Approved by DougJustDoug
Rule 1. Use English in the main chat. If you wish to speak in non-English to other users, then use PM. Falar Ingles. Parla Inglese. Habla Inglés.
I feel that it is necessary to put this in other languages solely for the reason that if people can't speak English, they probably won't be able to read the rule.
Rule 2. Do not ask for battles in the main chat. If you want to find someone to battle, please use the Find Tab located near the top right-hand side of the main Shoddy screen.
No changes needed here.
Rule 3. Blatant rudeness, hate, or offensive comments are not allowed. Excessive Cursing is also not allowed. All forms of racist or bigoted commentary and slang is forbidden. Be courteous to others on the server. Moderators don't take kindly to flaming, and will kick or ban you if it doesn't stop. If you are being flamed, PM a moderator on the server for help, and provide the log.
This is one of the rules that needed a large update. I went into more detail with this because it happens a lot on the server.
Rule 4. No Smogon bashing. In case you haven't noticed, this project is sponsored by Smogon. If you have negative things to say about Smogon, then keep it to yourself.
Self explanatory.
Rule 5. No Shoddy/Official/Colin bashing. Some people have issues with the Shoddy Battle program, the official server, or the Shoddy Battle programming team -- but that doesn't mean you can bitch about it on our server. Colin wrote Shoddy Battle and had the generosity to make it open-source. Without it, we'd still be playing theorymon with our pokemon. Out of respect for that extraordinary contribution to competitive pokemon, hateful statements about Shoddy are not tolerated.
Fine.
Rule 6. In general, all forms of discussion of sex, flirting, or otherwise suggestive commentary is discouraged. A common technique for pedophiles and other sexual predators to find victims, is to lead online chat conversations into the sexual arena. This is a pokemon server, so it's best to avoid sexual conversations altogether. A certain amount of bawdy "guy talk" is inevitable, but comments will be moderated if it gets out of hand.
Nothing needed here.
Rule 7. Linking or advertising other websites is generally not a good idea. Smogon links and refs are totally cool, obviously. If it's purely for a pokemon reference, a link to Serebii or similar, that's OK. But, blatantly referring or linking people to other servers and other forums is not acceptable. This also includes Youtube videos, Rick Rolls, and other internet pranks. If you feel that your link pertains to the current topic on the server, PM a moderator for permission.
It happens way too much as of now, but sometimes a good youtube vid is welcome, so I added that bit in.
Rule 8. No chat flooding. Intentionally flooding the chat with excessive posts and/or excessively long posts will be immediately regarded as an attack on the server and will be dealt with swiftly and harshly by our Modbot, HAL9000.
Just added that little bit in.
Rule 9. Chat scrolling is not allowed. Please make one decent post instead of several little posts, each containing a fragment of a sentence or thought. It's annoying to read, and it scrolls the chat unnecessarily. If it doesn't set off HAL, you will be kicked by our moderators anyways. If it continues, you will be banned.
There are a ton of people who do this, and really, it's unnecessary.
Rule 10. Chat stretching is not allowed. Maybe you think it's cool to type the same letters over and over like thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssss!!!! Well, it isn't. It's annoying as hell to everyone else. So don't do it. You will be kicked or banned.
Small change.
Rule 11. Excessive use of capital letters is not allowed. It gets annoying to everyone on the server IF YOU TALK LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME. Lay off the caps lock. If it's just for emphasis, thats fine once in a while. If its continuous, you will be kicked or banned.
It really needed a description.
Rule 12. Please keep alternate accounts to a minimum. Preferably use the same name as your Smogon username. If you need an alt for laddering, thats fine, but please don't make too many. We'd like to develop a sense of community on the server. It's hard to do that if people log in under different alts all the time. Mods can see alts, so lying doesn't help. Blatantly spoofing another's name is also not allowed without permission.
Since we now have a leaderboard, alts are somewhat necessary. I changed the rule to reflect this. Also, spoofing names is annoying and some mods agree that it should stop.
Rule 13. Do not make offensive usernames. If you do so, you will be asked to log in under a new name. If you continue to use the offensive name, then you will be banned.
No changes needed.
