A public version of my forum's guidelines, for those interested in joining. I cut off the bit I use to check if people have read them and proved it in-forum, though đ
I intend to keep this as a live document, updating it to reflect the latest version of the forum's rules if needed.
Iâm setting up this site as a dedicated (and long-lasting, hopefully) space for discussion and appreciation of the band, Ave Mujica. I do not expect this to get too big, but just in case, here are some guidelines for how to navigate and post in this forum:
1.) Remember the Human
Everyone on the other end of the line is a person, just as much as you are, so never write anything that you would hate to read yourself, especially not just to get a laugh or other reaction out of somebody. This is not a stand-up comedy and weâre not your audience, and crassness or ragebaiting isnât funny on the internet just because you find jerk characters fun in fiction. When it doubt, ask an honest friend if what you wrote doesnât cross any lines before you hit âsend postâ.
The Mod Team reserves the right to delete any messages that we deem to be insulting to those you speak to and, if necessary, penalize you for them. This could escalate to kicking if enough members do not find you welcoming in the space.
2.) Post ethically
Donât post anything that might get yourself or others into trouble, such as links to illegal material, content not meant for the eyes of minors, art by artists who didnât approve of their art being shared, or bigoted language. Always respect the efforts of artists and creators, even if you donât like their work. Resist parasociality. Be respectful of everybodyâs self-identification, physical or mental health, religion or culture, no matter if it matches your own values or not, and expect others to do the same. Never speak of entire distinct people groups as a monolith or, worse, degrade them.
Any outright attacks on whole people groups or parasocial disrespect of creators will be penalized.
3.) There are teenagers here. Act accordingly.
Sexual talk, flirting, or any attempts to worm yourself into the life of a user with less life experience than you will be shut down and penalized. This is not a place for NSFW talk (including topics such as rape or incest), and all and any minors here are to be treated as young folk to be mentored and introduced to Ave Mujica with kindness and care, not pieces of clay to be molded as you please.
Likewise, minors are to be on-guard and report any suspicious behavior by other users they notice to the Mod Team. Do NOT try to confront a suspected wrongdoer on your own or with a friend-group. We have ways to stop dangerous people from intruding here if weâre made aware of them.
4.) Respect other peopleâs time
Posts donât vanish off your timeline if you donât respond to them immediately, so take your time and expect others to do the same. Donât reply to threads you havenât actually read or ask people to summarize it for you. If a post is long, it means someone took a long time to write it, the least you can do is read it in full before you reply and not ignore parts of it. Likewise, make sure your own posts are well structured and easy to read to avoid others forming bad habits that make them skip posts. (This includes not spamming random emojis or GIFs constantly.)
5.) Post about what you know
Fandom isnât a contest to be won. If you have something that you consider to be your ânicheâ, feel free to stay in the part of the forum particular to that and post there. Donât feel the need to add a reply everywhere, even on threads on topics that make you uncomfortable or that you donât have a desire to know much about. Itâs not considered good etiquette to barge in on enthusiastic conversations just to say something negative. Feel free to make your own thread (within topicality and forum rules) for that. Conversely, post as much as you want on threads were you feel your input is needed/valued! The internet is great because it is a great store of information, after all.
6.) Avoid flame wars
While differences of opinion are normal and healthy, if the way a topic is discussed only makes the involved parties more and more angry and hostile towards each other, it simply isnât worth it and the posts involved are likely to get deleted to maintain general forum atmosphere. So if you want to avoid your posts getting deleted, take care to not let a conversation become too personal, inflammatory or dismissive. There ALWAYS is a civil way of expressing your thoughts, without calling anybody (may it be someone your talking to, or somebody tangentially involved, like a game developer) insults.
To be transparent, as mentioned above, this forum does not condone propping up subjects such as incest. On the other hand, we are aware that this topic can cause a lot of snarls between fans, and we donât condone that either. The Mod Team will not take sides when a fight breaks out because of this; all parties will be penalized.
7.) Be forgiving of other peopleâs mistakes
Weâve all accidentally said things we shouldnât have said, made ourselves looked stupid, or fallen into the wrong crowd at one point or another. So, again, remember that everyone involved here is human and thus give them the leeway to improve. Obviously, this does NOT apply to severe breaches of Nettiquette rules 2 and 3, which will always lead to a ban from the forum. However, in other cases, try to not hold grudges against other users and remember Nettiquette rules 1 and 6.
8.) Refrain from sharing personal information
We are here to talk about Ave Mujica, not your home town, street, house number, exact circumstances of your birth or the three numbers at the back of your credit card. Donât make data collectorsâ work easier than it needs to be, and refrain from doxxing yourself or worse, others.
Adapted from: https://puyo-plaza.forumieren.de/t55-forum-rules-must-read
If you're chill with that, below is the permanent invite link to the forum. See you there!