Difference between revisions of "SWFans.Net Policies and Frequently Asked Questions"

Revision as of 01:42, 1 June 2007

Forward

Welcome to SW-Fans.Net Forums (est. 1999). You have become a member of a large and diverse fan-based community inspired by Star Wars © literature, movies, games, and other expanded universe (EU). We are first and foremost, fans of Star Wars ©. The following are the Frequently Asked Questions (or FAQ) and Policies, regarding use of these forums. This FAQ shall serve as the general policy. If you have any additions or corrections for this FAQ please let the administration of SW-Fans.Net know by posting in the Communications forum. Please be as specific as possible. Thank you.

Note:
SW-Fans.Net is largely a Roleplaying community. While general Star Wars © discussion and subject matter take up a significant number of forums, the majority of the members to this community are roleplayers, and a majority of the forums are for the purpose of roleplaying. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you read this FAQ and Policies before posting and / or roleplaying.

Definition of SW-Fans.Net Roleplaying:
Roleplaying, as it is conducted in these forums, is the playing and participating of a character’s role through a written/typed telling of an original storyline based on, but not copied from, Star Wars ©. Storylines and characters may expand upon known Star Wars ©tales, as owned by George Lucas (and all of his affiliates). Storylines may also contain events that, although not ever recorded within the commercialized Star Wars © literature, may fit within the parameters of the Lucas Star Wars © fictional universe. Characters are created by the membership, and are also based on, but not copied from Star Wars ©.

Disclaimer:
SW-Fans.Net does not endorse or promote the stealing of intellectual property, as it pertains to George Lucas and Star Wars ©. No Roleplaying scenario will be made or sold for the purpose of profit. No Roleplaying scenario which copies George Lucas’ (or any other person’s) copyrighted material will be tolerated. Those who cannot respect the originality and the copyrighted material of Star Wars © and the intellectual property of George Lucas will be banned from this community.

We are first and foremost, fans.

Basic Roleplaying Information

What is the 'Roleplaying' section of the SW-Fans.Net Forums?

Answer: It is set of three sub-forums for people who are interested in roleplaying characters within the Star Wars Universe. See Role-playing definition above to find out what Roleplaying is.

Common Acronyms Used Within the 'Roleplaying' Section:

• RPF - Roleplaying Forum
• RPG - Roleplaying Game
• RP - Roleplaying
• IC - In Character (To speak while playing your character, in the fictional realm.)
• OOC - Out Of Character (To speak as yourself; the you behind the computer screen.)

Note About In Character and Out Of Character discussions: There is a significant distinction between speaking IC and OOC. If another forum member, roleplaying as their character, insults your character, don't take it personally. It's just a game - all roleplayers are here to have fun.

SW-Fans Roleplaying Method:

At the SW-Fans.Net Forums, roleplaying usually takes place when one person comes up with an idea for a story and posts a new topic describing it. Sometimes, other members are free to join in on storylines. Many times, roleplays are a collaborative story between two or more members, writing a story together, bouncing posts off one-another.

How do I join?

Answer: Simply post a new message in the Roleplaying Discussion forum announcing yourself and then start posting and roleplaying as your character.

What are all these groups (Jedi, Sith, etc.) that everyone seems to be a part of? How do I join one? Do I have to join a group?

Answer: SW-Fans.Net has been around for many years. Its membership has remained much the same people who founded these forums, and yet SW-Fans.Net sees new members daily. Over time, the roleplaying membership has divided into groups for several reasons; one being to make the roleplaying more entertaining and involving.

Generally, most people who join in the roleplaying community here like to participate in a group. Joining one of the major groups generally surrounds you by other people who have roleplaying experience. These people can not only help teach you how to play the game, but they will often teach your character valuable things about the Force, combat, and various other skills you may find useful. Joining a group is significant in helping your character development.

Some groups may have special requirements to join, so it pays to investigate a group before signing up.

Be aware that you do not have to join a group in order to roleplay - independent characters are more than welcome.

Some of the available groups can be found in the Roleplaying Groups category of these forums. Please inquire within their respective forums for guidelines and rules in regards to membership and conduct. A more complete list of groups can be found at the RPG Network Database.

What is the difference between the General Roleplaying forums and the individual group forums?

Answer: Generally, we're all one big happy family. Most groups will roleplay within the confines of their forums, in other group forums, and in the general roleplaying forums. Each group has different forums to represent different locations. Sometimes, your roleplay may be best suited for a bar-type atmosphere. If you're a Jedi, you may find Yoghurt's Bar and Grill (at the Greater Jedi Order) suitable. If you're a sith, the same location would not be suitable. If a forum is open, you may post in it. However, depending on your character's disposition, you may want to only post in certain places (for otherwise your character's presence in a certain place would just not be acceptable).

• General Roleplaying Forums and Rules always supersede the individual rules, where the general forums are concerned. Sometimes, general policy supersedes group policy as well. We all roleplay in the same universe, and therefore the same roleplaying rules usually apply. Consequently, if you are banned from the general board, you will also be banned from all group forums.

