Mod Update, with Snazzy New Rules!
Strike a light, what's goin' on here, then?
All right, all joking about reality being broken aside, I do have some news and updates to share with y'all.
In addition to filing the right paperwork and getting two new mods in, My Fellow Mod mr_negotiator filed the WRONG paperwork and voted aeon_phoenix off the island by mistake. So, hey, win some, lose some. In other words, Nix is sticking around as a mod. TICKERTAPE PARADE GOES HERE!
The other big news is that our rules have been...well, drastically isn't the right word, but it's close...updated.
The mods decided to start the new year, with so many wonderful new players coming in and old players re-appearing, by tightening up the language of the existing rules and adding a couple more. Nothing HUGE LIEK X-BOX OMG or anything, but everybody should please give them a read.
***
Welcome to Dear Multiverse, where anything is possible.
The Setting: A multiversal hub, a through-way if you will, of all possible universes.
The Purpose: To ask for advice from anybody around.
The People: Anybody who can find it.
Please, read all the rules prior to posting your first question. If you have Out Of Character issues or problems regarding play, please post your concerns to our sister site, dmooc, or email the mods directly at d.m.moderators at gmail.com.
1) THE LJ TOS:
Live Journal's Terms of Service, written out here, are absolute and must be followed. They also state that any user of the LiveJournal service must be at least 13 years of age. It is the responsibility of parents or guardians to determine what is acceptable viewing for children. As such, the Dear Multiverse moderators will not be policing the community posts for non-child-safe content. We do ask that you keep content PG-13 for the most part, and use an LJ-CUT for large scans or images, as well as any adult or non-worksafe content as a courtesy.
1A) HOW TO LJ CUT:
Type this: [lj-cut](Type your text here.)[/lj-cut]
This will appear as a link to your post with the text ( Read More ).
Type this: [lj-cut text="This is my story"](Type your text here.)[/lj-cut]
This will appear as a link to your post with the text ( This is my story. )
Be sure to replace the square brackets with pointed ones.
Learn more about LJ Cuts and other LJ specific tags by clicking here.
2) THE GOLDEN RULE.
Yes, this is the internet. And, realistically, we can't expect everyone to get along 100% of the time. However, we do still expect that the Golden Rule apply here. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." When communicating in an OOC fashion, please remember to treat people as you would like to be treated. We understand that some characters are not inclined to behave this way IC, but it's important that the OOC distinction be made.
3) THE PLAY NICE RULE.
Dear Multiverse operates on the Path Of Least Moderation. As such, we encourage the players to try to work out any sort of OOC conflict and complaints amongst themselves prior to contacting the moderators. This is not to say that we don't want to be involved; just the opposite. But we most certainly don't think the players need to have their hands held through every single exchange.
4) THE ICA=ICC RULE
In Character actions have In Character consequences. What this means, just as an example, is if you decide to enter the Nexus covered in human skulls and eating a baby, prepare to be reviled, shunned, and possibly have other player characters trying to end your baby munchin' ways. The flip side of this, of course, is that only YOU have the final say in what happens to your character. If somebody threatens to kill, maim, or otherwise permanently alter your character, you have every right to say "No." We encourage Out Of Character notes as often as you feel them necessary to clarify what's going on. Communication is key.
5) THE NO TROLLS ALLOWED RULE.
No OOC Flaming or Trolling will be permitted. If you have a disagreement with someone, your options are:
A) Take it to email.
B) RP around the individual you are disagreeing with to avoid causing yourself undue stress.
C) As a last resort, take it to the mods.
We define OOC Flaming Or Trolling as the following: A comment intended to hurt, harass, chase off, defame and/or propose/organize illegal activities to/with another player. There is a large difference between 'snark' and 'harassment.' In instances of OOC exchanges on D_M, the mods would rather play safe than sorry. A good rule of thumb is, if you wouldn't say it in front of your grandmother, don't say it to another player.
6) THE IC =/= OOC RULE, AND HOW WARNINGS WORK.
Mods reserve the right to delete posts either on request of a player, or if deemed to be spam or intentionally inflammatory OOC. Once again, we recognize that certain characters IC are abrasive and inflammatory. Any intentional blurring of the IC/OOC line in order to troll or harass will result in a warning.
