[Moderator Project] - Operation Anvil
-Thread reserved for Moderator use.
-The contents of this thread have not been ratified or made official so please if you somehow see this and are not involved in the project do not use it to dictate how you behave on the Escapist.
[HEADING=2]Welcome to The Escapist forums![/HEADING] [small](The Internet?s version of the Lighthouse of Alexandria [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lighthouse_of_Alexandria])[/small]
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[HEADING=1]The Escapist Forum Rules & Explinations:[/HEADING]
We want our forums to be a place where everyone, regardless of who they are, can gather to socialise and talk with like-minded people in a safe and welcoming environment. In order to make that happen we have certain rules we ask all members of our community to adhere to. These rules will be vigorously enforced so that a handful of bad apples don't spoil it for everyone else.
[HEADING=1]. [/HEADING]
[HEADING=2]Don't Be a Jerk:[/HEADING]
This rule trumps any other. Any loophole you think you've found in any other rule is covered by this one. If you make our forums a less pleasant place to be, we don't want you here.
[HEADING=2]Have Respect for Others:[/HEADING]
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but no one is entitled to attack others for sharing, or not sharing, that opinion. If you can't communicate without using combative, aggressive, or demeaning language, then please keep those comments to yourself, or be shown the door. Deliberately inflammatory threads; posts written with the sole intention of irritating people; attacks toward or inappropriate commentary regarding The Escapist staff, creators, or other posters; or attempts to derail a thread will be removed, as will your forum privileges.
[HEADING=2]Have Respect for the Site and its Content:[/HEADING]
We put a lot of work into the content on the site, and if you've just shown up to trample on that hard work, we will remove your comments and ask you to leave. Constructive criticism is welcomed; negativity for its own sake is not. Further, discussions instructing or otherwise advocating the circumvention of The Escapist's advertisements, security mechanisms, media protections or similar facilities will not be tolerated.
[HEADING=2]Put Some Effort Into Your Communication:[/HEADING]
A well-made thread or a well-written comment engages its audience and facilitates discussion. We do ask that posters take just a little time to make their posts as readable as possible and keep their responses on topic. We also ask that you take a moment to check your spelling and grammar.
Our forums are a place to talk with like-minded people, not a place to advertise your blog or YouTube channel. Your profile has a place for such things, and that is where it should stay. Similarly, posts including, advocating, or linking to illegal or adult material are a very quick way to end your time as part of The Escapist community.
[HEADING=1]. [/HEADING]
[HEADING=2]Breakdown of the Rules:[/HEADING]
This section goes into greater detail about the rules; it is not a pick'n'mix. What is written below is not an alternative rule set to what is written above; this attempts to deal address users' questions and/or concerns about misinterpreting the rules through explanation and examples.
[HEADING=3]Don't Be a Jerk:[/HEADING]
So what? One mistake and I constitute a Jerk? This rule is ridiculous! Each moderator is different so how can this be a rule if what they view as a Jerk differs? How is it fair for a moderator to perm-ban me for one mistake?
Well the answer is simple. We do not dish out perm-bans for every user or indeed any punishments for using swear words in their sentences like "That was fucking awesome", or even "That was a shit game", we just prefer you don't - i.e. its not necessary to swear every other word and sentence or post. However if you direct these words at another/other user/s or at Escapist Content that is not! But even then we are very very very unlikely to then perm-ban you right there and then unless its very bad - unless you have been perm-banned in the past and are on a new account (Yes you! You who are on another account right now! We can see your IP's and we will know!). Being a jerk in the terms of this rule is when you are pretty much from our point of view repeatedly going out of your way to make the Escapist a less pleasant place for users.
So why make such a rule?
Well the main reason is that people read what is short - if we wrote a 19729 page rule set for the forums (a) no one would read them and (b) we would miss something. This rule is here for the purpose of covering ourselves and is a fall back rule - or if you want to look at it another way it is a statement. Its a statement saying we understand people with different interpretations of the word Jerk exist and everyone has different measurements by which we rate accepted and unaccepted behaviour. It is here so we can punish users who are making the Escapist a less pleasant place in an obvious/explicit way - which 99% of you would think was totally justified, but is otherwise not covered in the rules. We the moderators are volunteers from the community who do our jobs because we love the Escapist community enough to spend our time helping to keep it a nice place - yes we are human! - yes we have different interpretations of what constitutes a jerk and the punishment merited - although 95% of the time we would give the same penalty because most penalties are given for one time minor stuff and to a small number of users. We accept we can be wrong sometimes and hence why you can PM Kulinai and argue a punishment if you feel it is unjust. Or you can even PM a moderator, link them to the post you were punished for and ask for a better explanation as to why you got it. This rule is not here for us to use in our defence if we feel like punishing you because we can - if we exploited our powers for such use Kulinai and the other staff or moderators would notice pretty quickly and there would be swift retribution. We were chosen partly because we are not and we have shown we are not those sort of people to abuse our station.
