Guidlines updated for Chatboxfunctions 01/25/2013

***FORUM GUIDELINES


YOU MUST BE 14 YEARS OLD OR OLDER
To register on this site you must be 14 years or older. If discovered that you have registered with a fake age to participate on this site it will result in a ban on your account. Bans on these accounts will be lifted once the registered member has reached the legal age to participate on this site.

RESPECT COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND LEADERS
Bigamist, racist, sexist, sexual, homophobic, insulting, flaming, threatening comments (etc, and other comments in this nature), will not be tolerated. Similarly, links to foreign sites regarding this type of nature will result in a two day ban. However, in the past only two members have received permanent bans, as a community we strive to respect all members. Please keep this in mind, as our moderators and administrators if they give you a warning beforehand. There is a difference between joking around and flaming other members and all members should be able to know the difference.

KEEP CONVERSATIONS AT A TASTEFUL, POSITIVE, AND MATURE LEVEL
Complaints regarding the Monster Hunter franchise are understandable, however, attacking, insulting, or trolling other forum member’s views will not be tolerated. Please keep your conversations friendly when you decide to reply or create threads. Please do not derail threads or try to act as if you are the original poster (keep posts related to that of the original post). Even if you do not agree with what someone is saying, you still cannot attack (subtly or not) other forum members.

DO NOT SPAM THE FORUM

Please do not spam or post on the forum with advertisements, promotions, websites, movements, groups, products, or services that are unrelated to the Monster Hunter Franchise. You may also not solicit any products (Monster Hunter related or otherwise) from any unofficial source or source that is not approved by the MHWiki Forum Guidelines and staff. Any effort to do so will result in an immediate ban and removal of spam. Furthermore, you may only link content that is tasteful and is directly related to the section or thread of that you are participating in.

HACKING AND OTHER TALK OF MODIFICATIONS

Due to the overwhelming amount of recent posts on these topics forum policies on this situation need to be defined more clearly.
Due to legal reasons the explanation, use, links to, promotion of and descriptions of hacks cannot be posted within these forums. The MHWiki Forum is often visited by and seeks to maintain a positive relationship with those companies that produce and distribute the Monster Hunter Games. As such we must maintain and follow a certain legal stand point on some issues regardless of personal opinions. Thank you.

SIGNATURES
Signatures should be tasteful, short, and abide to the forum rules stated above. All pictures that exceed the size of the forum layout should be posted inside a “spoiler” in order to maintain the website’s formal look, this goes for any additional text as well.

An example of a signature that does not need to be spoiled:

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Stated Text without being enhanced and an appropriate picture that fits within forum layout.

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YOUR POSTS MAY BE EDITED FOR CLARITY, BREVITY, OR ANY OTHER REASON
If a member fails to comply with the rules stated above, any moderator or administrator has the ability and responsibility to edit your posts.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU ARE BANNED?
If you are temporarily banned the ban must be accepted until it is lifted. If a member decides to evade the ban by creating a new account, the administrator of this website has the right to ban that member’s ip address, resulting in a permanent ip ban.

THIS IS NOT A VENUE TO DISCUSS PERSONAL ISSUES OF SENSATIVE NATURE, NOR TO SHARE OTHER PEOPLE’S PERSONAL INFORMATION
Although we like to think of our forum as one big happy family, this is not a place to discuss problems of personal and sensitive nature. Topics that we hope you will avoid regard family concerns, drug and alcohol abuse, inappropriate subject of sexual nature, religious, and political beliefs, etc (and other topics that will distract people from their enjoyment of this forum). If you have concerns that you would like to discuss with a friend please feel free to use the private messaging function on this forum. If you are uneasy about a post or thread that you are considering making, you are allowed to message any staff member in private regarding this nature.


***CHATBOX RULES

The guidelines of the forum applies to the chatbox as well. However, listed below are following rules specific to the chatbox.

CHOOSE A FONT COLOUR THAT IS LEGIBLE IN THE CHATBOX
Please do not choose black or other dark colors since it makes it hard for people to read what you are saying. Also, you may choose any colour you like, regardless if someone is using the same colour. Also use emphasising characters only when needed. Do not have your words always underlined or other distracting additions (Such as always having your words in capitals) as this too makes it hard to read and may cause confusion.