• Individual Groups all have their own FAQ, policies, and staff. Individual groups usually have a presence at SW-Fans due having a significant influence in the roleplaying community and to submitting a financial contribution to the SW-Fans webmaster. While you're in any group's forums, you must respect their rules, policies, and staff. If you're a group owner, you must maintain a respectable community that is fairly consistent with the general ideals of SW-Fans Roleplaying, else your board would not have a place here. You may be banned from a group board, and still be a member within the general Roleplaying forums. However, if you are banned for something that is generally not permitted, your actions within the group boards may result in your banning from the entire SW-Fans community.

If you have questions for any particular group, it is recommended that you read their FAQ and then address inquiries to their staff, in their designated communications forums.

Roleplayer Conduct

What guidelines are there on how to roleplay? What is allowed? What isn't allowed? What is the best way to learn how to roleplay?

Answer: One of the best ways to learn what is acceptable playing behavior is by watching others. Please read some of the roleplaying topics and study how others behave. This will give you a good general idea of how to act. Other roleplaying guidelines are as follows:

Developing Your Character:

Think about who or what you want your character to be. The best characters are the ones which the roleplayer has made the most realistic. Realism is a plus in a roleplaying thread; it marks you as a better roleplayer. How would your character act? What are his/her weaknesses? His/Her strengths? Define your character as best you can. This may take time to do this, but once your character is established, it makes roleplaying more interesting for everyone.

Learn about your powers. Are you a Sith? Think about what powers you have. Are you a Jedi? Think about calm and peace. Learn about the lightsaber. Bounty Hunter? Be greedy. Imperial? Learn about the ships and weapons you have.

Character names must be original. For instance, if your register as “Princess Leia” you would be not be original. Roleplayers who register copyrighted names, or anything which is unoriginal will be warned and assisted in changing their account name.

Rank and/or Status:

New members who presume their prowess over other roleplayers without yet establishing themselves here are not very popular and may often times be ignored. Please remember, there are many people who have been here for a very long time, and they have worked hard to establish good story lines and high ranks. Newcomers will always have to establish themselves and earn credibility in due time. Apprentices will not have the abilities equivalent to a Master. Everyone must work their way up, here.

The best roleplayers learn as they play. They slowly develop their characters, allowing them to grow over time. This adds fun and realism to the whole experience.

Playing Multiple Characters:

See the 'Can I play multiple characters?' section below for more information.

Weapons:

Any weapons seen in the Star Wars movies (lightsabers, blasters etc.) are welcome. Nuclear and biological attacks, as they pertain to the REAL human world are not welcome. Chemical attacks do not work on Sith or Jedi of a certain level or rank. Lightsabers may only be stopped by Cortoris material, and even then just shut down.

The Force:

Just as in Star Wars, Force powers rule here. Other powers may be used as well, but Force powers override all. Do not forget, this is Star Wars roleplaying. Again, if you are an apprentice, you will not be more Force powerful than a Master. Build up your force powers; train yourself and learn.

Races:

Any race is welcome (though races from the Star Wars Universe are preferred).

Participation:

Anyone may participate in a roleplay, provided that he/she adheres to any specific rules determined beforehand by the roleplay’s author. Specific rules are usually made clear at the beginning of the first post in a roleplay. However, unless otherwise stated, the current guidelines listed here always are in effect.

Some threads may ask for participation only from a specific member. This is usually denoted in the thread title where the person chosen to play will be listed in parentheses. Also, please read the first post to any roleplay before entering it. Sometimes the author denotes in the first post whether open participation is allowed.

Participating in closed threads without the permission of the author will not be tolerated. All members have the right to submit a complaint with the SW-Fans.Net Staff about and ignore any player who does not respect the author’s participation wishes.

Roleplaying Time:

Not everyone is online all of the time. Members to this community range in location and lifestyle. Basically, people are online at different times. Because of this, a roleplay will move at the pace in which posters involved in said roleplay can respond. So, give roleplayers a chance to respond to your thread. Also be aware that due to amount of topics posted in these forums, some roleplayers may completely miss your topic. If after a while the roleplayers involved have still failed to respond, it would be best if you contacted them and discussed the thread.

Prohibited Roleplaying Qualities:

Plagiarism:

Plagiarism is not only illegal, but forbidden in these forums. Plagiarism is the stealing of intellectual or copyrighted property and passing it off as one's own. Members may not use copyrighted characters, names, scenarios, or stories at any time. Those who register copyrighted characters or character names, will be warned and assisted in changing their name, by a staff member. Those who have undergone this process once, and register a copyrighted name again, will be banned. Those who roleplay or post a work of fan fiction that is similar or even an exact copy of a copyrighted storyline, will be warned, and said post will be deleted immediately. If said/warned poster again posts copyrighted material, he/she will be banned immediately.

For example: You may not register the name Han Solo. You may not roleplay a scene where your smuggler character is shot at by Greedo, only for your character to return fire and kill Greedo, in a bar, on Tatooine. This is too similar to copyrighted and existing storylines. All names and scenarios must be original.

God Moding:

This involves actions in-character (IC) which are impossible or that give you an unfair advantage. For instance, throwing a mountain at someone, destroying an Imperial Star Destroyer in one post, or wiping out a planet by clicking some fingers are all examples of God Moding. God Moding is not tolerated and generally ignored; it just isn’t smart or entertaining storytelling.

