Housepets!

FunkyChickenFace wrote:Is it just me or are the HP Forums becoming increasingly rulesy? Not that it's a bad thing that there are rules, but the situation can't be THAT bad.

Then again, Buckdida has yelled at me multiple times for not adequately exploring the forums, so perhaps my naivete springs from the lack of exploration.

Ebly wrote:The 'rules' used to be one guideline which was basically not to get too out of hand or be too silly. When the forum got bigger and people found that difficult to manage (subjectivity's a *****) rules were brought in – least, I assume that was the motivation, since at that point Rick was playing the part of every role. As new problems or things that could potentially cause problems come up, more rules are put into place regarding them.[/size]

Kyderra wrote:if you really want to get some heated discussion, you can do it over IM , IRC or PM's, there is no need to go do this in puplic

Jigglypuff wrote:Re-checked the rules once more and i've got everything covered. Also, not to backseat mod or be a mini-mod, but isn't there a rule that there's "No one-word or single-image responses"? Cuz I've seen some posts (like the post above me) that's just one word and nothing more. Isn't that not allowed?

Jigglypuff wrote:Re-checked the rules once more and i've got everything covered. Also, not to backseat mod or be a mini-mod, but isn't there a rule that there's "No one-word or single-image responses"? Cuz I've seen some posts (like the post above me) that's just one word and nothing more. Isn't that not allowed?

rickgriffin wrote:No one-word or single-image responses (unless the topic is about those very things, naturally). This includes thread bumping; do not bump a thread unless you have something additional to contribute.

Foxstar wrote:

Kyderra wrote:if you really want to get some heated discussion, you can do it over IM , IRC or PM's, there is no need to go do this in puplic

Agreed.

Drugs or criminal activity

rickgriffin wrote:I would say no, unless the discussion was directed toward encouraging or goading underage drinking.

Dissension wrote:This is referring to a couple of drug references that were deleted, leaving the posts where alcohol was mentioned.

Tha Housedog wrote:Trolling is saying something specifically for the purpose of making others angry. At least, that's how I understand it.

Retinq wrote:In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion. The noun troll may refer to the provocative message itself, as in: "That was an excellent troll you posted". While the word troll and its associated verb trolling are associated with Internet discourse, media attention in recent years has made such labels subjective, with trolling describing intentionally provocative actions outside of an online context. For example, mass media uses troll to describe "a person who defaces Internet tribute sites with the aim of causing grief to families."

Source: WIKIPEDIA I remembered it as a useless site, but times are changing. I found almost everything there i was looking for. (Irrelevant:I also found a slang dictionary.)

A few posts up, I wrote:Welcome to the Housepets! forum community! Please take a moment to introduce yourself in the welcome thread.

If you have questions about role playing, I encourage you to check out the Role Playing Section, especially the Out-Of-Character Sub-Forum which relates to character and campaign creation and management. You can get a lot of good information from the Main Pet-Friendly OOC Thread. If you still have questions, feel free to send a private message to ctcmjh, that section's moderator.

I also recommend spending some time in the forums dedicated to the comic and dropping by the Not the Comic section for some non-Housepets! discussion.

• Do not derail a discussion thread. While it is acceptable to go off topic for a post or two, it is much less so to overtly change the topic for an extended period.
• Don't stretch the page. It is completely unnecessary to write a long string of characters uninterrupted by spaces. Similarly, outside comic translations and the Media Median, there is no reason to post images more than 500 pixels wide.
• If you must resurrect a thread, please don't do so to immediately drive it off topic. Make sure any necromancy is both necessary and relevant.
• Keep it clean! The profanity filter has lots of words in it. Trying to evade the filter counts against you. To be safe, if you're going to self-censor, completely obliterate the word with asterisks.
• Make sure to report inappropriate posts. Talking about posts that break the rules does nothing to resolve the situation and may be construed as mini-modding. You can get more information about reporting posts here.
• No one-word or single-image responses. If you cannot contribute to one conversation, find another to participate in. (This rule does not apply to some forum games.)
• Please do not double-post. Every post you make has an edit button in the upper-right corner. If you need to add more information to a thread and nobody's posted since you, use that button instead. (This rule does not apply to 'updates' in threads where those are necessary.)
• Type coherently. Since we communicate entirely through the written word here, we have to be able to understand each other. This means, among other things, no chat speak.

• Come as you are. Outside of role playing, there's no reason for you to assume a false persona. Be honest about yourself. It should go without saying that this includes impersonation. This also includes sockpuppeting. Don't create multiple accounts to support a contrarian point of view.
• Do not evade bans. This is common sense. If you've been banned once, coming back with another account will only get you banned again. If your ban was originally temporary, it will be extended or made permanent.
• No Flaming. Do not openly attack, insult, belittle, or abuse another poster. You will be warned if this occurs; you will be banned on grounds of harassment if this appears to be chronic.
• No Mini-Modding. Attempting to call out a rule-breaker by citing the rules is annoying and derails the thread. You will be warned if this occurs. Remember to report any post in violation of the rules so a moderator can handle the problem.
• No Trolling. Any topic or response purposely intended to incite flames WILL result in a ban. Even if you attempt to have a "serious" conversation, and bend or tiptoe around the board rules as a result, this counts as trolling.

• Current politics, religion, and other potentially controversial issues outside of the context of the comic, especially as far as it pertains to creating an environment in which to flame others for their viewpoints.
• Drugs or criminal activity, including obtaining mp3s, movies, or computer programs illegally.
• No shipping! While many shipping threads start out silly and fun, they can quickly degenerate into arguing and creepiness. Do not make threads or signatures promoting your favorite pairing. This includes forum member shipping. It is acceptable to discuss romantic couplings in the current comic thread and the role playing and fan fiction sections in the context of comic discussion, a role playing adventure, fan art, or fan fiction.
• No solicitation. Do not create a thread or post requesting donations. The boards are not here for you to advertise your products or services and while we can sympathize with those who are down on their luck, you should seek assistance elsewhere.
• Respect the moderators and their decisions. If you want to know why an action was taken, feel free to PM the moderator with any questions. If their answer doesn't satisfy you (or you think it's unfair), you may ask a global moderator for a second opinion. However, you should not make a big scene in public and disrupt the flow of conversation. Doing so will result in a warning.
• The rating of this forum is PG-13 at maximum. That means, while it is okay to mention sex, it is not okay to be explicit about it, nor to discuss it in context of specific characters, NOR is it okay to discuss explicit violence in the same manner. Talking about sites that deal with pornography is not allowed, and linking to them will result in a warning. Posting images with explicit sexual or violent content WILL result in a ban.
• None of the above can be discussed in any capacity on the forum, comment box, or any other board or chat room endorsed and moderated by this forum or a representative of this forum (to the extent they are acting within their capacity as a representative of this site), nor can discussion or arrangement of said activities be advertised within these areas or directly connected with Housepets in any manner.

Dissension wrote:I added bold crimson text to signify updates or additions.