A good example of being a jerk as described by the rule is a user who goes to the advice forum and then deliberately gives out obviously bad advice for a real situation (e.g. telling someone to do something that will have negative connotations for them). However it is important to remember that the jerk rule is not there just for banning people it is also to cover offences like suspensions/probations and warnings.
[HEADING=3]Have Respect for Others:[/HEADING]
Are you mods mad? It's ok if you are, we won't tell anyone...but really if you aren't do you think this rule is fully explained? Its as open ended as the sky even with your little paragraph!
Well honestly I think the accompanying paragraph for that rule is pretty good but I admit its not perfect. For example it doesn't say explicitly that if you PM spam threats or insulting messages, or message users with content they find unacceptable to the point they say something to one of us, then we will get involved and dispatch swift justice! The same is true of user groups, although they are mostly self moderated - using them to get groups of people to otherwise annoy or provoke a targeted user is unaccepted.
Alright...but what about Yahtzee insulting and slandering games etc? How can he be allowed to contradict your golden rules? Ay? Well? Defend thy selves peasants!
Well the major point is he is not doing a video about you, insulting you and reviewing you he is doing it about an inanimate object - a video game or console, so its hardly the same thing. Neither is he promoting this sort of behaviour/language in a real life situation - and that's the key point connected to the forums. In forums you can talk online like in the real world and say things - we expect you to behave like this is the real world and that you express yourselves in the manner by which society sees as socially acceptable and polite or even cold-faced (neutral and impassive tone). Although the dehumanised aspect of not being face to face can mean your posts/messages sometimes come across unclear as things like tone can be read very differently by different people.
Ok, Ok...I'll give you that point but you've really undone yourself now Mr. McModerator! I'll quote you for good measure; "things like tone can be read very differently by different people". How is it fair that different moderators can read posts differently like in an argument and thus depending on how they interpret the tone award punishment?
Well it's not fair, but lets be honest the sort of post that is verging on insulting and being just part of any argument is not going to be awarded the highest or any noteworthy punishment we can hit you with, [small]That's right you thought perm-banning was the worst thing we could do - We will come after you with the bloody kitchen sink![/small]. To be awarded a serious punishment for the tone alone of a post, the phrasing would have to be so sarcastic all moderators would agree it deserves a comment or penalty at the very least.
Why don't you mention aggressive tones?
Well that's simple, for a post to be aggressive you tend to fall back on insults, its pretty difficult to sound aggressive enough to warrant a punishment without resorting to either threats or direct/indirect insults on a user/s (which break the other rules and get you in trouble - its what the tone leads you to doing that the issue). If you aren't falling back on directing negativity at a user and somehow still come across as 'aggressive' you are just having an argument and we are totally cool with that!
[HEADING=3]Have Respect for the Site and its Content:[/HEADING]
So...you've got this far without tripping up when explaining more about the rules. But it's time to admit your little gestapo style squad wants us and will punish us to keep our collective mouths shut about your Sh*t content.
Well...I'd be lieing if I said we don't want lots of people to like and say they like our content. However you are entirely allowed to say you dislike our content. However although saying; "Yahtzee's show is boring and this episode wasn't good" and "Yahtzee is a big headed f**kface running a sh*t show and this episode proves it", are two opinion people may hold, but only one is acceptable to post.
AAHA! You admitted it! You would have even our opinions moderated!
No, the issue isn't that they hold those opinions. Opinions are the driving force, after the hamsters, that help feed forum discussion and we like to hear both good and bad. The issue is that the latter comment/opinion/view is over the top and un-necessary when it is just as easy to type "I didn't really like Yahtzee, the show just wasn't funny" or even not posting at all. As the respect other's rule suggests - if its negative and insulting better not to post it if you cannot moderate it, this also applies to the site's content and Staff. Saying you think the moderators/staff do a poor job may make us feel hurt, but we won't retaliate other then probably to ask why you have that view. But if you said our efforts are "a load of shit", which is saying the same thing but in an un-necessarily rude manner expect us to issue you with a harsh punishment.
