Adam Administrator
Posts : 145 Points : 5458 Reputation : 10 Join date : 2010-07-12
| Subject: General Forum Rules Sat Jul 31, 2010 3:28 am | |
| General Forum Rules |
DISCLAIMER The Game Maker does not own or have any access to the moderation or administration of the websites and affiliates mentioned on this forum, all images are copyrighted by their respectful owner. All rights reserved.
Please READ and UNDERSTAND the rules.
•The warning system used in these forums is a tool used by the moderators to help enforce the posting rules, as well as educate the users to the rules listed below. When a rule is broken, an infraction/warning is issued against the users account. Depending on the specific rule broken, and the severity of the offense, points are assessed to the user's account which can accumulate to a point that can cause a temporary or permanent ban from the forums or entire website.
•Each infraction is given out under the authority of an administrator or moderator, infractions will remain on your account permenantly. When the number of infractions reach a substancial amount, the account will be Banned for 1 year as we feel you've had plenty of chances to learn our posting rules.
•If you make minor faults and are reminded about them, yet you continue to make them, will receive a temporary ban for 1 week. continuation will result in a 2nd temporary ban which will result in a 2 week ban, continuation will result in a 3rd temporary ban which will result in a 3 week ban. If you are banned for a 4th time, it may result in a permanent ban.
•Evading is defined as the act of getting around an account or IP ban and is prohibited. For example, if your account is banned, and then use a new account, or one from the same household to continue posting prohibited material, that's considered evading. When this happens, the account used to evade the ban will be Banned (permanently), and the original account that was suspended will be deleted.
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Appropriate/Wrong Forum
Keep all topics in their appropriate forums. If you're unsure of the proper location for your topic, post it in General or Off Topic Discussion. If you can't locate a thread you've made, use the search feature as it might have been moved to a more appropriate forum by a moderator.
This is a minor but common fault and you will be given multiple chances to post in the correct topic, All of our Moderators and Administrators will provide help, if you are unsure where to place your thread.
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Thread Title Format
Read all stickied threads in a forum before posting in it. If there is a "Thread Title Format" thread in the forum, read it. All threads not complying with the Thread Title Format sticky will be removed or locked, and the original poster will be warned.
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Duplicate/Redundant Topic
Before posting a thread, use the search feature to ensure there is not already a thread on the same topic. If you can't locate a thread you've made, use the search feature as it might have been moved to a more appropriate forum by a moderator. If there is already a thread, please use it as there may already be several replies with good information about your topic.
Note: We will allow multiple threads, ONLY if the first becomes over 2 days old, the reason for this is that the first thread could have information which is no longer valid.
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Thread/Post Recreation
If any post gets deleted or locked, do not make a thread identical or similar to the locked one, or make a thread asking why the previous was deleted or locked.
Members breaking this rule will be warned.
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Signature/Avatar Size Limits and Restrictions
1.The maximum width of any image(s) is 500 pixels. 2.The combined image(s) cannot be larger than 200 pixels in height. 3.The total combined file size of these images cannot be larger than 500 KB. 4.Text within your signature cannot be abusive or break the ToS. Do not use signatures/avatars that request the banning/un-banning of users, staff members to be fired, or utilize quickly flashing colors. All other forum posting rules apply to signatures and avatars. Abuse in the opinion of the Moderators can result in a forum warning/infraction, or ultimately the loss of signature/avatar privileges.
Moderators and administrators may have larger signatures, and the flashing colours rule does not apply for them, as it is reserved for moderating use.
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Bypassing Censors
Our forums are programmed with a list of words that are considered vulgar or inappropriate in any context which is constantly growing, and these words are not allowed to be posted. Attempting to bypass the automatic censor by misspelling, inserting spaces or symbol, transposing letters, using look-alike symbols, or any other method is not allowed. Additionally, certain words are prohibited from being used in topic titles and user information pages; bypassing the censor to post those words where they are restricted is also not allowed.Posting of pictures, with otherwise censored words, will result in a warning/infraction as well.This will be extended to signatures and avatars.
Our Censors are constantly being updated...
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Bumping
Do not post in threads for the sole purpose of "bumping" or bringing the threads back to the top when they are no longer relevant. This just brings old, out-of-date threads back to the top which creates clutter.
What we allow:
1. Adding more informational text 2. Compliments 3. Moderation (by staff only)
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Trolling/Flaming
Posts intended solely to annoy and/or offend other posters by going against the clear nature of a topic are not allowed. This includes but is not limited to provoking other users to respond with flames or provoking fans of a particular system or game. Continual harassing behavior directed towards a certain individual or group with the intent of creating an intimidating, offensive or hostile environment will not be tolerated. This will also include demeaning or derogatory comments directed towards "The Game Maker's" staff or members.
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Spamming/Reputation Soliciting
Spamming is characterized by the initiation of threads or posts that contribute nothing to a forum, be it on or off topic. Examples: empty bodies, bodies with few words that have no relation to the current thread or discussion (messages such as "first post", "hello" or "hey so & so"), posts that state they are spam, multiple posts in a row, fad threads (such as who's better, rate me, or location), or low content posts (posts without meaning are unnecessary and unacceptable). Asking for or offering reputation for any goods/services will not be tolerated and will be treated as spam.
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No Cheating Accusations
Cheating accusations in the forums will not be tolerated. If you have a concern about cheating, please submit a abuse report, or contact a Moderator or administrator via Private Message.
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No Posting of User's Personal Information
These issues are left to the discretion of the moderators and administrators, but may include any material that is knowingly false, defamatory, misleading, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, racist, sexist, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy or that otherwise violates any law or encourages conduct constituting a criminal offense. This will also include posting of emails, IMs, PMs, or any other communications where at least one party had the impression of it being private.
