Nintendo NSider2 Forums: Board Guidelines

Revision 1.5.32: Sunday, April 25, 2010

On behalf of the NSider2 Network, this new set of board guidelines has been developed and implemented by the staff with the interest of creating a better community for all. We ask that you all read and understand the terms listed here as we are all bound by it. By continuing to use the features of the Nsider2 Network, you agree to these guidelines.

Rationale
This set of board guidelines is designed to help maintain the responsibility all users share here on the Nsider2 Forums. We are a community, and for that reason, we must have rules and guidelines to help maintain order and balance.

Please Note
Whenever the phrase "on the forums" is used, it bears the meaning of every aspect of user content, that would include posting, profiles, signatures, avatars, anything you can do under nsider2.com is on the forums.
Whenever the phrase "Forum warn" is used, it means that a warn level increase has taken place, and a new note has been created on the warn log.
Any site that falls under the NSider2 Network falls under these guidelines.

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1) Forum Etiquette

A - WARN LEVELS: In the event a user breaks a rule, or breaks it frequently enough, a warn level increase will be given by either the moderating or the administrating staff. We have a very generous "10-strikes-and-you're-out" policy. Should your warning level reach 100% (10 warnings), you will receive a temporary ban. If you continue the behavior after the ban is up, your warn level will be increased again, and you will be banned permanently.

Warn levels are not decreased for any reason, even if good behavior is kept up on a regular basis. If you believe you've been warned wrongly, consult section 3-A

B - BANNING: The NSider2 staff can and will ban anyone they feel is causing a significant disruption to the well-being of the community. At an administrator's discretion, these bans can either be permanent or last up to six months.
Reasons for which the staff will ban users include, but are not limited to:

- Racism and other forms of discrimination.
- Posting Spam/Advertisements (e.g. signing up solely to advertise a product or site).
- 'Raiding' any portion of the NSider2 Network.
- Discussion or encouragement of illegal activities.
- Reaching 100% warn level.

For information on how to appeal a ban, please see section 3-B.

C - ACCOUNTS: For security reasons, we ask that no user creates a second account while another account is still active. Any user found creating such an account will be subject to punishment accordingly, though as a rule of thumb, the "main" account's warning level will be raised and "secondary" account will be banned. Punishment will be severe if, for example, you are discovered creating an alt account to "bypass" a ban or suspension placed on your first one.

a - ACCOUNT DEACTIVATION: Accounts created on NSider2 cannot be "deleted" upon request. Instead, the staff can "deactivate" any account at its respective owner's request by giving it the "Banned" rank. If you wish for your account to be permanently deactivated, PM a forum administrator and he/she will assist you. If you wish to create a new account after your first has been deactivated in this manner, you may do so. Note, however, that while any warnings you may have possessed on your "old" account should be transferred, your post count, inventory, and other personal effects cannot be carried over. Deactivated accounts will not be restored under any circumstances.

b - SHARED ACCOUNTS: Accounts are not to be shared between different people. Your account is your online identity at Nsider2.com, and as such, you are solely and uniquely responsible for it. Anyone found "sharing" accounts, regardless of consent by either party, will be punished accordingly. Please take proper precautions to ensure that someone unwanted does not gain access to your account.

c - IP ADDRESSES: Any account made using your personal internet connection will have your unique IP address. All activity coming from your account under your IP is your responsibility and you will be held accountable for anything that happens under it. If there exists someone else in your household that wishes to join NSider2.com, PM an admin before he/she signs up and we will ensure that your situation is dealt with appropriately.

Please remember that multiple ("alternate") accounts made by the same person will be banned upon discovery, and that the "main" account involved will be given a warning, suspension, or ban depending on the severity of the offense.

D - RESPECT: We are a community of people from different places, races, religions, creeds, et cetera. We therefore ask that everyone maintain a degree of unconditional respect for one another. This will help us foster a community of people who are happy to be here and happy to post here. Any harassment of a user because of his/her gender, beliefs, race, et cetera, will not be tolerated.

E - CONTENT ACCEPTABILITY: This forum is visited by a large number of people with a diverse age range. We ask that you all follow standard rules of acceptability when choosing a username, choosing an avatar, choosing a signature, when posting, and when commenting on others' profiles. The rules are, but are not limited to, as follows:

- Profane language has no place on the forums, and it will be censored out automatically.
- Racial or other controversial content (images, text, articles, video, et cetera) has no place on the forums.
- Pornographic material, content, and text will not be tolerated.
- Graphic or extremely violent content, such as that seen in many "Mature"-rated games, must be placed in spoiler tags and marked as such accordingly.

Please also note that the moderating staff may use its discretion to take action on anything they deem inappropriate.