[HEADING=3]Put Some Effort Into Your Communication:[/HEADING]
What do you mean?
Doing "First", "Second" etc style one word posts is low content and effectively trolling - we don't want it. It isn't contributing to the site or discussion. While we are at it I might as well explicitly say trolling is obviously a ban-able offence and we have seen every troll and hybrid form of troll there is - we have become the David Attenbroughs of the troll spotting world - and we will get you!
What constitutes a low content post?
Well posting just a picture even if the picture has writing on it and a message is still low content I am afraid. The same is true of effectively all 2 word posts - unless the thread is asking "Do you think this is true or false?" then you can get away with "True" or "false" but it would be cooler if you told everyone how you came to that conclusion. Another offence that constitutes a low content post is "WTF" short hand text language posts or quotes of people's posts on their own is not ok. Although we won't hold it against you for saying something like, "WTF, that surprised me that he shot himself instead of the other dude". Try and make each post at least a sentence long to be on the safe side is my advice and he cannot really go wrong.
Effort? Communication?
Making vague posts that make no sense are low content and if you are not careful could be misconstrued by users as trolling. Remember most of what we look at to pass judgement over is what the user elects to report and thus wants us to do something about. Likewise although we will not come after you with the kitchen sink and our other punishments for poor spelling and grammar, what we mean is try and use correct grammar and spelling, it makes your threads/posts more easy to understand and means your point can be put across in a more convincing and assured manner. Doing all your sentences in Cap-Locks will not earn you trouble from the moderators but will in all likely-hood earn you commentary from other users. However if you can get your point across without contradicting the above and communicate well in a few words rather than many then by all means make a short post.
How much have I got to post to start a thread and avoid low content scrutiny?
Depends on the topic of the thread. An Original Post should contain enough information to generate discussion and inform users of the discussion's particulars. That isn't to say if you want to have "What are the differences between conservatives and Liberals" as a thread I expect you to posts a guide for those who don't know the information to start taking a point of view. But it should also include your own view or position in the discussion.
Basically behave in a manner that society at large see's as acceptable and lawful. Promoting things like Child pornography etc will earn you a ban instantly. Although we do not discourage discussion on illegal activities we do not want user's advocating other's participation in said activities. Promoting piracy or infringement of copyright is also a punishable offence - effectively if its illegal and you do it, don't admit it if you want to play it safe.
[HEADING=3]Other Stuff:[/HEADING]
[li]Thread Necroing and Thread Duping: We know that our forums have a very high volume of traffic and sometimes you will end up wanting to talk about subjects that are being discussed elsewhere on the forums. To keep thread spam to a minimum, we ask that you try not to start threads in the same board on exactly the same topic as another thread that?s already active that day. We reserve the right to combine, merge, or delete redundant threads where we see this happen. We will ban for thread spamming in a persistent, abusive, or exploitative manner. If you want to have a discussion on a topic that?s been the subject of a past thread, you should generally join in that thread if it?s a live discussion. If that thread has been inactive for a month or more, its good etiquette to start a new thread and link to the old thread if you want to provide it as background information, and we discourage arbitrary bumping. We will ban for thread bumping if and when it is conducted in a persistent, abusive, or exploitative manner.[/li]
[li]PM Spam: If you receive a Personal Message (PM) from someone that is spamming you, either another user or some low-paid spam-marketer, please either report the user that sent your the PM (from their Profile page), or forward the PM directly on to a Moderator.[/li]
[HEADING=1]The Banhammer and You: A User's Guide to the Forums[/HEADING]
Something Something Something
I'm sure that many of the older (or even newer, considering how many have been popping up lately) users have seen plenty of threads asking why the Mods are so strict, and I'm also sure that most of us are well and truly sick of them altogether. Rather than let this keep happening, why don't we give everyone an idea as to what not to do?
Well, here goes nothing...
[HEADING=2]Introduction[/HEADING]
Taking your first steps into a new forum community, like any real life community, is a tough one. You don't know what to do, what to think and who to model yourself as in the eyes of others, but you do know that first impressions will influence the way people judge you later on in the life of your pseudonym. The amount of enjoyment you receive here is dependent on many factors of your environment, including people's opinion of you.