Members who do not abide by this rule will be warned, continuation of breaking the above rule will result in us taking Legal action.
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Rule Violation
Threads and posts that violate the "The Game Makers's" Forum Rules will be deleted from the forums, and additional penalties may be applied at the moderator's/administrator's discretion. Posts and threads may be removed at any time and for any reason at the sole discretion of "The Game Maker" and its designated moderators. User accounts may be warned, suspended, or revoked at any time and for any reason at the sole discretion of "The Game Maker" and its designated moderators without notification. All determinations of what is "acceptable" and "unacceptable" content will be determined solely by "The Game Maker" and whoever it designates as moderators. violations will be cause for the banning of your account, the use of the forums from your IP address, or from your entire ISP. "The Game Maker" may contact your ISP or other relevant parties concerning your activities.
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Maturity
"The Game Maker" encourages all users to demonstrate a certain level of maturity when posting in the forums. Posts and/or threads that show a lack of maturity may be warned/infracted and possibly removed at the sole discretion of "The Game Maker" and/or its designated moderators/administrators.
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Advertising
Do not use "The Game Maker's Lair" to advertise any products or services, specifically any services that would be in direct competition or draw users from "The Game Maker", or any links / images to sites that benefit yourself or outside representatives. Examples: forums, gaming websites, etc. Advertising within signatures is one of two advertisings we allow. The use of any type of "bot" or "automated" account to advertise will cause an instant permanent ban from the website and loss of the account.
Advertising allowed:
1. Affiliation (If Accepted) 2. Userbars within signature (Text MUST be attached to the Userbar only!)
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Illegal Activities
Posts that violate or incite others to violate the law are not allowed. This includes (but is not limited to) discussing, asking for or providing, in any way, shape, or form any of the following: Illegal copies, methods of circumventing copyright protection, illegal copies of copyrighted media, or requesting/providing links/material from pornographic or obscene websites.
If continuation occurs after a warning, Legal action will be taken.
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Personal Ridicule
Posts intended solely to ridicule or poke fun of the appearance/disability of any member of the "The Game Maker" community (including staff) is not allowed. This includes, but not limited to, pictures, signatures, avatars, or descriptions of the users that are ridiculed.
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Prejudice Comments/Image
Demeaning comments or images using race, religion, sexual orientation, culture, ethnicity, handicap, nationality, or gender as a means of insult are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
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Impersonating Staff
Impersonating Staff, is a serious offense and will not be tolerated.
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Sexually Explicit Content
Sexually Explicit Content is defined as sexually suggestive, nude, or nearly-nude images, links, or content that MAY be deemed inappropriate by Moderators or Administrators.
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Buying/Selling/Trading of "The Game Maker" Accounts
All "The Game Maker" accounts are property of "The Game Maker". Any advertising of, or attempts to buy, sell, trade, or exchange an account by any means is strictly prohibited. Violators will be banned from the website and all related accounts deactivated.
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All Staff members on here are fans of gaming but do not have any connection with large gaming corporations, unless suggested otherwise.
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Posting with colours and bold text
Colors, capitals and size : When your writing your message, please don't abuse capitals, we take that as shouting, Capitals should be used at the beginning of senteces only, Bold text should not be abused as it is mainly used for moderation, colors and capitals are reserved for moderation. Re-sizing your text is rather annoying and hard to read sometimes so please refrain from that. Overly large text just takes up way to much space, therefore don't use them
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If you make a mistake or you want to make any modifications to one of your posts, please use the button at the top-right of the post, to avoid double-posting as this will make you recieve a warning as it just makes the forum cluttered, it also lets people spam to get their post count up, which is not tolerated on these forums
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If you received advertising, pornographic content or insults by PM, you must send the whole message and a screenshot of that message to one of the moderators listed below via PM. Posting it in a topic is useless and will only cause conflicts between you and the one who sent you the advert. it also goes against our rules and therefore, it would be you gaining the warning.
Moderators:
Adam Bethany
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If you find a forum which has any of our content published on it, please contact a Moderator or Administrator, We respect people who begin fan sites for us, but our images/pictures have been copyrighted by "The Game Maker" and therefore, we will need to take action, The Terms of Service includes much more information about this.
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•Do not moderate other members. Moderating is reserved for staff members only, your one and only warning. No exceptions!
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About your Profile
Your profile is personal to you and therefore, should not break the following rules...
Your avatar is not to be used as an advertising space, so avatars with your forum URL or links to any other sites will not be tolerated and will gain you a warning, the avatar will also be removed! - Sexually oriented, gore and any other type avatars that are considered to be inappropriate as there maybe minors on the forum, if you think it may offend please Pm a Staff member and it will be discussed with the admin team in a meeting, faliure to comply..yes you guessed it.. a warning - Your "Language", "Location" and "Hobbies" fields are not an advertising space, so links (to your forum or other sites) should not appear here, if they do you will be asked to remove it, failure to comply will result in a warning and the content will be removed by a member of staff. - Warning Levels If you recieve a warning the system works like so...
Reminder 1
Reminder 2 + Warning 1
Warning 2
Final Warning
Banned with appeal
Straight out Banned
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Other Members
IF any body has a problem with another member please PM a Moderator about your situation.
Note; You should always Speak to a Staff Member about any problems. if you have a problem with a staff member then please contact another member of staff, (your complaint will be completely confidential) please make sure that you have sufficient screenshots of proof of any Pm's etc
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If you have any question about one of the forum rules, please PM a moderator to ask your question.
Note: These rules are subject to change at any given time, and therefore, we invite you to read up on them regularly.
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Regards,
The Game Maker's Staff
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