[Michael]

Those Essential Rules!
We would call them Terms of Service but that sounds a little too official!

This is also a good time to tell you all about the "3 Strikes And Your Out!". Simple really, warned once for breaking a rule. If you break a rule again then you are warned again. If you break another rule then you will be suspended from the site for a total of 5 days. If you break another rule again then you will be banned from the site

1. Posting Basics:

• No "Flaming": Please do not post any messages that harrass, insult, belittle, threaten or flame another member or guest.

• No "Trolling": Please do not post any topic that disrupts the peace and harmony of this board. Don't create meaningless threads with the sole purpose of starting a dispute. This includes messages in profiles and signatures.

• No "Spamming": Please do not double post or cross-post the same message in multiple forums. You will not mass-PM or mass-email multiple members of this site the same message. You will not post for the sake of increasing your post count or hack count.

• No senseless "Bumping": Please do not bump your request/help searching or other threads several times a day. Remember there are people who don't browse this board every hour. So do not bump a thread within 24h or too much even after 24 hours.

• No "Offensive" Posts, Links or Images: Please do not post any messages that are obscene, vulgar, sexually-orientated, hateful, threatening, racist, sexist, discriminatory, or otherwise violative of any local or international laws. This includes links in your signature, profile, bookmarks as well as posted images, photos and avatars. Staff will ultimately decide if something is appropriate or not.

2. Advertising:
Ah the golden rule of advertising. You should all be aware that advertising is permitted in one forum and one forum only. The "Forum Showcase" forum. If you are found making topics which are deliberately trying to promote your forum complimented with a link then it will be removed immediatly as will your posts counts if it continues.

2a. PM Advertising:
So important that it warrants its very own number. We expect all our forum users to abide by this common conventional which all forums adhear to. If you are advertising to other users or members then you will lose your rights to your Private Message system. These actions are classed as inexcusable and will not be warranted.

2b. Advertising Cont.
As a online company so to speak, we would request that all forums, and websites offering a competing direct service that which The Staff Lounge offers, such as forum guidance and advice would refrain from advertising or promoting their services, or their websites here within your signatures. Of coruse you will still be permitted to make full use of our other services.

3. Hacking, Cracking etc ...:
Just a warning to you all that; any discussion of hacking, cracking or a task related to those two is completely prohibited and may well result in the banning of your account on this website. For someone to attempt or suceed in performing any of these tasks and those related will result in again the immediate banning of your account on this website. If you are found to be in possession of any hacking, cracking related material you shall be reported to your ISP and also your account wil be immediately banned from our website.

3a. Keeping it Legal:
As a forum we are attempting to adopt a more relazed and chilled moderating style; but this doesnt mean that you are allowed to post content which is illegal and could get members, and the forum itself into trouble.

Posting things such as the list below is prohibited.

• Warez,
• CD-Keys,
• Serial Numbers.
• Viruses,
• Hacking, or any other harmful computer software.
• False Information; libel.
• Spam or pyramid schemes.

4. Be Polite, Keep Smiling:
Please make sure that you are polite and couteous to all Staff Lounge members. Flaming is considered a deliberate personal attack on another member or group of members. Having a difference of opinion is fine, but if it gets out of hand, or your difference of opinion turns into you slinging insults towards one another then further disciplinairy action will be taken. Please treat newcomers to the forums with respect, and new members should treat everyone else the same way. Flaming also involved posting abusive, threatening, defamatory, racist, or obscene material.

5. Punishment System:
When in breach of any of these terms, the following actions can and will be taken, you shall recieve your 1st warning (informal). If you repeat an offence or break another rule then you'll be slapped with a 2nd warning (formal).

From there you shall receive a selection of more severe punishments one you have reached your 2 maximum warnings you shall then be suspended or have all your posted placed on a moderation queue until we see fit that you are able to optimally converse again with the community. If this final method fails to work then you shall be banned and have your account terminated, this is a final severe measure which i hope i dont have to adopt at The Staff Lounge.

The Staff Lounge Administration.
Last Updated: 11th December 2005.

[Michael]

Updated information as of 11th December 2005.

• Including a more substantial discussion of the Posting Basics section.
• Information from section 1. is courtesy of www.vbulletin.org