RestLess-BoTics Posted March 15, 2009 Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 [align=center]This thread is based upon the original set of guidelines, which are located here. Also, a special "thanks" goes to Dj Osiris, Frunk, & Opalmoon for providing me with the necessary foundations in order to complete this thread. Another special "thanks" goes to the rest of the YCM staff, for all their encouragement & support. Yu-gi-oh Card Maker Forum Guidelines [Reformed] [Rule #1] Posting inappropriate material/content is forbidden. A vast majority of the YCM community consists of people under the age of eighteen. Posting links to sites that have content rated more "mature" than PG-13 [some PG-13 content - swearing & partial nudity in particular, is prohibited from the boards.] is never permitted. Any material that is proven to be denigrating; pornography, sexually explicit content, visually offensive content, discriminations on the basis of gender, ethnicity, color, religion, lifestyle, and/or any other material that may be deemed as objectionable in a public community environment, is prohibited - any infractions are considered as a bannable offense. Use of inappropriate language [including swear words, real-world racial slurs, alternate spellings, etc.] will never be allowed - complaints may be ignored, & the poster(s) of the inappropriate language will either receive a warning or a ban, depending upon the infraction of the member(s). Also, accounts with inappropriate names may be deleted/renamed without warning. [Rule #2] Posting illegal content is forbidden. Illegal content includes any links to other websites that may violate the rules. If you have any doubts about whether or not the content you wish to post is appropriate or not, don't post it. This includes, but is not limited to the following: > Adult-oriented content.> Content that breaks any laws.> Copyright infringement.> Gambling & drugs.> Hacking materials & information.> Terrorism [promotion/carrying it through].> Viruses, worms, and other such harmful things. Any infraction of this rule may result in a warning or ban. [Rule #3] Harassing and/or abusing others is forbidden. According to Frunk, harassment is defined as "specifically targeting another member or group of members to harm or inconvenience them." Harassment has the ability to take many forms, & the YCM staff will strive to decide whether or not a "reasonable person" would feel harassed and act accordingly. Actions which would be considered abuse include but are not limited to: >Sexual abuse and/or harassment - Unwelcome advances of a graphic and sexual natures - private messages: If someone wiches you to stop private messaging them and includes a reason, stop. >Attempting to defraud - Creating false information with the intent of harming another and/or receiving benefits as a result. >Impersonating a moderator - Falsely representing yourself as another member or as a staff member is prohibited. This includes using anything restricted to moderators, implying that you can edit someone's posts, ban someone, etc. >Personal abuse - Includes, but is not limited to sending an excessive amount of private messages and/or e-mails to a member or staff member, making any form of threats, or using abusive language against a member and/or staff member. [Rule #4] Flaming [inflammatory Speech] is forbidden. Any speech or inference, direct or indirect, that constitutes a personal attack against another individual or group is prohibited. Insulting other members for their ideas/opinions is never allowed, no matter how ridiculous they may be. Snide remarks will not be tolerated. Flaming, depending specifically on the message(s) posted, may result in either a warning or ban. [Rule #5] Spamming will never be tolerated. What constitutes or defines spam? 1.] Excessively short posts.2.] Pointless [off-topic] posts.3.] Duplicate threads.4.] Multiple posting.5.] Bumping old threads. --- 1.] Excessively short posts. Try and be creative; avoid posting short posts such as "Whoa." or "Ew.". Your goal is to show the YCM community that you put effort into your posts. --- 2.] Pointless posts. Posts that have nothing to do with the topic. If the conversation sways off topic, that's one thing. If it's just starting a whole new topic with no connection to the last one, start a new thread, or keep it to yourself. --- 3.] Duplicate threads. When posting your opinion about something, or when you're about to post a new thread, please double check whether or not your content has already been posted elsewhere. --- 4.] Multiple posting. When you post, please refrain from posting consecutively. Multiple posting only makes a forum look cluttered, messy, and unorganized. --- 5.] Bumping old threads. Threads that have not been posted in for months count as "old" threads.If you think the topic needs to be discussed again, just make a new one. --- As such, the posting of material should remain at all times within a forum that is topically appropriate - if you are unsure, private message a staff member. Also, if you make a mistake, moderators can usually relocate threads for you [private message a staff member requesting a move]. Remember to read the description of each section, the guides, and any pinned [stickied] topics if you are unsure where to post your topic. Conduct a search if you wish to ask a question or start a new thread to make sure that it hasn't been posted before. --- [“Report” posts.] Spam includes posts among the lines of “This is spam. Reported.”