Post by GalladeClan on Feb 23, 2014 21:42:08 GMT
PokeMain may be a hub for all Pokemon fans, but I do need to put several rules in place to make sure this forum remains friendly for all ages! Make sure that you follow all the rules; they're here for a reason!
1. Be Respectful- This rule goes unsaid: everyone on this forum, whether you like them or not, must be treated with respect at all times. Failure to do this will result in a warning against you! Debate is perfectly acceptable, but any kind of bullying/ harassment/ bashing/ flaming is not ever acceptable. If you don't like a particular user of this site, you would be better off ignoring them than openly engaging them. Please note that if a member isn't showing you respect or is using racist/ hateful/ sexist/ homophobic comments, feel free to PM an administrator or moderator to let us take care of the situation.
2. Keep Your Posts Appropriate- As previously stated, this is a very family-friendly site and all inappropriate behaviors, including offensive, sexual, or otherwise not child-appropiate, are against the rules. Any bad words, if you feel the need to use them, should be posted with asterisks with NOTHING MORE than the first letter of the word being shown (for instance, if cow was a bad word it can ONLY be stated as c**). Any inappropriate posts will be deleted upon being brought to our attention, and the user will be given a warning. This applies to any pictures or links posted as well: any pictures with nudity/ explicit language/ excessive violence or any links to malware or pornography will be instantly deleted and the infractor will be instantly banned. Should a picture be posted with light language or blood, that's fine, just be sure to put the picture in a spoiler and warn users about its contents, but anything else will be deleted and banned. This is your only warning.
3. Put Effort Into Your Posts- Another self-explanatory rule; don't post spam. Spam is gibberish (grehjfeifyvcr) or meaningless posts (cool and ok) just to increase your post count. Please put at least 3 words into your posts UNLESS you're playing a forum game. Finally, make sure that what you have to say contributes to the conversation as off-topic posts can annoy other users and break a topic's flow. If you have something off-topic to say, move it to PM's.
4. Double-Posting- Double-posting is posting in a topic when the most recent post was also made by you. If you made an error or need to add to your previous post, use the Edit button; it's there for a reason! Some individual forums may not use the double-posting rule, but that will be stated in an individual forum's rules.
5. Touchy/ Controversial Subjects- This includes topics such as religion, politics, or any other touchy subjects such as self-harm or suicide. Remember, this is a Pokemon forum and subjects like these only cause endless debate and flame wars and should just be avoided.
6. Don't Revive Old Topics- Don't post in a topic if:
-There is a more recent thread about the same thing
-The topic is 4 or more pages back
-The most recent post was over a month ago (NOTE: In inactive forums, topics several months old may be revived. However, anything over a year is never okay).
-You have nothing new to say about the discussion
If the thread falls under any of these, don't post in it. Instead, start a new thread about an old subject! However, note than you may revive your own topics whenever you wish.
7. Topic Flooding- On the opposite end of the spectrum, there's topic flooding. This means creating a new thread about the same subject as another recent thread. Typically, if a thread is within the first 4 pages, post there instead of making your own. Topic flooding floods the front page and ultimately causes disruption for other users.
8. Listen To The Moderators- If a moderator or administrator tells you to stop doing something or locks your thread, listen to them! The mods are there for your own benefit and refusing to listen to them will result in a warning.
9. Account Strikes- PokeMain follows a "three strikes and you're out" rule. If you get three strikes against your account for any reason, you will be banned and will not be allowed to use the forums (the amount of time will fluctuate depending on how you got your strikes). If it is discovered that you are trying to bypass a ban by creating a different account, you will be permanently banned.
10. Advertising- Should you want to advertise your own site or forums, that must be kept ONLY within your signature. That's it. Advertising anywhere else will get you a warning. Keep in mind you can link to websites that relate to a current discussion, but keep this to a minimum.
11. If Someone Is Breaking The Rules...- If you see someone breaking the rules, DON'T confront them about it. Instead, alert a moderator and admin and we will take care of it for you. "Backseat Moderating" as it is called, is not allowed and could even get you a warning. Note that answering another user's question about a rule IS perfectly acceptable however.
12. Security- This is a very important thing to note, your account security! NEVER share your account password with anyone, including a moderator (they should never ask for personal information). If you share a computer with others, always log out of your account as anything they do against the rules will be held against you.
13. Have Fun!- Despite all of the rules, remember that PokeMain is supposed to be a fun, friendly website! As long as all of our users follow these rules, all Pokemon fans can have fun and enjoy themselves. Thank you for taking the time to read the rules, and have lots of fun around the forums!