Rule 14. No noob talk on the server. This is not a "Welcome to Pokemon" server. This a server for competitive pokemon players. Asking noob questions about the game is not allowed. It makes the server look bad to advanced players. Ingame discussions are allowed, but not basic stuff. "How do I beat the Elite Four?" is a noob question. "Here's how I beat the Elite Four with a single level 40 Starly" -- that's worth talking about. Basic questions about the CAP project and pokemon are expected and encouraged.
Nothing needed here.
Rule 15. Cut the nonsense. It's amazing how much unintelligible crap people post in the chat. No one likes to read idiotic non-discussions of pure stupidity. Long strings of smileys, l33t speak, random utterances unrelated to the current chat -- keep all that to yourself. Also, dumb back-and-forths are really unnecessary. "I pwned you that battle!", "No u didnt", "U suck", "No u suck", "lol", "lol back atcha", ":-P" "o_O" --- chat streams like that are ridiculous and will be moderated.
Fine.
Rule 16. Abusing or insulting a moderator is a really bad idea. You may question a decision, but do it respectfully. Moderators don't take kindly to people questioning their every move and insulting them. Questioning a moderator's decision is fine if you feel you have a legitimate case. But, once the moderator has explained a decision, then let it go.
Another problem rule. We've gotten so many people screaming "BUT I DIDNT INSULT YOU!" when we show this rule. This should fix it.
Rule 17. Children under age 13 are not allowed. Because of COPPA, we strictly enforce our age policy. If we somehow determine, or if you announce that you are under the age of 13, you will be banned immediately. No exceptions.
Self-explanatory.
Rule 18. No trolling on the server. This includes: Making alts and denying it, intentionally giving out fake information and claiming it to be true, and acting like a complete moron on the server. Punishment is proportional to the situation.
This has really gotten to be a problem on the server, and I feel it warrants a new rule.
I'd like comments from all the server moderators on this matter.
As server moderators have found in many instances, the names of the server rules sometimes don't reflect the actual rules. In quite a few cases, we have found that we reprimand rule-breakers with just part of the rule or the title. This has caused arguments with server goers, particularly with Rules 3 and 16. The descriptions and titles could almost be different rules! That being said, I am proposing changes to the current rules that I hope will improve moderation quality and make it easier for rule-breakers to understand what they did wrong.Forum Rules said:
Rule 1. Use English in the main chat. If you wish to speak in non-English to other users, then use PM. Falar Ingles. Parla Inglese. Habla Inglés.
I feel that it is necessary to put this in other languages solely for the reason that if people can't speak English, they probably won't be able to read the rule.
Rule 2. Do not ask for battles in the main chat. If you want to find someone to battle, please use the Find Tab located near the top right-hand side of the main Shoddy screen.
No changes needed here.
Rule 3. Blatant rudeness, hate, or offensive comments are not allowed. Excessive Cursing is also not allowed. All forms of racist or bigoted commentary and slang is forbidden. Be courteous to others on the server. Moderators don't take kindly to flaming, and will kick or ban you if it doesn't stop. If you are being flamed, PM a moderator on the server for help, and provide the log.
This is one of the rules that needed a large update. I went into more detail with this because it happens a lot on the server.
Rule 4. No Smogon bashing. In case you haven't noticed, this project is sponsored by Smogon. If you have negative things to say about Smogon, then keep it to yourself.
Self explanatory.
Rule 5. No Shoddy/Official/Colin bashing. Some people have issues with the Shoddy Battle program, the official server, or the Shoddy Battle programming team -- but that doesn't mean you can bitch about it on our server. Colin wrote Shoddy Battle and had the generosity to make it open-source. Without it, we'd still be playing theorymon with our pokemon. Out of respect for that extraordinary contribution to competitive pokemon, hateful statements about Shoddy are not tolerated.
Fine.
Rule 6. In general, all forms of discussion of sex, flirting, or otherwise suggestive commentary is discouraged. A common technique for pedophiles and other sexual predators to find victims, is to lead online chat conversations into the sexual arena. This is a pokemon server, so it's best to avoid sexual conversations altogether. A certain amount of bawdy "guy talk" is inevitable, but comments will be moderated if it gets out of hand.
