Rules of the board - IMPORTANT, please read

[bmilder]

Rules of Entmoot v. 1.0 Welcome to the board! I certainly hope that you enjoy yourself here. In order to ensure that everyone is happy, I have written a set of basic rules that you must follow in order to post. If you disobey the rules, you may receive a "punishment" ranging from a warning to permanent IP banning. Ignorance is not an excuse, so I suggest that you become familiar with the rules :) Trolling (posting with the sole intent of causing trouble or insulting), spamming/flooding (posting the same messages over and over again or in multiple forums) and flaming (insulting) are not permitted. Advertising other sites is not allowed either, except for one <a href=http://server3.ezboard.com/fbenjaminstolkienboardgeneralmessages.showMessage? topicID=102.topic>designated thread.</a> Try to keep profanity at a low. I have the censor turned on, but it doesn't catch everything and as of this writing, it is not customizable. Posting asterixes instead of letters is acceptable, but blocking out only part of the word is frowned upon. Don't post things that you know are inappropriate. I hope to keep this board PG-rated, maybe bordering on PG-13, so if you have doubts as to whether to post something or not, make sure it is suitable for children to view. Don't insult people. If you are just joking around, make sure you include a smiley so that the person knows it; that person may interpret it as a personal attack. Violations of privacy are not permitted either. This includes, but is not limited to, posting private conversations from RL, ICQ, email, etc; posting personal information about others, etc. I've been lenient about letting certain offenses go by, but now that the rules are in written form, they will be enforced more strictly. The admins/mods have the right to decide what is inappropriate, and will act accordingly. Depending on the severity of the offense, one or more punishments may be administered. A warning will be given out to minor offenders. The next steps are 48-hour bans, permanent banning, and as a last resort, IP banning. However, we may move directly to IP banning depending on the circumstances. We reserve to change these rules whenever we deem necessary; it is your responsibility to keep up with the latest version. When the rules are changed, an announcement will be made. Wow, you made it through all that :P. My intention is not to create a strict atmosphere, but just to have written guidelines that will make posting more enjoyable for everyone :)

[captain Tarpols]

cool :P

[DarthNut]

OK

[Eruve]

OK, I have a question regarding how you define "advertising" another site. Is it acceptable to provide a hyperlink (just the URL) to something which may help prove a point in an argument, or to a page which may answer a question? I ask because I don't know how to do links like you and Hernalt (i.e. blue text that is clickable but isn't a url). Sorry, I'm still a little technologically behind the times!!

[bmilder]

No, I mean obvious advertising completely unrelated to anything :) Here's an <a href=http://server3.ezboard.com/fbenjaminstolkienboardgeneralmessages.showMessage? topicID=49.topic>example of what not to do</a> Links that further the discussion are perfectly ok, just don't go starting threads about your home page :P

[gdl96]

Whoa. I've done quite a few things on that list several times, and so far I've only gotten "warnings". Maybe I should test this system out. :p

[anduin]

Hmmm...maybe you should Greg :)

[Eruve]

Thanks, no problem! You won't have any trouble with me from an advertising standpoint, because I don't have a homepage, LOL!!

[dmaul96]

You've neglected to include a very important rule. What would happen in the highly probable event that an administrater or moderater were to break a rule or unjustly punish members? For anyone who has been at Entmoot for a while, it is apparent that certain moderaters and administraters have consistenlty broken rules, and unfairly banned several people. Because administraters and moderaters make up a signifacant portion of Entmoot, it would be reasonable to include a set of guidelines for them as well.

[Gollum]

*shakes fist* You tyrant!!!!!!!!! ;)

[bmilder]

Dmaul96- I did a quick calculation on a calculator and found that admins/moderators make up about 5.8% of the total count :P Anyway, the day I promoted Ryan and Tater to admin, I did write some guidelines for them, but they're in the mod forum so you can't see them :P Version 1.1 of the rules should come out soon, too :D

[dmaul96]

Although they may only make up 5.8%, the moderaters and administraters post a lot more than other other people. Anyway, how do we know that the admins and mods have rules as well. I think you're lying:)

[dmaul96]

hi, sorry i neede to put this in to log on as dmaul96

[DarthNut]

ya, whatever

[anduin]

Jae, I don't think there is an admin or a mod here that would think twice about editing, banning, or warning a fellow admin or mod, if the situation was appropriate.

[bmilder]

Yeah, they suspended PB at the JC a few months ago... Anyway, the only person who can't get punished here is me :D (I don't think the software allows it :))

[anduin]

Yep, I bet you wouldn't even venture a try.... :P

[Son of a Hutt]

Board owners can't be banned or de-admined.

[Ryan6233]

Soah, thats a lie ;) I banned myself from my own bord, and un-admined myself, also :) Luckily i had just made Ben an Admin and he was able to set things straight, but it certainly isn't true that board owners can't be banner or de-admined :)

[anduin]

This maybe a dumb question....but why did you ban yourself from your own board? BTW, what is your board?

