Post by Daryl on Oct 17, 2007 17:11:55 GMT -5
The rules, posted below, have gone without revision for some time. So now is the time to take the official vote on it. With a two-thirds majority of the forum, the rules will be official. This poll will remain open as long as needed. If you vote for "No opinion one way or the other", your vote will be discarded, and you will not be counted towards the required two-thirds majority. If you vote No, please explain why, otherwise it is very unlikely that whatever you dislike will be fixed. If you have an objection to this topic or think the method for determining if these rules are to be official or not should be changed, state so, and the admins (Not including me) will vote. If two thirds of the votes are not 'Yes', then this topic will become the new thread for discussing rule changes. Because we currently have 15 members, 10 votes in favor will be required. I am aware that due to recent events, we do not all meet the requirement to be considered a voting member (Listed below). As long as you were a member prior the deletion of your account and met the requirements at one point in time, this will not be a problem.
As every great forum does, ToM has a set of rules. These are to be followed by every member, staff or not. No one is above the rules, and the rules are king. The rules may only be altered with a two thirds majority of the admins and one half majority of the members, and may only be bent with a 100% vote of the admins.
General Rules: [/u]
1. No spamming. Don't post excessively stupid messages, messages with 500 smiles, or the same message multiple times outside the spam board. If you do accidentally post the same message twice, delete one of them. You may spam in the SPAM board.
2. No board stretching, if at all possible. This means no posting really long words without spaces, or incredibly large images, as they will stretch the board. That tends to be incredibly annoying. If you must post something that long, then use hyphens, or just post the link to the image in question.
3. No flaming. General swearing is okay, as long as it doesn't become a problem, but please don't harass other members with them. This includes public and private flaming, even through PM. It does not cover flaming that happens outside of ToM, i.e. on an instant messenger, however. A distinction will be made between mock-flaming and serious flaming.
4. If a thread creator specifically requests that you stay on topic, then you must stay on topic. If, however, the creator doesn't care about how on-topic you stay, you are free to stay off topic. Just don't go purposely off topic. For instance, if everyone is on topic, and you just randomly start talking about the Dead Sea Scrolls or something else (As long as the current topic is NOT the Dead Sea Scrolls), then you will likely get warned.
5. Do not revive old topics about fights or other negative issues. No one (usually) likes fights, and they are done and over with. Bringing back a negative topic is neither liked nor appreciated, and will likely result in you being branded a trouble maker. (In our minds, at least)
6. Create threads in the right category. For instance, don't create a game thread in the Announcements board.
Admin Rules: [/u]
1. Abuse of admin power will not be tolerated. If you are caught using your powers in a malicious way (And trust us, you will be caught), then you will have your powers either temporarily or permanently removed, and a ban may be issued, depending on the severity of the crime. Punishments will vary on a case-to-case basis, and individual punishments will be given out based on the crime committed, past offenses, and motives.
2. Any administrator or global moderator caught allowing non-admins to use their profile will be temporarily banned and stripped of their powers. A permanent ban may also be issued, if warranted.
3. As an admin, you have been granted the head admins trust. You are allowed to act as you see fit in any situation, without consent, AS LONG AS YOUR DECISION IS NOT PERMANENT. If you think a permanent action should be taken, such as deleting a user, then you may issue a ban, and request a vote on whether or not to do so. As long as you make your decision in good faith, and no lasting damage is done, you will not be penalized for your actions. You will, of course, be penalized if you acted maliciously or stupidly (Maliciously would be something like revenge banning or pointless post deleting, while stupidly would be deleting every post ever made by a user, simply because they harassed you or another).
Profiles: [/u]
1. No porn, no links to porn, no shocker sites, no anything that could offend anyone. This also includes in posts.
2. Please, don't use your own profile as an attempt to flame another member. You will be punished for that too.
Permissions for non-admins about admin functions: [/u]
1. If you wish to have a category or board created, then contact an admin on it, and they will seeing to it that it is done, if appropriate. An admin-vote may also be issued.
2. If you want a personal title to appear below your name, just ask any admin to do so. Also, a note to the admin that's asked, do not do it if it's inappropriate. You have the right to refuse to do so. Do NOT make a board asking for a title.
Abstract Rules: [/u]
1. Any new member who joins within 14 days of another member's ban and is found to be using a proxy will be questioned. If they do not stop using the proxy, or explain why they are using a proxy (school, filters, etc. ), then they will be banned.
2. If you are banned, you have the right to file an appeal to your ban. To do so, send your full story along with why you don't think you should be banned to <insert email>. If you think the rules should be bent in your case, explain why. Be as thorough as possible. If an appeal is not received within 7 days of the ban, your right to file an appeal has been forfeited.
3. Concerning ban evasion.... If you are banned, you are allowed to view ToM as a guest, as long as you don't communicate in any way, shape, or form (That includes Morse code by signing on and off). If you use the chatbox, or post as a guest, then your ban will be extended by 50%. If you have a permanent ban, you will be put on KoS (Kill on Sight) status, which means that your right to view us as a guest has been revoked. Admins will be free to ban any guest they deem to be you.