Video embedding is allowed here through the use of the "YouTube" BBcode. You may embed videos in your posts, providing they follow the rules of content acceptability and the rest of our guidelines. You have the option to use the auto-play function, or the BBcode "youtube-autoplay", on your "About Me" page only. Videos that are set to auto-play within posts will be deleted and the offending user will receive a warning level increase on the spot.

F - DISORDERLY CONDUCT: Members are asked to conduct themselves in a mature manner, and those who refuse will receive punishment(s) accordingly. Examples of what we consider disorderly includes, but is not limited to, the following:

- Calling hateful or spiteful action against an individual or group.
- Calling action to raid or post massive amounts of spam, or actually raiding, in other online communities in order to cause disruption.
- Creating threads to advertise personal problems and expecting to receive sympathy.
- Continuing to complain publicly about a punishment one has received as a result of breaking the rules after being warned to stop.

G - SPAMMING: Spamming is forbidden here on the NSider2 forums because it simply is not constructive. Examples of what we consider spam includes, but is not limited to, the following:

- Single word or phrase posts that stimulate no discussion.
- Threads that are known "Flame bait" or hot button topics that have been known to break out into massive, pointless arguments ("flame wars"). Please note that posting such topics may also constitute as trolling.
- Threads singling out individual users in order to inform or humiliate them.
- Threads in which the topic at hand has no significance whatsoever.
- Copy-pasted threads from other sources, where the content provides no potential for discussion.
- Threads that encourage ultra-light responses.
- Replies to spam threads that state that the thread is spam, or predict the locking of the thread.
- Replying to threads and not giving the type of response that topic is entitled to.
- Creating topics for the sake of advertising your website.
- "Double Posting" or posting successive posts to "bump" a topic to the top of the thread list.
- A post containing only a picture, a smilie/emoticon, a hyperlink, or a video.
- Bumping old topics with no acceptable reason to do so.
- Posting many times during a short duration, also known as flooding.

H - FLAMING: "Flaming", or posting something meant to put down other users, is forbidden here on the NSider2 forums, as it is destructive to the community. Examples of what we consider flaming includes, but is not limited to, the following:

- Rude and unnecessary posts such as "sucks for you."
- Calling someone a name, usually with the intention of insulting the user. This includes a wide spectrum of possible 'names', and as such, a moderator may need to use his/her judgment when dealing with "minor" occurrences.
- Creating a thread calling out another user directly.

I - TROLLING: Trolling, or attempting purposefully to evoke a specific (usually negative) reaction from other users, is not permitted on the NSider2 forums. Examples of what we consider trolling includes, but is not limited to, the following:

- Creating more than subtle implications in a post that targets a specific user.
- Flaunting your own opinion as "fact" and/or striking down the opinions of others as "wrong".
- Making threads on known hot-button topics only for the sake of getting a negative reaction from a group of users, rather than for pure discussion (i.e. Topic: christianity, Post: god sux lol).
- Making threads that subtly or directly target a certain user, encouraging a negative response.

J - ADVERTISING: Advertising is permitted only in your Signature and About Me page so long as the advertising follows all rules mentioned withing these Board Guidelines. Under no circumstances will advertising be permitted through Comments, Posts, Personal Messages (PMs), or any method aside from your Signature and About Me pages. The NSider2 Staff reserves the right to remove any advertisements in a Signature or About Me page at their own discretion.

K - CENSOR BYPASSING: NSider2 has censors in place to filter out any profanity within our users' posts. Attempting to bypass or nullify the effects of these censors in any way is considered "Censor Bypassing". Though substitutes ("effing", "FN", et cetera.) are not considered profanity, per se, please use appropriate judgment when deciding to use them.

Videos containing profanity are allowed to be posted under the circumstances that they are placed within spoiler tags, the profanity in it is not excessive, the video is relevant to the topic at hand, and a clear warning is given that the video contains profanity. Unless specifically noted by the rules of an official thread, an official thread being one hosted by a staff member, words censored on the forums will not be allowed in any other format (ex: audio, images, et cetera) on the forums and you may receive either a verbal or forum warning on the first offense, depending on the severity.

L - ENGLISH ONLY PLEASE: NSider2.com is a website for those who speak English. We expect that all members here are able to communicate in English. Posting in other languages is considered spam and will lead to the deletion of said post(s). This extends to posting gibberish or indecipherable English text.

M - ADVICE: You may post with freedom on Power On (our "General Chat" board) if you seek advice, but be aware that we do not offer nor ensure the quality/accuracy of any advice, including (and especially) medical and/or legal advice. You are encouraged to seek professional assistance or call an emergency number if a situation requiring such action should present itself.

"Dear Diary" threads, or threads sharing your personal life, are allowed on Power On. If a moderator feels that a "dear diary" thread is headed the wrong ,or that it's content shouldn't be posted on NSider2, then they will lock it without hesitation. In other words "dear diary" threads will be handled on a case by case basis.