1. Be Respectful- This rule goes unsaid: everyone on this forum, whether you like them or not, must be treated with respect at all times. Failure to do this will result in a warning against you! Debate is perfectly acceptable, but any kind of bullying/ harassment/ bashing/ flaming is not ever acceptable. If you don't like a particular user of this site, you would be better off ignoring them than openly engaging them. Please note that if a member isn't showing you respect or is using racist/ hateful/ sexist/ homophobic comments, feel free to PM an administrator or moderator to let us take care of the situation.
2. Keep Your Posts Appropriate- As previously stated, this is a very family-friendly site and all inappropriate behaviors, including offensive, sexual, or otherwise not child-appropiate, are against the rules. Any bad words, if you feel the need to use them, should be posted with asterisks with NOTHING MORE than the first letter of the word being shown (for instance, if cow was a bad word it can ONLY be stated as c**). Any inappropriate posts will be deleted upon being brought to our attention, and the user will be given a warning. This applies to any pictures or links posted as well: any pictures with nudity/ explicit language/ excessive violence or any links to malware or pornography will be instantly deleted and the infractor will be instantly banned. Should a picture be posted with light language or blood, that's fine, just be sure to put the picture in a spoiler and warn users about its contents, but anything else will be deleted and banned. This is your only warning.
3. Put Effort Into Your Posts- Another self-explanatory rule; don't post spam. Spam is gibberish (grehjfeifyvcr) or meaningless posts (cool and ok) just to increase your post count. Please put at least 3 words into your posts UNLESS you're playing a forum game. Finally, make sure that what you have to say contributes to the conversation as off-topic posts can annoy other users and break a topic's flow. If you have something off-topic to say, move it to PM's.
4. Double-Posting- Double-posting is posting in a topic when the most recent post was also made by you. If you made an error or need to add to your previous post, use the Edit button; it's there for a reason! Some individual forums may not use the double-posting rule, but that will be stated in an individual forum's rules.
5. Touchy/ Controversial Subjects- This includes topics such as religion, politics, or any other touchy subjects such as self-harm or suicide. Remember, this is a Pokemon forum and subjects like these only cause endless debate and flame wars and should just be avoided.
6. Don't Revive Old Topics- Don't post in a topic if:
-There is a more recent thread about the same thing
-The topic is 4 or more pages back
-The most recent post was over a month ago (NOTE: In inactive forums, topics several months old may be revived. However, anything over a year is never okay).
-You have nothing new to say about the discussion
If the thread falls under any of these, don't post in it. Instead, start a new thread about an old subject! However, note than you may revive your own topics whenever you wish.
7. Topic Flooding- On the opposite end of the spectrum, there's topic flooding. This means creating a new thread about the same subject as another recent thread. Typically, if a thread is within the first 4 pages, post there instead of making your own. Topic flooding floods the front page and ultimately causes disruption for other users.
8. Listen To The Moderators- If a moderator or administrator tells you to stop doing something or locks your thread, listen to them! The mods are there for your own benefit and refusing to listen to them will result in a warning.
9. Account Strikes- PokeMain follows a "three strikes and you're out" rule. If you get three strikes against your account for any reason, you will be banned and will not be allowed to use the forums (the amount of time will fluctuate depending on how you got your strikes). If it is discovered that you are trying to bypass a ban by creating a different account, you will be permanently banned.
10. Advertising- Should you want to advertise your own site or forums, that must be kept ONLY within your signature. That's it. Advertising anywhere else will get you a warning. Keep in mind you can link to websites that relate to a current discussion, but keep this to a minimum.
11. If Someone Is Breaking The Rules...- If you see someone breaking the rules, DON'T confront them about it. Instead, alert a moderator and admin and we will take care of it for you. "Backseat Moderating" as it is called, is not allowed and could even get you a warning. Note that answering another user's question about a rule IS perfectly acceptable however.
12. Security- This is a very important thing to note, your account security! NEVER share your account password with anyone, including a moderator (they should never ask for personal information). If you share a computer with others, always log out of your account as anything they do against the rules will be held against you.
13. Have Fun!- Despite all of the rules, remember that PokeMain is supposed to be a fun, friendly website! As long as all of our users follow these rules, all Pokemon fans can have fun and enjoy themselves. Thank you for taking the time to read the rules, and have lots of fun around the forums!