Warning system explanation: [/u]
You can receive 3 different warning levels for misbehaving: Warning Level 1, Warning Level 2, and Warning Level 3.
Warning level 1 is the most severe, and is inappropriately named, as no warning will actually be issued. If you get a Warning Level 1 warning, you will be banned, either forever, or a very long time. Warning Level 1 warnings will be given out only when severe rule breaking occurs, such as admin abuse.
Warning level 2 is less severe than Warning Level 1, but more severe than Warning level 3. The first two times you receive this kind of warning, you will not get any punishment, just a PM. The third time, you will receive a 2-week ban. Level 2 warnings expire after 14 days.
Warning Level 3 is reserved for minor offenses, like spam. The first 4 times you receive this kind of warning, nothing will happen. The fifth time, you will get a one-week ban. This kind of warning expires after 7 days.
After you return from a ban, you will be on a probation. The length of your probation will be determined on an individual basis, by the admins. During probation, the breaking of any rule that would usually result in acquiring a level 2 or level 1 warning will, instead, result in another ban. In some cases, earning a level 3 warning will also result in re-banning.
When probation is not in effect, and you earn a ban for the nth time, your ban will be longer than the first one, by n times. For instance, in the Level 2 ban situation, the first time you receive a ban (n = 1), your ban is 2 weeks (2 weeks * 1). The second time you get a ban (n = 2), you will be banned for 4 weeks (2 weeks * 2), etc.
Warnings can not be added together.
Definitions:
1. Spam - noun; The posting of the same message in one board or multiple boards. Examples of spam would include posting a message 2+ times in a row in the same thread, or posting the same message on more than one different thread unreasonably.
2. Admin Abuse - verb; The unreasonable use of admin powers, with negative outcomes. Using your admin powers with malicious intents, such as deleting a member's posts for no reason, banning a member who didn't break any rules (or who didn't receive enough warnings), banning for vengeance, or modifying someone's profile (like adding foul things in it, or changing the skin to Seizure), is considered admin abuse. However, making a minor change in someone else's profile, such as changing skin (though not to Seizure), might not be considered admin abuse (as it has not been done with malicious intent, but more for the sake of joking), provided that the person whose profile got modified doesn't take offense.
3. Voting member - A member who has been a member of ToM for at least 2 weeks, and has at least 5 posts.
The following admins have the power to submit an admin-vote:
Simple Tactician
TheOneKnownAsMe (TOKAM)
KillerInstinct
More may be added in the future. Anything not specifically mentioned in these rules may still be done with a general agreement.
Rules are subject to change without notice, though in most cases a notice will be posted. You are still expected to follow these rules after said changes, so check back often. By making at least one post on this forum, you agree to adhere to these rules.
As every great forum does, ToM has a set of rules. These are to be followed by every member, staff or not. No one is above the rules, and the rules are king. The rules may only be altered with a two thirds majority of the admins and one half majority of the members, and may only be bent with a 100% vote of the admins.
General Rules: [/u]
1. No spamming. Don't post excessively stupid messages, messages with 500 smiles, or the same message multiple times outside the spam board. If you do accidentally post the same message twice, delete one of them. You may spam in the SPAM board.
2. No board stretching, if at all possible. This means no posting really long words without spaces, or incredibly large images, as they will stretch the board. That tends to be incredibly annoying. If you must post something that long, then use hyphens, or just post the link to the image in question.
3. No flaming. General swearing is okay, as long as it doesn't become a problem, but please don't harass other members with them. This includes public and private flaming, even through PM. It does not cover flaming that happens outside of ToM, i.e. on an instant messenger, however. A distinction will be made between mock-flaming and serious flaming.
4. If a thread creator specifically requests that you stay on topic, then you must stay on topic. If, however, the creator doesn't care about how on-topic you stay, you are free to stay off topic. Just don't go purposely off topic. For instance, if everyone is on topic, and you just randomly start talking about the Dead Sea Scrolls or something else (As long as the current topic is NOT the Dead Sea Scrolls), then you will likely get warned.
5. Do not revive old topics about fights or other negative issues. No one (usually) likes fights, and they are done and over with. Bringing back a negative topic is neither liked nor appreciated, and will likely result in you being branded a trouble maker. (In our minds, at least)
6. Create threads in the right category. For instance, don't create a game thread in the Announcements board.
Admin Rules: [/u]
1. Abuse of admin power will not be tolerated. If you are caught using your powers in a malicious way (And trust us, you will be caught), then you will have your powers either temporarily or permanently removed, and a ban may be issued, depending on the severity of the crime. Punishments will vary on a case-to-case basis, and individual punishments will be given out based on the crime committed, past offenses, and motives.
