from rotten.com or wherever, LotR and Anime pics, and other potentially offensive visual material in any other group will result in a ban.
Posting illegal porn in any SWfans forum will result in your permanent banishment from the forums.
NO WAREZ. NO SERIALS. NO CRACKS / CRACKING PROGRAMS. Anything that can be used in software piracy or other illegal software activities will result in a ban. Same goes for abusive programs like mailbombers, forum and usenet flooders and email harvesting bots. This is not a place to trade illegal games and utilities all you Jeff K. wannabes. This also included unreleased products.
SWfans allows you to add a personalized signature to each one of your posts. Since this signature can be applied to all of your posts everywhere, it is expected you keep the images in them appropriate for all of the forums (i.e., no porn or disgusting pics), unless you only post in one forum exclusively and never post anywhere else. If you post in Box Office and Box Office only, the sig file rules do not apply to you (unless you make your sig file intentionally annoying).
Signatures cannot exceed 30k in weight (total) and must not include more than 2 images or 3 lines of text (in 1024x768 resolution). Images may not exceed 600 pixels wide or 500 pixels high. Failure to comply will result in your signature being edited down to the preferred size. Restoring the signature to the pre-edited state will result in a ban.
Bandwidth thieves will be banned on sight.
Please refrain from posting your sig file in every thread, every reply, and every post.
Do NOT leech bandwidth from other sites! This means that if you don't pay the site's bandwidth bills, you are not allowed to leech their graphics on our forums. If you found an amusing picture that you want to show the forums, UPLOAD IT TO YOUR OWN WEBSPACE BEFORE LINKING IT. Bandwidth leechers will be banned without question.
Conclusion:
If you do not agree to these rules, you're free to no longer visit the SWfans forums. If you do not like these rules, please do not register an account; it will be better for all parties involved. Remember: these are private forums.
These are the SWfans Forum rules. If you don't agree with them, you can leave or refuse to register an account. If you break any of these rules, then you will be forced to leave. It's THAT SIMPLE!!!
Why Are There So Many Damn Rules?
We have to painfully explain each and every aspect of common sense and acceptible behavior because if we miss one single point, people will claim that it was not covered in the rules and therefore they shouldn't be punished for it. If you want a summary of the rules, here it is: DON'T BE A DICKHEAD. That is all; use common sense, don't be a troll, and keep the forums clean.
General Conduct
Each forum pretty much makes it clear from its name and description what is acceptable in there or not. Be sure you have the appropriate forum before posting. If there is no forum dedicated to the topic you wish to discuss, use OOC. Do NOT post porn or any "questionable" material in OOC; if you would be uncomfortable viewing it at work, do not post it there. Keep all disgusting pics in the Box Office Discussion Forum.
Before posting, please ask yourself the following question:
"Am I making a post which is either funny, informative, or interesting on any level?"
If you can answer "yes" to this, then please post. If you cannot, then refrain from posting.
Before replying, please ask yourself the following question:
"Does my reply offer any significant advice or help contribute to the conversation in any fashion?"
If you can answer "yes" to this, then please reply. If you cannot, then refrain from replying.
Rules:
If you post "FIRST POST" or "postcount++" in a thread, regardless of placement, you will be banned. First posting is the equivalent of forum diarrhea. "postcount++" or any variation thereof is an obnoxious waste of server space and essentially announces on an international level that the poster has nothing worthwhile to contribute.
Bitching about a custom title (either having one or not having one) will not get you a different custom title. In fact, it will probably result in a reset post count or a ban, depending on the admin's mood at the time. Custom titles can be granted at group-specific boards, but don't harass the owners, or you will be banned. Impersonating an SWfans character is not funny. In fact, it is the total inverse of funny. If a mod doesn't make your life hell for doing it, the rest of the forum will.
If a post of yours has been edited or deleted, it's been done for a reason. Restoring or bitching about an edited post will only annoy the moderator responsible and probably get you banned.
Posting that you're leaving SWfans for good will result in a ban, since you obviously don't need to use your account again. This is to catch all the pathetic attention whores out there.
Adding any malicious hidden links (ie, URLs that are hidden to put users on your ignore list, to log people off the forums, or go to a site which floods you with nonstop popups) will result in a ban.
Discussing and planning forum invasions is bannable, unless the thread has been started or approved by a moderator. We don't promote "invading" other forums and being mean to people who haven't done anything to you, regardless of how stupid or contemptible you feel they are. Feel free to laugh at them and mock them at SWfans; do NOT take it into their own forums.
People who use anime characters, unless intensely humorous, will be banned and shot in the face if at all possible. Same goes for people posting parody threads.
Stay out of people's personal lives. Don't drool over and post pictures of their ex-girlfriends / boyfriends.
We don't give a crap if you're new; posting "HELO I AM NEW HERE U GUYZ SEEM KEWL" threads will result in your immediate dismissal from the forums. These posts are forum trash, and if you're dumb enough to not know these threads are frowned upon here, you shouldn't be posting.