However, one of the many factors that people appear to forget is The Escapist's moderation system, the Mr. Fixits that clean up our society, making this forum a great place to waste spend your time in. The mods set the example that we, the community, follow; a thankless job that requires dedication and discipline at all times. Most of our moderators consist of the staff, who can be found easily by golden letters on their name, but the main ones of note are our voluntary 'Red Guards', the users wilsonscrazybed [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/profiles/view/wilsonscrazybed], Alex_P [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/profiles/view/Alex_P], Labyrinth [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/profiles/view/Labyrinth], Baby Tea [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/profiles/view/Baby+Tea], Varchld [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/profiles/view/Varchld] and the new additions to the 'Neighbourhood Watch', [user]NewClassic[/user], [user]claymorez[/user], [user]Sevre90210[/user], [user]Zombie_Fish[/user], [user]ColdStorage[/user], [user]Aylaine[/user], [user]Zombiesinc[/user], and [user]Greyfox105[/user]. These people keep the hamsters running and as such, their word is law.
[HEADING=1]. [/HEADING]
[HEADING=2]Moderation & Moderator Wrath[/HEADING]
In this piece, I will be discussing the many forms of moderator wrath that one will encounter, as well as why people receive them. I will also discuss what should (and shouldn't) consist a thread, and why certain ones become locked.
There are no hard and fast rules on what punishment you will receive should you break any of these rules. Instead, we will make the punishment fit the infraction and the individual.
If you have a history of warnings for low content posts, we will increase the penalty to a probation or even a suspension to act as a deterrent. On the other hand, if you have in the past, on twelve prior occasions been suspended for insulting other users we will have PM'd you by then asking you to correct your behaviour. However, if you do not attempt to do so, we will start contemplating a perma-ban. Also, insulting other users is not the only way to be shown the door; break the rules together or alone enough times and we will restrict or take away forum privileges. We do not enjoy banning people, but we will not hesitate to do so if we think that a person's removal will have an overall positive effect on the community.
The case tends to be that the penalty you receive for your first infringement of the rules, that doesn't result in an instant perma-ban (e.g. posting paedophilic content), is not going to be that bad. Again this depends on the content on the post.
Generally speaking each time you repeat offend, we will slowly up the punishment to act as a deterrent. E.g. First time probation for insulting another user. Second time one day suspension. Third time 3-5 days for insulting them or someone else and so on. However there is no set way we do it, if your post is particularly violent/aggressive/rude/insulting we may just give you a week suspension right off the bat or more. In the same way - breaking multiple rules with one post will results in added weight to the punishment issued.
So what...all rules are equal but some more than others?
Well, we want you all to follow all the rules, however the truth is that for example; a low content post offence, is not going to get the same penalty issued as say someone who posts pornography or is a troll or makes personal threats at other users. All of the moderators will take this approach - I have never seen someone get a 36 day suspension for a low content post (without a ridiculously huge past history of low content posts). On the other hand repeated low content posts to increase post count will be noticed and we will issue and appropriate suspension. So double-posts are not allowed.
Can I appeal if I feel my punishment was unmerited or overly harsh?
Yes just PM [user]Kulinai[/user] - he is the Community Manager and the moderators' boss, he will respond and if your right: then your punishment may be lifted or mediated. This is also true of perma-bans.
Firstly, I will explain the lowest form of moderator wrath:
[HEADING=2]Warnings: Tier 4[/HEADING]
Warnings are not a form of Moderator Wrath, as such, but a warning that is placed on your user record for further reference, should you break said rule you were warned about again. This can happen on the thread in which you have posted on, or via PM - be advised that these are generally given if the crime was not intentional, or merely an obvious mistake (in judgement or otherwise) made by the user.
Be reminded that, if you've been around long enough (or, conversely, if your post count is significant enough to prove you've been around the Forums), you may not receive a warning as you should already know what to do and what not to do (and be assumed to have read the Guidelines, linked to at the bottom of this post.
Also remember that once you have received a warning, the Mods will not be so merciful on your next offense.
[HEADING=2]Probations: Tier 3[/HEADING]
Probation: This is just a warning with no substantive changes to your posting abilities. You will get a Private Message from the moderator that put you on Probation detailing why (so that you know what not to do next time)
Probations are the lowest form of moderator wrath. They do not hinder your posting ability whatsoever, but merely serve as a warning to a user not to repeat a particular offense. It also appears as a blemish on every post you make until the probation ceases.
Here [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/6.104570.1656020] is an example of a probation, and for those who don't like clicking links, this is what a probation looks like:
'PROBATION' appears underneath the username, and;
'[small]User was put on probation for: X. (Y Days)[/small]' appears on the bottom of every post that the user makes.
