New Terms of Service

[Tom Paine]

The following have been developed by the Council and are submitted for your inspection and discussion as a replacement of the present Terms of Service. Note, points of dissent and advice given may or may not be incorporated into the final draft, and this is not a Bill; however, recommendations are warmly welcome, if properly given (with evidence, for instance)

Member Conduct

You agree that you will not use this service to perform the following actions:

1. Signature Size Violation (1 point)
   Members may not use signatures where the total size in bytes of all signature images combined is more than 250 KB.
2. Off-topic Posting (1 or 2 points)
   Topicality is expected and will be enforced on all forums, so take the extra time to post on the proper forum. Posts that clearly advertise a service or product are not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to:
   • Unsolicited commercial or personal web site advertisements
   • For-Sale/For-Trade/For-Auction/Wanted notices
   • "Make Money Fast" scams, chain letters, and pyramid schemes
   • Advertising for another message board
   • Post counting (i.e. "First", "100th Post")
   • Posting multiple identical or near-identical messages or topics, including "fad" topics
   • Large blank or content-free posts
   You can advertise websites, products, etc. in your signature, avatar, or other profile fields, as long as you post productively and don't just try to get exposure for your advertisements. Recommendation of websites, products, or other resources are also allowed if relevant to legitimate discussions.
3. Censor Bypassing (1 or 2 points)
   Attempting to bypass the censor by misspelling, inserting spaces or symbols, transposing letters, using look-alike symbols, or any other method is not allowed. For example, if "gris" is a banned word:
   • Not allowed: g-r-i-s, gr*s, g***, 9|-1$, girs, gryeeeas, grizznizz, **** (rhymes with "bris")
   • Allowed: ****, ****ed, ****ing, g'ed, g-word
   Prohibited words may not be used in images or videos embedded in posts. If external websites use prohibited words, you can link to them only if you post a warning alongside the link.
4. Hard-to-Read Posts (2 or 4 points)
   Posts that disrupt the message boards for other users, intentional or not, are prohibited. This includes, but is not limited, to:
   • Message posts or topic titles that force browsers to scroll horizontally
   • Topic titles or posts consisting of all or mostly capital letters.
   • Intentionally hard-to-read posts (i.e. using all, mostly, or alternating capital letters; using no spaces, capital letters, or punctuation; using large amounts of "1337 speak", et cetera)
   • Consecutive posting. (I.e., double posts, triple posts)
   • Making misleading topic titles
5. Insulting Others (3 or 6 points)
   Posts clearly insulting other board members, individually or as a group, directly or indirectly, are not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to:
   • Name-calling ("You're an idiot", "You moron")
   • Direct insults ("Screw you")
   • Offensive orders ("Go kill yourself")
   • Using threatening, harassing, defamatory, hate-speech, or libelous language
   • Using race, religion, sexual orientation, culture, ethnicity, handicap, nationality, or gender as a means of insult, either directly or implied
   • Insinuations ("Are you stupid or something?") or insults towards family ("Your mom...")
   Instead, members should criticize the post, not the poster. SEGA, the Creative Assembly, and related bodies are considered board members for this purpose, since some of them are. You can still criticize their games without insulting them personally.
6. Posting Profane or Sexually Explicit Content (3 or 6 points)
   Posts of a patently offensive nature are not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to:
   • Posting or requesting links to or material from pornographic, obscene, or hate-speech web sites
   • Posting links to web sites with other potentially offensive content without a clear warning
   • Descriptions or details about any sexual act or sexual organs
7. Using Modders' Work Without Permission (3 or 6 points)
   Using or distributing part or all of any Total War modification without permission is prohibited.
8. Impersonation (4 points)
   Falsely claiming to be another message board member or other known individual is not allowed. Moderators may use discretion in enforcing this against impersonations that are clearly not serious and so unlikely to fool anyone.
9. Promoting Illegal Activities (4 or 8 points)
   Posts that incite others to violate the law are not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to, asking for or providing:
   • Illegal copies of copyrighted software (ROMs, Warez)
   • Methods of circumventing copyright protection (Cracks, CD Keys, mod chips)
   • Illegal copies of copyrighted music (MP3s), movies, videos, or any other type of media (including in Mods)
   • Copies of original Total War game files
   • Methods of cheating in online games
10. Harassment or Invasion of Privacy (4 or 8 points)
    Continual harassing behavior directed towards a certain individual or group with the intent of creating an intimidating, offensive, or hostile environment on the boards, with or without use of explicit or implicit threats is prohibited. Posting private information without permission is also prohibited.
11. Bugs, Exploits and Unauthorized Access
    Using exploits or tricks in the Total War Center code to gain privileges, access, or abilities not clearly intended by the board design is prohibited. While you are more than welcome to try and find any exploits away from the public eye, making them public or using them for personal benefit is prohibited. Attempting to access any Total War Center user account not belonging to you without permission is also prohibited. Violation of this rule will be dealt with harshly.
12. Other
    Any other activity that is clearly detrimental to the flow of conversation and normal activities of the boards and its users may also be deleted, and responsible users may be penalized at the discretion of the Chief of Moderation.

