New GreaterMUD rule v1.1 (beta)

[Vitoc]

Definitions
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Public channels:
Gossip (and auction when it's implemented), talking, shouting, telling, announcing (for ops), gang names, player names

Private channels:
Paging, telepaths, gangpaths

Broadcast is kind of a special gray area.  If you are clearly not welcome on their channel or only there to cause grief, it will be treated as a public channel in that instance.  If someone does "find" your channel, make it easy on you and us and just fucking choose another one, please.

Rule:
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If you say or post anything that I or Gardner or any other op finds over the line over a public channel, you will be suspended for a period of time commensurate with the statement and any past history.  If you say anything that I or Gardner or any other op finds over the line over a private channel to someone who complains and provides adequate (in the ops' eyes) evidence of clear and/or persistent intent, you will be suspended.

Repeat offenders risk being banned permanently.

If you have to ask if something is over the line, it probably is.  Error on the side of caution.  Profanity is mostly OK, but don't push it.  The main thing we will be watching for and punishing is hate speech related to racism, sexism, religion, and homosexuality.  You can talk politics or philosophy or about some of those topics as long as it's within reason.

I'll warn you in advance, Gardner will likely be more tolerant than I am.  I'm tired of this shit.  It ends now.

If you are suspended, I advise you not to go off on some stupid silly "I'm innocent" / "woe is me" rant.  You got suspended.  Get over it.  Learn from the experience.

This rule applies on these forums as well.

If is effective as of now.  Yes, that's right.  If I weren't at work I'd log in right now and start enforcing it.  When Gardner reads this, he is authorized to start enforcing it.  There's no excuse.  You shouldn't have been doing it in the first place.

Edit 1.1
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This should go without saying, but I guess some people need to hear the obvious.  Being disrespectful to me, Gardner, any other ops, or this project will not be tolerated on these forums or in the game.  You can have a difference of opinion, you can report bugs, you can talk about the perceived lack of development (nevermind how much time is being put into just handling fucking stupid in-game drama and griefers, but I digress...), you can honestly talk about any aspect of GreaterMUD, within reason.  Pay attention to that last part.

The realms and forums have been and likely always will be free.  We're not asking anything of anybody except to follow the rules and respect the host.  You don't have to like us.  You don't have to agree with us.  You don't even have to stay if you don't like it.  What some of you are asking (unrestricted "free speech") is akin to telling a billboard owner they shouldn't mind when someone posts anti-billboard / anti-owner graffiti on their billboard.  That's their billboard and it is unreasonable to expect the owner to just let anyone post anything they want on it.  If you don't like what's on the billboard, look somewhere else.  Better yet, put up your own billboard with your own message.

On the other hand, the handful of people bitching and complaining about anything and everything just for the sake of bitching and posting all kinds of disrespectful gossips, gang-names, player-names, and forum posts are hurting this project.  So we're done with the old "anything goes" operation -- it wasn't working.

If you can't stomach the thought of simply respecting your host and being civil, and you can't seem to keep the discussion within reason, you'll find yourself suspended more often.  If this is unacceptable to you, good luck finding another host that will allow you to disrespect them and what they're trying to provide.  These are pretty standard rules anywhere you go.