X is the name of the thread that the user was placed on probation, which links to the post in question. The intention for this is to show to other users what kinds of posts get people in the same state.
Y is the number of days in which the user will be placed on probation for, and after the alloted time the tag will disappear.
Here are the most common probation times that people receive:
(1 Day)
(3 Days)
(7 Days)
(14 Days)
Be advised that there are occasions when other, less common numbers appear in place of the Y pronumeral (for instance, 365 days). These, however, are uncommon.
Here are some of the main reasons why people receive probations:
[li]'Report and Move On' - Underneath every users' avatars on their posts, a red 'report' button resides. Click on the button if you believe the post to be demeaning, rude, stupid or an advertisement. However, some people do not report, but persist in messing up the community by posing (mostly) equally stupid replies instead.[/li]
[li]Flaming: Sometimes an argument can become heated enough to bring one or both sides of the argument to breaking point. It is expected of all users not to contribute to (let alone start) flame wars, and so anyone who decides to take things to such a level will receive a warning in order to prevent them from making such a mistake as well. You can tell when a flame war is about to begin by keeping an eye out for personal comments or unrelated arguments to support their opinions. Use of caps lock is also a widely known indicator.[/li]
[li]Offensive Comments (Tier 3): Did you just make a racist/sexist remark or post something that may offend someone, even if it wasn't intended towards the rest of the community? Well, you might be in the running to receive one Grade A probation, courtesy of our friends the Mods! Seriously, if you know it might hurt someone's feelings, then don't post it. Probations are mostly given to those who laugh at another's tasteless or derogatory jokes, and a taboo rule on The Escapist is not to feed the trolls, let alone egg them on.[/li]
[li]Pointlessness: Did you post just to say something stupid, such as 'FIRST' or an internet meme with no relevance? Maybe just posting to up your post count (and, by default, your inflated ego)? Well, we don't like that. Forums are all about discussion, and non-contributions such as these are not liked here.[/li]
[li]BB Code Abuse: Sometimes people like to post pictures to express their feelings on a certain subject (most of the time being 'Fail' pictures, 'In Before The Lock' gifs and lolcats) without contributing a single word to the discussion. Sometimes people get angry and start using caps lock without remorse. Sometimes people stage rickroll links on other members of the forums. BB Code is a useful tool, used to helppeople express [http://www.littlefolkspuzzle.com/catalog/1350-30PCFLOORPUZZLE-KITTEN.JPG] themselveseasier without needing to explain themselves; it is not a tool that you should abuse at the public's expense. It is strongly advised that when quoting a person who has posted a picture, replace the picture with the word 'snip' so that it doesn't clutter up the page. Sometimes people tend to quote peoples' pictures with other pictures, starting a chain of eyesores. The moderators will warn you not to do this, but will ready their maces if the problem has already come to a point of no return. Thankfully, BB Code Abuse happens rarely.[/li]
[HEADING=2]Suspensions: Tier 2[/HEADING]
Suspension: These place temporary limitations on a forum member?s posting abilities and last anywhere from 3 days to a month in length.
Suspensions are the next level of moderator wrath, a politically correct term essentially meaning 'You've been banned, but only for a while'. This essentially means that the user will be unable to post on the forums for the alloted amount of time given.
'SUSPENDED' appears underneath the username, and;
'[small]User was suspended for: X. (Y Days)[/small]' appears on the bottom of every post that the user made.
An example of a suspended post can be found here [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/6.104570].
Here are the most common suspension times that people receive:
(3 Days)
(7 Days)
(14 Days)
(30 Days)
As with Probations, sometimes the Y value can be filled with an obscure number. However, these are uncommon.
Here are some of the main reasons why people receive suspensions (disregarding topics for probations, which also apply):
[li]Repeated Offences: One may notice that the more times they get probations/suspensions for a similar/the same reason as an earlier time, the number Y increases. This is due to the perpetrator not taking the hint the first time, and the Moderators have decided to step the punishment up a notch.[/li]
[li]Offensive Comments (Tier 2): When an offensive comment is so bad that a mere probation won't suffice. Applies to the 'Repeated Offenses' Category.[/li]
[li]Multiple Accounts: Some people like to troll. Most trolls like to get away with it, even if the banhammer has struck. The staff have their ways of finding people who have created a second account for this very purpose, and if the offense is repeated once too often then a Ban is in order.[/li]
[HEADING=2]Bans: Tier 1[/HEADING]
Ban: We reserve this for spammers, people who repeatedly and flagrantly ignore the standards established here, and ban jumpers. A ban is permanent.