If you are posting solely to inform us how drunk or drugged up you are, we will reply informing you how banned you are. NOBODY GIVES A CRAP IF YOU ARE DRUNK OR HIGH.
Posting any image which is longer than one screensize (800 horizontal or 600 vertical) will result in a warning followed by a ban. As much you think everybody loves to see an image which causes them to spend 15 minutes scrolling, people really don't care for it and it's not funny. At all.
Do not post threads with subject lines that are nonstop spamming characters which break the forumdisplay table index.
If you are new to the forums, always lurk before posting. This will give you a good idea of what is acceptable and unacceptable posting in practice. It will also give you the chance to observe how you can avoid pissing off individual moderators, since some mods find certain infractions more offensive than others. Furthermore, it will keep you from making stupid n00b RP mistakes, such as godmoding, whining, and things that new people do.
Flamewars and other crap-flinging contests must be confined to Box Office Discussion Forums. Persistent offenders will be made Box Office-only, then banned if they continue to flame in non-Box Office forums.
Whining about a banning will result in your banning. This is a private forum and these rules are limits on what can be done by its participants.
Catchphrases get on our nerves VERY quickly. Please refrain from running catchphrases into the ground. This also applies to gimmicky images, such as using characters from LotR, or from annoying anime in your avatar or signatures.
If you have been banned and you're thinking of emailing us to ask about your ban... DON'T. You won't get unbanned.
If you complain about what you feel are shortcomings of the current moderation team, either real or imaginary, you will be banned. If you don't like it here, feel free to leave.
Any form of moderator harassment including insults, failing to delete a thread that you were asked to delete, doing the opposite of something you were asked to do, reposting a thread that was deleted, or opening a thread that a moderator closed, will result in a ban. Just don't piss off the mods.
Intentionally using the wrong thread tag in OOC (i.e., "NSP" for a thread where there's spam) will result in a ban since it negates the purpose of having thread tags.
Please leave your personal grudges with other forum members at the door before entering the forums. Nobody wants to read two posters constantly bitching at each other like a married couple.
We will ban anybody attempting to circumvent any rule in a way that they obviously feel is remarkably clever and witty.
If you have any questionable, annoying, or non-work safe images in your sig file, avatar, or thread it will be edited or you will be banned, depending on how badly you broke the rules.
If someone is making you feel uncomfortable on the forums because of direct harassment, take the issue up with them in private email / PM. If it continues, publicly ask them to stop. BE ADVISED THAT FLAMES OR INSULTS DO NOT CONSTITUTE HARASSMENT. If you waste our time with non-harassment the last person who you'd expect to receive punishment will be banned - you.
THE POSTING OF ANOTHER'S REAL LIFE INFORMATION IS PROHIBITED. The only person you can post real life information on is yourself. The fact that the information that you post of another party is available elsewhere (such as a whois search) will NOT be accepted as justification.
I will close any thread starting with "So," as in "So I just had my colon removed" or "So I just found out I am an adult canine." You can repost the thread again with a new subject title, just as long as it doesn't start with the cliched "so." Seriously, it's not needed.
Image / File Rules:
Keep all disgusting pictures in Box Office Discussion Forum. Posting pornography, hilariously revolting images stolen from rotten.com or wherever, LotR and Anime pics, and other potentially offensive visual material in any other group will result in a ban.
Posting illegal porn in any SWfans forum will result in your permanent banishment from the forums.
NO WAREZ. NO SERIALS. NO CRACKS / CRACKING PROGRAMS. Anything that can be used in software piracy or other illegal software activities will result in a ban. Same goes for abusive programs like mailbombers, forum and usenet flooders and email harvesting bots. This is not a place to trade illegal games and utilities all you Jeff K. wannabes. This also included unreleased products.
SWfans allows you to add a personalized signature to each one of your posts. Since this signature can be applied to all of your posts everywhere, it is expected you keep the images in them appropriate for all of the forums (i.e., no porn or disgusting pics), unless you only post in one forum exclusively and never post anywhere else. If you post in Box Office and Box Office only, the sig file rules do not apply to you (unless you make your sig file intentionally annoying).
Signatures cannot exceed 30k in weight (total) and must not include more than 2 images or 3 lines of text (in 1024x768 resolution). Images may not exceed 600 pixels wide or 500 pixels high. Failure to comply will result in your signature being edited down to the preferred size. Restoring the signature to the pre-edited state will result in a ban.
Bandwidth thieves will be banned on sight.
Please refrain from posting your sig file in every thread, every reply, and every post.
Do NOT leech bandwidth from other sites! This means that if you don't pay the site's bandwidth bills, you are not allowed to leech their graphics on our forums. If you found an amusing picture that you want to show the forums, UPLOAD IT TO YOUR OWN WEBSPACE BEFORE LINKING IT. Bandwidth leechers will be banned without question.
Conclusion:
If you do not agree to these rules, you're free to no longer visit the SWfans forums. If you do not like these rules, please do not register an account; it will be better for all parties involved. Remember: these are private forums.