Each post that is deleted by a mod will be accompanied by an email to the poster with an explanation. If the post in question is not by a poster with an email address, a comment will be left with the stated reason for the deletion, and the post with the comment will then be saved offline by the mods.
However, if you get upset and you can't communicate with a mod in response to a mod action without resorting to attacks and profanity, the consequence is you will be banned, regardless of how many warnings you have been given. Once again we stress that this is a game, and there is no reason to treat another person with disrespect over a game.
6A) We adhere to a three strikes policy. For the first offense, the player(s) involved will receive a comment on the thread in question, with the topic title "FIRST OFFICIAL MOD WARNING." The second offense, the player(s) involved will get both a comment ("SECOND OFFICIAL MOD WARNING") in the thread in question and a follow up email from the mods, with a reminder of their first warning. For the third offense, there will be a comment stating that the player has been banned. We go by players, not character journals. We love sockpuppets, obviously. We don't like troublemakers using sockpuppets to stir up more problems. If you've been banned, please take your banning with good grace, and move on.
7) THE NO WANK ALLOWED RULE.
Dear Multiverse is not the proper venue for OOC rants directed at other players, communities, real life friends, the President of the United States, or anything else that's got your shorts in a kink. There are several rant comms out there; you can search for them, even. Please, take OOC rants elsewhere. IC rants are, of course, just fine.
8) THE VIOLENCE RULE.
The general rule regarding violence is this: Keep it to glaring, ego-puffing, and other harmless acts, unless the question calls for some sort of violence. One of the occasional IC ways to get around a fight is what's known as the Anti-Violence Field. However, this field is spotty at best and non-existent at worst. If it has to be escalated, please move it to a character's journal. Any instances of auto-success, auto-dodge or godmoding will not be tolerated, and will result in a warning. Remember, the only character you have ultimate control over is your own. And even Superman takes his licks every so often.
9) THE 'WHERE'S THE QUESTION?' RULE.
We welcome any question, any character (with one exception listed below), and any player, here at Dear Multiverse. You can ask questions as yourself, or as any number of characters. Non-questions are permitted, as long as they're infrequent. We have no application process, and there is no upper limit to how many characters you can play. It is, however, considered bad form to 'talk to yourself' with two puppets, as it is to 'goon rush' a question with multiple pups with different answers. A good rule of thumb here is: If you're commenting way more than the original poster of the question? Yeah, too much.
10) THE NSFW RULE.
All pictures not safe for public viewing (or work for typists/muns) should be behind a lj-cut with a "NSFW" label and a "safe" description. If they are not labeled and/or cut, they are subject to being edited or, if warranted, deleted by the moderators. Other pictures, try to keep them small. We know that some communicate by pictures and this is fine.
11) THE SPOILERS RULE.
The rule for spoilers for movies and books is 60 days (two calendar months) from the initial release date. The rule for comic books is 30 days (one month) from the release date. The rule for TV is one week from the original air date. (The reason for this is TV has repeat showings. Also people can and do have access to VCRs, TiVos, or other methods of getting the shows in question.) The rule for video games is 60 days from the American release. Those outside the borders can ask for a lj-cut.
This means any post you make with a character whose question or situation reveals information that can be considred a spoiler must be LJ-CUT. In the event of a spoiler being non-LJ cut, the player will be asked to cut without a warning being issued. If the post remains 'uncut', then the moderators reserve the right to edit and/or delete the post, and issue a warning.
Recently, the media has been known to leak spoilers all over. (The recent kerfuffle with Spider-Man revealing his secret identity in the comics comes to mind.) In cases like this, we request that you stick to our already established guidelines, as not everybody watches the news or listens to Howard Stern.
12) THE 'WHO ARE YOU AGAIN?' RULE.
Dear Multiverse's policy on "Who is the mun/player/typist behind the character/puppet?" is that this is a game. If we were all sitting around a table, we would all know who played whom. As such, Dear Multiverse will not entertain concerns or complaints of anyone "outing" someone else's character against their will. If you don't wish other people to know which characters you type, we strongly suggest you exercise discretion with whom you choose to share that information -- and make certain you are logged into the correct account before you post. If you mistakenly comment with the wrong account, you are responsible for deleting said comment. The mods cannot do so.
