ANNOUNCEMENT: Forum Behaviour

Asmodeus

Certified Subdomain
Original poster
LURKER MEMBER
MYTHICAL MEMBER
Posting Speed
  1. Speed of Light
Writing Levels
  1. Douche
Preferred Character Gender
  1. No Preferences
Right. Short sharp sentences for the youth of today.


HOW TO BEHAVE ON A FORUM

Some of you may be under the impression that Iwaku is a democracy. It is not. I will state that again for the outraged screencappers. It is not.

Iwaku is a community. In a community, the elders make the decisions and the people follow the traditions that have kept that community safe.

We are here to roleplay. That is the goal of this community. That is why we call ourselves a roleplay forum.

If you ruin the fun of the community majority, you will get a kick in the balls. Here are some scenarios in which your ball-kicking may occur:




1. Stating your opinion

Some of you think that because you have an opinion, it means you can share it with the entire world and they are not allowed to get upset with you because it's "your right" to express yourself.

No.

You do not have the right to express every cruel, offensive, hostile and anti-social thought that comes into your head. If you want to do that, go write a diary. If you do it on Iwaku, you will be shut down. The fun of the majority is paramount and will ALWAYS trump your personal rights.

Also, if you are "dark" and "edgy" and have "seen shit" and have "suffered" and "know what you're talking about", this does not give you any more of a right to offend people. No one is qualified to be a douche. You cannot get a certificate. It is not on a university syllabus. We all got bullied at school, we have all suffered and we all "know what we're talking about".

Keep your opinions to yourself, unless they are friendly ones. And don't assume that because you are "just joking" that the other person will get it. Play it safe, and trust that God is laughing at whatever you would've said if this stuffy forum had allowed you to be a jerk.




2. Roleplay Etiquette

GM stands for Game Master. It is the title for the Master of the Game. When this individual posts a roleplay, he/she does so with a certain mood in mind - a certain theme and atmosphere that he/she has envisaged. Some of you may think that because the GM is indulging the limits of their creativity, that you can also indulge the limits of your creativity.

No.

When you join a roleplay, you are playing a role. That is why we call it roleplay. You are there to support the GM's idea - to help them realise their vision and derive your own fun as a by-product of serving the greater story. You are not there to hijack, derail or obstruct the story in the name of your own creative experimentation. It doesn't matter how stylistically different you are or how "no one gets you". If you disrupt a roleplay you will be shut down.

Read other people's posts. Read the GM's posts. Understand the roleplay you are entering and what is expected from you in terms of mood, character role and style. DO NOT get instantly swept up in how awesome your character is going to be and how you are going to "rock this roleplay" with your edgy ideas.

If you want to make awesome characters, go write a novel. You are here to make roles, not characters.




3. Waiting for replies

Iwaku is a past time. It is a recreational forum, where people come when they do not have other commitments to attend to. There may be times when someone will not reply straight away to your message, or may not post in your roleplay. Some of you may think this is because they do not like you or no longer care about your idea.

No.

This is something called life. Life is what happens in between storytelling. Life is very stressful these days, even if you are stuck at home with no job and no real friends and nothing to do. Stress comes in many forms. If you hassle other members for posts and then get upset when they don't reply, you are causing them further stress and, what is more, you are making yourself out to be an overbearing psychopath.

Especially if you log into the Cbox and start hassling other members about it.

We are here to relax and get on, not hassle and emotionally blackmail each other. Take a chill pill and accept that you cannot count on the activity of others.




4. Sulking

Some of you may think that hanging around in the Cbox and complaining that no one loves you or the staff aren't listening to you or you're not allowed to join a group or your application to destroy the staff from within was rejected will somehow endear you to magical unicorns who will gallop to your aid on the back of white knights and carry you to Cookie Land.

No.

If you sulk, people will ignore you. They do not come to Iwaku to deal with self-pitying attention-seekers. And if they do, and they have a white knight complex, then you are a horrible, horrible human being if you exploit that. If you want to be included, interact with others in a friendly manner. This includes keeping your edgy opinions to yourself. It's not that hard. People do it every day. Put on a happy face and see the best in people.

If you want to be true to your dark passenger and brood on the interminable blackness that nestles in your soul, go away.

In Iwaku, your true self is second to your community self. Always. (Yes, I'm asking you to be false - it's what humans do.)




5. Relationships

Iwaku is home to both genders (I have proof), and we are all at that difficult age where we are taking notice of each other and appreciating the bumps and holes on each other's bodies. Some of you may think that Iwaku has a secondary function as a dating site and that everything in this forum will make room for the course of true love.

No.

Though there are many couples on Iwaku, this does not make them special snowflakes. I myself have a fiancee on Iwaku and thank all the stars in heaven that I have found her. But this was an unexpected bounty - a by-product of my normal activity on the forum. Iwaku is not the personal playground for your libidos. Yes, we have Smut RPs. Yes, we have groups that touch on intimate subjects. But that is where it ends. The Cbox and the Discussion boards are not the place for lover's quarrels, backstabbing, bitchyness, mockery and cybersex.

