New SSMB Rules - You better read them.

[Old dead account 2,170]

There's a staff hate list? ...Well that's pleasant. Seems like the same rules under clearer listing. Good job, Certain other forums could learn a thing or two from this and how effective this staff is.

[Stacy 1,145]

There's a staff hate list? ...Well that's pleasant.

Yeah kinda rubs me the wrong way, maybe they should re-word it.

[Jetronic 1,385]

Ah, I remember how the rules were written up before. This is a much better revision of what was previously written, it's detailed, yet simple to understand.

Mods breaking rules? Does not compute.

I remember a few years back, there was one person (can't remember who), but it went beyond mere rule breaking.

[krazystitch 539]

So basically, just try not to be an ass and you should be fine.

Looks like a good and definitely understandable set of rules to me. Easy enough to follow but effective enough to make it all work out.

[Conquering Storm’s Servant 11,736]

Most of these rules just seem to flesh out things that are basically common sense, but since the GIFT is in place over the internet people obviously need a reminder that "No, we may not know your true identity, but fuck off anyway." Especially when it comes to newer members.

I personally see no change other than the Status update part other than that I was expecting something scary like the SSMB ten Commandments or even worse back when the fourm went through that infamous 'Nazi' phase.

"Nazi" phase? When was this? This had to have been way back in 2004 or before, cuz I was around in 2005 and as famous as I was back then I don't recall such a phase being around. We were definitely at each others throats in that chaotic period tho.

[Meow 1,299]

Psh, everyone knows that rules are made to be broken.

Elsewhere that is. Not here. Nope. I am most definitely not planning on secretly destroying everything including the fabric of time itself.

Easy enough to follow though guys, I mean this is all pretty much common sense so I think the majority of us will be a-okay. Also I've been here since 2006 and I don't remember a Nazi phase. I think forum games and whatnot were phased out and all the sex topics went away after that time, but I think that that was a good thing haha. Unless that era is not what we are talking about here.

[Noir 2,552]

This also includes acting like a moderator yourself and posting in bad topics about the fact that it will end up being locked

getting others to post on your behalf will never be welcomed by the staff.

Awesome rules kthnx love you guys not Sean of course xoxoxo

Edited March 28, 2012 by Noire

[Katzii 138]

Reasonable rules, I'd say, and I'd like to think I've not broken any thus far. Thank you for the update.

[Solkia 11,088]

No one is safe.

NO ONE.

But yeah, easy to understand.

[Ferno 22,754]

Seems simple enough to follow, basically being more comprehensive versions of the old ones n' all.

*goes about business like normal*

[Badnik Mechanic 33,873]

We had a "nazi" phase?

[Cobalt_Bolt 420]

The rules are pretty reasonable and easy to understand on my end since I try and make nice with everyone. I never try to troll on anyone since it is just asking for trouble.

[Kiah 25,474]

The rules here are short, sweet and simple; each of the rules state what we should and should not do along with why we should either do or not do. These well-explained rules I feel throw all excuses out the window when one is caught breaking a rule; one can't say they didn't know "such and such" wasn't allowed after being clearly stated in the rules.

Anyway, thank you for putting these rules in place, especially with them being so easy to understand. It's nice to actually read a set of rules and not have a headache after I'm done reading them, as I do in so many other places.

[Eternal EX 1,608]

When it comes to staff breaking rules it's the job of admins to deal with it if necessary. If an admin screws things up then Dreadknux, the owner of this here place, can kick some arses there. Generally though staff are here to make sure people follow the rules so we don't end up giving dickheads staff powers in the first place.

Guess that means I'll never gain the amazing powers of the MOD.

Anyways the rules seem simple enough.

[Remy 1,000,565]

Nooo SSMB never had a Nazi phase... Communist on the otherhand!

What do you mean phase, comrade?

Yeah kinda rubs me the wrong way, maybe they should re-word it

"Shit list".

have fun everyone!

[Stacy 1,145]

"Shit list".

[Pelly <3's U 4,867]

I always heard about it, and I've read the past rules from here in 2005, but I never fully grasped that era. I'd like a good explanation surrounding it.

