As I'm sure most of you know, we recently decided to remove the swear filter from the forum. Unfortunately - and this mistake is mainly my fault - we did not make an announcement clarifying what this entails. Consider this the definitive guidelines to proper forum conduct from here on out. Understand, though, that these rules will most likely adapt over time to fit the needs of the forum.

First and foremost, we will not tolerate swearing at somebody. Name-calling is juvenile with or without a swear word to punctuate it, and will not tolerate either form. If you're congratulating someone on a milestone and you say "You son of a bitch :P" it's fine. That's an idiom - a figure of speech. Disagreeing with someone and saying they're a stupid bitch will net you a warning. If it's your first offence, we'll probably let you off with a verbal warning. The same goes for any other sort of attacks. It's not that we're trying to keep the environment kid-friendly or take away your freedom to free speech, we're trying to keep it civilized, and we're trying to promote well thought-out posts that attack points, not people.

Secondly, excessive swearing in general - that is, swearing that is not directed at anyone in particular and is used - will be reprimanded, but it won't necessarily warrant a warning. To put it simply, we'll give you a hard time, but no official punishment will be given unless you get way out of hand.

Finally, and I'm sure I won't say this the way that I intend to, but I want everyone to "police" everyone else about this. Heck, you should be doing so with every rule. If you want a good, solid community, then the community has to keep itself in check, even when the moderators and admins aren't around. We can hand out official punishment and bannings and all the rest, but we won't need to nearly as often if rule-breakers realize the whole community looks down on them for their actions. Be assertive but polite and quote from the rules when needed. I saw a fine example today in the MGS4 forum. A repeat topic was made, someone said "Hey, just so you know there's a nice large topic about this a bit farther down the page," and everything was square.

That strayed away from the original filter topic, but it was needed. As the community grows it needs to become much more self-sufficient than it is now. We're giving you rights, and in turn we expect a better display of self-responsibility. I don't think it's too much to ask.

Added September 12, 2006
ANY derogatory use of any variation of the word 'homosexual' will result in a warning and possibly a posting suspension. It doesn't matter whether "everyone" uses it nowadays. We don't tolerate it. Period.

Fair enough. :)

One thing I am not sure about though, and thats spamming. Because usually, when one person accuses another of spamming, a flame-war erupts. Either that or both people don't really like eachother for the rest of their time here.

What would be the recommended move here? :huh:

Don't spam, you won't have to worry about it :P.

How do those MGC guys become so clever? :P

Nice one, we needed some rules. If anybody gets out of line, I'll be the first to give an e-smack round the head.

In a perfectly polite and civil manner though, of course. :ph43r:

Update and a bump to make this a bit more noticed.

Nice addition, I could see that being a huge offence around the forums. :)

Thanks for the update. I don't like it when that happens. :)

I know the cobb said it all, I totaly agree, and i don't see a point in bringing this up.
If someone called you "son of a bitch" he called you that. Does the meaning wear off if you have it displayed as " son of a b*tch" instead? I dont think so.

i learned that the hard way

Nice step forward. Personally, use of "words" don't bother me at all. On other sites, I use derogatory words like that all the time, and I already said earlier, I do quite enjoy the penis. It's the actual motivation for using words, not the words themselves, that make them bad. Using them jokingly shouldn't offend, using them to promote actual hate, however, is a different story.

But this is a good step toward curbing that rather tiresome and trite homophobia.

uh, i hope you mean using it in a sentence. :unsure:

No mate. I love the cock.

You got a problem with that?

I know i dont

are you a girl or a boy?

I'm a man. Not a lot of girls are called Jim, sunshine.

He is a guy. That should be pretty obvious by now. And yes, he is a homosexual. ;)

Not homosexual, perse. A little from each category.

o, sorry about the confusion Jim

Oh, being bi is better than being gay or something?

Come on. I want you, in your own words, to tell me what your problem is with my penile partiality.

me or Pv?

Being a bisexual myself i know that there is certain homophobes here

Well, you're the homophobe.

umm since when did this topic turn into sexual orientation? but anyway as points stated before there is no difference between a filtered word and uncensored. it's just the manner you post these words.

Since Ocelot said he hoped my penis comment only meant using the word, not in any other manner.

You don't really want to get off topic in an announcements thread, guys. Ocelot, careful what you say. ;)

sorry, this has been happening alot lately, i didnt say anything bad though.

