Forum Lawbook

Here, you will find all of the rules of the forum; neatly packed into this rather expansive and wordy text. Trust me, reading and learning the rules only benefits you in the long-run.

Contents

• Overall Posting/PMing Conduct
  
• Sexual Conduct
  
• Illegal & Shock Material
  
• Cheating & Dishonesty

Overall Posting/PMing Conduct

The overall posting and private message conduct that is expected of you is stated, below.

• Respect is a Full Circle
  If you want respect for yourself, please remember to treat others with respect. This means no malicious insults, no bashing, no flaming/trolling, and absolutely no harassment. You are not going to get anywhere by posting inflammatory comments on the internet. It simply doesn't work that way. If you disrespect another member, there will be no discussion. You will be punished.
  
  
• The Staff
  The staff members of the board are here to protect you. When they speak, they are to be treated with the utmost respect; as they are the board's workers who help with anything you may need. Under no circumstances should you disobey the staff. Pride in your "individuality" is respectable, but a hatred for authority is not. We are not here to oppress.
  
  The same goes full-circle for all staff members. Just because you have a different coloration in your name, it does not mean that you are any different from the other members. You are to be respectful of others that join our humble site, lest you risk yourself getting into a position where you are not only vilified, but unable to be a staff member, again.
  
  
• Basic Grammar and Punctuation
  Please. We cannot stress this enough. You will be joining a site about active, intermediate-level roleplay. Please make sure that you have a basic grasp on grammatical and sentence structure. Run-on sentences are a bit squicky to some, but please make sure that you at least spell the words correctly.
  
  If you have problems, refer to any of these websites, as well as any others you may find to be helpful to you.
  
  
• Advertisement
  Advertising your own sites or other products are not allowed in the main forums. Visit the advertisement portions of the forum to see what is acceptable and where it is acceptable.
  
  
• Pictures in Posts, Signatures, and Avatars
  All pictures, signatures, and avatars have their own parameters that we wish for you to stay within.
  • Posts: For all pictures inside of your posts, please make sure that they are within 450 x 450 px in size.
    
  • Signatures: All signature pictures are allowed to be within 400 x 200 px in size.
    
  • Avatars: All avatar pictures, located in the mini-profile, are only allowed to be within 100 x 200 px in size.

Sexual Conduct

The rules on sexual conduct are a bit particular here, on Spera. You will find that, while we allow the exploration and lucidity, we will not allow the graphical configuration; which is possibly one of our largest offenses.

• Sex in Posts
  There can be absolutely no sexual content within your posts. Due to ProBoards' squeamishness about the issue, you will not be capable of posting any type of sex in your posts. Doing so will result in a Severe Warning.
  
  
• Graphics and Videos
  Under no circumstances should you ever produce, show, distribute, link or redistribute any type of graphical depiction of nudity of any kind, sex, and sex acts. Sex acts will clothed is not allowed. Anything pertaining to these acts, or seemingly simulating it, is not allowed. Sending links or showing videos of sex, sexual acts, or sexual/pseudo-sexual situations is most definitely not allowed, at all. There are no exceptions to this rule.
  
  Doing any of these, even if you are new, will give you a Second Level Warning.
  
  
• Illegal or Explicitly Perverse Sexual Activity
  We are not a eugenics program, and we do not bash your sexual fetishes. However, know that once you step into Spera, you are not at liberty to explain in detail on the forum's visible portion about all of your fetishes. If a member is younger than the age of consent on the site, which is 18, you are not to ever act perversely or flirtatiously with them. This is simply a matter of fact.
  
  If any of you are caught doing so, you will be punished. Our boards, ideally, wish to protect minors. However, if you should choose to not obey this; it will be the consequences that you'll face. Know that your actions will be protected, but only if you choose to open your mouth about it. We want to be your Superman, but only if you'll be our Lois Lane
  
  You are not allowed to post anything pertaining to scatology, vore, underage sex, rape, bondage, and torture.
  
  
• Bashing Leads to Banning
  Everyone here is equal. No one will bash anyone for being a certain sexual orientation. Your orientation is simply who you are, and we will not have any discussion about this. Should you attempt to bash, justify, or attempt to stop anyone from posting simply because you dislike their orientation, it'll earn you a one-way ticket to banning. You simply have to realize that you are not anyone of general importance, so you are unable to make rules that ban others from the site or threads.

Illegal & Shock Material

Know that, before you read this, you are immediately banned for ever attempting the following; no matter your status on the forum.

• Links to Viruses
  Links to malware, malicious downloads, and attempted computer crashing bugs will not be tolerated in the least. Anyone who sees this must immediately report them. Those who post the links will be permanently banned, immediately. If it is unintentional, make sure that the links you post are not compromised by those who wish to upload malicious material.
  
  
• Hacking Attempts or Coups
  Talking about, attempting to, or actually hacking someone is expressly forbidden from the site. If you perform these acts, you will most definitely be banned from the site. All posts by you will be deleted, and your IP will be banned.
  
  
• Pornography or Sexual Pictures
  Covered in the Sexual Conduct portion. Any pictures pertaining to sex, sexual content, or compromising positions of any kind will not be tolerated in the least. You will be banned immediately for posting such things. While we can talk about sex here - because, that's inevitable - we should maintain a pornography-free environment.
  