This forum is for roleplay, not personal drama. If High School crap spills out in the forum, it will be shut down.

We also have homosexuals here and people with different opinions on gender identity. That is their own business and not the cue for debate.

Discretion is called for, expected and enforced.




6. The Cbox

This is the heart of the community - the melting pot where we can all mix and mingle, the stage on which dozens of people from dozens of countries can find instant connections. It is a platform that has launched enduring friendships, moments of hilarity, and ideas of brilliance.

It is not your emotional crutch.

It is not your sulking corner.

It is not an enclosure of troll-snacks.

It is not the High School playground.

It is not a speed-dating restaurant.

It is not your personal soapbox.

It is not eternally guaranteed.

The Cbox will be removed if it continues to be the sparking point of drama. This year the staff have been flooded with complaints, issues and incidents, and almost all of them have originated in the Cbox. This is causing stress for the staff and lowering the morale of the entire community. If the continued running of the forum depends on the removal of the Cbox then this choice will be made. It would not be the first time.





And that's about it. I'm not sure how many more ways I can say "Don't be an idiot"... but I guess it's never enough for some people.



Bottom line: Assume a community persona.

Assume a role.


On Iwaku you do NOT have freedom of speech and you do NOT have freedom of behaviour. Adjust to the community of the community will reject you. There are thousands of other places on the internet where you can go if you want to express your inner peacock.


But it is not here.



Within the next two weeks, if anyone breaks the above codes of behaviour they will be dealt with swiftly. Consider this your first warning.


Here, we play roles, both in game and out. And we all know that roleplaying is easy, fun and makes for a great experience.





eat-it-bitch.jpg
 
If you just unleash every and all aspects of your personality all the damn time, people are (quite justifiably) going to think you're a fucking psychopath.

LAYERS, PEOPLE. WE ALL HAVE LAYERS.

Asmo's pretty much said what needs to be said, so all I'll add is

[size=+5]BE EXCELLENT TO EACH OTHER

AND PARTY ON, DUDES AND DUDETTES.[/size]​
 
Civilized! Ettiqute! :D

I only think that
When you join a community
Always keep your attitude towards others in mind!
Kindness is something easily given and is
Usually given back to you on the drop of a dime!
 
Man, it's like number 2 was written for me! *takes notes*

I think I'm good on the other ones though.
 
BEING YOURSELF DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN BE YOURSELF AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHER PEOPLE'S THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS.

That's MY most important notation to add. 8D

Every time I ask someone to drop a subject or bring a problem to me EVERY SINGLE ONE has said "I'm just being myself." ...and I have to bite my tongue to not say "...well -yourself- is an asshole."

Having respect for the thoughts and feelings of the people around you doesn't mean you are changing yourself or not being true to yourself. It means you are being a respectful and compassionate human being.

Not caring what other people think or feel and saying everything you want doesn't make you an "honest person", it really does just make you a douchebag.



So please do heed Mister Asmo's notice. 8D We're all be happier people in a more friendly and respectful community! <3
 
...bounty?

Well, at least I wasn't referred to as 'booty.'

But yeah, if you just joined so you could post semi-provocative photos of yourself and then leave once everyone in the picture thread stops calling you pretty, or you're just trolling for inexperienced, insecure teens to make you feel superior, you should probably just stick to the myspace or the Facebook or whatever you kids are doing these days.
 
"Some of you may think that hanging around in the Cbox and complaining that no one loves you or the staff aren't listening to you or you're not allowed to join a group or your application to destroy the staff from within was rejected will somehow endear you to magical unicorns who will gallop to your aid on the back of white knights and carry you to Cookie Land."

Best part of the entire post. Absolutely made my morning xD
 
It's not that we expect everyone to agree all the time. We don't.

We are a community of 400 active members strong, from all over the world. We cover all spectrums of ethnicity, religion, sexuality, and gender. Everyone is going to have different opinions. We have only one thing that I can GUARANTEE every one of us has in common, and that is that we are roleplayers and writers. It's a hobby that we love.

What brings us together is this love, and the community.

The community is the most important aspect of this site. Not how awesome the writers are, though we have many talented writers. Not how diverse the roleplaying options here, although our choices for roleplay are very diverse. The community is our bread and butter. And you are part of this community. That became true the moment you filled out your registration.

This has benefits. It means you are accepted, implicitly, no matter who you are or where you come from. It means you are part of something bigger. It means that we care about your experience on the site and will defend you if something or someone threatens it.

It does not mean we will defend you or care if you threaten that experience- that of others, or your own.

And, too, you should be aware that acceptance into the community can be withdrawn.

Differing beliefs and opinions are not a bad thing. Again, we expect that here the same as anywhere else. And you do have a right to voice those beliefs and opinions. Having the right, however, is not the same as getting away with saying anything scot-free. If you spew words that are hateful, offensive, and abrasive to the point of unbalancing harmony in the community, you will be punished. It is also not the same as having an imperative. Giving your opinion unsolicited will often not endear you to others. At the very least be aware of this, and think before you type.

