[b]"[u]DaBz[/u] [u]ELITE[/u]"[/b] isn't run by rules, per say. Rather, it is moderated by people who put themselves in the position of making difficult judgment calls. [i] Most of these Guidelines are geared towards just improving the state of the website through smart tips. Some of these Guidelines are more prohibitive, however, and they function as rules. The rules come in two-forms: the cardinal, and the compulsory.[/i] [i][b]Cardinal Rules[/b][/i] •No trolling. Don't make posts that are inflammatory just to get people riled up. Substance is the key to not being labeled a troll. •Attack the message, not the messenger. Criticize ideas, not people. Flaming will not be tolerated. -No member is allowed to engage in public personal attacks on any other member. •Personal attacks are defined as Personal, Racial, Ethnic, and/or Gender based insults, slurs, or derisive comments. •All complaints need to be communicated privately using either PM, "Report this Post" feature and/or EMail. -In the event of this, the offending post will be edited or removed, and the offending party shall receive no more than two (2) private warnings via PM and/or EMail, and one final Administration warning. -If the behavior continues, the member will be banned for a week, and upon a repeat incident, banned permanently. -This will apply to all other community members as well. •All we want is a little community kindness and no attacks. Let's all work together to accomplish this, eh? •No pornographic, sexually offensive, sexually explicit, or objectifying material. "Simple Rule" -Administrator's judgment applies here. Sexually suggestive images will be heavily scrutinized. We'd like for our readers to be able to visit the site at work and share with friends without fear of retribution. •Do not post links or requests for warez •Post in the right forum! -Even if it's only humor, an observation, or angst, if it's about something that we have a forum for, post it there. Resist the temptation to post something off-topic because you think you'll get "better responses" in a particular forum. •Respect the privacy of others. Do not post others phone numbers, addresses, pictures, etc., without their permission. -Violating this rule could result in an automatic ban depending on the situation. •Each [b]"[u]DaBz[/u] [u]ELITE[/u]"[/b] member may have only one account. •Do not place foul language in thread subjects . •Blatant advertising of competing products is not tolerated. •And of course, NO SPAMMING. No commercial-oriented posts, and no flooding with useless content. [i][b]Compulsory Rules[/b][/i] •Use descriptive subject lines and research your post. (This reduces the chances of double-posting, and it also makes it easier for people to see what they do/don't want to read. Also, scan the subjects of the last several days' posts to make sure you aren't duplicating posts. Also, consider what forum your topic should be posted in.) •Restrict the use of excessive foul language. -Swearing is permitted, but keep it some-what classy people.. We aren’t saying you can't express your opinion, but there are ways to do so without excessive swearing. •No "Am I Hot or Not", "show me your girlfriend." etc. threads. There are several places for that already. The occasional picture thread is OK (if we're talking about pictures of members), but this is not a dating forum. [i] [b]Finally[/b], remember that we're not the ratings board here. We're not going to give you a PG for four swears and a gunshot, but R for five swears and splattering brains. Not making any hard and fast rules means that the moderators can use their good judgment in moderation, and we think the results speak for themselves. [/i] [i] [b]Bottom line:[/b][/i] •We always give warnings (with the exception of unacceptable posts-sometimes we need to work fast), but we don't necessarily give them more than twice to the same person. If you are disrupting the community, we will take action. [b]"[u]DaBz[/u] [u]ELITE[/u]"[/b] Signature Guidelines We have come up with some general signature guidelines, and these will be enforced. -Signatures are expected to follow the same guidelines as posts, which means no flaming, no swearing, and no personal attacks. If you are seen violating these guidelines you will be asked once privately to change your signature. If you fail to comply, we will change it for you. These guidelines should be easy to understand and easy to follow. Thanks for your understanding in this matter, and hope you enjoy the clan member experience here [i]@[b]"[u]DaBz[/u] [u]ELITE[/u]"[/b] [/i]