Forum Rules

[IceNoodleBowl]

Welcome to the PGP Forum!

The PGP Forum is here to provide a place to talk about Green Page. We invite you to take part in a wide range of topics including your thoughts on the gameplay, requests for technical assistance, developing and releasing unofficial patches and mods, ideas and new features and much, much more.

The following is a list of rules that must be observed by all posters in the PGP Forum. These rules will be enforced by the administrators and moderators of the Forum and failure to abide by them may ultimately result in the banning of your account. Please note that it is your responsibility to read these rules as ignorance will not be an excuse.

General Posting Rules


   Please post threads in the correct section; if in doubt, check the descriptions on the Forum’s index or contact a moderator. We appreciate that not all sections are as active as others but the Forum has been divided into categories for a reason.

   Posts are deleted and threads are locked for a reason. If your thread is locked or your post deleted, please do not post it again. If you’re not sure why this has happened please contact a moderator; do not make a big public fuss about it. Note however that when a thread is locked, we’ll usually post a short explanation as to why if the reason is not obvious.

   Don’t post multiple threads on the same topic throughout the Forum. We understand you may be anxious for a reply but it’s just annoying and that won’t make people any more willing to help you. Also, a single topic allows other posters to consolidate their replies and see what other people have written in response to your post, which everyone (yourself included) will find a lot more helpful especially if your thread is about a technical problem. If you a feel a thread could possibly belong in more than one selection, please pick the one you think is most appropriate (if it isn't, we'll move it to the right place as soon as possible).

   Don’t flame or abuse other posters. This kind of behaviour includes (but is not limited to):

       Insulting remarks and personal attacks. You can certainly strong disagree with someone or state your case, but keep it on-topic and avoid the personal remarks.

       Racial, ethnic and cultural slurs.

       Using your signature/avatar/custom title to insult others

       Use of the Private Messaging system to attack or threaten fellow posters

       Insulting comments regarding patches (not to be confused with constructive criticism)

       Hate speech/discrimination. Everyone is entitled to their own views but we ask that you keep them in check when you post here and approach any discussions of “sensitive” topics with maturity and common decency.


   Please note that flaming should not be confused with debating a topic enthusiastically, which is perfectly acceptable and to be encouraged. Please also note that starting topics for the purpose of flaming or "calling out" forum members is also against our rules.

   Discussions and requests for illegal downloads or making them available to other posters are not allowed. This content includes (but is not limited to):

       Serial Numbers including the Cornerstone members exclusive serials

       No-CD cracks

       Warez

       Original Game Files and Cornerstone member's Game Files

   Don’t post media that depicts pornography, graphic violence, dead bodies or otherwise objectionable content.

   Don’t post instructions or links to sites that contain instructions for illegal activities, including but not limited to:

       Bomb-making

       Computer hacking

       Manufacture of illegal substances

       Credit Card fraud

   Respect the privacy of other Forum members. Basically, don’t post any details that a fellow member has not publically made available such as real names, email addresses, instant messenger details, phone numbers, addresses, credit card numbers and other personal information. This also applies to any photographs taken from networking websites such as MySpace or Facebook that the member in question has not already shared.

   This also includes posting the contents of private conversations including instant messenger chats and emails without the permission of the other person. If it was kept private, it was done so for a reason. Posting anything confidential, either in whole or verbatim, will be considered a violation of this rule and dealt with accordingly.

   Don’t spam or troll. Examples include:

       Nonsense posts or posts that are made simply for the sake of posting, adding nothing to the discussion or attempting to throw it off-topic for no good or constructive reason.

       Posting in a thread only to say “Who cares?” or “Boring topic”. If you’re not interested in the topic, don’t post in the thread.

       Posting only to call out or start a fight with another member or Forum staff.

       Paid advertisements for websites or products.

       Referral links for other games.

       Making off-topic posts to promote websites or flooding the boards with announcements. Please note that you are welcome to link to your website in your signature as well as post announcements/bulletins in the appropriate section of the forum, but we don’t need to hear about it in every single thread in every single section.

       Bumping threads with posts that simply say "bump". You may not always get an answer straight away, so please be patient before bumping a thread; a couple of hours may not be long enough for someone with the right knowledge to come along and answer your question.

       "Grave-digging" (ie bumping a thread that has not been posted in for some time) is tolerated so long as you are making a meaningful contribution to the discussion that is relevant to the original topic. Bumping old threads simply for the sake of posting rubbish however will not be tolerated.

   Avoid double/triple/quadruple (and so on) posting. Use the Edit button to add something to a post that you may have forgotten rather than making several posts in a row. Exceptions include:

       Updating a patch/mod announcement thread.

   There is a limit of one account per user with additional accounts being deleted or disabled upon detection; serious violations of this rule (ie second accounts used to spam, flame or otherwise break forum rules) will result in banning of both the new and original accounts. New accounts created by banned members will be banned without warning upon detection.

   No drama/public fuss. If you have some real-life problems or drama with a member from another site, we’re sorry to hear that but do not take out your problems on the PGP Forum. Sort out your issues privately, please do not use us to settle arguments with members and staff of other websites.

   This also includes PGP related ban drama and nasty criticism of the Forum/community posts meant to cause a big fuss. Do not post or campaign on behalf of a banned Forum member, it is their responsibility to contact the administration and sort out the issue privately. Similarly, if you have issues with the site administration, please contact the appropriate Forum leaders and raise your concerns in a civil manner. Rude and threatening emails or messages and scathing public posts intended to call out forum staff and cause a big scene will not work to your advantage and won’t be tolerated.