Maiming and Killing:

This is related to God Moding. You are never allowed to kill or permanently maim (cut off body parts) another character without his/her permission. Many roleplayers have spent a lot of time developing their characters and do not appreciate their characters being killed or losing an arm by another roleplayer. This type is behavior is not tolerated, and will generally be ignored.

Infiltration:

This involves spying on another group. Many times, members will play multiple characters, and thus, have access to different groups’ playing information. You are expected to keep your characters separate as if they were not played by the same person, and respect the privacy of all group’s ideas, private forums, etc. Also, if you gain private information (by any means) that you are not supposed to have, and use it, you are guilty of infiltration. Members who hack private forums, who obtain private information, who pass along private information, and who use private information will be banned.

See the 'Can I play multiple characters?' section below for more information.

Can I play multiple characters?

Answer: You may play multiple characters if your intentions for playing multiple characters is benign and purely for positive entertainment purposes only.

You may not play any character purely to infiltrate or spy on another group, for any reason. Infiltration and spying are prohibited, and will get you banned if you have done so. The reason infiltration and spying are so seriously looked down upon is because the roleplaying community is built on trust and respect, and infiltrating can destroy the trust between roleplayers and compromise other roleplayer’s original storylines. Any roleplayer caught infiltrating will be banned from the SW-Fans.Net Roleplaying forums as a whole, regardless of location of offense.

You may play multiple characters for purposes other than listed in the preceding paragraph (re: infiltration), but there are still certain conditions that apply:

• If you wish to join an individual roleplaying group with a secondary or alternate character you must inform said group beforehand that you are playing a secondary or alternate character, and then request permission to be allowed to join said group with the secondary or alternate character. It is left up-to said group to decide if the you are permitted to join or not.

Also, you must inform any groups that you are already a member to that you are roleplaying another character in another group.

• If you wish to keep a character independent, there is no need to inform anyone of the alternate character, but if you decide to join a group, you must follow the preceding steps.

Note: If anyone creates another character purely for roleplaying purposes and joins another group, but fails to inform that group as well as any other groups they are a member of that they are roleplaying an alternate character, they are then liable for punishment under the Infiltration penalties mentioned above should they be discovered. If you want to roleplay another character in another group, tell the groups involved beforehand.

Can I join multiple groups with only one character?

Answer: This depends on which group you are already a member of, and which group you intend to join. Some groups allow their members to join other groups provided they are of the same allegiance (or side). Others, however, do not. To know which groups do and do not allow this, just ask the appropriate group.

What exactly is Infiltration?

Answer: In February 2000, the leaders of the roleplaying groups decided that infiltration should no longer be permitted due to frequent OOC conflicts resulting from many discoveries of infiltration, spying, and the leaking of private information. You are infiltrating when you create an account for the purpose of spying on another group of roleplayers.

• Infiltration is also known as spying, and is the creating of a character with the purpose of retrieving restricted information from another group of roleplayers. Among such restricted information is any conversation (typed, written, verbal (if applicable)) that takes place in private forums, private messages (PMs), e-mail, or any private instant/chatting messaging programs like AIM, ICQ, IRC, MSIM (MSN), Trillian, Yahoo, etc.

• Leaking information is revealing any private information to any individual who would otherwise not have access to such information. Sometimes, such information may be given to you, in trust of your loyalty, from the group to which you are member of.

• Hacking passwords is obtaining any username passwords or forum passwords in order to get access to restricted areas and information.

If you are found guilty of infiltration you will be banned from all Roleplaying forums, without warning.

What is the full definition of 'In Character' (IC) and 'Out Of Character' (OOC)?

Answer: The definition of IC and OOC is as follows:

• In Character is the pretend, make-believe, fantasy, or roleplaying interaction between characters in the Star Wars universe. This would include RPG type topics like challenges, stories, fleet battles etc.

• Out Of Character is the actual interaction of roleplayers (or the person behind the character), in real life. OOC interaction may include, but is not limited to, rule discussion, group advertisements, discussion of roleplaying issues, or discussion completely unrelated to the game.

For example: John Doe plays Luke Skywalker, and Jane Doe plays Princess Leia. The IC interaction is only between Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. The OOC interaction is between John Doe and Jane Doe.

OOC topics may only be posted in the Out Of Character forum. However, it is customary that roleplayers will have some OOC conversation within the confines of a roleplay, which is usually denoted in parentheses. Topics that are, for the most part, OOC in nature must be posted in the OOC forum. Leave the Roleplaying forums for IC topics only. Roleplayers who do not respect this general distinction in discussion will get their topic(s) moved to the appropriate forum without notice.

Anything else?

Answer: Remember to play fair. “Do unto others, as you would have them do to you.” Respect your fellow roleplayers and they will respect you in return. We’re here to have fun! Thank you for your time and we hope you enjoy yourself here.

Forum Subject Matter and Topics

Post Icons Required in Some Forums

Post Icons are a feature that must be used when creating a new thread in many forums, while optional in others. These icons denote a thread’s content and subject matter, and are to assist readers in finding topics of interest to them. Post Icons which are not appropriate for thread content are subject to modification by a staff member.