Just stop apologizing and dont post here at all unless it doesnt concerns the topic.
this is where admins addnounce their stuff so you can at least keep this section clean.
the rest please take it to chat or opinions, if you will.

BTW i was just kidding Morphine Jim, ok now i will get back on topic

You could have said that earlier ;)
It would have spared the topic a lot of off-topicness.

Alright, here's a plan: no one post unless you're making a relavent comment. :)

And don't bother posting back here saying 'Sorry' or 'I didn't do anything wrong'. It's just more spam.

I have to talk.

Jim, I don't care if you're homosexual, hetrosexual, bisexual or if you love yourself, just don't post about being homosexual. Do you see me posting "Hey I'm a hetrosexual" I keep it to myself and so should you, the only time you should express it is if someone is asking you or it is relevant to the topic.


On subject: Good job flitering out the filtration, now this forum seems better instead of having these silly '*' everywhere. :)

Now fuck Real Madrid. :)

A lot of shit going on, but to remain on topic. I do believe that removing the filter was a very good idea. I do trust that people here will not abuse that filter, and swear excessively. If so, then I also feel that warnings should be handed out if so.

An example of what SHOULD be warned:

FUCK you, ya FUCKING Asshole, FUCK!!

THAT should get a warning, but saying something like:

My God, that midterm I just took was fucking ridiculous. THAT is something that should be okay.

Because the filter seemed to be excessive itself, blocking fuck, shit, and porn? Come on. *The word porn, lol, not porno.*

:lol:

Have you been asleep the last month BigK?? :P

You know what. I think well this is how we do down at the ymca(gym that I volunteer at) If customers complain we change usually change whatever because in most cases it is a valid point. Only rarely we change stuff ourselves. "Like the other day someone told me the gym floors get too dirty it ought to be cleaned/mopped more often I've noticed this for the past few weeks" I said "No problem I'll write it down" Instead of just assuming what everyone wants or what is right just wait for a suggestion now everyones afraid to make a suggestion in the help desk because they're afraid people will make fun of it and it does happen very often even by moderators, I think its fucking stupid people can make a suggestion whether how picky it is its a suggestion do every little part they can to make the forum nicer. Now like I said with the ymca we almost learn from mistakes only not like major mistakes just little things people suggest because they want the ymca to be better the best part is nobody feels embarassed to make a suggestion, now we don't change everything like if somebody wanted to make like the change rooms co-ed like you can't do that, so ya know its all to a certain degree. Now for my point why changing the filter if nobodies complaining the help desk is there and you can pm the staff. Why just assume what people want until you hear what they want. I don't think anyone has a problem with the word filter nobody seems to be hurt by this no filter if they do speak up no one should be judged for that.


EDIT: How the fuck did bi-sexuality get in this? Who cares, most people its just a trend anyway, if you want my opinion, yet I hesitate also to have opinions because people just want to argue them uselessly by trying to attack the person instead of the arguement.

Ummm. What?

Can You explain it again in English please? I really cant see what your getting at?

Didn't think so....

Also just one example with the "Time for a new skin" topic it was locked right away I wasn't finished I mean maybe even someone could've suggested something. I even had something. But its best I not say it here or it'd just lead to another topic. The suggestion was just a small suggestion nothing major but none the less a suggestion.

I was being serious. I couldnt see your suggestion in that fat paragraph.

Firstly, the YMCA is not a gym. It's the Young Mens Christian Association, unless the gym you volunteered at is just named weirdly as a joke.

Second, what on earth does mopping floors have to do with a swearing filter?

Third, yes, I agree that sometimes peoples suggestions are met with sarcasm and sometimes mods and admins do patronise. But it's rare that things are changed without it being suggested, just like the censorship was lifted because of the suggestion from Caldera.

P.S. If you want bisexuality to stay out of the topic, don't fucking bring it up. And saying bisexuality is a trend is stupid, everybody is bisexual to a certain degree, just some more than others. Agreed, in your teenage years is when it starts to come out more then it dies down in most cases in later life.

If you look back to that topic, you'll find an explanation from the_cobbinator as to why isn't a good time to get a new skin. No patronising; no sarcasm. I don't really see the relevance in this topic, to be honest: Caldera made a suggestion, it was discussed at length, and now it's been implemented. Seems to be fine so far.

And don't start talking about homo/bisexuality here.

Good for no filter.

And people-- grow up. Stop arguing.