Using the Forum

[Shrubbery]

The Diplomacy, King of Games Forum is one which respects its members. The general rule for participating on the Forum is, then, respect the person. I am happy for people to disagree, debate, argue, etc but you must respect the person.

Below is a list of rules you MUST follow. Failing to do so will lead management team action.

THE FORUM MANAGEMENT TEAM RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE OR UPDATE THESE RULES AT ANY TIME.


A. Content on the Forum
1. Members are not allowed to post:

• Defamatory content: content which is slanderous or libellous.
  
  
• Pornography: content which describes sexual acts, or pornographic images.
  
  
• Advertisements: content that advertises goods or services unrelated to Diplomacy.
  
  

Any posts of this nature will be removed and the member posting them will be permanently banned from the Forum.



2. Discriminatory language and images are not allowed. This includes content which is abusive, hateful or discriminatory towards:

• Race or ethnicity
  
  
• Sexual orientation
  
  
• Gender
  
  
• Gender reassignment
  
  
• Disability
  
  
• Religion
  
  

2.a. Discussion of topics relating to these characteristics is allowed, of course, where appropriate on the Forum. The ban on this content relates to comments which are deemed, in the opinion of Site Management, to be abusive, hateful or discriminatory towards a member of the Forum Community or towards groups which share these characteristics in general.
Any posts of this nature may be edited or removed, and Site Management will act proportionately.



3. Members are not allowed to post content which is strongly abusive towards another member of the Forum Community. Personal abuse is defined as:

• Discriminatory language relating to the characteristics in A.2 above.
  
  
• Content which, in the opinion of Site Management, is strongly abusive.
  
  
• Posts with content that is persistently abusive towards a member of the Forum Community in a milder form.
  
  

Site Management will act proportionately.



4. Posts which contain an external link must not link to any content which breaks the rules above.
Any posts of this nature will be removed and Site Management will act as if the content had been posted directly to the Forum.


B. Activities on the Forum
The following activities or actions are banned:

• Spamming: Posting content which is off-topic.
  
  
• Trolling: Harassment of members of the Forum Community over a number of posts.
  
  
• Flaming: Posting content which is solely (in the opinion of Site Management) aggravating or argumentative in order to elicit a reaction from another member or members.
  
  
• Phishing: Attempting to get hold of another member's personal details, or contact details, especially if that member has refused to share them previously.
  
  
• Impersonating a member of Site Management: Creating or a changing a username which is designed to imitate that of a member of the Site Management team.
  
  
• Repeated reporting: Repeatedly reporting posts of a certain nature to "make a point"; repeatedly reporting the same member of the Forum Community as part of a "vendetta".
  
  
• Continuing a closed topic: Continuing to argue a point once a decision has been made.
  
  

Site Management will act proportionately.


C. Private Messaging
Private messages are treated differently to Forum content or activities. This is because Members can block others from sending a PM. However, there are rules which need to be followed for PMs.

1. Pornographic content should not be sent by PM, in any form.
   
   
2. Discriminatory language or content should not be sent by PM.
   
   
3. PMs which are deemed to be contain strong personal abuse are not allowed.
   
   
4. Phishing PMs are not allowed.
   
   
5. Attempting to impersonate a member of Site Management in a PM is not allowed.
   
   
6. Harassing a member of Site Management by PM is not allowed.
   
   

Members who receive a PM which breaks any of these rules should contact Site Management by PM. Send using the Usergroup menu but only to the Administrator or Moderator groups.


Site Management will act proportionately.

MEMBERS OF THE FORUM COMMUNITY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SECURITY OF THEIR ACCOUNTS AND FOR CONTENT POSTED IN THEIR NAME. 
If you break the rules you will face a proportionate sanction.


SITE MANAGEMENT RESERVE THE RIGHT TO EDIT OR DELETE POSTS AND/OR BAN MEMBERS WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THE MEMBERS AFFECTED.


See APPEALS PROCESS.