Peers and Staff
Respect
Be respectful to everyone. This the number one rule here. From Wiki: "Respect denotes both a positive feeling of esteem for a person or other entity (such as a nation or a religion), and also specific actions and conduct representative of that esteem. Respect can be a specific feeling of regard for the actual qualities of the one respected (I have great respect for her judgment). It can also be conduct in accord with a specific ethic of respect. Rude conduct is usually considered to indicate a lack of respect, disrespect, where as actions that honor somebody or something indicate respect."
No Bashing
Bashing is a harsh, gratuitous, prejudicial attack on a person, group or subject. Literally, bashing is a term meaning to hit or assault. This label is applied to criticisms that are not inappropriate. No bashing people of any race, sex, religion or even orientation. No bashing other sites, if you don't like it don't mention it in a insulting manner. No bashing manga or characters. If you think Sasgay is an emo-fag then keep it to yourself. Constructive discussion on a character is allowed though. No harassing people through PM's or any sort of site-based communication. Remember, the Staff has the decision to determine what is and isn't bashing and will act accordingly.
No Chat Speak
This is a role-play site, we pride ourselves on being the best writers in our homes, local areas, schools and maybe even our entire state. If you're caught using chat-speak in role-play expect to have The Staff tell you about it.
No Spamming/Picture Spamming
This is not 4chan or FunnyJunk. There's a difference between posting pictures in a comedic way in discussion topic made for laughs only (ex. Post your funny pictures here) and flat out trying to troll someone. Excessive spamming will not be tolerated and any posts will be deleted. Anyone who makes a habit of posting short, spam-like posts will be warned. Keep doing it and you eventually will cruise your way to a perma-ban. Remember, the Staff has the right to determine what is and isn't spamming.
No Fighting
Do not fight with other members. If you do so you're going to skip from warning and go straight to infraction or ban. If you have a problem, you can solve it in a simple, calm and private message to a member of the Staff. They will help you resolve the situation.
No Flame/Flamebaiting
You are not to 'flame' others. (Flaming refers to pointless points saying things along the lines of 'that's stupid, you're an idiot, that doesn't make sense, etc. or constantly telling someone that what they're doing is wrong or giving negative comments excessively.) In all negative comments you must be able to explain why you think said thought or idea is wrong or 'pointless' in a way that does not provoke others into arguing with you/causing unnecessary problems.
No Mini-Modding
Unless you are apart of the Staff team you have no business trying to act like or impersonate a mod. There is a difference between a gentle nudge in the right direction, but posting up rules and shoving them in someones face is not the right way to go.
Report, Don't Respond
Report the posts that are causing issues. Do not respond to them. Responding to a problematic post is just as bad as contributing to the problem itself. Let the Staff handle it.
Forum Decorum
Be Kind
We want this nice community here to grow and prosper. If you make a lot of offensive posts, you'll only end up getting banned in the future. Don't be immature and silly.
Post Smart
Remember to make your posts thoughtful and always try showcase your skill as an author. If we think that you are intentionally looking to start trouble or to annoy people, don't expect either your thread or posts to last very long.
Infraction System
Here's How it works
Breaking the rules obviously carries penalties. Depending on your track record, (good or bad) you may receive an infraction points or just a warning. Remember that a warning is being nice... Most of the time you will receive an infraction. You will get a PM listing what rule was broken and if you are being given a warning or points; this comes from the moderator giving the infraction. The majority of the time for newcomers a warning is usually given. Warnings don't affect you in any way. When you receive an infraction you will be given points with that infraction. The mod giving the infraction will send you a message of how many points you have. They also come with an expiration date on them. Most will expire in one to two weeks and points vary depending on what happened. The lowest given is 3. If you accumulate 10 active points against your account (that have not expired) then you will automatically receive a one week ban. The more points you receive, the longer the ban, the longer the expiration date, the more the chance that you have of slipping up. Eventually one week bans lead into two weeks, into months and so on. Ignorance is not an excuse of the rules.