  
• Gore or Shock Images
  Putting up pictures of graphic violence, mutilation, or shock pictures will earn you an automatic ban. Screamers, shock faces, etc. will result in a ban for you; even in jest. Many do not wish to see those, and while some may believe them to be funny, others will not. Post these, and you're banned.
  
  
• Trapping Links
  Putting up links and such that others cannot click out of will result in an IP ban, permanently.

Cheating & Dishonesty

This covers cheating and dishonesty within the RPG.

• Character Stat and Equipment
  Cheating with your stats and equipment include adding/subtracting things without any due process or warrant. Inputting a bunch of stat points onto your character without earning them honestly, or putting on weapons that you don't own/don't exist. This is punishable by Severe Warning.
  
  
• Money
  Being dishonest with your money amounts. This includes not inputting the correct amount you should put into the bank, or attempting to post more money within the bank than you have gained. If you don't have an active link to the forum in which it was posted, such as if the link is broken, you will be unable to input anything into the bank until we are given a correct link. If you have gained coinage or minerals within an RP, you are unable to claim it from the RP after two day's time. This is punishable by Severe Warning if continued action persists.
  
  
• Falsifying Claims or Accusations
  Accusing someone of something or claiming something that is not true. This include steering other members the wrong way by telling them something that is not true, or lying to get someone in trouble when they, themselves, have done nothing wrong. This is punishable by Severe Warning.
  
  
• Technique and Ability
  Attempting to put techniques or abilities which you do not own on your profile. This embodies if you have not earned them, or if you have simply made up the techniques and abilities on the spot and put them on your list. If it cannot be found in your Update Thread with a viable link to where you earned it, you will assumed to be cheating. You are unable to use another account to try and gain the technique, and no one can gain the technique for you. No other character you've created can gain the technique and have it be immediately passed on to your character. Your update thread posts will not delete themselves, either; so please don't use that dumb excuse.
  
  
• Obstructing Staff
  When one purposely lies to obstruct the staff's work and try to undermine what they do. Again, the staff are here to help you. If you are unable to tell us the story if something has happened, we will not penalize you unless you were involved in some way. If we find that you have lied to do something, such as protecting someone who has broken the rules or protect yourself; you will be punished with a Temporary Banning.

Forum Disciplinary Action

• The System
  
• The Listings
  
• Verbal Caution
  
• First Level Warning
  
• Second Level Warning
  
• Severe Warning
  
• Temporary Banning
  
• Permanent Banning
  

The System
When you receive a disciplinary action, know that it is because you've failed to follow one or more of the laws. The members that are capable of handing out disciplinary actions are Moderators, Global Moderators, and the Admin.

All of your disciplinary actions will be recorded on your Account Notes. These can only be seen by the Staff members. These notes will never be deleted or removed. All of notes are your record on Pokemon Summit.


The Listings
The Listings are a list of members who frequently gain warnings and/or bans. If they always seem to break the rules or defy the instructions of the Staff, they will be put down.

These people are incapable of becoming Staff members, Game Masters, creating a storyline, or gaining any MP. This period will last until the higher Staff Members feel more comfortable with the user.

• Verbal Caution
  This is only for first time offenses. You have gained this caution because you did not know the rules and are new to the site. You will only be told the rules, but no disciplinary action has to be taken.
  
  However, for offenses such as Trolling, full out flaming, or Pseudo-Trolling, there will be a First Warning.
  
  Once you've gained at least three months of experience, this rule will not apply to you. You would've been acquainted with the rules, as well as understand what is right and what is wrong.
  
  
• First Level Warning
  When a member is experienced, they will receive first warnings automatically. If a member with a Verbal Caution continues their actions, the Verbal Caution will become a First Level Warning. These last for 7 days.
  
  Should this escalate, it will become a Second Level Warning offense.
  
  Your Warning Level will be put to 30% after this.
  
  
• Second Level Warning
  These Warnings are the next level. If one was to continue something that would've given them their First Level Warnings, it will become a Second Level Warning. These last for 14 days, and the user will be Listed.
  
  Should this escalate, it will become a Severe Warning offense.
  
  Your Warning Level will be put to 60% after this.
  
  
• Severe Warning
  These Warnings are the highest level. If one were to blatantly continue through their Second Level Warnings, they would be put into the Severe portion of the Warnings. These Warnings will go away after a month.
  
  Should this escalate, it will lead into the Temporary Banning.
  
  Your Warning Level will be put to 90% after this.
  
  
• Temporary Banning
  These are the one of the more severe punishments. A user will be banned for a while, depending on the severity. It will be discussed among the Staff. No Temporary Banning will extend past two weeks, and none will be under three days. The banning will not be lifted early unless someone can prove that you did not do something.
  
  In the case of a user(s) vs user(s) type of argument, the users who instigated the fight will receive double the time as the ones on the receiving side, should both sides retaliate in the argument. This isn't to be discussed or negotiated.
  
  Should you continue to push the rules after your temporary banning or attempt to come back before your banning is up, you will be Permanently Banned.
  
  
• Permanent Banning
  These are the most severe of punishments. A user will be banned indefinitely from the forums, and are disallowed to return. A permanent banning is only given after a temporary banning.
  
  In the case of a user(s) vs user(s) type of argument, the users who instigated or both sides of the fight may receive this punishment if they already have temporary banning history. This isn't to be discussed.