Chances are that if you have received one of these, you won't be reading this. Bans are the moderator's last resort, a way to eliminate a user's foul activity on the forum for good, by going so far as to ban the very IP where the user came from (and thus preventing them from creating a new account). Better known as the Perma-Ban.
An example of a ban can be found here [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/18.121663.2425017].
Here is what a ban looks like:
'BANNED' appears underneath the username, and;
'[small]User was banned for: X. (Permanent)[/small]' appears on the bottom of every post that the user makes.
For bans, Y comes in only one flavour: (Permanent).
Few people receive bans, but they are mainly given to people for these reasons:
[li]Spambots: Annoying little programs that are designed to advertise to forum communities by posting in threads, much like our own. Some are obvious, creating a new thread to advertise, and get banned quickly. Others, however, are more insidious; posting innocent-seeming posts in random threads to escape moderator attention and trick users into clicking the links. However, most of them are still obvious spambots anyway, so if you see unusual activity by a particular user (one that necroes long-dead threads and says similar things in every post), then the ?Report? button is your friend.[/li]
[li]Offensive Comments (Tier 1): Used scarcely when a user is dumb enough to say something so rude, so awful, so derogatory that the moderators decide that they are of no benefit to the community. This kind of ban has been known to have been used when users threaten the users, moderators or staff, mostly by PM, but sometimes by thread.[/li]
[li]Repeated Offences: Karma Houdinis, as any TV Troper out there knows, exist plentifully in the world, and The Escapist is not exempt. Some users only cause light offences, but regularly enough to build a rather substantial ban record. Eventually, someone has to say they?ve had enough. These people never learn and are a cancer on our beloved site; they will receive a ban once the moderators have concluded so.[/li]
[HEADING=2]Locked/Deleted Threads[/HEADING]
This kind of moderation is probably the most common on the forums, but has no effect on the user themselves (unless coupled with a probation/suspension/ban). What it does is prevent a thread from being replied to, thus letting it sink down through the pages to a point of obscurity.
There are two kinds of locks out there:
[li]The normal lock, as described above; or[/li]
[li]Thread/Post deletion, used to eliminate posts or threads that would be better off not seeing the light of day.[/li]
Here are some thread categories that are sure to receive a lock:
[li]Vs. Threads: Who would win in a fight: A or B? Which is better: X or Y? These are dull, repetitive, and are surefire ways to start a flame war. All three things that The Escapist does not wish to be recognised as.[/li]
[li]Advertisement Threads: Maybe a spambot has left its dung on the sidewalk for the mods to clean up, or a user just wants to show off his new site. Either way, it?s an unwelcome advertisement and will be locked.[/li]
[li]Pointless Threads: When someone makes a thread with little way for discussion or little substance whatsoever, it gets locked. The forums are, after all, discussion boards.[/li]
[li]Trolling:When someone creates a thread just to be a dick. Attempts to start flame wars for the OP?s* amusement are a likely cause for a thread like this to appear. Needless to say, it will be locked.[/li]
[li]One Word Threads: Some people seem to conclude that a title is merely enough. Why are you posting the thread? How does it apply to you? Add a little bit of substance before you hit Post.[/li]
[li]Misleading Thread Titles: I really shouldn't need to say this, but unfortunately some users don't get it. When you create a thread, give the title an actual relevance to the topic at hand. Give it a catchy, memorable and attractive title, by all means but don't use something controversial and unrelated to draw in the pageviews. An example would be to have a thread about relationships with 'I Hate [INSERT ETHNIC MINORITY HERE]' for a title. Please also note that frequent abuse can result in a Probation/Suspension.[/li]
Here are some threads that may or may not be locked, depending on the circumstance:
[li]Controversial Threads:[/li] Controversy attracts attention. Attention means more posts. More posts mean more badges. This simple formula is devised by several people to make yet another thread about religion, sexism, homosexuality or events of the time (such as Swine Flu). These are intended to make people argue their way to a better post count but not necessarily to create a flame war, so some make it past the bar.