Some Post Icons and Their Definitions:

General Icons For use by all Members

• - No Spam Please
• - General Topic
• - Moderator Attention Please
• - SPAM POST
• - Hijacking/Thread Hilarity Encouraged
• - Large Images in Thread
• - Informational Thread
• - Quiz Inside/Questions
• File:STAR.gif - Star Wars Thread

Mixed Topic Tags For use by all Members

• - Art Within
• - Book Discussion
• - Cartoon/Anime
• - Computer Stuff
• - Special Event
• - Food Talk
• - All Types of Games
• - Help Please!
• - Nonsense/Cat Related
• - External Link
• - Movie/Movie Related
• - Music Related
• - Newsworthy
• 
• - Photographs
• - Photography Work/Question/Tutorial
• - Photoshop Work/Question/Tutorial
• - Poetry Writing/Reading Topic
• - Political/Patriotic
• - Poll Questions
• 
• - Going Off!
• - Duplicate Thread?
• 
• - Product Review
• 
• - General Science Fiction Topic
• - Serious, Not.
• - Drawing
• - Sports Topics
• 
• - Tech Question/Answers/Topic
• - Television Show
• - YouTube Video
• 
• - Bizarre Thread
• 
• - Wii Related Topic
• - PlayStation Related Topic
• - Non-Rping Writing
• - XBox Related Topic

Roleplaying Icons For use in the Roleplaying Forums as well as Group boards.

• - Open Roleplay
• - Closed Roleplay/Invite Only
• - Complete Roleplay

Staff Icons These icons are used only by Sw-Fans.Net Staff Members.

• - Thread is Warned, action must be taken to lift warning or thread will be closed by a Staff Member.
• - General Staff Topic/Ogre's Icon

Using Post Icons

You can select a Post Icon when starting a new thread, or when editing the first post in a thread. The Post Icon Category list is located just below the message input section. Note: Some Categories of Post Icons may be ‘collapsed’, requiring that you expand the Post Icon Category to see all of the icons available for use.

Hijacking and Flooding Threads

Posters who hijack or flood threads tagged with 'No Spam' or 'Role Playing' icons will be warned once, and then banned from the individual forum if the warning is not heeded. Posters who post with no relevance to the post icon (and topic subject), in any way, are considered “hijackers”. Hijackers will also be warned and then banned in the same way, if a topic subject matter is not respected.

Use of Post Icons is required for ease of navigation through several forums. Post Icons are highly recommended for topics of the 'No Spam' or 'Role Playing' type in any forum.

Sw-Fans.Net staff members may assign your topic a more appropriate post icon if one applies.

Spamming and Advertising

Spamming and outside advertising are not permitted in these forums. Above, you will note that there is a 'SPAM' post icon to designate threads which contain spam. This does not mean you are free to do the types of spamming discussed proceeding this paragraph.

• Spamming in regards to advertising is the act of posting links, images, or advertisements to sites that are not owned or hosted by SW-Fans.Net or a SW-Fans.Net member. This is not permitted and any site that you post such material from will likely be upset that you're stealing bandwidth from them. If you post an image from an outside source, and 50 of our members click on it, you have just increased said outside site's bandwidth by 50 times. This is not polite and is considered a form of stealing, as bandwidth is costly.

You are also not permitted to post links to sites or images that are the property of another member, without his/her permission. A member of this community may show you a photo of him/herself in private. You may not post said photo at SW-Fans.Net without said person's permission. Accordingly, any photo, or personal information disclosed at these forums may not be relayed elsewhere without an originator's permission.

Sharing private material without an owner or originator's permission will get you banned immediately.

You may also not post links to other roleplaying forums. SW-Fans does not pay for bandwidth so people can register and advertise sites elsewhere. Members who post threads to outside roleplaying communities will be banned immediately, and any thread with a link to an outside roleplaying community will be closed or deleted immediately.

• Spamming in regards to attention gaining is not permitted. Threads that have the sole purpose of gaining attention for yourself, and have no real content or subject matter will be closed or deleted immediately. You may post a link to your original artwork, website, or roleplay for the purpose of having your fellow SW-Fans.Net members view it or even give you input (and this would be occasion to use the 'SPAM' post icon), but you may not post a thread for the sole purpose of attempting to get members to notice that you are there.

If it is found that any thread has no real subject matter or content, regardless of purpose, said thread will be closed or deleted. If you start a thread, make sure you have something to say, and what you say warrants discussion. Otherwise, do not start a thread.

If you have been found to spam or illegally advertise in these forums, you will be warned by a Staff member. If the warning is not heeded, you will be banned.

Forum Specific Rules

• Keep posts on topic to the thread they are posted in.
• Post Icons are helpful for ease of navigation.
• All SW-Fans.Net Forums Rules not pertaining to Post Icons also apply.

General Posting How-To and Rules

How do I post?

Answer: To post, you must first be registered. You can do so by clicking the register button at the top of the forum or this link, SWFans.Net Forums registration screen. Registering is 100% free. You'll need to come up with an original user name, and supply this name with a an e-mail address so your account can be verified. You will be sent a validation e-mail shortly after registering, so you will need to provide a valid e-mail address. Click the account validation link sent to you in the e-mail and you should be ready to start posting. If you experience any difficulties, please contact the administrator, SWFans.Net.

How do I log into (and out of) my account?