13) THE 'YES WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS ICA=ICC STUFF' RULE.
As stated above, only you have final say as to what happens to your character. Be aware, however, that other players may play in such a way as to disagree with your assumptions or expectations. If you and the other players involved cannot find a compromise to your related plot-points, we ask that you minimize all OOC conflict, up to and including ignoring each other, both ICly and OOCly. Dear Multiverse is flexible, time and space have no meaning, your character does not have to even notice anything you don't choose to let them see. If you feel a conversation or interaction is altering your character beyond salvage, you do have the right to what's known as a retcon. Make sure you clear it OOCly with the other players involved first, please. However. If it comes to the point where you're deleting threads and/or posts to avoid IC consequences, that's unacceptable. The moderators have the right to step in to solve this sort of conflict without the approval of the players involved, and they also reserve the right to warn and/or ban those same players if it's warranted.
14) THE BACKSEAT MODERATING RULE.
We request that all members of the community do not play moderator. What this means is as follows: If you spot a fellow player breaking a rule or committing a faux pas through ignorance, do not take it upon yourself to correct them or warn them OOCly. Please, alert a mod in the event of a serious infraction of the rules, and in the case of faux pas, let them slide. A few good examples of this are somebody posting without a question, posting a long question or image without an LJ Cut, posting an OOC issue to the wrong community, or posting the infamous 'where am I?' question. In other words, the mods, while under the radar for the most part, are paying attention, and will let the players involved know about the rules and/or manners required.
15) THE CHARACTER FAIR USE DISCLAIMER.
We request that you put basic character information in your character's profile page, at the very least stating what fandom they're from, if they're an OC from an established universe, or if they're an OC from an original universe. Dear Multiverse, its players and its moderators make no money off the use of these characters, nor do we encourage copyright infringement. We also do not allow 'real' people that are currently living to be portrayed here on Dear Multiverse. (For example, you cannot RP Oprah Winfrey as she is today. If you want to RP Oprah Winfrey's head in a jar from Futurama, however, you can do so.)
Gag characters created solely to mock or troll another player/character will not be tolerated, and will result in a warning.
16) THE MOD LIMITATIONS.
Okay, this isn't a rule, but a notification. We mods here at Dear Multiverse believe that our mod hats get hung up the second our browsers leave the actual community. In other words, if there is an OOC conflict on individual journals, another community, or over instant messages, we will not and cannot step in to stop it unless specifically asked to do so. We play the game as well, and we have our own plots going. Which, as you know, take up time and require love and attention. We're not here to moderate every possible journal, interaction or discussion. Remember, we're only human, we require sleep and food and sometimes pixi stix mixed into our Red Bulls to get through the day.
17) THE END.
Rules will periodically be reviewed and updated. We will make announcements regarding any changes to the communities, both dear_multiverse and dmooc.
Thanks guys! Any and all comments or questions regarding these new rules, put 'em here for me. :D
All right, all joking about reality being broken aside, I do have some news and updates to share with y'all.
In addition to filing the right paperwork and getting two new mods in, My Fellow Mod mr_negotiator filed the WRONG paperwork and voted aeon_phoenix off the island by mistake. So, hey, win some, lose some. In other words, Nix is sticking around as a mod. TICKERTAPE PARADE GOES HERE!
The other big news is that our rules have been...well, drastically isn't the right word, but it's close...updated.
The mods decided to start the new year, with so many wonderful new players coming in and old players re-appearing, by tightening up the language of the existing rules and adding a couple more. Nothing HUGE LIEK X-BOX OMG or anything, but everybody should please give them a read.
***
Welcome to Dear Multiverse, where anything is possible.
The Setting: A multiversal hub, a through-way if you will, of all possible universes.
The Purpose: To ask for advice from anybody around.
The People: Anybody who can find it.
Please, read all the rules prior to posting your first question. If you have Out Of Character issues or problems regarding play, please post your concerns to our sister site, dmooc, or email the mods directly at d.m.moderators at gmail.com.
