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AnimeSuki Forum Rules |
Although the administrators and moderators of AnimeSuki Forum will attempt to keep all objectionable messages off this forum, it is impossible for us to review all messages. All messages express the views of the author, and neither the owners of AnimeSuki Forum, nor Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd. (developers of vBulletin) will be held responsible for the content of any message. By agreeing to these rules, you warrant that you will not post any messages that are obscene, vulgar, sexually-oriented, hateful, threatening, or otherwise violative of any laws. The owners of AnimeSuki Forum reserve the right to remove, edit, move or close any thread for any reason. IntroductionIn order to keep The Forum legal, tidy and fun to visit it has been necessary to establish a few rules. Failure to abide by The Rules can result in your Account being banned; either temporarily or permanently. The Rules have been divided into different sections to make them easier to follow:
1.0 General RulesThe following General Rules apply to ALL aspects of the forum. This includes forum threads, posts, links, user profiles, avatars, private messages, reputation comments, signatures, etc. Please Note: Since this is an English forum we ask that all communication be in English. Ideally this means using proper English, with appropriate punctuation and capitalization, at all times. Excessive abbreviations, meme images, and "l33t speak" are particularly unwelcome. We appreciate that English is not the first language of many of our members but ask that they try their best never-the-less; though in fairness, it is the native English speakers who abuse these guidelines most often. Any content found in violation of the General Rules will simply be deleted. Depending on the severity of the offence members found breaking the General Rules will be given a warning, temporary ban or permanent ban. Please do not complain if your post is removed because the content is considered inappropriate. Staff decisions on these matters are final. These rules are only a guideline. If the situation arises where we feel the spirit of the rules are being broken or abused, we may take retrospective action on the offender(s). 1.1 Unlicensed Anime or Manga onlyAnimeSuki does not wish to be associated with unlawful and ethically unacceptable activities (e.g. piracy). For this reason all messages requesting, providing, or otherwise discussing information about the use of illegally obtained media, or any service that aids in the illegal acquisition of such media, is expressly forbidden. The following is a list of media considered "banned" from The Forum because its acquisition is always considered illegal and unethical:
In some cases, AnimeSuki allows links to fan translation projects for unlicensed works, even though these projects are technically illegal (they are in breach of copyright law). This position may appear illogical and even hypocritical especially given that Raws are forbidden. However, we rationalise the rule by the relative ethical acceptability; we simply consider fan translations of unlicensed works to be ethically more acceptable than other "pirated" media. * - Images with significant text, that warrants translation, will be allowed on a case by case basis. 1.2 Do not insult or harass other membersInsults, harassment, flaming, trolling, baiting or other similar abusive behaviour towards other members of The Forum will not be tolerated. This includes the use of "retort images". Images used to convey a "come back" message (i.e. to "retort") are forbidden in all areas of The Forum, they are often offensive and only serve to ignite flame wars. 1.3 Do not provide inappropriate contentAny content (e.g. images, text, video, etc.) that is of a pornographic, extremely violent, repulsive or disturbing nature, or otherwise unsuitable for minors, is expressly forbidden. While you are strongly discouraged from posting potentially offensive or risque content, that could be considered unsuitable for viewing at work and school, we understand that in some cases it is of value to The Forum. In such cases you may link to it using a URL tag provided it is both suitable for a PG-13 audience and is accompanied by appropriate warnings. The inline-image feature (IMG tag) must NOT be used for such content. 1.4 Do not use more than one accountOne User, one Account. The use of multiple accounts or allowing more than one person access to an account is expressly forbidden. If you want a different username, please visit this thread for more information. If you are having trouble accessing your account, please contact a staff member. If you find your account has been banned, do not make matters worse by creating a new one to ask why. Instead, contact a staff member (via a private message) using your original account. Duplicate accounts will be merged, removed or permanently banned without warning. 1.5 Do not solicit our membersUnder no circumstances are you permitted to solicit our members for any purpose. This includes, but is not limited to referrals, subscriptions, registrations and signatures (electronic or otherwise). In general this means:
Examples include "army building" games like "Outwar" and "Kings of Chaos", promotional sites like "free iPods" and petitions like those found at "Petition Online". Members breaking this rule will be banned without warning. 2.0 Posting RulesThese rules govern what posts and threads members are allowed to create on The Forum. They apply to ALL forums but do NOT apply to signatures or user profiles. The staff may allow exceptions to these rules or impose additional rules for certain threads and forums. Details of any such exceptions or additions will be given in forum announcements, sticky threads or the first post of an individual thread to which they apply. Messages that break the Posting Rules will be edited, closed or deleted. Depending on the severity of the offence, members found breaking the Posting Rules will be given a warning, a temporary ban or a permanent ban. 2.1 Do not post nonsenseYou are not required to reply to every single thread and post in a forum. Please only reply if you have something useful to add to the thread. Posts such as "I agree", "OK" and "Me too" are all considered nonsense. If you do not have anything helpful to say in a thread or you do not know the answer to a question, please do not post simply to say that you do not have anything to say or that you do not know the answer the question. Posting just to "bump" a thread (i.e. move it to the top of the forum) is also considered nonsense. 2.2 Do not begin topics that lack purposeWe require that all threads serve a purpose; pointless threads will not be tolerated. The forum most frequently abused by useless threads is "General Chat". The purpose of the General Chat forum is to discuss topics not related to AnimeSuki's main purpose of anime and BitTorrent. This does not mean that you can post absolutely anything there; even in the General Chat forum threads must serve some purpose. Below you will find some guidelines to help you avoid threads that we almost always consider "pointless":
Please Note: There are exceptions to this list. If you want to create a thread from the above types, that you think may serve a useful purpose, please send a private message to a member of staff. If you get permission to create the thread say who from in your post; it will prevent confusion later. Anime related polls are exempt from the "No trivial polls" rule, so you can feel free to create polls such as "Who is your favourite girl in Maburaho?" Such polls may not be marvels of brilliance but they are at least topical. If you cannot figure out the difference please ask a member of staff. 2.3 Do not ask when episodes will be released2.4 Do not make image heavy postsThis is a discussion forum not an image board; posts must contain more than just images or links to images. In addition, please do not make posts with large images unless it's specifically applicable to the thread in question. If you want to include screenshots, wallpapers, art and so forth, please link them by means of the URL tag. Small thumbnails, which link to the larger images, are an acceptable alternative. Please Note: "Hiding" images in spoiler tags does NOT save on bandwidth. Even if the spoiler is never opened the entire image is downloaded every time the post is displayed. Instead, post thumbnail images that link to the large image, or place the image inside "images" tags to ensure to not distort the page layout or cause undue loading delays for other members. 2.5 Do not "cross post"You are not permitted to post the same message in more than one forum or more than once in the same forum. Please take care to post your message in the forum or thread for which it is best suited. Do not post your message to an existing thread when it is not relevant to the topic. Reading the description under each forum title, and careful use of the search features, should help you find the right location for your message. If you post in the wrong location please send a private message to a member of staff who will move your post for you. Please do not make the mistake worse by posting the same message again in another location. 2.6 Do not advertise your products, services or eventsYou are not permitted to post the URL of, or information about any website, product, service or event with which you are affiliated unless it forms an important part of an on-topic reply to a previous post, where providing the URL or information would be of specific interest to the topic. In keeping with the General Rules, this includes soliciting other members to send you electronic mail or private messages in exchange for such information. AnimeSuki will not tolerate the use of its facilities to send or in any way distribute unsolicited advertising. All advertising must be authorised by a member of staff prior to its publication within The Forum; either by explicit exception in The Rules or by a private message from a member of staff. Please Note: If you own or participate in an anime-related website or blog, please read the following Sanctioned Interpretation for further clarification of our link policy. 