. Not only do they fail to contribute to a discussion; they also start annoying other members and grab more attention to the rule-breaking topic. Instead of adding more spam, use the “Report” button and a moderator will come around to handle the issue. [Quoting without adding any other substance.] Posts which only consist of quoting another member or anything in the style of “Member 'X' is right” will not be tolerated. --- Also, keep in mind that the warnings for spamming have been increased. If it gets clear that the utilized penalty has only caused you to keep spamming as lively as ever, pthe YCM staff will not hesitate to distribute permanent warnings. [Rule #6] Whining is forbidden. Whining is defined as "an attack upon an idea, concept or problem, without offering a counter-idea, alternative concept, or a solution" or anything along the lines of "It's not fair". Again, members of the YCM staff will not hesitate to distribute warnings or bans. [Rule #7] Begging is forbidden. Do not ask for someone else's account information. This includes via the forum, PM, and chat. Accounts created for begging will be banned. Do not ask to become a admin, mod, etc. or special treatment. Asking is the best way to not become one. This includes heavily hinting at it and joking about it. No "trades" of any kind are allowed. [Rule #8] Signature Restrictions and Guidelines. Signature Advertising - Do not post telling people to look at anyone's signature. Signatures that are found to be annoying/distracting, containing links to external websites, or are overly long and/or wide may be removed without warning, & continuing to return to the same signature after it has been removed is a bannable offense. Referral/recruitment/trick links are also prohibited. [Rule #9] Account Responsibility. You are fully responsible for your own account and protection of your password. Statements such as "My mother/teacher/brother/dog was using my account", are not acceptable as an explanation for the violation of any rule. If you share your account with someone and they break the rules, it will be treated the same as if you broke the rules yourself. It is also your responsibility to keep the account up to date, particularly the e-mail. If you use an e-mail that you rarely check, it is no one's fault but your own if you miss important notices from the staff. The same applies to using an invalid e-mail. Once again, your account and password are your responsibility and no one else's. Also, please keep in mind that the YCM staff will never ask for your password. Reporting a suspected hacker - private message the details to a staff member. Never post it in the forums. [Rule #10] Duplicate Accounts are forbidden. Duplicate accounts are not allowed on these forums. There is no reason for you to have more than one, and the accounts will be banned. Staff members have access to your IP address and will make sure that your IP address will be blocked so you may no longer access the site. [Rule #11] Plagiarism is forbidden. The definition of plagiarism is "the use or close imitation of the language and ideas of another author and representation of them as one's own original work." Any violation to this rule may result in a warning or ban. [Rule #12] Always read and follow staff messages. 'If moderators post rules specific to a board, they must be obeyed. This does by no means signify that the staff team considers itself as “high and mightly” compared to the rest of the community, but they are still members with additions duties. Please note that they give their own time to keep the boards running smoothly, thus failure to comply with their requests is grounds for deletion. It is the job of the staff to keep the forums clean, so don’t think they’re biased or “out to get you”. Users will find their time on the board much more enjoyable when they follow the rules and address the staff politely (this does NOT include something that seems polite but is meant to provoke. If you are confused with a staff member’s decision, or there appears to be a conflict with another rule, bring up your question in a polite and respectable way.)' Regarding warnings, if a penalty doesn’t seem clear to you, you are free to discuss the issue in a polite and civil way. Any whining, flaming, or complaints among the lines of “It’s not fair!!” without offering any constructive comment or solid point, will simply be ignored. [Rule #13] Backseat/Mini-Moderating is forbidden. This includes demanding that a user delete his/her post and/or getting the thread locked (e.g. "Delete your post!", "This thread should be locked."). Any action where the user attempts to take over for a mod (including any variation of "I'd rate this ___, if I could!") anywhere on a sub-forum without explicit permission may be considered mini-modding. This is especially true when the user only posts to do so. If someone has posted in a forum where it might be hard to determine what topic belongs there, post with advice addressing the question and suggesting (Note: NOT demanding) that the user post in the appropriately named forum. Posting in a particularly troublesome thread will likely get you into as much trouble as other users. The best way to take care of rule violations is to PM a mod. Only PM the mods once per violation. It is the responsibility of the mods and the sub-mod groups to enforce the rules. Please make sure to PM the correct person in the sub-mod groups, as they can only moderate in specific boards and are not global moderators. Please do not hinder them by posting in threads that need moderator action. It only serves to revive the thread and create even more of a hassle. [Rule #14] Release of other user’s information or communications. It is unacceptable to post another user’s private/personal/public information, including email address, location of residency, contact information, or other information without express permission from that user. Private messages from the forum or external chat clients, emails, memos, note scribbled on napkins and all other forms of communication are classified as personal and are not to be publicly posted in any shape or form onto these forums, or PMed to other users of these forums by any member without express permission from all parties involved, or by the mod team when appropriate. [Rule #15] Staff have final say. If a member gets banned from the forum, he/she has transgressed one or more rules, caused his/her warn level to reach 100% or proved in any other way that he/she wants to contribute negatively to the site. Contesting a ban won’t lead you anywhere; if you’re confused about your or someone’s ban, please check the Ban Index thread. Trying to sneak around a ban by using another account is NOT allowed in any form – instead, wait until your time has expired and in the case of a permanent ban, stay away from the site and try to find your entertainment somewhere else. [Rule #16] Advertising. Nothing may be advertised