Infraction Types

Cautions
Cautions are given when a member commits an offense that is exceptional mild. Cautions do not contribute toward a member's warning level. It is only noted to let other moderators know that the user has committed an offense in the past. This information is to be used by other moderators when evaluating future situations. A member's first offense should result in a caution unless it is particularly severe.

Warning
Warnings are given when a member commits an offense the moderator considers too serious for a caution. Warnings expire after three months and contribute toward a member's warning level. How many levels an offense is worth can be found in the Member Conduct section in (parentheses). Whether to give the first or second number is up to moderator discretion.

Warning Levels

Warning levels are penalized as follows:

• 5: Can neither give nor receive reputation
• 8: Suspension for 1 day and no custom title nor invisible mode
• 12: Suspension for 3 days and cannot use avatar/signature/profile picture
• 15: Suspension for 7 days and placement in probation
• 30: Indefinite ban

Penalties last until the warning level is reduced below the specified penalty. Time during which a user is banned may not counted toward the expiration of warning levels.

(And yes, I know its American English. Trust me, it was best not to argue on that score )

[Shaun]

Yes, looks fine enough. ALthough maybe we should note in it that if a member feels they were unfairly treated by moderation staff, they can appeal in the Tribunal.

[rez]

I have a question.

Lets say that I make a sig that is over 250KB. I remember a couple of times I have been told that it was too big before and Spiff even re-sized one for me in the past.

See, I am prone to make mistakes of this nature because i don't have a clue how to check the size of my sig. Yes, im sure its oh so simple but thats not the issue.

What im getting at is that i want to know whether the warning is dished out straight away or whether there is a grace period for the member to change his sig. Thus the warning would be given out for repeated sig violations rather than a single violation.

[Tom Paine]

"Cautions are given when a member commits an offense that is exceptional mild"

Likely outcome, I suspect? Grace period, caution if nothing is done after that expires. In future, grace period, potentially with warning.

[Gaius Baltar]

Just a couple of ideas..

Sig violations - should not be part of the point system. Most if not all are unintentional.

Censor bypass, insulting others, profanity - should be weighted more, say 8-10 points.

[Spiff]

Maybe "Signature Size Violation" should be "Signature Violations" and include reference to signatures which may be used to break any of the other sets of rules (censor bypass, personal insults, promoting illegal activity etc).

Though that would conflict with the progressive scale the rules are presented in presumably, and i suppose would already be covered under "other".

[Mímirswell]

Maybe "Signature Size Violation" should be "Signature Violations" and include reference to signatures which may be used to break any of the other sets of rules (censor bypass, personal insults, promoting illegal activity etc).

Anything in the Signature, Avatar or Profile that contravene the ToS is penalized the same way it would be were it a regular post. The size violation is the only penalty thats specific to the signature.