[li]Repeat Threads: I?m sure that many users (particularly the newer ones) are sick of the term ?use the Search Button? being flung around on their new thread. Well, there?s a good reason for that: your thread isn?t the first of its kind, and it certainly won?t be the last. On these forums, it is unspoken law that Thread Necroing > Repeat Threads, but many new users don?t know that and put up whatever was in the back of their heads. Some repeat threads do get past the bar, however, but my advice would still be to search for a thread resembling your idea first (between you and me, use Google; the Escapist?s search feature is renowned for not being as great as it should be).[/li]
[HEADING=2]Badges and Bannings[/HEADING]
Of the many badges you can receive, three of them are dependent on how your actions have reflected on the community:
Notable Poster: Known to many as 'Trinity' for obvious reasons, this badge requires that you make 100 posts without incurring any moderator wrath (whether it be Tier 1, 2 or 3), but the badge may only be granted 2 weeks after you join.
Epic Poster: Known to many as 'Morpheus' for obvious reasons, this badge requires that you must make 1000 posts without incurring moderator wrath. This badge will only be available 2 months after you join.
Real Ultimate Poster:Known to many as 'Neo' for obvious reasons, this badge requires that you must make 5000 posts without incurring moderator wrath. This badge will only be available to you 6 months after you join; it is an absurdly hard badge to get, and very few people on The Escapist have acquired it to my knowledge.
Please note that once you receive any form of moderator wrath, then these badges will be unavailable to you. Harsh, but fair.
Also note that having a thread of yours locked does not result in your inability to receive the badges.
[HEADING=2]Trolling[/HEADING]
On internet forums, many words are spoken in many discussions. But none are spoken quite so much or treated with such disdain as the term 'Troll'. Like many words in the English language meant for sparing use but overused due to its memetic popularity (the words Epic, Fail and any profanity ever spoken, for example), 'Troll' is given to many people who are innocent. So how do you tell the troll from a person with a different opinion? Well, here's a few steps to find out:
[li]Check if they're on Probation. While this doesn't actually say whether or not they are trolls (as probations can also be dealt out to people unacquainted with and victimised by the nature of trolls), the link underneath can give a good idea of whether they've had a quesionable forum history.[/li]
[li]Look for personal attacks. Not observations like 'the way you argue X indicates that you are of occupation Y', but the use of derogatory terms and profanities to demean their opponent in a debate is like a neon sign pointing straight for the Report Button.[/li]
[li]An Observation: Trolls love to abuse Caps Lock.[/li]
I will add more points as I think of them. Until then, take heed of my points above. ANd remember, not everyone someone calls a troll is always a troll; the real answer's in the fine print.
A warning, however, is that some trolls are more sneaky than others, some who have been around for a very long time. Some have even been Thanked [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/profiles/view/Richard+Groovy+Pants] and some have acquired the much-coveted Neo Badge [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/profiles/view/NoMoreSanity]. So if thay have a big post count and a lot of forum popularity, even if they've contributed to the site, nothing makes anyone exempt. After all, actions speak louder than words.
Trolling And How To Deal With It said:
[HEADING=2]'Trolling' and how to deal with it[/HEADING]
What is a troll?
Troll is a derogatory term used to describe a poster with intent to offend, whether it be by posting offensive images, starting flame wars with other users, or just insulting another user.
Needless to say we don't need them tarnishing our pretty little forum, so how would we go about dealing with these unsavoury characters? The fool-proof way is to just ignore the troll.
How will ignoring the problem work?
To answer this we must first explain the term 'Feeding the Troll'.
What's 'Feeding the troll'?
This is a term used on the internet to describe the action of responding to a troll. Remember that a troll only gets his/her kicks by getting a reaction out of you, so by reacting you are effectively feeding the troll. By doing this you are just causing more problems by giving it a chance to continue trolling.
So what's the advantage of not responding?
Think of the troll as a fire. A fire needs oxygen to burn as a troll needs someone to offend. By ignoring the problem, you effectively deprived the troll of oxygen. After all, who's he going to troll if there's no one to troll?
I see, but apart from ignoring the troll, what else do we do?
Well the most important thing to do is not to post anything and I can't emphasise this enough. The next step would be to use your friend the report button and/or contact a moderator.
Report button? How does it work?
If the offending post is reported twice (That is, the report button has been clicked twice.) the offending post is sent to a queue known as the 'mod queue'.The more reports it gets the higher up the queue it goes and the moderators will pick it out and hand out the deserved wrath.
Also, how do I contact the moderators?
You can send them a private message either in the forums or through IRC.
So are there any pre-emptive measures I can take?
Sadly when it comes to trolls, there really isn't anything we can do apart from deal with the problem as fast as possible and not add to the problem.
