This is the "Terms of Service", aka the TOS, aka The Rules. If you post in these forums, that means you read this and agree to it.
Sometimes I change these rules, and all changes will be posted in this forum (the ReadMe one). Everyone has to read new posts here. Ignorance is no excuse.
If you break these rules, most of the time you'll get a warning. If it's a public warning, that is, in a post, then it's a friendly one. If you get a PM, then you're in trouble. Especially if it's from me.
MY MODERATORS
The mods aren't perfect. They're people. But they represent me, and we are in constant touch. If you don't agree with or like what they say, then you have three choices, depending on how strong your feelings are:
1 – suck it up and forget about it
2 – disagree politely and respectfully. (If they maintain their stance, then you're back to choices #1 or #3.)
3 – PM me with a complaint
Remember that the mods are working for the good of the forum. They know the TOS and they know my philosophy. If they have a question about anything they do, they ask me directly. (That's what we do in the Faculty Lounge!) So, if they correct you, they're protecting the forums, not attacking you. Keep that in mind.
GENERAL RULES
This is a PG/PG13, friendly forum. I keep it that way. I don't allow:
*flaming, rudeness, crudeness, even tactlessness. If you can't be nice, go somewhere else. Don't use insulting language, no matter what you actually think. I want no hurt feelings here. So, for example, if you want to say "That was a stupid movie", say instead "I wasn't crazy about that one." I'm very serious about this.
*offensive language. Profanity is allowed in The Pub, but in moderation. If you must use that language (as in quotes from a show), substitute asterisks for the vowels. This does include even relatively harmless words like *ss, sh*t, d*mn, and h*ll. (OK, I'll allow hell.) Even with asterisks, stronger words than those, like f*ck, are ONLY allowed in the Pub – and then only with asterisks.
* "hate" words, intolerance or bigotry of any kind.
*pornography or links to porn, even indirect ones.
*anything commercial – I don't even allow commercial links.
*anything illegal, including links to anything illegal. This includes bootlegs, copyright cheats, fansubs, etc.
*links to any website that violates these rules.
*trolling, spamming, etc.
*"bumping" your topic (that is, posting to it to move it up the list).
*silliness that annoys people, like putting in a long line of smilies, or talking in AOL-speak.
* posting off-topic.
*spoilers, unless they are clearly marked. The best way is to put "Spoiler" in the subject line. If it's a major spoiler, make the font white so it can't be accidentally read.
*posts to a single person. Use private messaging (PM) for that. (Posts to me or the ALians in the Owl Post forum are an exception.)
FORBIDDEN TOPICS
There are a few topics which are forbidden on these forums, even in the Pub. Some are obvious (if you've been paying attention):
* No graphic violence, or links to sites that show graphic violence.
* Ditto for sex. Frank discussions about sex can occur in the Pub, but no porn or links to porn.
* No commercial posts or links to commercial sites. I do not want to part any of you from your money.
But there are a few that are less obvious, but which I'm still strict about, because I'm concerned with flaming:
* Politics.
* Religion.
* Sub vs dub.
* CGI vs traditional animation.
You can mention these things conversationally, but at the first hint of any kind of partisanship, bias, or trouble of any nature, you're in trouble.
REGISTRATION
You don't have to register to read posts or to post in The Mailbox. But to post to the other forums, you must register. Read the "New members: Read this first" post for details on that.
You must be at least 13 to register.
You can only create one account.
You may not use a nickname that:
*is already in use on these boards
*is the name of a canon character, unless it's altered enough to be unique. (If you see any, they're either mistakes, or have been here since before this rule existed.)
*contains offensive language, or contains symbols.
You will not be allowed to register if your profile or signature contain anything that violates the rules.
I do NOT require you to use your real name or other identification that can be easily traced to you. In fact, I strongly discourage it.
You are responsible for protecting your account from access by others. Use a hard-to-guess password and don't give it to anyone else.
If you don't post in a long time, your account may be deleted and you'll have to create it again.
IMAGES AND SIGNATURES
Avatars must be no more than 100×100 px and no more than 10K in size.
No images are allowed in a signature. Links are allowed, but only to personal sites, not commercial ones.
CONTENT
Everything posted here is the responsibility of the person who posted it. Neither I nor my host are responsible for anything that you read or post. I don't guarantee the truthfulness or quality of anything posted.
Do NOT post copyrighted material without permission. By this, I mean mostly art and fiction not owned by you (not things like images of animated characters, which are found all over the Net).
In the forum called The Pub, you may be exposed to content that is offensive or objectionable. You accept that possibility by going there, and neither I or my host are responsible if you don't like it.
PRIVATE MESSAGING
Private messages go through the forum, and you have to follow the same rules as for the forums. In addition, you can't harass another forum member with PMs. Abuse of the PM system will get you kicked off the forums entirely.
MAIN RULE
I'm the boss. I'm a reasonable person, and I'll give a person a second and even a third chance. But my goal is to have a happy, healthy forum, and I can be strict about that. By registering, you agree to my conditions, and you agree that if you break these rules or any others that I add, I can (and will) delete your posts or even your ID.
If you have any questions about these rules, feel free to PM me and ask.