N - ILLEGAL ACTIVITY: This community is hosted in the United States of America, and therefore, we must respect its laws. In order to limit liability, discussion on how to find illegally obtained property or commit illegal actions, such as Game dumps/rips (ROMs) and unauthorized system modifications, will be not be tolerated here. Nsider2.com/Nsider2 Network will accept no liability for any legal matter emanating from a user's post, topic, reply, personal message, profile information, or any other user driven content feature we have.

The staff will not tolerate illegal action against NSider2. Such action includes (but is not limited to) felony and tort computer crimes (namely hacking, accessing unauthorized portions of the website), libel, slander, et cetera. We reserve the right to report to the proper authorities all illegal actions against NSider2.com and/or any other sites to which these Guidelines apply.

O - COPYRIGHT: When quoting articles that you do not have the exclusive rights to reproduce, there must be a link back to where it came from. Failure to give proper citations will put you at risk of copyright violations, which is punishable through civil litigation by the owner(s) of the copyrighted work.

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2) Profile and Personal Etiquette

A - SIGNATURE AND AVATAR: For purposes of keeping server and page loads down, we have a few generous restrictions on your signature and avatar sizes. Dynamic file types such as .php are not acceptable here as they can potentially cause security issues. Images should not contain any flashing or obnoxious content, and anything displayed in the images should follow all the terms of acceptability (1-E). You may post links to your personal websites in your signature.

- Acceptable file types: .jpeg, .jpg, .gif, .png
- Signature file size total: 500 KB
- Avatar file size total: 50 KB
- Total dimension of signature: 500 pixels in width, 250 pixels in height.
- Avatar dimensions limits: 150 pixels in width, 150 pixels in height.

B - PROFILE COMMENTS: Using our current profile system, you can place comments on other users' profiles. Everyone must follow the terms outlined under Content Acceptability (1-E).

C - PRIVATE MESSAGING (PM): You have the ability to send and receive private messages here on the forums. We ask that you follow simple rules of respect (1-E) and content acceptability (1-D). PM spam is not tolerated. Please report any such incidents to administrators, making sure to include details such as the sender, the time the message was sent, and (of course) the message itself.

D - ABOUT ME PAGE: Every user here has the ability create an "About Me" page. This page, the centerpiece of your personal profile, allows you to post information about yourself, videos or music you like, and images of your choosing. Content Acceptability (1-D) rules apply here as well.

E - GENERAL CONTENT: That which you place within your About Me page, Signature, and Avatar is completely up to you save for the aforementioned rules/guidelines regarding offensive and acceptable content. You may add links to your personal website and such ONLY in your signature and "About Me" pages.
Moderators will remove any content they consider inappropriate.
Should you choose to re-use content deleted by a moderator, you may lose your signature privileges and/or receive an account suspension/warning accordingly.

F - ONLINE PRIVACY: When making use of our community-oriented features, bear in mind that anything posted on the forums or on your profile effectively enters the public domain. We are not responsible for any issues that may arise from sharing personal information via the forum. We encourage you to play it safe online, and not freely distribute anything you do not wish to have distributed or shared. You are allowed to share the information you wish to share, but we may delete posts or profile information that may contain a way to track your physical location or the location(s) of others.

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3) Interacting with Staff members

A - WARNINGS: Moderating staff may contact users to issue both verbal and forum warnings. Most offenses will only require a verbal warning, or a simple reminder to follow the rules. If you disagree with a warn level increase, you may PM the moderator who gave it to you. If the two of you are unable to settle the matter, then you (the user) are free to ask an Administrator to have a look at your situation. Your warning will then be reviewed by an unbiased third party, after which an indisputable and final judgment on the matter will be issued by the staff.

B - APPEALING PUNISHMENTS: If you feel a Warn, Warn + Suspension, or Ban was issued unfairly, you have the right to appeal it. You may contest a Warn/Suspension by contacting an Administrator within 7 days after the warn is issued.

Banning may be contested by submitting an email to support@nsider2.com. If your initial request is denied, you may ask to be unbanned in no less than 30 or 90 days for a 6-month or permanent ban, respectively. You may only send this second request one time. Should it be denied, you must face the full length of your ban.

C - FLAMING STAFF: The staff are people who sacrifice a portion of their lives to dedicate time and effort to this site. While we welcome and appreciate constructive criticism of the actions of any staff member(s), please remember to be respectful. The same consequences for flaming a member (1-H) hold true for flaming staff.

D - BIAS: If you feel as if one of our moderators is biased against you, contact one of our administrators via PM. Please remember to be cordial and to include examples (posts, profile comments, et cetera) of the potential bias.

