As promised, I fixed the rule situation. Just to get everyone who isn't a mod's opinions on this.
The rules here are a mess, both in the way they're listed and enforced. That much has been made certain by almost everyone here. So, I rewrote them. They're WAY less strict. So first of all, here they are:
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[center]VIDEO GAME CHAT RULES[/center]
[color=skyblue]RULES
1) No Spamming! It's a waste of your time and ours.
2) No Advertising personal websites or anything with a referral ID embed in the URL. Put that kind of stuff in your signature if you want.
3) No Pornography or other overly obscene content. Keep all posted material, including images, hyperlinks, and other stuff to a PG-13 limit.
4) Use decent grammar and spelling. Even if you're not that good a speller, or don't have the best grammar, at least try and make your posts legible.
5) Personal attacks on individual members are discouraged outside of the Flame Board. However, if you feel the need act like an idiot, expect to be treated as such.
6) If you choose to post with a font color, make sure it's readable. Some colors are difficult to read on Video Game Chat's gray background.
--» GOOD color examples: yellow lime lightblue
--» BAD color examples: red blue green
7) Creating multiple accounts, for whatever reason, be it you were banned or just trying to pretend you're someone else, is not allowed. Screenname changes are allowed, as long as it's not frequent. If you want a screenname change, PM a request to Jesse Smith.
8) Do not intentionally post spoilers for any video games, movies, books, etc.. If you're posting a spoiler, please use the spoiler tags ([noparse][spoiler]content[/spoiler][/noparse]). The spoiler tags will make the content in them invisible unless highlighted.
» Penalty for violations range anywhere from a friendly reminder via Private Message (PM) to a Temporary or Permanent Ban, depending on the severity.
» Temporary Bans range anywhere from 1 day to 2 years.
THE OFF-TOPIC FORUMS
» The Off-Topic forums are a place to meet and convene with the rest of the Video Game Chat community on subjects that don't fit in any other forum. A place for everyone to get to know each other.
» Threads in the Off-Topic forums, for the most part, will be allowed to go the way they're destined to go. Even if a post or the thread itself strays away from the original subject. Hence the term "off-topic".
» These forums exist as a place for people to speak their minds and just plain enjoy themselves, so moderation is lenient. Action will only be taken in the rare occasion that someone or something becomes completely out of hand.
WEB LOGS (BLOGS)
» Web logs (blogs) are personal forums given to members or groups of members for personal use. They may or may not have a specific topic.
» Virtually none of the above rules are enforced in web logs. Rules in a web log are usually set and enforced by the owner(s). The only rule that still applies in web logs is rule #3 (No pornography).
» If you would like a web log, PM or IM a request to a Super Moderator with a title and list of moderators. You must have at least 100 posts before you can get a web log. [/color]
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The first thing you probably noticed is that they're not elongated and repeated 2-3 times like before. They're short, to the point, and in some cases, in-your-face. This makes them easier to understand. Another thing you'll notice is I've gone ahead and just allowed name changes (rule #7), as long as it's not frequent. Jesse's been letting people have them through his "loophole" anyway. This just makes it easier.
The real reason I did this though, is the Off-Topic Forums. Basically, this states clearly what they exist for. It permits everyone to treat the OT forums the same way they always have been, since VGC was created, without worry. Basically, there's no need to stress on off topic posts in off topic forums; no need to merge threads just because they're common.
I did the same for Web Logs too, though it's less important.
Anyway, that's it. Opinions? Do we use these new rules or the sloppy rules we have now, and continue this endless argument?
[quote]4) Use decent grammar and spelling. Even if you're not that good a speller, or don't have the best grammar, at least try and make your posts legible.
The moon will turn 2 cheese b 4 n00bies do that.
[quote]Threads in the Off-Topic forums, for the most part, will be allowed to go the way they're destined to go. Even if a post or the thread itself strays away from the original subject. Hence the term "off-topic".
It'll take a few chicks being de-moded for people to actually be allowed to do what the board is named...Off-Topic!!!! :D:D:D
[quote]I've gone ahead and just allowed name changes (rule #7).
Ack!!!! They should have to pay to get one!!! :D:D:D
Seems good, I like them. Depending on how people vote, it would probably be smart to come back to them in one or two months and see how it's going. Adjust them accordingly from there. But so far I like it.
<3linkman
Maybe add a few, like staying to the board's topic, excessive flaming outside of the flame board, and emulator distribution.
Other then that, they seem good. Maybe we should define spam a little better though.
Ehh ... we don't have to be that strict on emulator distribution or [though you didn't say anything about it] uploading music.
Illegal ROM distribution is bad! :D
Spam basically defines itself. A flood of messages with no purpose other than to annoy the people reading them. It's something people do intentionally. I don't really think we need to elaberate on that.
I covered the whole flaming bit with rule #5.