YOU CAN BE BANNED FROM THE CHATBOX
If any of the rules stated above are broken, you may be banned from the chatbox. However, this ban will not affect your ability to participate within the rest of the site.

RESPECT THE CONVERSATION
Conversations regarding the Monster Hunter franchise take priority over any other topic; however, the content is usually dictated by whatever people feel like talking about so long as it abides by the forum rules. Members should not exclude other members from conversations.

DO NOT GOSSIP
The chatbox is not a venue to indulge in gossip regarding other members. Praising members is natural; however you are advised to keep your conversations about others to a minimum. Flaming or insulting others to their faces or behind their backs will not be tolerated.

Moderators are able to make final decisions in the chat box if an administrator is not present. If you feel that a moderator is abusing his/her user privileges please address this issue to an administrator.

ChatBox Functions

The chatbox includes an (in chatbox PM function) though you may use this to speak privately with someone on some subjects please be aware that some staff may still view these messages for safety and legal reasons. All messages posted via the PM function must be to willing participants and must follow the forum guidelines or you will still be subject to a ban from the Chatbox and possible the forum as well.


***WHAT DOES OUR STAFF DO?

THE FORUM OWNER (MHWF)
The account MHWF is an active member that is in charge of promoting the forum, recruiting new members, forum event, maintaining the website, adding new sections, and dealing with legal issues. MHWF does not play an active role in dictating forum rules and regulations unless an issue arises or is brought to his attention by Administrators', the Lead Administrator, official Forumotion staff or any other higher authority.

LEAD ADMINISTRATOR
Oversees the administrators and ensures that basic forum guidelines are being followed. He/She is able to make requests to the owner regarding creating new sections, contests or events. The lead administrator makes the final decisions in situations that it calls for.

ADMINISTRATORS
Administrators oversee moderators and ensure that basic forum guidelines are being upheld. They are responsible for investigating issues that are brought forward to them by moderators. They report to the lead administrator is there is a situation that they cannot remedy.


MODERATORS
Moderators will oversee all sections of the forum to make sure that the guidelines are being upheld. They will report to an administrator if there is a situation that cannot be remedied under their jurisdiction.

CHAT MODERATORS
Chat Moderators ensure that rules are being upheld. If a member fails to follow the forum’s guidelines, the chat moderator will issue a warning. If unwanted behavior continues to persist, the chat moderator is able to kick members out of the chat as a warning. Furthermore, if negative behavior continues to persist after a kick, the chat moderator is able to issue a 24 hour ban. If a member continues to ill treat the chat box, an administrator may issue a heavier punishment.

***GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR MODERATORS, ADMINISTRATORS, LEAD ADMINISTRATOR, AND THE FORUM OWNER

Favoritism is not permitted. All members in a leadership position will refrain from being biased towards others.

Screen shots of negative behavior will be documented. However, it will not be used against members if they have improved their behavior.

Abuse of power is prohibited. Kicking members from the chat box will only be used for warnings, and not for amusement.


***WHAT IF I WANT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT A STAFF MEMBER OR PRAISE A STAFF MEMBER?

Please do not remain silent; we like to know how we are doing, whether we have done a good job or a bad one.

PROCEDURE:
If you have an issue, you must issue a private message to a staff member and provide a screen shot of the incident.

If you feel that a moderator is abusing his/her user privileges please address this issue to an administrator. If you feel that an administrator is abusing his/her user privileges, please take this issue to the lead administrator. If you feel that the lead administrator is abusing his/her rights, please take this issue up with other administrators to have it relayed to the forum owner. HOWEVER, all conversations regarding this nature should be discussed via private messaging with well supported documents!

If you would like to do the opposite and praise a staff member, do so via private messaging!


Disclaimer:
While this site is a fan site dedicated to Monster Hunter we are not affiliated with Capcom or any System/Company that caries any of the games in the series. Though we do try to keep on favorable terms with all companies by reducing/eliminating talks of hacking and hate as needed and requested.