   Don’t engage in armchair moderating (aka hall monitoring). This is basically the act of scolding/reprimanding other members when they do something wrong as well as threatening them with suspension, bans or other moderator action despite having no moderator authority. While we appreciate the intention and your regard for the rules, these posts can build up and throw a thread off-topic and it's not your place to threaten people with bans that you yourself cannot hand out. Please be patient, feel free to contact the correct Moderators to let us know about any problems and a staff member will take care of it as soon as possible.

   Be nice to the moderators/administrators. Actually, you should be nice (or at the very least, civil) to everyone in the Forum as outlined by the rest of the rules but if you attack the Forum staff then you won’t be doing yourself any favors and you will draw attention to yourself. We’re to help and we try to be fair-minded but if you’re set on being a troublemaker bent on making a big public fuss and rude towards us and your fellow forum members then we’re not inclined to be lenient.

   The PGP is an English speaking website, thus all public posts must be in English. If you'd like to chat to fellow Forum members in a language other than English, please use the private messaging system.


Warnings

phpBB3 allows us to issue and track warnings when rules are broken. Warnings are reserved for more serious infractions and are the last steps towards a ban. As such, they will not be issued for minor issues and are not to be taken lightly when they are issued. If you receive two warnings in the span of a week or three warnings in the span of a month then we may subsequently permanently ban you without further warning.

Note that you are not automatically entitled to three warnings before you are banned. If your behavior in the Forum is disruptive and unacceptable or you break one of the rules that warrants an immediate ban without warning (see below) you may be banned immediately without further warning. Warnings indicate that you're very close to a ban; if you step over the line before any warnings are issued or before further warnings have been issued after your first, then we will go straight to a ban.

Banning

If a member continually refuses to abide by the forum rules after being warned by an administrator or moderator, we reserve the right to ban their account. We also reserve the right to ban accounts without warning depending on the nature of the situation (see below). Bans are a last resort punishment for troublesome members and will not be used to deal with minor or accidental infractions. For example, posting topics in the incorrect section is a minor infraction and quite often an accident or a common mistake made by new members unfamiliar with the forum structure, while flaming, spamming and discussing illegal downloads or activities are considered more serious violations of our rules.

Most bans are permanent but we may elect to hand down a temporary ban depending on the circumstances. Bans are handled on a case-by-case basis, so if you generally follow the rules and contribute to discussions we’re more likely be a bit more lenient as we strive to be fair-minded. If you’re a frequent troublemaker who abuses Forum staff and generally refuses to follow the rules and push their luck then we’re not going to be as lenient.

The following situations may result in a ban without warning:

   Excessive flaming of moderators and other forum staff. Excessive flaming of anyone will result in banning but if you come after us then you’ll certainly get our attention more quickly. This includes taking ban drama and other public fuss way too far. There's a right way and a wrong way to voice your opinions and concerns to the forum staff and creating a big public scene is the wrong way. Be civil or be banned.

   Requesting, discussing or making available illegal downloads. Because of the amount of people who have chosen to flaunt this rule in recent times we have had to take a harder stance against members who violate this rule. Depending on the exact nature of your post and to what extent you talk about illegal downloads, we may choose to simply give you a warning or a temporary ban. If your first post asks for a crack though you will be banned; it's a good idea not to introduce yourself to the Forum by breaking a rule.

   Flaming out. If you decide to flame your way out of the Forum it will be assumed that you will not be returning. Note that this does not apply to posters going on hiatus or bidding their fellow members a cordial and respectful farewell but if you dislike posting here enough to post scathing insults on your way out then you definitely don't need your account anymore.

   Signing up only to spam/post pornographic content etc. Since it's obvious such members aren't here to make good use of the Forum, they will be banned immediately. Spam bots will be dealt with as soon as possible.


While we strive to be consistent in upholding the rules, rule violations are handled on a case-by-case basis according to our established policy and take into account a poster’s previous rule violations, the severity of the violation and their general behaviour and demeanour in the Forum. If you’re a constant troublemaker, you will draw more attention to yourself than someone who behaves themselves and we won't be inclined to be as lenient.
Signature/Avatar Limits


Signature images must not be larger than 450 pixels wide by 150 pixels high.

Image

The content of your signature must also comply with all Forum rules. If you have a large image in your signature, please keep text to a minimum and limit yourself to the one image. Large animated .gif images are not to be used; please show consideration for members with slower connections. We reserve the right to remove any image from your signature without warning if it breaks any of the forum rules or is inconsiderate to other members (eg a 1 MB animated .gif).

Avatars are restricted to 150 pixels wide by 400 pixels high, and no larger than 100 kB. These limits are automatically enforced by the forum. Any attempts to circumvent the enforced limits will result in the removal of your avatar. As with signatures, the content avatars must comply with all forum rules. Some posters have avatars that are larger than these limits, this is due to the avatars being uploaded when different limits were enforced and now grandfathered for those users. If and when those users change their avatars, the new limits will apply.

Custom Titles are currently reserved for members who have been registered for one year and have a minimum of 500 posts. As with signatures and avatars, custom titles must abide by the forum rules. Should a user’s custom title break any forum rules, it may be removed and custom title privileges revoked at our discretion. We may also elect to grant a user custom title privileges without the usual qualification.