These updated rules apply to all posts and content posted on these forums and apply to all members. Your use of these forums implies your consent to comply with all of the rules.


Avatars

An avatar is an image selected by a forum user to represent themselves on the forums. This image is displayed in their profile, or next to any posts that the user makes on the forums. Avatars may be in the form of an animation, drawing, photograph, or other content.

• Access to and usage of the Avatar system is a privilege and not a right. Removal of Avatar privileges, the addition of admin approval restrictions, or temporary bans may be used by the admin as punishments for flouting the rules.
• Avatar images must be no more than 150 pixels wide x 200 pixels tall AND less than 100kb to prevent thread distortion. Resize or optimise the image if it exceeds these requirements. Ask an admin if you need help with this.
• Modifying another members avatar is not permitted without that member's consent. However, the admin reserve the right to change or remove avatars that are deemed to fall with any of the categories below.
• No offensive avatars are permitted. "Offensive" avatars are deemed to include:
  
  • Avatars that advertise products or services
  • Avatars that portray homophobic themes
  • Avatars that portray overtly adult/sexual/pornographic themes.
  • Avatars that portray racist themes
  • Avatars that portray threats against other forum users, groups, ideas, people, brands, or commercial products.
  The admin have the right to change this list at any time and make judgements on the offensiveness of avatars at their discretion. This list is therefore not exhaustive and may change over time and without notice. The decisions of the admin are final.
• The admin reserve the right to decide the terms and severity of any punishment dealt for failing to comply with the rules.

Board Content
Content can include anything from ideas in messages, to images, links, videos, or music. Some content may cause offense or harm to other forum users however, and for this reason are banned from being used on the forums.

• The admin have the right to change the following list of banned content and make judgements on the offensiveness of board content at their discretion;
  
  • No advertising of commercial products, brands, or other media for the purposes of making money.
  • No explicit/sexual/pornographic content.
  • No flaming.
  • No homophobia.
  • No narcotics.
  • No overt (or hidden) threats to other users.
  • No plagiarism.
  • No racism.
  • No warez.
• The above list is not exhaustive and the admin reserve the right to decide whether any content falls within or outside of the rules. Any and all forum content that is deemed offensive to other members will be removed without warning, and a punishment may be dealt. The admin will decide the terms and severity of any punishment dealt.
• Posts should be clear, to the point, and on-topic. If you wish to talk about something else, create a new thread.
• Forum users do not have total freedom of speech here. Remember that your access to the forums is a privilege not a right, and you are not the only user of these forums. Please think of the children!

Duplicate Accounts
Duplicate accounts are where a forum member creates more than one forum account.

• Users may only have one active member account. If you want your name changed, or no longer have access to your old account, contact an admin. Their email addresses are contained in their profiles.
• Users that actively use multiple user accounts to enforce their point of view will have all of their accounts banned.
• Users that have been banned for flouting any of the rules will also have their IP address banned from the entire Star-Trek-Games.com network to prevent account duplication and ban circumvention. We have links with many other websites and could potentially seek your banning from those sites too.

Forum Etiquette
Just because these forums are online does not mean you can behave in any manner you see fit. The following rules state behaviours that are or are not allowed on the forums.

• Swearing and slang must be kept to a minimum. Please remember that children may be using the forums, or other users may misunderstand your use of language. We're not saying use the queen's speech, but try to be sensitive to other forum users.
• Saying "Please" and "Thank You" can go a long way in getting people to help you with problems!
• Thread titles are there for a purpose. Try to stay on topic!
• The admin reserve the right to edit users posts to remove what they determine as foul or excessive content and to also determine whether punishment is necessary, and the severity of said punishment.

New Forum Areas
The forums are subdivided into a number of different areas where people may discuss stated topics.

• If you want a new forum added, send a PM to an admin detailing why you think it should be added. The admin will decide whether it is necessary to add one or not. The admin are listed at the end of these rules.

Personal Messaging (PM's)
The forums come with a personal messaging or PM system that allows you to contact other forum members.

• Use of this system is a privilege that can and will be taken away if the system is abused.
• The following content is banned from being sent via the PM system;
  
  • Advertising/Spam.
  • Explicit/Sexual/Pornographic content.
  • Flames.
  • Homophobic content.
  • Racist content.
  • Threatening content.
  • Warez.
• The admin reserve the right to change this list at their discretion and decide whether the inclusion of offensive content warrants punishment, and if so, the severity of said punishment.