2. Any administrator or global moderator caught allowing non-admins to use their profile will be temporarily banned and stripped of their powers. A permanent ban may also be issued, if warranted.
3. As an admin, you have been granted the head admins trust. You are allowed to act as you see fit in any situation, without consent, AS LONG AS YOUR DECISION IS NOT PERMANENT. If you think a permanent action should be taken, such as deleting a user, then you may issue a ban, and request a vote on whether or not to do so. As long as you make your decision in good faith, and no lasting damage is done, you will not be penalized for your actions. You will, of course, be penalized if you acted maliciously or stupidly (Maliciously would be something like revenge banning or pointless post deleting, while stupidly would be deleting every post ever made by a user, simply because they harassed you or another).
Profiles: [/u]
1. No porn, no links to porn, no shocker sites, no anything that could offend anyone. This also includes in posts.
2. Please, don't use your own profile as an attempt to flame another member. You will be punished for that too.
Permissions for non-admins about admin functions: [/u]
1. If you wish to have a category or board created, then contact an admin on it, and they will seeing to it that it is done, if appropriate. An admin-vote may also be issued.
2. If you want a personal title to appear below your name, just ask any admin to do so. Also, a note to the admin that's asked, do not do it if it's inappropriate. You have the right to refuse to do so. Do NOT make a board asking for a title.
Abstract Rules: [/u]
1. Any new member who joins within 14 days of another member's ban and is found to be using a proxy will be questioned. If they do not stop using the proxy, or explain why they are using a proxy (school, filters, etc. ), then they will be banned.
2. If you are banned, you have the right to file an appeal to your ban. To do so, send your full story along with why you don't think you should be banned to <insert email>. If you think the rules should be bent in your case, explain why. Be as thorough as possible. If an appeal is not received within 7 days of the ban, your right to file an appeal has been forfeited.
3. Concerning ban evasion.... If you are banned, you are allowed to view ToM as a guest, as long as you don't communicate in any way, shape, or form (That includes Morse code by signing on and off). If you use the chatbox, or post as a guest, then your ban will be extended by 50%. If you have a permanent ban, you will be put on KoS (Kill on Sight) status, which means that your right to view us as a guest has been revoked. Admins will be free to ban any guest they deem to be you.
Warning system explanation: [/u]
You can receive 3 different warning levels for misbehaving: Warning Level 1, Warning Level 2, and Warning Level 3.
Warning level 1 is the most severe, and is inappropriately named, as no warning will actually be issued. If you get a Warning Level 1 warning, you will be banned, either forever, or a very long time. Warning Level 1 warnings will be given out only when severe rule breaking occurs, such as admin abuse.
Warning level 2 is less severe than Warning Level 1, but more severe than Warning level 3. The first two times you receive this kind of warning, you will not get any punishment, just a PM. The third time, you will receive a 2-week ban. Level 2 warnings expire after 14 days.
Warning Level 3 is reserved for minor offenses, like spam. The first 4 times you receive this kind of warning, nothing will happen. The fifth time, you will get a one-week ban. This kind of warning expires after 7 days.
After you return from a ban, you will be on a probation. The length of your probation will be determined on an individual basis, by the admins. During probation, the breaking of any rule that would usually result in acquiring a level 2 or level 1 warning will, instead, result in another ban. In some cases, earning a level 3 warning will also result in re-banning.
When probation is not in effect, and you earn a ban for the nth time, your ban will be longer than the first one, by n times. For instance, in the Level 2 ban situation, the first time you receive a ban (n = 1), your ban is 2 weeks (2 weeks * 1). The second time you get a ban (n = 2), you will be banned for 4 weeks (2 weeks * 2), etc.
Warnings can not be added together.
Definitions:
1. Spam - noun; The posting of the same message in one board or multiple boards. Examples of spam would include posting a message 2+ times in a row in the same thread, or posting the same message on more than one different thread unreasonably.
2. Admin Abuse - verb; The unreasonable use of admin powers, with negative outcomes. Using your admin powers with malicious intents, such as deleting a member's posts for no reason, banning a member who didn't break any rules (or who didn't receive enough warnings), banning for vengeance, or modifying someone's profile (like adding foul things in it, or changing the skin to Seizure), is considered admin abuse. However, making a minor change in someone else's profile, such as changing skin (though not to Seizure), might not be considered admin abuse (as it has not been done with malicious intent, but more for the sake of joking), provided that the person whose profile got modified doesn't take offense.
3. Voting member - A member who has been a member of ToM for at least 2 weeks, and has at least 5 posts.
The following admins have the power to submit an admin-vote:
Simple Tactician
TheOneKnownAsMe (TOKAM)
KillerInstinct
More may be added in the future. Anything not specifically mentioned in these rules may still be done with a general agreement.
Rules are subject to change without notice, though in most cases a notice will be posted. You are still expected to follow these rules after said changes, so check back often. By making at least one post on this forum, you agree to adhere to these rules.