Furthermore, though the site carries the title "Wiki" and though we promote the Monster Hunter Wikia, we are a separate entity with our own guidelines and leadership with the open belief that all Monster Hunter sites are united under the same goal of promoting and expanding the love of the game and alienating no one from it regardless of preferred system.

The rules below are unchangeable and dictated by formation and implemented by the Monster Hunter Wiki Forum:
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***TERMS OF SERVICE AS STATED BY "FORUMOTION"
The moderators of this forum will try hard to edit or remove reprehensible messages as soon as possible. However, it is impossible for them to review all the messages. Thus, you must admit that all the messages posted on this forum express the sight and opinion of their respective authors and not those of the moderators or the Webmaster (except messages posted by them) and consequently, they cannot be held responsible of the discussions.

This forum uses cookies to store information on your computer. These cookies will not contain any personal information; they are only used to improve comfort while browsing. The address e-mail is only used in order to confirm the details of your registration as your password (and also to send you back your password if you forget it).

- Aggressive or slanderous messages, as well as personal insults and critics, the coarseness and vulgarities, and more generally any message contravening the French laws are prohibited.
- Messages who promote - or evoke - illegal practices are prohibited.
- If you post information which came from another site
, look first if the site in question doesn't forbid it. Show the address of the site in question in order to respect the work of their administrators!
- Please post your messages only once. The repetitions are unpleasant and useless!
- Please make an effort on grammar and spelling. SMS-style language (ex: r u sk8ing?) is not advised!

Any message contravening the listing above will be edited or removed without additional notice or justification within deadlines which will depend on the availability of the moderators. Any abuse will involve the cancellation of the registration. Internet is neither an anonymous space, nor a space of no-right! We reserve ourselves the possibility of informing your access provider and/or the legal authorities of any malevolent behavior. An IP address of each poster is recorded in order to help us to make you respect these conditions.

By clicking on " I agree to these terms " below:
- You acknowledge to have fully read these current rules;
- You commit yourself to respect unreservedly these current rules;
- You grant the moderators of this forum the right to delete, move or edit any discussion subject at any moment.




Additional word of note from other post:

dcj91x wrote:

So, I have thought quite a bit about how to say this with recent excess in trolling and the more adult nature of some content being shown in posts and avatars. I and the other admin and mods are pretty lenient, to a point, when it comes to content. The MH series which this site is all about is rated T(teen). So the content of post, I believe, should fall in that category as well. Which stated by the ESRB is this:

T(teen)
Contains content that might be considered unsuitable for children under 13 years of age. Titles in this category may contain more intense violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, blood, simulated gambling, and/or use of strong language (which is uncensored).

Now that being said we know that it still leaves a lot of room open for things. So I will add this as well. Think about what you post, regardless of topic or picture. Be mature about it and that goes for those viewing the content as well. If you are old enough to play games with violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, blood, simulated gambling, and/or use of strong language in it, you should be old enough to handle what is posted on this site as well.

I have not yet seen anyone cross the line yet. (Though the avatar with the girl eating the Subway sandwich cut out comes close.) ;) If there is something that someone feels is going too far please feel free to let myself or any of the mods know. Though don't get upset if we do not agree with you.

All this being said, we come to this site to have fun and interact with people of similar interest. Let's keep it that way, fun.

Now, I would like to keep this announcement open so the other mods and forum members can express their opinions and suggestions as well. So please do feel free to make positive suggestions and comments that keep this forum fun and entertaining…… (that's why I keep stormy around. He can be very entertaining on occasion.)

Final note: If you complain about something to the mods or myself I expect you to also have a plan for correcting it.

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If you do not agree to follow the new Forum Guidelines, you may contact a staff member. No one will feel negatively towards you and will understand if you choose to no longer be a part of the community. You are always welcome to rejoin our community, but you must adhere to these guidelines. If you have any further questions please feel free to message a staff member.



To All:
A special "Thank You" to all the Forum Staff and Members who helped in contributing to the formating and creation of the forum Guidelines:

Win32error, Nova, Jojozityjo, Yamatsu, Kurtz, MasterOnion, quidam, Will, yuri, Chips, Daenerys and all other forum members not named but whom offered adviced and postive insight.