anywhere on this site without prior permission from YCMaker. This inculdes, but is not limited to: >Real-life products or similar, non-internet related goods, services, or information. >Other websites, forums, services, or online-shopping sites. If you are unsure, do not post, or private message YCMaker directly. If you run your own site, put a link in the “Homepage” column in your profile. This rule also includes the advertising of external information or any of the above in new threads, replies to threads, signatures, or elsewhere in your user profile. Advertising material will be removed from wherever you have placed it without warning, and depending on what has been advertised, and/or if you repeatedly offend, you can and likely will be banned, temporarily or permanently, to be determined by the moderator(s) who hands down the ban. [Rule #17] The Reputation System. What is it? The reputation system is a way to give other members reputation points. These will show up in the number under "Status", in the profile box on the left hand side of all posts. Depending on the number of reps you have, the number will vary. You can also give negative reps to members that are not behaving, or breaking any rules. IF you wish to argue a negative rep and get it removed, post in the Reputation Complaint Thread in the General section. How does it work? Click on a member's reputation number and click "Rate User". There you can give out either "positives" or "negatives" to that member, but you must provide a reason. Reputation abuse is giving members absurd amounts of reputation points [Positive or Negative] for stupid reasons, as well as giving rediculous, insulting, harassing, inappropriate, and/or any other kind of reps that are not considered legitmate [When neccesary, moderators will define this at their discretion], this also includes reps that include profanity, censorsed or not. Asking for reputation points, begging for reputation points, paying for reputation points, making a double account and giving yourself reputation points, as well as any other way of obtain reps other than by the 100% discretion of the person "rating" you, is not allowed and you can and more often than not will be banned for it. Please be sure to keep the amount of reps you give at a time minimal and not try to over do it. In the "contests" section(s), it is possible to hold a contest and give both points and reps for prizes. When hosting a contest and giving out reputation points for prizes, the maximum amount of reps at 2 or 3 per person awarded. Illegitimate reps that breach this suggestion will be remobed upon the sight of a moderator. As of 01-13-2008, you can no longer buy graphics or sell graphics in the Shops/Requests section using reputation points. This was due to the large amount of reputation points being unfairly earned for simple tasks. You may only use the points system for that function in that section now. In conclusion, you should remember that the reputation system does not determine how good a member is. You shouldn't judge a person by their reputation count because it does not make them any better of a member. [Rule #18] Flooding is forbidden. Flooding is when someone spams up a topic or many topics, in which can be costly in terms of wasting good bandwidth and can be harmful to the reliability of a computer network. Flooding can also be seriously annoying to other members on the forum. A serious case of flooding is when a member posts many new threads in one forum. Another word that indirectly relates to flooding is spam. Another directation to flooding is when someone has already said the exact same thing such as "Plz Lock This" or "This is Spam". Technically, if this has only said once, there is no need for it to be said again, if so, this is called Spam, or if there is many of them, it is called Flooding. Instead of saying "Plz Lock", report the post to a mod via the REPORT button, and a mod will lock it when they can. By spamming and/or flooding a certain forum, a ban will be initiated. By how much you flood the forum/thread depends on the time of your ban. If you accidentally make two threads for a topic, ask a mod to lock it. Flooding is generally annoying, in which, try posting cards in ONE whole thread, especially if you are posting many cards within a certain time frame. [Rule #19] No egocentred and attention-seeking threads. The thing is, there is a difference between starting a discussion related to real life and asking for advice, which is entirely acceptable, and complaing about how miserable your existence is and that you want to kill yourself on the spot; shortly: a clearly self-pitying and attention-seeking thread. Topics in the style of “Am I a good member? Tell me what you think about me!” and anything which can be summed up as “My life consists of pure misery, now I want to go and kill myself!” will be locked instantly. Not only does this type of topics revolve around only one member, previous experience has shown that these topics never tend to go anywhere. Topics of that type engender either pure egostroking, pitying or flaming, thus no useful discussion. A simple topic about a real life matter or asking for advice will be allowed, though, as long as a discussion of some sorts results from it. [Rule #20] The "Other" Rule. If you are told by a moderator to stop, you cannot claim that it was not stated in the rules. It is impossible and impractical to list every rule possible. Attempting to circumvent a rule will result in a more severe warning. That includes deleting a post then reposting an identical or similar version of it. That will be considered both bumping and multiple posting. Also, the determination of things such as begging, flaming, spam, whining, etc. are dependent on the moderator, not the users. Any complaints involving attempts to find loop holes in the rules and complaining that it was not explicitly stated in the rules will be ignored. If anyone has any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to drop me a private message. *Staff members may make changes/edits to the content of this thread. -Glasstin [:[/align] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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