2.7 No public personal conversationsThis is a discussion forum not a chat room; threads with only two people chatting are generally dull for everyone else. If you want to chat with another member of The Forum please use the private message feature, join our IRC channel (#animesuki) on synIRC or contact the member directly using email or via IM. 2.8 Avoid flammable and cyclic topicsPlease be aware that political and religious discussions often cause very heated debates with little give or take on either side. They normally start out interesting and sensible but degrade rapidly. This produces the same arguments repeatedly for pages and induces many members to start "flaming" each other. Such topics will most likely be closed unless care is taken to keep the thread both interesting and polite. Similar discussions, concerning the illegality of fansubs and licensing debates, may also be treated in this way. 2.9 Always Remain ConstructiveDiscussions tend to attract a large variety of different opinions; all opinions are welcome on AnimeSuki as long as they contribute constructively to the conversation at hand. Focus on providing the reasons why you believe what you do, and support your opinions with explanations and evidence so that others can understand where you're coming from. If your apparent goal is simply to attack a show, its staff/cast, or other posters for not agreeing with your preferences and opinions (whether positive or negative), or to lord your opinions over others in such a way that antagonizes other posters (whether fans, critics, or anyone else), this does not contribute constructively to the on-topic conversation, and typically results in derailed threads. Ad hominem attacks, poisoned-well arguments, smear campaigns (against a show, genre, trait, character, person, group, or otherwise), and similar comments that provoke and inflame the conversation are not acceptable. Posts that lack objectivity or constructive purpose, for any of the aforementioned reasons or others, may be edited or deleted. Offending posters may be warned, infracted, temporarily banned, or forbidden from accessing and/or posting in certain parts of the forum, at the full discretion of the Forum Staff. Repeated infractions for this or any other sort of forbidden Forum behaviour can also result in a permanent ban from the site. 3.0 Signature RulesThese rules apply only to member signatures. Users who do not wish to see member signatures may disable them in their User Profiles via the User Control Panel. The Signature Rules are only loosely enforced. Nevertheless, signatures that violate them will be removed and/or replaced with a warning. Members who ignore warnings and keep violating the Signature Rules will receive infractions that may result in temporary or permanent bans. Annoying signatures, or those that break any part of the Forum Rules, may be edited or removed at any time without notice at the sole discretion of the staff. 3.1 Size LimitsTo keep The Forum loading quickly for users who wish to see signatures, and to preserve The Forum's visual aesthetic, your signature must conform to the following size limits:
To reduce bandwidth consumption and to ensure compliance with the above limitations, we expressly forbid any form of dynamic image that has to be reloaded each time it is shown, which includes "Signature Rotators". 3.2 Limited Advertising PermittedSignatures are excluded from the advertising restrictions found in the Posting Rules; provided the site, product, service or event being advertised and the content of the advertisement complies with the rest of The Rules. If you are not sure please ask a member of staff. 3.3 Content RestrictionsPlease refrain from including any image or text in a signature that could be considered a spoiler, or is otherwise in violation of any other section of the Forum Rules. In addition, your signature may not use the [quote] tag, [indent] tag, [spoiler] tag, or any tag that hides some or all of the signature contents. 4.0 Reputation RulesThese rules apply only to the Reputation System and have been included in The Rules due to an increasing trend in reputation abuse. Any reputation awards that violate these rules will either be edited or deleted. Members found breaking the Reputation Rules will be given a warning and have their reputation degraded to prevent further abuse. Members who continue to break the Reputation Rules may be officially barred from awarding Reputation to other members. Any attempt to violate this restriction will result in a permanent ban. 4.1 Other rules still applyPlease remember that all General Rules apply to the Reputation System. 4.2 Awarding reputationDeliberate, targeted and excessive awarding of reputation in an attempt to significantly alter another member's reputation is considered abusive, both when awarding positive or negative reputation. The reputation system is to be used for feedback and fun not for belittling or discrediting other members. This does not mean that you cannot award negative feedback; just that common sense and restraint should be observed. 4.3 Do not include images or linksYou are not permitted to post images or links through the Reputation System. The Reputation System is designed to allow members to provide constructive feedback on posts, not to distribute images and links. 4.4 Please do not post about reputationsIf you feel you have received an inappropriate reputation award please contact a member of staff. Please do not make posts or comments in The Forum complaining about such events. In addition, please do not request or "beg" for reputation points as this will be considered a violation of The Rules. Please Note: If you do not like the Reputation System, the reputation awards you receive or these rules, then please do not complain about them in The Forum. Simply hide your reputation level via your User Control Panel and do not participate. |