Problems With Other Members
We're all human, and we know people that we have disagreements with. These rules dictate how such disagreements should be handled.

• If you have a personal problem with another member of these forums, don't make it PUBLIC. Use the Private Messaging system to talk to them - civilly. If you bring it on to the board then our administrators will take action against YOU.
• If you can't settle your dispute and it's getting out of control Please Private Message one of the admin.
• The admin reserve the right to deal with problem members as they see fit.

Rule Breakers
Failure to comply with the rules will be dealt with by an admin. These rules state how forum users should treat such events.

• If you think someone is violating any of the forum rules, don't take the law into your own hands and start telling them what to do. Message an admin and we'll take care of it.
• The staff reserve the right to interpret the rules beyond their written meaning or to make changes to the rules at any time.
• Rule violations will be met with a warning via private message, then a public notice, then increasingly tougher punishment until the situation is rectified.
• Any of the phases can be skipped at the administration's discretion.
• Persistent offenders can and will have their accounts permanently removed and their IP addresses banned to prevent account duplication and ban flouting.

Signatures
A signature is a small piece of text that a forum user may display at the end of every post. A signature may be in the form of text, or a still or animated image.

• Signature images must be no more than 500 pixels wide x 270 pixels tall AND have no more than a 100kb filesize. If your image is bigger than this, try to reduce the quality, optimise the animation, or resize the image(s). Ask an admin if you require help with this.
• Signature text is also limited to a maximum of 600 characters. Please note that images in signatures will require links to the images on offsite hosts. The url location for these images is included in the text limit. You could try using a url shortening service if you need more space.
• As with Avatars, any signature or signature image that is deemed offensive to other users will be removed without warning and future signatures may be made subject to approval. Members that persistently flout the rules will be banned.
• The modification of another members' signature is not permitted without that member's consent. The admin however reserve the power to make changes to signatures that break the rules without the consent of the user.
• The admin reserve the right to change this list at their discretion and to decide whether the inclusion of offensive content warrants punishment, and, if so, the severity of said punishment.
• The admin reserve the right to change this list at their discretion and decide whether the inclusion of offensive content warrants punishment, and if so, the severity of said punishment."Offensive" signatures include messages or images intended to flame, advertise, or spread messages with racist, homophobic, overtly sexual/pornographic, or overtly threatening themes. The admin have the right to change this list and make judgements on the offensiveness of signatures at their discretion.

Spam
Spam is a meat product with little nutritious content that people eat when they have nothing else. Likewise, spam here represents useless posts that people make when they don't have anything useful to say. Spam may be in the form of posts unrelated to the thread title, or may simply be posts that have gone completely off-topic. Spam may also come in the form of advertisements for products or services.

• All spam will be removed without warning. We only want forums that are nutritious for members.
• Persistent spammers will have their accounts permanently removed and their IP addresses banned to prevent account duplication and ban flouting.
• The admin reserve the right to decide whether board content is spam or not, and, if so, whether such content warrants punishment, and if so, the severity of said punishment.
• Any post that contains content that specifically advertises a product or service shall be regarded as spam and will be removed immediately. Users that have made no other forum contribution before making such posts shall be banned from the forums without warning.

Staff Decisions
When we make a decision, that decision is final. Don't make another thread about it or contact one of the admin to complain.

• Bans are final and are not done without due reason. Don't give the admin a reason to do so.
• Bans may be temporary or permanent. The admin reserve the right to make judgements on the terms of a ban.

Use of the Attachment System
We have given all forum members the ability to use a file attachment system with their posts. You can see the box for doing so underneath the posting box.

• Use of the attachment system is a privilege - and one that can and will be taken away without warning if the system is abused. Persistent offenders can and will have their accounts permanently removed and their IP addresses banned to prevent account duplication and ban flouting.
• The filetypes that can be uploaded have been restricted to images to reduce the risk of viruses etc. Files must also be 2mb or less in size.

Our admin are Jigalypuff, Skeet, Matress_of_evil, Nemitor_Atimen, Malvoisin, and Kenneth_of_Borg. Please contact them about any issues you may have on the forums.

The forums are here for the enjoyment of all users. Follow the rules above and problems should be few and far between. So on behalf of the admin, I hope you enjoy the forums!