Answer: You may log into your account, either by using the form at the very bottom right of the forum, or by attempting to access your Control Panel. If no one else uses your computer, you may wish to set your preferences to use cookies so you do not have to log in every time you visit these forums.

To Log Out of your account, you may use the "Log Out" button along the top of the forum. (Or, you may click here to do so).

What are some of the commonly used acronyms?

Answer: There are many acronyms used on the SW-Fans.Net Forums (to shorten a commonly used phrase). Some of the more common Star Wars acronyms include:

• SW - Star Wars
• GL - George Lucas
• TPM - The Phantom Menace
• ANH - A New Hope
• ESB - The Empire Strikes Back
• ROTJ - Return of the Jedi
• EU - The Expanded Universe (reference to Star Wars material taking place outside of the films).
• OT - The Original Star Wars Trilogy, or episodes 4 through 6.
• NJO - New Jedi Order (the book series)

What is a 'locked/closed' topic?

Answer: A thread can be 'locked' (or 'closed') by a moderator or administrator, at any time. Locking or closing a thread prevents said thread from being replied to. Moderators and administrators are able to 'unlock' topics (depending upon forum and moderator). Topics may be locked or closed if the content or subject matter is not consistent with the posting guidelines discussed in these policies.

Thread warnings

What does it mean when a thread has this icon in the thread listing ?

Answer: This is for the benefit of both the members and the staff, so that they can all easily identify and try to avoid having a thread closed. That’s right, the icon is an indicator that a particular thread may be heading in an unfavorable or undesired direction, and is approaching being closed due to its content. This "warning" is meant to serve as a “lighten up so this topic can remain open” indication, and will also make it easier for staff members who may not have noticed the thread earlier to quickly know that it’s a touchy subject that bears a close eye being kept on it.

Can I change my username?

Answer: Only administrators and moderators have the power to change usernames. Should you wish to have your username changed, contact an administrator or moderator and they may change it for you. Be aware however that the name can only be changed to another name that hasn't already been registered.

What is a 'sock puppet' and why are they not permitted?

Answer: A 'sock puppet' is a term used to describe an alias (or alternate/secondary) user name, which is used by a member in order to hide his/her identity. Sometimes posters do this to make anonymous complaints. Other times, sock puppets are registered for the purpose of creating a mystery for others (in regards to finding out who the sock puppet is). The staff does not permit use of sock puppets because they have no purpose other than to distract posters, for no valid reason. Sock puppets do not add anything to the forum environment, have nothing to do with any roleplaying or general subject matter, and in fact, usually are just an annoyance. The Staff can trace sock puppets with e-mail and IP address, as well as by said sock puppets behavior. Finding out who the sock puppet is, is inevitable, and therefore a waste of time.

Creating a sock puppet is considered a form of spamming (in regards to drawing attention to yourself), and is therefore not permitted. See the section above on Spamming.

Note: If a sock puppet is used to make a complaint, the staff will not entertain such a complaint. You may contact the staff, with your recognized user name, through the PM system, by e-mail, or IM, if you wish to submit a valid, private complaint.

Previewing Posts vs. Testing Posts

Before posting a new thread or reply, it is recommended that your first preview your post entry. By doing this, you check spelling and grammatical errors, fix mistakes, and make sure your post is within the confines of SW-Fans policies.

You may use the Preview Feature to test an avatar and/or signature (to see if it works), or any image or link etc. you're posting. Please do not make test posts (or actually posted threads) for the purpose of testing signatures or avatars. You may also view your profile to make sure a signature or avatar is working.

Post Counts

Post Count Manipulation:

You may not post for the purpose of increasing post counts. Posting for no other reason than to increase your post count will result in a loss of your post count by having it set to zero.

Post Count Status

In member profiles, and sometimes underneath a member's avatar (in a post, and depending on the style set you're using) there is a notation regarding that member's post count. Depending on post count, members will have a certain number of stars beneath their user name, which signify post count and participation at SW-Fans. The schedule for post stars is as follows:

• 0-49 posts - No stars
• 50-499 posts - 1 star
• 500-4999 posts - 2 stars
• 5000+ - 3 stars
• Moderator - 4 stars
• Administrator - 5 stars

Spoilers

A spoiler is a piece of information from a new film, book, or television show, etc. that may or may not be available to the general public yet.

For example: Rocky 500 is coming to theaters next month. You have checked out the website for the movie and found out that Rocky will die at the conclusion of the movie. You may choose to post such an item in the BO forum. By posting this information, you may have ruined a vital part of the movie for several people. For other members, you may have given them that juicy bit-of-gossip they were dying to know.

Some members do not wish to know ANY information beforehand about such topics. Other members relish knowing all of the little secrets in advance. To accommodate both sides we ask that you warn people in your subject line with the word 'SPOILER' if you plan on posting a spoiler (or spoil it for everyone).

For example: If you wanted to post a topic revealing that you have discovered what the plot of Star Wars: Episode II is, the topic title should read something like 'Spoiler - Episode II plot revealed' which warns other posters that your thread contains spoilers. Based on this information, some members will flock to your thread, and others will steer clear, and YOU have given them the courtesy to chose.

Note: A Spoiler vBCode has been provided to help avoid issues with making such information easy for those who don't wish to see it. The code is {spoiler}Text goes here{/spoiler} (replacing {} with []). The resulting effect looks like this. Be aware that this code can only be used in posts - not topic titles.

