AFC Forum Rules
We thank you for taking the time to read these rules, and ask that you adhere to them at all times. We fully enforce these rules, and if an offense occurs, a warning/banning will be issued, depending on the gravity of the situation. If you have any questions, have spotted someone breaking rules or want to make an addition, either contact one of the Administrators or Moderators.
1) Be appropriate and respectful! - These forums are visited by people of all ages, and therefore anything that we see as inappropriate will be moved from the public eye, and the member will be issued with either a warning or a ban, depending on the offense and the user's history.
a) Respect all members, including moderators and administrators. There may be no sexism, racism or any other derogatory phrases. If someone has a different view than you, that's fine; don't attack them personally, or flame them. We're all human, and we don't need others to hurt our feelings because of our own opinions. Constructive criticism is encouraged, however, criticism at a personal level, directed toward members, is not accepted. When you communicate online, all you see is a computer screen. When talking to someone you might want to ask yourself "Would I say it to the person's face?" or "Would I get jumped if I said this to a buddy?"
b) Listen to the advice given by moderators and administrators, as they are trying to keep AFC running smoothly and under a friendly environment. If you are warned by one, please do not take it personally and feel free to ask for advice or help if you need it.
c) Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life.
2) Speak in English! - Posts should not be entirely composed of illegible language or any variation of netspeak. Simple "lol"s and "lmao"s are fine, but too much netspeak makes it hard for others to understand what you are trying to say.
3) Don't just post - contribute! -
a) Each post should have at least five distinct words, and should not have an excess amount of smileys/emoticons and BBCode/tags, as they are flashy, annoying, and less effective when used more than necessary, or straight after one another.
b) When making a thread, make sure that you post it in the appropriate forum, and that it has a reasonable topic that can be discussed--not just a topic like "I love Artemis Fowl". Don't post a thread if something like it already exists.
c) Do not multi-post, (posting more than once consecutively) and do not spam (posting meaninglessly). Any advertising should be done in the Community Sites forum.
4) No illegal activity will be tolerated, and will be dealt with immediately and strictly, depending on the weight of the issue.
5) Don't spoil it for others! - Whether it be for Artemis Fowl, Harry Potter...Don't spoil plot details of things to others. Just use the Spoiler tag available when posting.
6)Special group and forum requirements - Some forums and groups require a certain amount of posts.
a) You are allowed to post in other members' journals, however, you cannot make your own journal until you have 150 posts.
b) To become a member of the Inklings and view the Inkling Forum, where you can share your writing with others, you must have at least 100 posts. Then, PM a moderator or administrator to have them add you to the group.
c) Certain forums have rules specific to it, please ensure that you read them. The extra rules are as follows:
Artemis Fowl Talk Forum
RPG Forum
The Debate Forum
7) Avatars and Signatures - Avatars should not be larger than 125x125 pixels.
Any images in your signature should not add up to larger than 300x500 pixels, as it stretches
the minimum screen size and can distort the page for some users. The overall size should be no larger than an image this size.
8) Call for help when you need it! - If you have any problems--with the rules, other members, a certain thread, anything--PM a moderator or administrator. If you find something inappropriate or problematic about a certain post, click the Report this post button at the top of the post (near the Quote button).
9) The Chatbox -
a) Personal conversations should not be carried on in the chat box, if you have a rant journal it. If you want to talk to a friend PM them.
b)Spamming is left up to a moderators judgement, if they feel you are spamming do not argue with them. A rule of thumb is no more than three consecutive messages. You ARE able to type multiple lines.
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