Post by Gideon on Nov 14, 2014 1:33:49 GMT
The Lost Archives Off Topic Rules
All rules and regulations of The Lost Archive must be obeyed at all times. Here is a condensed list of the Off Topic specific rules:
Blatant Spamming - Blatant spamming to gain posts or credits is not allowed as per the site rules. In addition to this, posting up any form of code to enable access to free credits, posts or otherwise is not allowed. Noted examples of common spam posts but not all inclusive: "Ask me Anything", The losing game, "Last person to post" etc. For more information on such threads, please see the off-topic stance at the bottom of this post.
Offensive Language and Behavior - If anyone is found being offensive or threatening, then they will be removed from the site as per the site rules. This is unacceptable anywhere on the site.
Advertising - No external sites may be advertised in this or any section. Any links posted that are not a photograph of a member or something generally relevant or funny will be removed. If you are interested in advertising something on the lost archives, please PM Gideon.
Swearing - Swearing can be offensive to some people, so I would appreciate it if swearing was kept to a bare minimum, and kept relevant to the thread it is in. I will be closely monitoring all threads to ensure that this is the case, and editing posts if they are found to have obscenities, which are irrelevant and/or plain offensive. Members found to be doing this will also receive a private message reminding them of the rules.
Inappropriate Images - These are STRICTLY PROHIBITED outside the Mature section of the site, and if these are found on any of the off-topic threads, swift and firm action will be taken by Mods, Globals and Administrators. There are minors who access this site, and it is wholly inappropriate to post images that may cause distress, not only to the younger members of the site, but older ones too. Because this site is accessed all over the world, the laws regarding these kinds of images are different in every country and state, so they must not appear AT ALL on this site, for the protection of members. This also includes pictures of members in their underwear or even a bikini. While we do not wish to discourage people sharing their adventures whilst snorkeling or tanning on the beach in Fiji, please be mindful of what you are posting and how you are presenting yourself online. Remember it is not just the members of The Lost Archives that can view these threads.
Re-using Old threads - If you are going to start a post for any subject in the Off-Topic section, then check back in the old threads in case there is one similar or identical to your own. This causes less clutter on the section, and revives old threads that may well have been fun in the past.
Threads of religion, beliefs and politics - This topics are out of bounds, do not discuss them. As it has been shown that these threads all degenerate into mudslinging contests that have no place on the forums, just causing anger cannot be debated rationally or sensibly. Any of the subjects listed above will only be permitted in the debate section. If you do not have access, read the thread posted in off topic and follow the instructions.
Attention seeking and self gratification threads - We will not have people starting whining threads, where users complain about this that and the other, beg for attention, throw little hissy-fits, etc. Cry me a river, but don't do it in our section. There will also be no more threads allowed simply for the gratification of the creator. In the case of 'invite only' threads, they are secular, and create cliques within the forum. This can and has upset others, and will now no longer be tolerated.
If you see any inappropriate threads, pictures, discussions and anything against the rules, contact a moderator immediately. Don't simply hope someone else will. We cannot check every single post made in this section, so please help us out.
Please contact Gideon if you have a concern, question or wish clarification on the thread you want to make but you are unsure if it is within the rules.
Important note on games and other new threads in Off Topic
We all want there to be as much posting in role plays as possible, and this is a great place to lounge around while you wait a few minutes. BUT from now on as an informal rule, I want all games and other threads to have some sign of thought put into them.
So this will mean that threads that are ridiculous, only borderline +1 to post count or perhaps just mind numbing will be locked.
While this may seem like the 'fun police', this is for integrity of the site. We are primarily a Role Playing Community. That is our official listing. So feel free to play any games you wish, but if you are about to make a post and it has taken less than 10 seconds to think of and write a reply, think about it again and see what can be added. Just because it is a game in off topic does not mean it has to be short, boring and/or uncreative.
We are a creative site, and we want it to show properly. So please put some time into even your Off Topic posts. Yes, this will slow you down, but surely since everyone vigorously denies posting just to raise their post count, this should not be a problem.
If you find a thread locked that seems to not break any rules, then this may be why.
So in a nut shell, all games and the like should be entertaining and interesting to read, not just write. And besides this might help inspire more ideas for role plays, or break that writers block. We are, after all, a role playing site not 'Facebook' or 'Twitter'.
As always if you have any questions, thoughts, problems or complaints (about the section or a locked thread etc) please contact Gideon via PM.
IMPORTANT: To save time and effort, can EVERYONE please use the edit button instead of multi-posting.
There is a reason we have a rule against posting to increase post count. And yes all the Staff on the site have been around more than long enough to recognize it. It is blindingly obvious to me, only made worse when someone tries to 'hide' it. I'm sorry, you cannot, so please don't bother. Excessive posting of this nature may result in a warning, deletion of posts and, if you are a repeat offender, being banned from this part of the site, or the site as a whole.