Swearing and The Swear Filter

SW-Fans.Net is a diverse community. To make the most number of members comfortable and able to participate with us, swearing and/or the posting of obscene material is not permitted.

There is no swearing permitted in the SW-Fans.Net general and roleplaying forums. This rule is evident in the SW-Fans.Net Swear Filter. Should you post a swear word, the swear filter will automatically replace said swear word with another appropriate word, and the entire thread will be warned. If you continue to swear, your thread will be closed, and you may be banned.

Posters will rearrange swear words so they can circumvent the swear filter. An example of this is changing the word “porn” into “pron”. This is not permitted and will get you banned. If the swear filter replaces a word you have posted, the word is banned. Use the preview feature before posting to make sure a word is allowed. If you forget to use the preview feature and notice that a part of your post is replaced by the swear filter, edit your post immediately to fit within appropriate posting standards.

Here at SW-Fans.Net, we feel that the English language is full of many descriptive words, and there is no occasion where using inappropriate language is necessary.

One-to-One Conversations

Threads which are addressed to one individual and are for the purpose of having a one-to-one conversation with another member, are not permitted. There is a Private Message (PM) system at SW-Fans.Net that may be utilized for this purpose. Else, you may e-mail said person by using the e-mail link in his/her SW-Fans Profile, or send him/her an instant message (where usually an IM handle is represented in the SW-Fans Profile).

One-to-one threads posted in the OOC forum will be closed.

Thread Content / Posting in the Appropriate Forum

All SW-Fans forums have titles and forum descriptions. Please make sure you post in the appropriate forum, or you thread will be moved by a staff member to the place where it most appropriately belongs.

The OOC forum is related to, and under the heading of Roleplaying. Hence the OOC forum’s purpose is generally related to the roleplaying that occurs the in roleplaying forums. However, generally, all types of discussions have occurred and are permitted in the OOC forum, as long as the content is appropriate for a family environment, and is consistent with these policies.

There are occasions where the subject matter of a thread will negate the positive and entertaining environment of the SW-Fans.Net forums, and these threads may be closed without warning.

Political and Theological Discussions:

As a rule, heated political and/or theological discussions are not allowed in the OOC forum and will be closed at the discretion of the staff. History of these forums show that discussions such as these usually only promote OOC conflict with posters and a general negative atmosphere within the forums.

Departure / Goodbye Threads:

There are times when a roleplayer decides to leave this community, whether it be temporarily or permanently. Usually, posters announce their departure in the public forums. Notification of departure in public forums is acceptable under the following conditions:

• Posting a thread which explains your absence, and that is meant for a wide range of members, is permitted as long as the thread is meant for a series of posters (as opposed to one), and not charged with negativity. There may be times when you need to let a lot of people know you're leaving on vacation, so they don't expect a post from you in any roleplay thread you are involved in. This is acceptable, and appreciated from members counting on you to roleplay.

• Posting a thread which announces your departure and states reasons which include attacks or flames towards other members or member groups are not permitted. The Staff here asks you to take up personal conflicts with whomever you have that conflict with, and not "air-it-out" in the public forums. Threads such as these incite arguments and generally cause the atmosphere to become negative. The PM system may be used to alert those you want to know of your departure.

Flaming, Insulting, or Harassing

SW-Fans.Net's main purpose is for entertainment and fun. Therefore, all members should make sure these ideals are upheld. Flaming, insulting, and harassing other members will make you very unpopular, and may get you banned.

Note: While flaming, insulting, and harassing someone OOC is not permitted, doing so IC is permitted as long as all roleplayers agree to it. This type of behavior is very common in storylines, being that Star Wars © is based on the conflict between good and evil.

• Flaming and Insulting is the act of calling or deeming another individual or member something derogatory and confrontational. This is not permitted. Members who cannot constructively contribute to thread discussions and insist on insulting other members will be warned, and then banned if the warning is not heeded.

• Harassing is the act of bothering, irritating, or even hurting someone with unwanted behavior. If someone is bothering you in any way, we suggest you use the "Ignore" feature. If the unwanted behavior is excessive and not remedied by the Ignore feature, please contact a Staff member and report the problem.

The SW-Fans.Net staff can only deal with harassment issues as they pertain to these forums. Issues which occur over AIM, ICQ, MSIM (MSN), IRC, Yahoo, etc., by e-mail, by phone, or in real life, are not under jurisdiction of this staff and will not be used to take action against someone.

• Private Messaging is a way for people to have one-to-one conversations with you. If you PM someone and he/she asks you to cease contacting them by means of the PM system, you must adhere to his/her request. Also, if you have been asked to cease PMing someone, and you carry on in public forums, you are guilty of harassment. You must end contact immediately and permanently (in these forums) if asked to do so by someone. What you do away from these forums, is not in this Staff's jurisdiction.

PM and/or thread spamming (or sending ads or links to outside sites or services) is never permitted and will result in an immediate banning.

• Thread Harassment is not permitted. Should you continually insult or make comments to someone after being asked to cease, you are harassing that person. Making comments about other member's religion, sexual preference, color, political affiliation, age, etc., is not permitted, and may get you banned.

