Post by Jess on Jun 13, 2010 10:47:39 GMT -5
---- Petzrus Forum Rules & Information ----
Nothing can function well without rules and guidelines. Without them.. everything would be chaos! While they're not always fun to read, they're very important to follow and understand. So that being said, make sure you read them before posting or joining the forum, please!
Creating an Account
Posting Messages & General Rules
Maintaining the Forum
Avatar & Signature Sizes
Karma (Exalting and Smiting)
Warning Levels & Suspentions
Basic Forum Ediquete
While these are not rules and more so "guidelines", I feel that they are important to read and follow while posting here - or at any other forum. If you're confussed or find some of this guidelines unreasonable.. HERE is a thread that helps to explain how threads such as these can be annoying, and demonstrate some of the things you should NOT do... hah.
Thanks for taking the time to read the rules!
Updates will be added in a new post, as well as edited to the first post, so if new rules are added or revised, you won't have to worry about re-reading ALL of the rules again.
I hope you enjoy your time at Petzrus and as long as people are following the rules and keeping the forum etiquette in mind, I'm sure we'll all have a lot of fun here. :3
Nothing can function well without rules and guidelines. Without them.. everything would be chaos! While they're not always fun to read, they're very important to follow and understand. So that being said, make sure you read them before posting or joining the forum, please!
Creating an Account
- You must be at least 13 years of age to create an account. Members who are caught under this age will have their account deleted.
- Each person may only have one account. If an account is made with the same e-mail or IP address, we may look into seeing if people are creating multiple accounts. If you have siblings that share an e-mail or computer, please send a PM letting us know of the situation ahead of time.
- Do not create new accounts and delete old ones in order to rid yourself of karma, warning levels, etc.
- If you have been banned from the forum, do not create a new account. If your account was deleted due to age, you may create a new account when you become 13(+) years old.
- If you are having problems creating an account or forget your user name or password, do not create a new account without letting us know to delete your old account
- New members should be fluent and able to speak English.
Posting Messages & General Rules
- Do not double-post. If there is something you'd like to add to your post, please edit your message. You can do this by clicking the "edit" button in the upper-right hand corner of your message.
- Please keep spam to a minimum. Posting something completely random and off topic in a thread is not appriciated.
- You may post links to other websites, but make sure they are appropriate to the thread or board you're post them in. People do not want to see constant advertising of your website, so only post a link where it applies. If you'd like to create a specific board for your website or link, make sure to do this in the links section.
- Be kind to others and don't intentionaly do something to upset some one. I'm sure if you use your common sense, this should be fairly easy.
- Please do not use swear words. There may be young viewers - this is a petz forum, and I'd like to keep swearing to a minimum.
- If you feel that a member is being unfair or exceptionally unkind to you (either in PM's or in regular forum posts), feel free to PM me or one of the mods. Flaming and is hardly tolerated and we'd prefer that you bring a bad situation to us before it has room to grow.
- If you see a member is not following the rules, you may PM me or one of the mods, or kindly PM the member. However, constant "mini-modding" is not appriciated.
- Bumping up a thread is only allowed when adding an update after a length of time or important updates. When possible, please use the edit button. An example of when it is ok to bump a thread is at the link thread after you created an update for your website that you want other's to be aware of.
Maintaining the Forum
- Threads that have not recieved any replies in over a month will be locked.
- Locked threads will be sent to their corresponding archives if they are available for that thead, otherwise they will be deleted after being locked for a week.
- Spam and un-related threads will not be sent to the archive, but deleted after a week.
- Important, more permanent threads will be stickied. If you think your thread is worth being sticked, you're welcome to PM me request to sticky the board. (Not all requestsed boards will be stickied.)
- Threads posted in the wrong board will be moved to a new location. If you have accidently placed a thread in the wrong board, edit the title to "MODS PLEASE MOVE TO (insert board here)" or PM me or one of the mods.
- Archive threads can still be used, unlocked, and move to their previous location. If you'd like to unlock one of your archive threads, feel free to PM a mod to ask for it to re-open.
- If an account has been deleted, all threads started by that user will be deleted. Exceptions may occur for stickied threads.
- Once a thread has become 15 pages long, it will be locked and a new one will be made. The exception may vary for stickied threads.
Avatar & Signature Sizes
- Avatars may be 150x150 pixels or smaller.
- Signatures can be 550 x 250 pixels or smaller. CLICK HERE for an example.
