COT Forums Rules and Information :: Read before you post!

by **lehrke** 12/5/2009, 10:26 pm

Hello and welcome to Complete Off-Topic Forums (COT Forums for short). I am the lehrke, the admin of this board. You've stumbled on an amazing community. However, in order to keep it amazing we have rules here and if you break them you will be banned. The folowing are the rules for this forum:

You can get banned for:

Advertising:

Advertising is posting links to a site that will bring benefit to yourself. Such things include a site that you are trying to recruit members for or a website that's sole purpose is web advertising. Posting these links in your signature will also merit a ban. Do not try and fool anyone by posting a picture that links to the sites either.

Range of ban length: Permanant IP ban for anyone who advertises in a post/thread, 5 day ban for advertising anywhere else.

Excessive swearing:

The censor blocks some swear words but most are open to use as long as you don't excessively swear in a post/thread. Saying 's**t' 400 times a post is annoying to read.

Range of ban length: 3-4 days.

Copyright Infringement (Piracy):

Torrent discussion is not allow! Posting a link to a torrent or download site for copyrighted material will merit a ban. If it were me I would be all for it but because of legal issues it is not allowed. *If the material is free to download, open source, or legal to download in such ways than it is ok to post.

Range of ban length: 1 week

Flamming:

Flamming is making fun of or discriminating against another member for whatever reason. Usually there's a difference between flamming and just two members joking around. If I or a mod feels that the flamming is intentional and hurtful you will be banned.

Range of ban length: 4-6 days

Porn:

Linking or posting pictures of porn is not allowed.

Range of ban length: 1 week

Racism:

Don't discriminate against someone's race. Just...don't.

Range of ban length: 1-2 weeks

Spamming:

Spamming is posting random crap repeatedly just to be annoying or gain attention. It also includes making random threads that serve no point to the site. Bumping a series of old threads is also spamming so don't do it.

Range of ban length: 3-5 days

And anything else that you think can earn a ban. Use your common sense before doing something.

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Bans:

Do not argue that you should not have been banned unless you are sure it was a mistake. If you have to dispute a ban be nice about it. Not doing so will lengthen the ban. I recommend contacting me if you are banned and want to dispute it.

Do not create a second account if you are banned. If we find out you will be IP banned (forever banned from creating a new account). I can see what accounts are attached to IP adresses. If there are multiple accounts on an IP I will ban you forever.

I or moderators (mods) have every right to ban you and if you do something that would earn a ban in their eyes you will be. If they ban you there is a reason, we don't ban people for fun (or do we? Razz

)

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See someone breaking the rules?

PM me or a mod about the problem. Please have a link to the incident. You can also use the "Report" button for posts and messages. Reporting will send a message to all admin.

Current Admin and mods:

lerk

*I don't have any mods right now but once we get big enough I will begin searching for someone who will honor the duty of mod.

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Other info you will need to know:

Regular section/members:

We have a "Regulars" section here! This section is made up of users who frequent the forum and have made a name for themselves here. To get in you have to reach the required post count and you're automatically in! Currently the require post count is 500. They have a hidden forum which is exclusive to only them! Their username also changes color! Strive to join the ranks of the regs!!!

Other user groups:

Besides the regs I'm thinking about adding a Graphic Design group. These members will work on the grapics here at the forum. They would also have an exclusive board I'm thinking? They would also have some exclusive rights.

If the member count gets large enough, I will start an "Exclusive" user groups. This would basically be above and beyond the "Regulars" group. They would have another exclusive forum and more rights.

YOU can also create usergroups. PM me if you would like to make one about anything. Make one about the Matrix, Scene girls, or a band. Whatever the case, ask me and I will create the group and put you as it's moderator to say who and who doesn't join. Sorry NO username color changes though.

Custom User Title:

At 1000 posts a member can ask me to create a custome user title (Rank) for them. But only if they are a decent and good member.

Name changes:

We DO NOT do username changes. Sorry. It's too much of a hassle and everyone would keep changing theirs. Don't ask a mod to do it because they can't. However, if I see you have an inappropriate name I will notify you and will change it.

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Hope you have a good time on the forum,
lehrke