This is not about what specific beliefs you hold. Iwaku IS a very liberal and secular forum, but that does not mean that devout members of their religion or conservative members are unwelcome. This is about your behavior as regards those beliefs. You don't have to hide them, but you DO have to respect others. You DO have to refrain from shoving your beliefs on others and creating arguments. And you DO have to get along well with others, no matter if you think they offend everything you stand for; they likely feel the same way about people such as you.

And before you begin feeling like a martyr, you should realize that almost everyone has at some point been treated like dirt for their beliefs and views. You are not the only one who has been marginalized or treated terribly. You are not a special snowflake. No matter how bad your experiences have been- and I don't mean to belittle them- there is always someone out there who has been through worse. It might even be that person responding so "irrationally" to your offensive statements.

I feel like I cannot stress enough that we should not have to explain this. It is common courtesy in real life to keep your opinions to yourself when you know they are going to offend or hurt those who would hear them. It is common courtesy to respect those around you. It is common courtesy not to treat every establishment you enter- especially one you enter regularly and is populated by friends and family- as a place for getting some ass. It is common courtesy to abide by the rules and plans of any household or team not headed by yourself.

Yes, there are those who do this in real life. We call them assholes. And you are as much an asshole if you do it here as if you do it offline.
 
Some of you may think that hanging around in the Cbox and complaining that no one loves you or the staff aren't listening to you or you're not allowed to join a group or your application to destroy the staff from within was rejected will somehow endear you to magical unicorns who will gallop to your aid on the back of white knights and carry you to Cookie Land.

For the record, I was messing around and you know it.


I agree with everything said, however. There is a reason my name isn't Pat on this forum. Because that's not who I am on this forum.
 
[size=+2]"That which you hate to be done to you, do not do to another."[/size]​
 
Thank you for this Announcement. It's good to hear these things reiterated every once in a while so we can remember it, and so new members can learn.
 
I do think that everyone is a special snowflake... but: don't act like you're a really special snowflake, more special than other snowflakes... Because then people will glare at you cyber-ly and imagine you are a tiny stick-person they are about to poke off the edge of their monitor...

I hope we are all nice enough to remind each other when we're being douche-bags without being mean about it and without getting defensive when someone tells us to deflate our bags of douche...

That being said, I'm pretty sure I have broken #1 and #2 on multiple occasions <3 Have I mentioned yet how much I love you guys~?
 
As long as you learn from it, I'm pretty sure you're fine. If you're a repeat offender, or if you REALLY screwed the pooch with those two at the same time... That might be when you should worry- but Iwaku's good about how it handles problems.

It isn't a democracy, it really isn't. It's a group at the top, trying to make sure everyone's decently happy, and then a group above that, trying to make even bigger decisions. There's a lot of discussion, usually, and believe me, it keeps everything copacetic.

If you made an offense on the site- and they have to contact you or talk to you- don't try to fight it or deny it or defend yourself in an outrageous fashion- usually if they're at that point, EVEN AT THE WARNING LEVEL: Usually there's a talk. If you get a warning, learn from your mistake, and move on.

If you don't...

Sheesh, don't make it hard on the staff. They don't just play around in their area of the forum- sometimes it's annoying as hell, and you're torn because you want, DESPERATELY for a member to realize a mistake they keep making, or something that they're doing that they think is right- it's not- and yet, if they don't shape up, it's gonna just cause for the talks and discussions to continue, and keep going and keep going- eventually you start dreading going to check the threads that need your attention, because you hope that nothing's been added to that one thread- YOU PRAY, that thread has been DORMANT since the last time there was a discussion about that person.

It's not a democracy- it's... It's not quite a government, it's more like parenting, trying to keep everything in line and fair for everyone.

Those people with different colored names? Thank them.

They've paid more than their dues to this site.

*******************

Whoa, that was long.

I just wanted to say that I respect this site, Iwaku, for always maintaining the same type of guidance from moderators. The feel has always been the same. You're not lofty creatures that haven't talked to anyone on the forum, you mingle and you talk. You're human and we know it.

Hell, even Asmo's human, and I still can't believe it.
 
Promote peace, by destroying those who threaten it. I like it! =)
 
WAIT A MINUTE IT ISN'T A DEMOCRACY I THOUGHT EVERYTHING WAS AMERICA OMG MINDBLOWING!

Oh yeah by the way TL;DR: Don't be an overdramatic asshole and you should do fine.
 
I love you all for being so awesome on this.<3
I try to be open minded and accept everyone's opinions.
I hope I don't offend many when I speak anywhere here.. o.o'
But, yes.
Treat others how you might want to be treated.
Or, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything. ^^
And also, if you feel rageful, take a moment, step away from the computer, breathe, collect yourself, and come back.