The preceding statement is qualified in the following manner: a difference in opinion is not considered harassment.

Disclaimer: SW-Fans.Net is not responsible for any damage that any member of this community commits against anyone. While we will do our best to respond to valid complaints, we are not a law enforcement society. If you feel that your well being is being compromised by another member of this board, you need to alert the proper authorities. Also, please remember, this is an online, and somewhat "faceless" community. If you share items of a personal nature in public, or to any member of these forums that you do not personally know, you make yourself vulnerable. This staff is not responsible for what you disclose to others.

Dealing with Issues / The SW-Fans.Net Staff

SW-Fans.Net is a privately owned community / board. The goals and ideals of these forums have been set forth in the preceding and proceeding literature, and are to be upheld by all members at all times. Those who do so, will exist here happily with all members of this community for as long as they want. Those who can not comply with SW-Fans policy will be dealt with swiftly and professionally.

What happens if someone violates SW-Fans policy?

Answer: All members are responsible for reading the FAQ, terms, and policies upon registering to this community. During the registration process, you were instructed to read and know the terms to posting here (which include these policies). You submitted a virtual signature of understanding our terms for membership by submitting a registration request when you became a member. Therefore, breaking policy is inexcusable.

However, depending upon the situation, members will usually be warned once that they have violated the FAQ and policies. This is a member's chance to right his/her wrong, re-read the policies, and discontinue his/her misconduct.

If warnings are not heeded or respected, formal punishment will ensue. Usually, the ultimate punishment is banning. However, some actions of misconduct will result in certain privileges being taken away. These privileges include, disabling of PM use, disabling of signature display, forum access being revoked, etc. If this happens, some privileges may be returned to you in time, but this depends on your actions.

Banning is also a method of formal reprimand. Sometimes, posters may be banned temporarily, and other unfortunate times they are banned permanently. If you are banned, all of your accounts will be banned. In other words, if you play two or more characters (or even post with two or more accounts OOC), and you become banned while posting from one account, the other accounts you have will also be banned. This is done because a member will be banned by user name(s), e-mail address, and IP address. It is not likely, that someone would be able to return to these forums, after being banned. A poster would have to post from a brand new computer and register a new e-mail address. This is possible, and somewhat easy for some people to do, but in time, the actions and remarks of said person will tip off the staff as to who they are.

All in all, if you're banned, you will not be able to return to these forums, for as long as your banning lasts.

How will the Staff contact me, if I have done something wrong?

Answer: If you have broken SW-Fans policy, a staff member will warn you. The warning may take place in the thread where the violation occurs, or may be PMed or e-mailed by a Staff Member, to you.

If you are warned you should take any warning very seriously, and cease all actions which violate our policies. While you may feel angry, or even disagree with the staff's decision to warn you, arguing, flaming, and insulting the staff is not permitted. This community is not a democracy; it is a privately owned board, and decisions from the staff are not debatable. Threads or posts that make an attempt to incite debate over action against anyone by the staff will be closed without warning.

Please remember the staff is numerous, usually consults with one another about decisions, and always tries to be fair. If you stick to these policies, you can't go wrong.

How do I complain about the actions of another? How do I contact the Staff about any issue?

Answer: If you observe someone violating SW-Fans Policy in any way, or you have any kind of comment or question for us, you may PM a Staff member, or post in the Communications forum. You may also contact a staff member through any IM method (and handles are usually in our profile).

Member Groups and Financial Contribution

Contributing to SW-Fans

SW-Fans.Net gets a substantial amount of traffic, and thus is a costly enterprise to maintain. Therefore, financial contributions are very much welcomed, and required for member groups. The main forums (usually the General Discussion forum and Box Office forum) will have a thread notifying the general membership that financial contributions are due and welcome. While you are not required to pay any fee for using these forums, it is very much appreciated if you contribute to keeping these forums free for the general membership. The following items describe how you can contribute:

Member Group Hosting

For any Role-Playing member group to be hosted at Sw-Fans.Net and appear as a main forum link on the main forum index at http://sw-fans.net/forum/, a group will have to meet the set minimum annual fee of $50.

Any groups that are sub-forums of a group on the main forum index are not required to pay fees directly to the Sw-Fans.Net hosting funds, but instead are at the discretion of the forum they are hosted within. A limit of 4 (light traffic) sub-forum groups per main index forum link will be strictly enforced. Light traffic equating to less that 20 posts a day. Any sub-forums that exceed that limit would then be required to pay towards the Sw-Fans.Net hosting funds on a scale defined as follows:

• 20-50 posts a day - 25$ annually
• 51-100 posts a day - $30 annually
• 101-200 posts a day - $40 annually
• 201 posts a day or more - $50 annually

With the reliability, daily backups, room for growth, and greater speed provided by our host, our annual hosting fees have increased dramatically from what they were previously, thus making the enactment of this strict set of new policies unavoidable.

Annual fees do not have to be paid in a lump sum payment, but will need to be met within each calendar year a Role-Playing group is hosted here. The full payment due date is before June 1 of a calendar year, but the preferred date is before Jan 1st. The PayPal account for payments is c_schertz@msn.com

Member groups have the responsibility of asking their membership for contributions to make the full payment. The Webmaster will notify all groups when payment is due, but will not rally collections for the individual groups.