Nothing needed here.
Rule 7. Linking or advertising other websites is generally not a good idea. Smogon links and refs are totally cool, obviously. If it's purely for a pokemon reference, a link to Serebii or similar, that's OK. But, blatantly referring or linking people to other servers and other forums is not acceptable. This also includes Youtube videos, Rick Rolls, and other internet pranks. If you feel that your link pertains to the current topic on the server, PM a moderator for permission.
It happens way too much as of now, but sometimes a good youtube vid is welcome, so I added that bit in.
Rule 8. No chat flooding. Intentionally flooding the chat with excessive posts and/or excessively long posts will be immediately regarded as an attack on the server and will be dealt with swiftly and harshly by our Modbot, HAL9000.
Just added that little bit in.
Rule 9. Chat scrolling is not allowed. Please make one decent post instead of several little posts, each containing a fragment of a sentence or thought. It's annoying to read, and it scrolls the chat unnecessarily. If it doesn't set off HAL, you will be kicked by our moderators anyways. If it continues, you will be banned.
There are a ton of people who do this, and really, it's unnecessary.
Rule 10. Chat stretching is not allowed. Maybe you think it's cool to type the same letters over and over like thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssss!!!! Well, it isn't. It's annoying as hell to everyone else. So don't do it. You will be kicked or banned.
Small change.
Rule 11. Excessive use of capital letters is not allowed. It gets annoying to everyone on the server IF YOU TALK LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME. Lay off the caps lock. If it's just for emphasis, thats fine once in a while. If its continuous, you will be kicked or banned.
It really needed a description.
Rule 12. Please keep alternate accounts to a minimum. Preferably use the same name as your Smogon username. If you need an alt for laddering, thats fine, but please don't make too many. We'd like to develop a sense of community on the server. It's hard to do that if people log in under different alts all the time. Mods can see alts, so lying doesn't help. Blatantly spoofing another's name is also not allowed without permission.
Since we now have a leaderboard, alts are somewhat necessary. I changed the rule to reflect this. Also, spoofing names is annoying and some mods agree that it should stop.
Rule 13. Do not make offensive usernames. If you do so, you will be asked to log in under a new name. If you continue to use the offensive name, then you will be banned.
No changes needed.
Rule 14. No noob talk on the server. This is not a "Welcome to Pokemon" server. This a server for competitive pokemon players. Asking noob questions about the game is not allowed. It makes the server look bad to advanced players. Ingame discussions are allowed, but not basic stuff. "How do I beat the Elite Four?" is a noob question. "Here's how I beat the Elite Four with a single level 40 Starly" -- that's worth talking about. Basic questions about the CAP project and pokemon are expected and encouraged.
Nothing needed here.
Rule 15. Cut the nonsense. It's amazing how much unintelligible crap people post in the chat. No one likes to read idiotic non-discussions of pure stupidity. Long strings of smileys, l33t speak, random utterances unrelated to the current chat -- keep all that to yourself. Also, dumb back-and-forths are really unnecessary. "I pwned you that battle!", "No u didnt", "U suck", "No u suck", "lol", "lol back atcha", ":-P" "o_O" --- chat streams like that are ridiculous and will be moderated.
Fine.
Rule 16. Abusing or insulting a moderator is a really bad idea. You may question a decision, but do it respectfully. Moderators don't take kindly to people questioning their every move and insulting them. Questioning a moderator's decision is fine if you feel you have a legitimate case. But, once the moderator has explained a decision, then let it go.
Another problem rule. We've gotten so many people screaming "BUT I DIDNT INSULT YOU!" when we show this rule. This should fix it.
Rule 17. Children under age 13 are not allowed. Because of COPPA, we strictly enforce our age policy. If we somehow determine, or if you announce that you are under the age of 13, you will be banned immediately. No exceptions.
Self-explanatory.
Rule 18. No trolling on the server. This includes: Making alts and denying it, intentionally giving out fake information and claiming it to be true, and acting like a complete moron on the server. Punishment is proportional to the situation.
This has really gotten to be a problem on the server, and I feel it warrants a new rule.
I'd like comments from all the server moderators on this matter.