[captain Tarpols]

I heard it is just some pin thing....

[anduin]

Oh yeah...I knew that....Hard Rock Cafe pins.....

[Darth Tater]

Ben, I could ban you if I wanted, not that I want to. There are admin/mod rules which we follow loosely. And we do take action when innapropriate things happen. Just remember the Ryan incident.

[Ryan6233]

heh, no, the hard rock pin thing is a website(a ****py little one at that, but at least now i have everyones ip *evil grin* :) My board is secret :) Its a horrible place, and you shouldn't go there. And yes, the admins/mods DO have rules, and i broke just about everyone one of them, which is the reason i de-admined myself :)

[anduin]

what is the addy Ryan? just curious....... ;)

[dmaul96]

Purple is a cool color!

[Gimli the Dwarf]

are you trying to say something off topic so that they ban you? anyway, blue is better, ...I am blue,...

[dmaul96]

Actually I like blue too. i just said purple.

[captain Tarpols]

I didn't go there but i heard that his board is a ant-Larry board. and laso i have a suggestion for a rule: anyone who calls me Jon gets banned for a day.

[Darth Tater]

Tristan, I too thought that was a great idea. So be it.

[anduin]

Hey good idea, Jo...I mean Tarps :) "Make it so, Tater"

[gdl96]

Let me test out that rule. How's it going Jon? :p

[anduin]

Man, if I had the power to do it gdl, I would ban you just for @#%$ and giggles..... :P

[gdl96]

No offense anduin, but i never really thought of you as the cursing type. I must admit though, that your statement about @#%$ and giggles was quite humorous. I am a big austin powers fan.

[Darth Tater]

Greg, don't test the powers that be. Enjoy!!!

[captain Tarpols]

we want a new version of rules!! ya! or not ;) enforce that law more!!!!! wel, actually no one has called me Jon in awhile....

[anduin]

What are you talking about Jon?!! :P

[captain Tarpols]

grrr! :P

[anduin]

Well, what did you expect?? :p

[Darth Tater]

Anduin, you leave me with quite a dilema. Of course, it is a stoopid rule, you can call him Jon now! ;)

[captain Tarpols]

grrrrrr!!!!! ban them i say! ban them all!!. or not :p . just don't call me Jon.

[bmilder]

Ok, Jon ;)

[Darth ATAT]

It isn't possible to de-admin the original owner of a board. I tried it with a backup admin username and nothing happened.

It is possible to ban the original owner, though they can just de-ban themselves.

[bmilder]

That's true, I know that now :)

Wow, I really ought to make Entmoot Rules v. 2.0 or something ;)

or at least 1.1 :p

[Darth ATAT]

Well, I have some very complicated rules at pub14.ezboard.com/ftheultimatestarwarsboardannouncements.showMessage ?topicID=12.topic (http://pub14.ezboard.com/ftheultimatestarwarsboardannouncements.showMessage ?topicID=12.topic). They're a bit too, well complex so do you mind if I borrow yours? :)

[bmilder]

Hmm, well, ok if you credit me with a link back here for writing them :p

[Darth ATAT]

I would probably add in another level of ban, say 1 week, above 48 hours, before you get to permanent. Other than that you have a very nice set of rules so thanks I will probably use them. I will give credit.

[Shanamir Duntak]

You should add something like "On a comment reflecting a low-level IQ (Below 50) You'll be banned for 1 hour" :p

So I would be banned almost 24/7... :D

[Darth ATAT]

One hour? That'll really upset them! :D

[Darth ATAT]

- Make people who have received a Warning have a message in their title

- Add in a 1 week suspension before permanent banning

- Take out IP banning as it doesn't work, and put in "a hunt by the admins to ban all your aliases" or something like that

[Bullroarer]

LOL

[Darth Tater]

BTW folks, emphasis on NO SPAMMING!

[Shanamir Duntak]

WHAT exactly are the thresold to become spamming? I think I talk a lot but I don't consider myself spamming, and don't think I've seen people here spamm...

[Darth ATAT]

So are you going to implement any of the three points?

[Shanamir Duntak]

When you talk about the message in the title do you mean like "Spamming Enting" "Unrespectful Hobbit"?

[Darth Tater]

Shanamir, you push it a lot. Spamming is posting when there's really no reason to just to up post count, sound familiar? ;)

[bmilder]

What I'll do is completely re-write the rules, probably. But not now, I don't know when I'll get around to it...

[Shanamir Duntak]

Do'H! They got me now... I'm cornered! ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG! :p

Sorry for any inconvenience I may cause.

I know I post a lot and sometimes it's less than apropriate. But please do tell me if you find me annoying and I'll reduce my number of post right then.I prefer to keep my mouth(fingers?) shut than be banned from a so good place.

By the way, I'm very serious about that, no jokes after :p .