Overall, this is a good set of rules. While still brief, it's much more elaborated on, which I definitely commend… Still doesn't have that professional impression, but it's nonetheless much better in tone quality.

Now one question: With the revised set now posted, what happens if a mod or admin breaks one of these rules? Do these rules apply to the higher-ups, as well?

At times, I've seen a mod or two occasionally submit an image- or macro-only post even after the rule was set last summer.

Let's clear something up here because it has caused some confusion. Yes..../very very occasionally/ a staff member will post an image macro or something to the extent that would look like it's against the rules. The stance I think most of us staff have had is that, one of the very few benefits of being a staff members for putting up with all the usually forum BS is the ability to be able to make a humorous (or at least attempt at humorous) post to relieve some of the very horrifying tension of the job (=P).

As most who point this out fail to notice as they cry out to the unfairness of this, we also tend to let members slide sometimes with this too as long as it's a pretty rare occurrence. Of course fair doesn't apply to a privately owned website which we allow guests on, plus there are a lot of fallacies most people don't understand with the concept of fair such as pre supposing equality in all points prior to their argument.

Now to be rather blunt DQ because at this point I really don't give a fuck about pleasantries anymore, I think I can safely speak for most of the staff when I say we're sick of you pretending like you're some great crusader for justice against the unfortunate tyranny of the staff of this boards. I think if anything, it speaks as a credit to the fairness of the mods to never having really called you out on this horribly disrespectful attitude to the people who run the site you seem to like enough to spent quite a bit of time contributing too. Your constant attempts to get in little jabs against staff members and your insatiable need to let the mods/admins know the board is not run exactly to how you would run it if you were in charge don't go unnoticed, and frankly at this point it's about the most tired thing I have ever read.

If there was a staff shit list, people like this would be on it. Honestly lately there's been some talk in the staff forum at just how personally tiring it can be to deal with this kind of ridiculous attitude some members show towards the staff, and in looking and seeing how personally affected some of my amazing fellow mods have been by people with this attitude, I'm at my personal last straw for dealing with it. Seriously knock it off. You don't look cool or like a hero, you look like an unappreciative dick.

And before you say this is an over reaction to your post, you know how your general attitude towards the staff is and honestly this has been coming.

And to clear up things for other members, we honestly don't mind feedback and suggestions from members......just don't pretend you're some vigilante hero while you're doing it, and we won't have to act like the villains ;P

[Jeffhog 7,309]

I don't know why some people are paranoid of a non-existent staff shit list.

[Velotix von Skruviktorrius 844]

Wow, really, most guys here don't remember when Dread released the hounds? Huh.

To clear it up for those of you who don't remember, there was a time shortly after I joined years ago in 2005 or so when the forum had basically gone to shit, resembled the current SEGA Forums except with none of the good posts and needed drastic change to clean it up and eventually bring it to the standards you now expect of the SSMB. Basically, Dread snapped one day and released the hounds. For a few months for most people the place was a nightmare to post in, but in those days the most dedicated folks were out for blood anyway and none of them really minded. The people who did mind were gone one way or the other - after all they were exactly who the new policies were designed to be hostile towards.

However even the dedicated guys got tired of it pretty quickly. I am, as far as I can tell, the only person who really, really enjoyed those days where one-line posts were instant strike material. (Hah, maybe it even got exaggerated in my head, nostalgia. n_n) Mind you, I guess you need to be that stringent when you're still allowing full political and religious debates in General.

Whilst I was gone, everyone mellowed out bigtime and the most contentious topics of discussion were banned from here, although we've had a few flashes where the staff have gotten sick of the BS from various sources. Anyone who's been here long enough knows what I mean and you can still see remnants of it in the stickies.

Anyway, that long ramble basically means this: the new rules remind me of a modern version of those old days where you knew exactly what was and wasn't kosher only updated for the current sensibilities of the staff team, and I'm all for that.

Forgive me though if I post a little less myself. I quite like my image macros, thankyou. :3

[Carbo 17,021]

I don't know why some people are paranoid of a non-existent staff shit list.

