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Rules for rules lawyers

NOTE: You don't have to read these rules. They're here to settle disputes or rules confusion. To keep the rules list from getting huge I'm going to put some of the more detailed interpretations of the rules here. Usually these are common misunderstandings.

Opinions

Sometimes opinions are mixed with flames (defined as a personal insult on another member). Mod action to these flames may lead to the "opinions are illegal" defense by the person accused of flaming. Instead of using this cliche defense, please examine what you said to see if you actually flamed someone before complaining.

On the other hand, opinions that offend you are not a reason to ask mods to take action or warn a member. Users are also perfectly free to express an opinion as if only theirs is valid, because any person's point of view will include opinions that they consider obvious. But it is better for discusion to give reasons, of course.

Moderating

When a mod/admin takes an official action as a mod, such as warning or making a command, they should color and/or bold it to specify it as such and distinguish it from an opinion or request, to avoid controversies over things mods may say.

General Rule

The co-webs reserve the right (after discussion) to take action or ban a user for actions that are, in their opinion, intentional attacks on the board or the users even if a user uses a technicality or loophole in the rules. Co-webs would very rarely ban under such circumstances, but a blanket rule like this is necessary if a user is harassing others while hiding behind the rules.

RULES EXPLAINED

1. CONDUCT
   
   • No flaming. Don't resort to petty insults, name calling, or personal attacks. Friendly, joking insults are allowed, provided the target (and, preferrably, all others present) understands your intent and is comfortable with it, but on occasions when any member expresses a concern that it may be or become flaming, it must cease. When you're just kidding, try to make your intent explicitly clear by saying so, including a "j/k," adding an appropriate smiley, or using some other method.
     
   • No flame baiting (posting with intent to provoke flames). Posting of controversial opinions is allowed, provided you do so with the intent to encourage discussion and are willing to justify those opinions, rather than simply to aggravate other users.
     
   • No bigotry. This includes using "gay" or similar terms to express disapproval of something. Discrimination against any person or group on the basis of race, sex, gender, nationality, religion, sexual preference or any factor other than the specific merit of their posts is bigotry and will not be tolerated.
     
   • Our forum is not a place for you to let loose grudges. If you don't like someone, take it off-board. Do not bring off-board fights here.
     
   
   
2. CONTENT
   
   • Do not post explicitly violent or sexual content. Explicit descriptions or depictions of violence, gore, or sexual activities are not allowed. Innuendo is explicit if its words describe a specific sex act.
     
   • Do not attempt to dodge the censor. Any word that is caught by the censor is unacceptable. Self-censoring must involve replacing more than half of the letters with letters or symbols that do not resemble the letter being censored.
     
   • If an external link contains content in violation of the board's rules, it must be accompanied by a warning. Links to pornographic or illegal materials are prohibited (an exception is made for links to music from the Sonic or Megaman game series).
     
   • Properly tag all spoilers. Posts should not reveal important plot details of upcoming or recent publications, unless a clear spoiler warning is in the topic's title or such information is obscured through the use of spoiler tags. A guide is available here. A publication is considered recent for thirty days after its official release. If it is released in the US and UK at different times, then it is considered recent until thirty days after it is officially available to both regions. In the Knothole Village, spoiler rules change slightly to reflect the comic release schedule. A comic is considered "recent" until the next comic in that series is shipped by Diamond Comics OR until thirty days have passed after the comic was shipped by Diamond Comics, whichever occurs first.
     
   • Post with a reasonable legibility. Avoid annoying posting habits such as more than 3 emoticons in a row, caps lock, etc.
     
   • Pointless posts are spam. This doesn't mean you can't post wackiness; by all means do. But your posts should have some entertaining, informational, or intellectual point. Try to keep your posts interesting and full of content that everyone can participate in. Encourage discussion rather than discourage it. Replies that do not add anything to a topic may be considered spam. This rule does not apply in the spam forum.
     Spam examples
     • Avoid posting one-liner topics. Sometimes such posts can be valid responses, but don't make one-liner responses excessively.
     • Don't make posts specifically about your post count unless it's a 1000-mark.
     • Remember that most of the things you might say in a poll can be said just as well in a regular topic. If you post a poll, make sure that there's actually a point to making it a poll.
     • Keep ads in your sig or the official advertising topic.
     • Refrain from double posting. If you think of something new to add or want to bump your own topic, do it by editing.
     • Bumping old topics is perfectly fine as long as you don't spam. Don't bump a poll or topic unless you add something insightful or interesting to the discussion, and make sure that you are not repeating something that was already said or answering a question that was already answered by only reading only a couple of pages out of a 10-12 page topic (read all the pages first).
     
     
   
   
3. MISCELLANEOUS RULES
   
   • Sig/Photo/Icon rules: If your sig is larger than the post you're writing, please uncheck it (there's a checkbox under the posting form) when you post. Your sig and photo should be under 150K collectively. Keep photos 125 pixels wide or less. The maximum sig dimensions are 325 pixels high and 575 pixels wide (including text). If your sig, photo, or icon is considered annoying, rude, offensive, or a violation of another rule, you may be asked to turn it off or receive an official warning depending on the severity of the offense.
     
   • You are welcome to define your own rules in topics that you post. They will be enforced within the topic in question, but nowhere else. The staff may decline enforcing the topic rules if they are unreasonable or circumvent the existing board rules.
     
   • Thread space: Don't start a new thread addressed to only one person, unless it's something everyone can respond to or it's urgent. If you're going to be making a lot similiar-subject posts (such as questions, a "quote or post of the week," or episodes of a story you're writing on the forum), bookmark that thread and post the other posts as responses to it. This will bring it to the top of the forum automatically. Besides increasing the response you get, this makes it easier to archive the forum, and to find your similiar posts. :)
     
   • Topics discussing romantic relationships are not permitted in the Knothole Village forum.
     
   • All rules apply equally to all parts of the community, including the chat and private messages, except where otherwise noted. Private messages on EliteBoard and FlashChat may be monitored.
     
   • Proper usage of fire:
     
   
   
4. RULES ENFORCEMENT
   
   • All offenses should be reported to the Mobius Forum staff. If someone commits an offense against you, you should attempt to resolve your differences privately before consulting a moderator to defuse the situation. If you see a conduct-related offense that does not involve you, simply bring the matter privately to a moderator's attention. All other offenses should be brought to the attention of a moderator or reported in EVC.
     
   • Those who violate the rules shall be penalized. Depending on the nature and severity of the offense, posters who violate these rules may be advised to change their behaviour or issued demerits (official warnings) that can count towards a ban. Flagrant or repeated offenses may earn an instant ban or unusually long ban. Returning to the forums whilst banned is an offense and will result in a ban extension.
     
   • Do not attempt to designate text as moderation unless you are a moderator.
     
   • Ignoring moderators is an offense if the moderator designates a statement as an official command.
     
   • Those wishing to contest a penalty should appeal to the board staff directly off-board or post in EVC.
   Users should bring any complaints about staff members directly to an administrator.
   • Moderators are members primarily and moderators occasionally. Statements are considered moderator statements ONLY if they are designated as such by a heading, speaking explicitly as a moderator, or special text, or are obviously warnings or commands. At all other times, they are here to have fun as much as everyone else. This is to avoid confusion and undue scrutiny of moderators. Non-moderator statements do not reflect on their position or the opinions of the staff.