How can I send money?

Answer: You may send money through PayPal to c_schertz@msn.com If you do not have an account with PayPal, it is very easy to set up one. Please also read the appropriate threads requesting financial contributions, when they are posted, for more information.

While the fee for SW-Fans.Net is due annually, you may contribute to this link at any time.

How much can I send Sw-Fans.Net?

Answer: You may send as much as you like. If you are a member group, please ask the Webmaster how much is due for your forum. Then you may pay equal or more than this amount, on or before the designated due date.

Please be aware that there are no refunds, unless approved by the Webmaster. Also, the Webmaster will charge no administration fee, nor anything beyond what Sw-Fans.Net is charged. There will be no profiteering on the contribution process. If in the event that contributions total more than the sum amount which is due for Sw-Fans.Net, that money will be saved for the next Sw-Fans.Net fee due date.

When are contributions due?

Answer: Sw-Fans.Net pays for its usage monthly, while member groups are charged annually. The Webmaster will start asking for contributions sometimes months ahead of time. The Webmaster will post a thread, and specify when contributions are due.

For member boards:

• If you make your full payment on time (or before the due date), your forums are taken care of for one year.

• If you DO NOT make your full payment on time your entire forums will be frozen. If your forums are frozen, there will be no bandwidth usage for a period of 30-days. During this 30-day period, you must come up with the sum amount due for your forums, or your forums will be deleted at the expiration of that 30-days.

There will no extensions to this 30-day period, unless approved by the Webmaster.

How long does my contribution last?

Answer: Your contribution lasts for a period of one-year. Every year, new contributions are needed.

Financial Contributor Rights

Financial contributing is voluntary, and appreciated, but does not afford any contributor any special rights. All members to these forums are treated equally. Financial contributions do not give you, nor any group, the right to break SW-Fans policy or treat any member unfairly. Contributing financially will not excuse you from any formal punishment resulting from your breaking of SW-Fans policy as well.

Furthermore, should you, or any group, become banned from SW-Fans.Net for breaking policy, no financial contribution will be refunded to you, unless approved by the Webmaster.

What happens if I have given SW-Fans a monetary contribution, and I leave the community?

Answer: There are never any refunds, unless approved by the Webmaster.

If you are paying for a board, and you have left, it may fall to other members to keep up on paying the annual fee. The consequences for payment and non-payment are described above. However, if you are the owner of a group forum, and as the sole financial contributor, you wish to have the forums removed from SW-Fans, we will do so, only after giving all its members a 7-day notice.

There are occasions where members may want to save threads or storylines that they have written, and giving them notice that the forums will be deleted is proper. At the end of this 7-day notice, your forums will be deleted, as you requested. However, this does not mean you are entitled to a refund, unless otherwise approved by the Webmaster.

What is a SW-Fans.Net Forums “Supporter" account?

A Supporter account is a registered user’s account that has been given special access to exclusive features, reserved only for those who have made financial contributions through a specific process. To learn more about becoming a SW-Fans.Net Forums “Supporter” and the features available to them please review the…

Supporter Information

Signatures, Avatars, and Image Use

Avatars

An avatar is a picture with a maximum size of 150x150 (pixels) that, when enabled, is displayed underneath your user name, when you post. An avatar can be added in the Control Panel, which can be found by following the link button near the top of the forum page. Currently, you may only add an avatar if it's file size is equal to or less than 15kb.

Signatures

A personal signature is an option that, if enabled, allows you to have text and/or pictures appear below posts that you make. Note: Your signature will automatically display only once per thread page. Signatures can serve to inform others of who you are, what you do, etc. Currently signatures are limited in size to 30kb, or less. Members who signature is larger than 30kb will be warned and have their signature removed by a staff member until such time that the 30kb standard can be met. If a member has been warned before about his/her signature size, and he/she continues to post signatures over the 30kb limit, said member may be put on signature probation, or even be banned.

Be aware that if your signature is too large in size, it can become distracting for other members. Generally signatures are anywhere from a text line to an image no larger than 550 x 300 (pixels), and even this is getting on the large side. It is also customary for a signature to be posted only once per thread for each participant. When replying remember not to post a signature multiple times in the same thread. When you're writing a post, you can check or un-check the option to show your signature.

Image Use

To post an image or link, you may use either HTML, vBcode, or [IMG] code. Please observe the above rules for spamming and advertising when posting images or links. Offensive images, pornographic images, or images containing profanity are not allowed to be used as avatars, signatures, included as attachments, inline images, or to even be linked to from these forums.

Using Smilies

There is a feature at SW-Fans, called "smilies." Smilies are used to convey a poster's emotion or mood. To use the smileys, click on one of the smilies available on your reply screen and the selected smiley or smilies will be inserted into your post. You may also use the vCode provided for each smiley if you find that faster or easier.

For a full list of smilies available, click here.

The Final Word

The policies and FAQ herein are here for the purpose of providing a friendly and entertaining fan-based community. These policies are based on several years of existence as a fan and roleplaying community, and are amended as occasion calls for. Please note that these policies and the FAQ are subject to change at any time.

If you have any questions regarding these policies and the FAQ contained herein, please post in the Communications forum, and we will assist you promptly.

Enjoy your time here, and have fun!