I don't know about the emulater thing. I thought about that though. I don't think it's really that big an issue, unless Jesse starts getting threats for having illegal content on his website, why should we care? Not gonna happen though.
Something about posting threads in the correct forum, though; that I'll probably add.
What about posts like "haha," "that deserves rep," "quoted for truth," "wackowackowackowacko," "no u," and stuff like that? I've always found it appropriate to delete posts like that.
Please put [COLOR=lime][FONT=verdana]lime [/FONT][/COLOR]in the catagory of "painfully difficult to read colors".
What the hell? Lime is perfectly readable, unless you're colorblind.
Love the rules, especially the part about lenient moderation of the Off-Topic forums. :) Except maybe the War Board, that's meant for serious discussion.
Lime is fine. Emulator distro is fine. Rom distro is bad.
roms are illegally gained copies of software. emulators are just pieces of software that do what hardware does. BIOS images are in the same boat as ROMS.
im not sure how i feel about deleting posts that are "me too" type. THey dont deserve to be held in the same regard as actual content, but post count doesntmatter so its quite moot. This is what rep is for.
ps: cats http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat
Emulators are good.
Public Domain ROMs are good.
Commerical ROMs are bad.
There is a difference. Not all ROMs are rips from some n00b's XBOX discs.
...Keep it as is: emus & PD ROMs, no (non-[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROM_image#Freely_licensed_ROMs]freely licensed[/url]) commerical dumps.
I like them. Keep up the good work.
Green isn't difficult to read, nor were the blue and red examples but I wouldn't want to see either of those two colours as someones font. Green is just an unbolded version of lime. A worse example of a bad colour would be a pink of some sort... like hot pink.
[COLOR="Magenta"]HELLO LOL I'M SO PRETTY[/COLOR]
Add a tibit about the font colour being readable, but also easy on the eyes.
I mean, freaking ow there vamp. It hurts to read that!
I should be able to go in a public library and view this forum without being banned from the computers afterwards. If that means having to enforce the rules, even if some members whine about it afterwards, then yes, I'd like the new rules.
Where'd that come from?
Like everything else in the world. It only takes one person to ruin it for the majority. See: Janet Jackson Superbowl incident.
Unlike that incident, this matter can be resolved as simply as saying "F[COLOR="black"]u[/COLOR]ck you."
Using a library for it's intended purpose? You fool!
[quote=The Judge]Your wants > Everyone else's?
enforcing the rules > this site getting shut down because some retard thinks it's okay to put porn in his sig
It's not though...
Wooden sculptures have never really been a mainstream medium for eroticism.
I'm assuming that's what he meant...
Porn isn't allowed, stupid. And these new rules don't make it allowed either.
I also think theyre should be a rule for giving bad rep. don't give bad rep and say "I hate you" give it for a reason. or just get rid of the whole rep thing.rep shouldnt matter, well why the fukk is it such a concern for people. if you have over 400 rep points then you got nothing to worry about.
Ok (short on time), replaced the old rules with the new ones. Made a few small changes and additions. Added a rule (or regulation; whatever) on posting threads in the right forum. Also, added a rule about illegal (commercial dump) ROM discussion. Made a note about bright colors. I think that's it..
They take effect as of now (well whatever wasn't there before does).
[quote=Linkman (Forum Rules)]9) Whilst we do allow you to talk about Emulators and some ROMs, we do not allow discussion of ANYTHING that has been obtained illegally. Below are our terms for Emulator and ROM discussion:
--» Discussion of Emulator Software is allowed.
--» Discussion of Freely Licensed ROMs [?] is allowed.
--» Discussion of Commercial Distributed ROMs [?] is NOT allowed.
I don't agree with the discussion of ANYTHING that has been illegally obtained section.
What about things like GoldenEye 007 and its dissection and eventual recovery of Citadel and the multiplayer Bonds, Ocarina of Time and the discovery of its beta elements & Arwing, or even games that exist only in ROM format, such as [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BS_Zelda]BS Legend of Zelda[/url], [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BS_The_Legend_of_Zelda:_Kodai_no_Sekiban]BS Zelda: Kodai no Sekiban[/url] or [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_Crackers]Sonic Crackers[/url]?
It should be that discussion of obtaining these is not allowed, not barring EVERYTHING about them.
...Unless it was just a miswording. ;)
Ok, fixed it (I think). I guess I just worded it wrong. I basically wrote it based on what you had said before, because I personally don't know jack-shit about ROMs. So if it's still wrong, you can write it out, and I'll just paste it in.
It needs a clause about what one does (or doesn't do) to become a moderator. I assume the policy hasn't changed from last time (which is fine, I really don't care), but these new rules doesn't address that.
That's because it's a non-issue.
I'm pretty sure the FAQ in Board Help has a part about that. I don't think it needs to be in the rules too.