That's all there is to know about the elusive troll species, when you do see a troll I'm sure you'll be able to make the right decision following this guide. Once again, please do not post as it just makes the problem worse and some people have reacted in very silly ways to trolls and have been punished themselves. Surely you don't want to lose the chance of a shiny 'Neo' badge because of a troll do you?
This section is courtesy of Sevre90210 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/profiles/view/Sevre90210 ] and Higurashi [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/profiles/view/Higurashi]
If, by any chance, you receive a ban, you shall receive a ?Forum Ban Notice? via PM. Inside, it will contain the details of which post was moderated, why and what will happen to your account as a result of the moderator action. Remember that you may appeal to the moderators, but your sentence will likely be raised should you have an irrational tantrum in their presence.
If you have any qualms about the topic of moderation, contact Red Guards such as wilsonscrazybed, nilcypher and Alex_P for answers and resolutions.
[HEADING=2]Con-clue-shon[/HEADING]
In the end, the moderators are the people that keep the Escapist a great place to be. Don?t make their lives harder by causing trouble; embrace the community for what it is (freaking utopia), contribute and participate. We aren?t a totalitarian empire, we?re a friendly message board devoted to the gaming industry.
[/quote]
Any and all feedback and contributions to the thread would be much appreciated; anyhow, thank you for reading.
OP - Original Post. Referring to the first post on a thread.
GM - Game Master. Referring to the person running a Role-Playing thread. The same as, but not limited to, the thread's OP.
RP - Role-Playing. One of the forums uses this acronym, so You Should Know This Already [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/YouShouldKnowThisAlready].
IMO - In My Opinion.
QFT - Quoted For Truth. Nearly as bad as a 'This.' post, so please keep this at a minimum. Or, at least, add something substantial to your post.
[HEADING=1]. [/HEADING]
Getting to Know Your Moderators
Currently, we employ a staff of Escapist editors, programmers and volunteers to communicate with our readers, uphold the forums, keep everything organized and swing the Banhammer in times of need. They are:
[li]Matt Kuliani, our Community Manager[/li]
Susan Arendt, our Senior Editor.
Russ Pitts, our Editor-in-Chief.
Jason "Virgil" Smith, our IT Director.
Jeff "Spinwhiz" Palumbo, our Brand Manager.
[li][user]John Funk[/user], Associate Editor[/li]
wilsonscrazybed, a member of the Red Guard, a community-based Neighborhood Watch.
Logan Westbrook, another proud member of the Red Guard.
[li]Alex_P, another proud member of the Red Guard.[/li]
[li]Labyrinth, the female member of the Red Guard.[/li]
[li]Baby Tea, the Red Guard with the radio voice.[/li]
[li][user]Varchld[/user], Red Guard and the IRC queen and overlord.[/li]
[user]Claymorez[/user], another proud member of the Red Guard.
[user]NewClassic[/user], another proud member of the Red Guard.
[user]Sevre90210[/user], another proud member of the Red Guard.
[user]Zombie_Fish[/user], another proud member of the Red Guard.
[user]ColdStorage[/user], another proud member of the Red Guard.
[user]Greyfox105[/user], another proud member of the Red Guard.
[user]Aylaine[/user], advice forum moderator.
[user]zombiesinc[/user], advice forum moderator.
Other Fun Stuff
[li]Lord Krunk's Guide to the Forums: The Banhammer and You: A User's Guide to the Forums [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.112832][/li] Moderation questions. Private Message Kuliani. Profiles. You can edit yours here. We obviously encourage this, but mainly because our Community section [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/profiles/] of the site uses the information contained in the profiles to help you connect with others that agree and play with you. Titles. They?re based on your post count, unless you are staff, contributors, or other odd people.
Badges. Relax, you?ll get some. Keep a lookout for contests, events, and other fun things that we put together all the time, and you'll have plenty of chances for some of the more rare badges! Forum markup. You can find documentation on the tags our forums support here. This is how you make your posts look more professional and/or entertaining! User Groups. Small and large groups of users that share common interests hang out here [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/]. They have unique features not found in the forums, especially for forum games and roleplaying. There are official ones (Tech Team [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/Tech-Team]), ones for fans (Zero Punctuation Fans [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/Zero-Punctuation-Fans]), and user-created ones (The Escapist Team Fortress 2 Group - PC [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/The-Escapist-Team-Fortress-2-Group-PC]) or (The Avatar Store [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/The-Avatar-Store-New-and-Second-Hand]).
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