- You may have a couple lines of text (5 or less), but nothing longer in your signature.
Karma (Exalting and Smiting)
- Exalting increases a member's karma. Smiting decreasing a member's karma.
- Smiting is used when some one breaks a rule in your thread repeatedly, is rude to you, constantly spams, etc.
- Exalting is used to when you are greatful to some one for giving you helpful advice, helping you with one of your wanted or request boards, or doing something nice that they went out of their way and took time to do.
- Do not smite some one simply because you do not like them, they got a pet you wanted, or didn't give you a pet that you wanted.
- Do not exalt people just because they're your friends, they placed you first in a show, or just because you think they're cool.
- If you ever feel that you have been smited unfairly and your karma number has been abused by a member, please PM me and I'll look into the situation.
Warning Levels & Suspentions
- Do not make a new account if your account has been suspended or deleted.
- Warning levels will be assigned after certain rules are broken. After receiving a level of 100%, you will be banned from the site permanently. A user's current warning level will show up by their name in their mini-profile.
- Warning levels are not permanent. After a month, if you have not broken any other rules, PM me to ask for your warning to be reduced. The amount of reduction will depend on which rules were broken, how many, etc.
- If an account has been deleted, all threads started by that user will be deleted. Exceptions may occur for stickied threads.
Basic Forum Ediquete
While these are not rules and more so "guidelines", I feel that they are important to read and follow while posting here - or at any other forum. If you're confussed or find some of this guidelines unreasonable.. HERE is a thread that helps to explain how threads such as these can be annoying, and demonstrate some of the things you should NOT do... hah.
- It can be rather annoying to go to a thread filled with huge, color text and tons of glowing/ artistic-like font. While it's ok to use different text sizes, etc, it can be annoying to look at if it is used too much, or if your font sizes become to big or small. Try to keep a medium sized text throughout if you can, so it's easier on the eyes.
- Using caps too much in one post or too often can be annoying, and give the impression that you're impatient or "yelling". Trying not to over-use caps in your post. (Ex. IT CAN BE REALLY ANNOYING WHEN YOU TALK LIKE THIS! ... ESPECIALLY IN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOUR POSTS! ... RIGHT?)
- Exclamation and question marks are fine to use, but when you use too many of them in a row, that can also be rather annoying. (Ex. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! or WHAT?!??????????) One is enough, and it's better just to keep it to one. ;)
- While it's ok to use a little bit of it, such as ttyl, lol, etc, chatspeak is another thing that should be used in a small amount, if not at all. While it's fine to say, "That's so funny! lol!".. it's a little annoying when people overuse chatspeak and say "Tat so fny! lolzz! omg. U r 2 kewl.".... it's just a little bit to much. So please. "Don tlk lyk dis."
- When your pictures begin to stretch the forum width, or may take a while to load because of their size, it's better to link to the picture or just post the URL. Some people's computers have different dimentions and loading times than others, so if you're not sure, it's better just to link to the picture.
- If there is something that you want, try and work for it, but don't be annoying. Constantly PMing or posting asking for a pet put you on some one's bad side, and it's better to ask nicely once, and usually offer something to them in return.
- In addition to constantly begging or asking for something, it's also frowned on to always ask for things but never give something in return. When you adopt and recieve hexies from people, it's nice to give something back and put some things up for adoption or start a service for other people, too. This will also give you more respect in the community if you give back, too, rather than always taking things.
- When quoting, if there is a picture contained in the quote, or another quote in their message, it's nice to take the time out to delete the things you're not directly quoting. Quoting pictures can take up a lot of room and/or increase the loading time for that paticular thread.
- Spamming, posting random topics, and doing things in order to just get attention or your post count up are not appriciated.
- In some boards, not all posts are locked once they have become old. Please do not reply to threads that are over a month old and drag up new boards. Instead, try to focus on more recent topics because they old ones are probably unactive for a reason. Stickied boards are an exception to this rule.
- Mini-modding and flaming are not tolerated and highly frowned at. Please let the mods do their job and try not to take matters into your own hands.
Thanks for taking the time to read the rules!
Updates will be added in a new post, as well as edited to the first post, so if new rules are added or revised, you won't have to worry about re-reading ALL of the rules again.
I hope you enjoy your time at Petzrus and as long as people are following the rules and keeping the forum etiquette in mind, I'm sure we'll all have a lot of fun here. :3