[Roarey Raccoon 1,472]

It was me who lost it first, actually. I'd been made a mod in 2004 after, as a normal member, I'd made a big topic about how sad it was that SSMB was going down the shitter. After being made a mod I tried to be as nice as possible to members and in return they ignored me and laughed me off. So I went batshit and started blitzing the place and Dreadknux concurred with me. We formed a tag-team and started banning and locking left and right. Eventually we had loads of members calling the staff Nazis and a hilarious topic was made about us, representing us as various main members of the Nazi party. Needless to say the shit did get cleaned up and the forum has been much better for it since. I think I personally banned over 200 people. I was the most hated staffer for quite some time XP.

[Velotix von Skruviktorrius 844]

I remember the username Big_Al, and I do indeed remember the futile attempts to politely get a bunch of authority-hating teens to respect the nice admin dude and him much less politely being told to fuck off.

I also remember the metaphoric nuke being dropped on the membership by Dread, not you. Yes you drove it, but you needed his approval for it and when he made that announcement it was totally unrecognisable as being something Dread would say either before or since. I was trying to be discreet seeing as you don't seem to like to be reminded of that particular era of the board but yes, you were the hound he released and it was glorious. You know when Dread of all people is pissed off enough to spit nails in public that something needs sorting out.

It probably reflects poorly on me that I find people being terrified by a (rightfully) pissed-off dude with no patience left nostalgic, but screw it, I know what I like and that's sweet justice being dealt to douchebags.

Let's just hope we never need to see that happen again.

Also I apologise if I'm being overly technical and precise here, I've only just completed a dissertation I've spent all month on and being a pedantic arse is a reflex at the moment. XP

[JezMM 23,376]

I had actually been looking over the rules the other day before you all updated them. It seemed kind of skimpy and bare-bones, but I'm really appreciative of this more detailed set of rules.

Not that I intend to backseat mod here, but I really want to give out a warning out of experience:

I suppose I'll be the guy who'll sheepishly raise his hand in regards to image/video spam in the past. It was really dumb, so I want to give a supporting nod towards this rule: you WILL get struck/suspended for doing so, especially if you're a repeat offender. I have been reprimanded several times before, and I know that I will never "resort" to 'witty" image macros to get a point across/pretend to be funny again. (the quotation marks mean that no, it shouldn't be resorted to, and no, it isn't funny)

Just a supporting heads up that the staff is serious about this.

Anyway, that aside, I'm certainly going to continue to do my part from now on. Thanks a million to our awesome moderation and administration team for keeping this home of ours from turning into a little ghetto of mediocrity.

SSMB for LIFE, yo!

Careful everyone, there's some blatant kidnapping/brainwashing goin' on here. Better watch ou-*muffle*

SSMB FOR LIFE ( *v*) /

[Candescence 3,054]

Well, the history lesson was certainly interesting! Never would've guessed that this place was once a hive of scum and villainy. Of a sort, anyway. God knows how long I would've lasted if I had ever been there... Granted, I don't remember ever being an arse on the internet (I wasn't much for that sort of thing), though I was once a naive idiot, being in my teens and all. Long story short, the years I was on the internet before, say, 2009 (I guess), were not my proudest period of internet history for the most part.

In any case, the new rules are definitely comprehensive and easy to follow. Keep up the good work, chaps.

[DanJ86 7,889]

...erm...there's this word I keep seeing, and I have no idea what it means...So, what's a "macro" exactly? Sounds like a type of mobile phone/cell phone...

I think the whole trolling thing goes without saying, but better to be safe than annoyed by idiots. Here's something interesting, did you know that here in the UK, trolling is illegal and has been for years.

It was called the "Communications Act" of 2003.

127 Improper use of public electronic communications network

(1) A person is guilty of an offence if he—

(a) sends by means of a public electronic communications network a message or other matter that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character; or

(b ) causes any such message or matter to be so sent.

(2) A person is guilty of an offence if, for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to another, he—

(a) sends by means of a public electronic communications network, a message that he knows to be false,

(b ) causes such a message to be sent; or

( c ) persistently makes use of a public electronic communications network.

(3) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable, on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or to both.

(4) Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to anything done in the course of providing a programme service (within the meaning of the Broadcasting Act 1990 (c. 42)).

http://www.legislati.../21/section/127

I may not know what a macro is, but I know other stuff...