Forum Rules

Subject: Forum Rules Wed Apr 09, 2008 6:15 am

Forum Rules

Member Conduct & Etiquette

* No flaming or name calling. Be respectful of other posters.

* We do not allow the use of direct profanity on the forums. The use of abbreviations such as "wtf" will most likely not get you banned but use your common sense.

* All posts should be PG-13. Mature conversations such as sex, masturbation, etc. do not belong on this board as this is a family message board.

* No excessive post spamming inside forums. Any such messages will be removed at the discretion of either a forum moderator or administrator.

* No SHOUTING. It’s just plain rude and annoying. Typing in ALL CAPS may result in your post being deleted. Same applies for AlTeRnAcApS; and same goes for txt typing.

* Post to the correct forum and only that forum. Do not post the same thread in more than one forum even if it pertains to more than one. This is known as cross-posting.

Moderation Policy

* Otakon Board and its staff are under no obligation to moderate or police these forums. Non-enforcement or failure of strict enforcement of the rules outlined on this page should not be construed as a waiver of rights by this forum. We will moderate only when deemed necessary and at our sole discretion.

* Otakon Board reserves the right to perform any action which includes, but is not limited to: moving, closing, editing or deleting of any posting, profile, avatar and/or signature for any reason whatsoever at our sole discretion, without prior notification or explanation to the user. Consequently, moderators reserve the right to suspend/ban any user for posts they feel do not comply with the forum rules. Keep your posts in line and you'll be fine.

* Please be respectful when interacting with our forum moderators and administrators. They all work to make this a better place for free.

* Moderation actions are not up for debate or public scrutiny. Any topics or posts intended to question moderator actions (whether justified or not) will be closed/deleted and the member will be dealt with severely, usually leading up to suspension or removal from the boards permanently.

If you have a question/problem regarding a moderator action, the proper process is to send that moderator a Private Message (PM) in a respectful and non-demanding/non-threatening tone. Abusive PM's sent to moderators will result in severe consequences to the sender. If you cannot reason with a moderator, please contact an administrator. Do not contact an administrator unless you have first attempted to resolve the matter with the moderator.

* Do not involve yourself in arguments or flaming threads with other members. Opinions will inevitably vary amongst the member population on these boards. If you end up saying something you shouldn't have, we'll have no choice but be forced to suspend/remove you. Many previously banned members have come to regret what they have said in these situations and there is nothing we can do for them after the fact. If you see others bashing/fighting, report the post to us, do not let your emotions consume you. Do not involve yourself and risk your account.

Account Policy

* Each forums member is limited to one account/username/alias, unless otherwise authorized by a Otakon Board Administrator.

* Creating additional accounts while under suspension or under review will automatically result in all accounts being banned permanently, even if you're later discovered to be not at fault.

* Do not impersonate other individuals or falsely represent yourself. Creating multiple accounts for the purposes of impersonating others or misrepresenting yourself will result in all accounts being banned.

* Do not post messages for members that have been banned, the same goes for members that have been suspended. Any messages posted for banned/suspended members will be deleted and the member that posted the message will be dealt with accordingly.

Copyright, Advertising, Slander/Libel, Linking & Other Legal Matters

* Do not post personal information (i.e. addresses, phone numbers, passwords, or any other private information) without the express permission of the individual.

* Observe all copyright laws when posting copyrighted material. If the material does not belong to you, do not post the full article/text. Post only the introductory paragraph then credit the source/author and link to the article.

* We allow the advertisement of non-profit websites only. You may place a small (font size 2 or smaller) link to your website in your signature. We do not allow advertising links in a signature image. Exceptions to this rule will be granted on a case-by-case basis.

* Do not spam or send unsolicited emails or Private Messages to other members.

* Do not post pornography or links to pornography or obscene materials of any form here.

* Do not post direct links to any illegal materials, including but not limited to: illegal software, viruses, worms, trojans, spyware, unauthorized music or video files, etc.

* Do not post slanderous, libelous, or other untrue statements about anyone on these boards. Otakon Forum do not monitor these boards closely for such content and we hereby disclaim all liability associated with these types of postings on our board.

If you feel someone has made false statements about you that do not fall under "fair comment", please use the "Report Post" feature to report these posts to us. Members posting such materials may face criminal prosecution. If you are a minor, a parent/guardian will generally be liable.

* Otakon Forum may modify and amend to these rules and terms at any time without prior notice. We will make efforts to make new changes known, but it is your responsibility to periodically check for updates.

Make sure your signature meets our Signature & Avatar Rules