[Spiff]

Couldn't hurt to mention it somewhere though, I'm sure i can remember a few cases where people used signature images to bypass the censor then later claimed they thought it would be ok since it was in a signature. Admittedly its pretty obvious that it wouldn't be ok, but still.

[the Black Prince]

what about trolling? we've had debates on this in the passed... might be an idea to define it... or have i missed something?

[Mímirswell]

It's removed as an offense.

[Shaun]

Why is trolling removed as an offence, exactly?

[The Walrus]

Censor Bypassing (1 or 2 points)
Attempting to bypass the censor by misspelling, inserting spaces or symbols, transposing letters, using look-alike symbols, or any other method is not allowed. For example, if "gris" is a banned word:

* Not allowed: g-r-i-s, gr*s, g***, 9|-1$, girs, gryeeeas, grizznizz, **** (rhymes with "bris")
* Allowed: ****, ****ed, ****ing, g'ed, g-word

Prohibited words may not be used in images or videos embedded in posts. If external websites use prohibited words, you can link to them only if you post a warning alongside the link.

I'm pretty sure typing "Gris" like GRIS would pass the censor. Or at least that worked in the past...

[Simetrical]

Yes, looks fine enough. ALthough maybe we should note in it that if a member feels they were unfairly treated by moderation staff, they can appeal in the Tribunal.

That's not exactly part of the rules, but maybe.

Sig violations - should not be part of the point system. Most if not all are unintentional.

Generally yes. That's why there's only one option for it, and it's at one point. If you deliberately and persistently disobey the rule, then you should get the warning.

Censor bypass, insulting others, profanity - should be weighted more, say 8-10 points.

That would mean that the first warning would carry a mandatory one-day suspension. (I could have sworn suspensions were moved up further in the drafts I saw before, but maybe I'm wrong.) Far too extreme.

Couldn't hurt to mention it somewhere though, I'm sure i can remember a few cases where people used signature images to bypass the censor then later claimed they thought it would be ok since it was in a signature. Admittedly its pretty obvious that it wouldn't be ok, but still.

It's best to keep the rules short. An extra sentence that all rules apply to all uses of the board somewhere might be useful.

Why is trolling removed as an offence, exactly?

Because it's far too vague and too subject to interpretation.

I'm pretty sure typing "Gris" like GRIS would pass the censor. Or at least that worked in the past...

It never has and never will. The censor is case-insensitive. Try it yourself: **** **** ****.

[Garbarsardar]

Trolling: Making posts/threads with the sole purpose of inciting a heated reaction by other users.

Jesus was a paedophile. Let the children come to me, heh?
Discuss.

How do we cover this?

[Simetrical]

Trolling: Making posts/threads with the sole purpose of inciting a heated reaction by other users.

Jesus was a paedophile. Let the children come to me, heh?
Discuss.

How do we cover this?

Why don't we want it? Because there is no potential for reasonably discussing it, any more than there's potential for reasonably discussing a post such as "Who would win in a grudge match, the Energizer Bunny or the Taj Mahal?" It happens that your example would lead to more flames than s, but I think the principle is the same. I would close either thread as being content-free and/or off-topic. That could certainly be made clearer.

[Siblesz]

Great. Be softer on idiots.

[Hotspur]

I see the perma-ban is back.

[Mímirswell]

They never went away. We merely stopped using the term "permanent ban" which implied something far different than what they actually were. The inclusion of the probation system also made them a great deal rarer. Adbots, for instance, are routinely indefinitely banned.

[iudas]

I spotted a minor mistake (or at least something that seemed so):

8: Suspension for 1 day and no custom title nor invisible mode

Wouldn't "no custom title or invisible mode" be more correct? Or using neither instead of no.

Just nitpicking.

[sapi]

I spotted a minor mistake (or at least something that seemed so):


Wouldn't "no custom title or invisible mode" be more correct? Or using neither instead of no.

Just nitpicking.

I actually think you'll find that when comparing two items in the negative, that's correct english.

It just seems to have fallen out of popular use of late.