E - REPORT SYSTEM ABUSE: The report system exists for members to report objectionable content in a quick and effective manner. Using the report system for any purpose other than the aforementioned reporting will not be tolerated. Examples of what we consider report system abuse includes, but is not limited to, the following:

- Using the report system as a method of communicating with the staff for reasons other than to report objectionable content
- Reporting old threads and posts that have long since lost their relevance and/or activity.
- Reporting random threads or posts that obviously break no rules and aren't objectionable in any way.
- Spamming numerous reports in a short time period without a justifiably serious reason to do so.

As a side note, the report system may be used to report objectionable content in avatars, signatures, display names, et cetera. even when the actual reported post isn't in need of moderation. In doing so, please make it clear that it's something else and not the post that's being reported.

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4) Forum Features Rules and Regulations

NSider2 hosts a variety of forum mods for our users to use and enjoy when they're not busy posting. In an attempt to keep things fair for all users the following rules have been implemented on all forum mods. Because there aren't very many rules, and most of it is really common sense, a permanent ban will be issued at the discretion of the NSider2 Administration from the mod that you cheated on as well as a warn level increase.

A - ARCADE: The arcade is currently down and rules pertaining to this mod have not yet been drafted.

B - MARKET: The market system is not without its flaws. However, abuse of the market through any exploit or glitch will not be tolerated. The following are rules to consider when using the market.

a - Glitch Exploits: The market mod isn't perfect and glitches have happened. Often these glitches will result in rupee or item duplication. If this happens then it must be reported to the Market Admin immediately or it will be assumed that you were exploiting the glitch.

b - USER STORES: The users stores feature is an add on to the market feature itself. Due to this, additional rules are put in place when using the stores in order to keep things fair for everyone.

- If an item's description specifically states that it can not be transferred, then you may not add it to your store.
- If you see an item in a user's store that states it can not be transferred then you may not purchase it and you must report it to the Market Admin.
- You may not use your store to bypass the limits on how many items you may have in your inventory. (ex. If you can only buy one Card Pack at a time you may not use your user store to make more room in your inventory for another Card Pack)
- The name of your store must be appropriate as determined by section 1 of these Board Guidelines.

c - LOTTERIES AND GAMBLING: If you choose to enter a lottery or to gamble with your rupees you do so at your own risk. The NSider2 Administration is not to be held responsible if you are scammed out of your rupees and will not take any action to remedy the problem. The only situation in which the Administration will monitor a lottery or gambling event is if it's sponsored by the Administration itself.

d - PURCHASING REGISTRATION CODES: You may not use rupees or market items to purchase registration codes for games or products as you do not own the actual game/product that you are registering in your name. Violating this rule will also include the punishment for violating the terms outline by section 1N.

e - ASKING FOR RUPEES: You may not create threads for the sole purpose of asking for rupees. You may, however, PM users asking for rupees, but not to the point where you violate any other part of these Board Guidelines.

f - DEALING WITH MARKET BANNED USERS: If a user is banned from the market then they are unable to access the market, however, they will still earn rupees, can still receive items, and their store will remain intact (assuming they have one). If you choose to transfer items or rupees to a banned user then you do so with the understanding that you will never get these items or rupees back. Users banned from the market will also be unable to trade away their rupees or items.

C - POKÉMON BATTLE SYSTEM: As is with the market the Pokémon Battle System has its faults as well.

a - GLITCH EXPLOITS: The PBS system has a number of glitches, two of which are very well known and can be used to gain an unfair advantage. Details on these glitches and how to report them can be found here. The punishments stated in that thread will apply accordingly.

b - GUILDS: Guild rules can be found here. The punishments stated in that thread will apply accordingly.

D - IRC LIVE CHAT: We have a chatroom available on the irc.chatspike.net IRC Chat server network for the purpose of having engaging live chats with your fellow NSiders. We ask that you keep to the general forum etiquette when chatting, and you also follow and/or understand these additional chat specific items:

- Anything that occurs on an external IRC channel posted by NS2 users is not the responsibility of NSider2, and it is expected that the guidelines of that particular channel are followed.
- Users that are currently suspended (posting or otherwise) are not automatically banned from using #ns2chat. It provides them with an additional way to contact a moderator if they were warned unfairly, however, should their behavior go against the rules, they will be kicked and/or banned with no questions.
- Do not flood the chatroom.
- Do not ask repeatedly to be a half-operator or above (in other words, a channel moderator). This is given only with the consent of an administrative staff member on NSider2. Repeatedly asking for a half-op position may result in a kick from the channel, or a channel-ban with a recommendation for a warning to be issued for such behavior.
- Impersonation of any member, staff or not, will result in a permanent ban from the IRC channel and a forum suspension.
- Do not post messages like
T
H
I
S.
- Do not use macros.

BLANKET RULE: All final decisions are ultimately left up to the Administration. If you attempt to do anything that common sense would dictate as being unfair or against the rules and you declare that it's allowed on a "technicality" you will still be punished.