1) THE LJ TOS:
Live Journal's Terms of Service, written out here, are absolute and must be followed. They also state that any user of the LiveJournal service must be at least 13 years of age. It is the responsibility of parents or guardians to determine what is acceptable viewing for children. As such, the Dear Multiverse moderators will not be policing the community posts for non-child-safe content. We do ask that you keep content PG-13 for the most part, and use an LJ-CUT for large scans or images, as well as any adult or non-worksafe content as a courtesy.
1A) HOW TO LJ CUT:
Type this: [lj-cut](Type your text here.)[/lj-cut]
This will appear as a link to your post with the text ( Read More ).
Type this: [lj-cut text="This is my story"](Type your text here.)[/lj-cut]
This will appear as a link to your post with the text ( This is my story. )
Be sure to replace the square brackets with pointed ones.
Learn more about LJ Cuts and other LJ specific tags by clicking here.
2) THE GOLDEN RULE.
Yes, this is the internet. And, realistically, we can't expect everyone to get along 100% of the time. However, we do still expect that the Golden Rule apply here. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." When communicating in an OOC fashion, please remember to treat people as you would like to be treated. We understand that some characters are not inclined to behave this way IC, but it's important that the OOC distinction be made.
3) THE PLAY NICE RULE.
Dear Multiverse operates on the Path Of Least Moderation. As such, we encourage the players to try to work out any sort of OOC conflict and complaints amongst themselves prior to contacting the moderators. This is not to say that we don't want to be involved; just the opposite. But we most certainly don't think the players need to have their hands held through every single exchange.
4) THE ICA=ICC RULE
In Character actions have In Character consequences. What this means, just as an example, is if you decide to enter the Nexus covered in human skulls and eating a baby, prepare to be reviled, shunned, and possibly have other player characters trying to end your baby munchin' ways. The flip side of this, of course, is that only YOU have the final say in what happens to your character. If somebody threatens to kill, maim, or otherwise permanently alter your character, you have every right to say "No." We encourage Out Of Character notes as often as you feel them necessary to clarify what's going on. Communication is key.
5) THE NO TROLLS ALLOWED RULE.
No OOC Flaming or Trolling will be permitted. If you have a disagreement with someone, your options are:
A) Take it to email.
B) RP around the individual you are disagreeing with to avoid causing yourself undue stress.
C) As a last resort, take it to the mods.
We define OOC Flaming Or Trolling as the following: A comment intended to hurt, harass, chase off, defame and/or propose/organize illegal activities to/with another player. There is a large difference between 'snark' and 'harassment.' In instances of OOC exchanges on D_M, the mods would rather play safe than sorry. A good rule of thumb is, if you wouldn't say it in front of your grandmother, don't say it to another player.
6) THE IC =/= OOC RULE, AND HOW WARNINGS WORK.
Mods reserve the right to delete posts either on request of a player, or if deemed to be spam or intentionally inflammatory OOC. Once again, we recognize that certain characters IC are abrasive and inflammatory. Any intentional blurring of the IC/OOC line in order to troll or harass will result in a warning.
Each post that is deleted by a mod will be accompanied by an email to the poster with an explanation. If the post in question is not by a poster with an email address, a comment will be left with the stated reason for the deletion, and the post with the comment will then be saved offline by the mods.
However, if you get upset and you can't communicate with a mod in response to a mod action without resorting to attacks and profanity, the consequence is you will be banned, regardless of how many warnings you have been given. Once again we stress that this is a game, and there is no reason to treat another person with disrespect over a game.
6A) We adhere to a three strikes policy. For the first offense, the player(s) involved will receive a comment on the thread in question, with the topic title "FIRST OFFICIAL MOD WARNING." The second offense, the player(s) involved will get both a comment ("SECOND OFFICIAL MOD WARNING") in the thread in question and a follow up email from the mods, with a reminder of their first warning. For the third offense, there will be a comment stating that the player has been banned. We go by players, not character journals. We love sockpuppets, obviously. We don't like troublemakers using sockpuppets to stir up more problems. If you've been banned, please take your banning with good grace, and move on.
7) THE NO WANK ALLOWED RULE.
Dear Multiverse is not the proper venue for OOC rants directed at other players, communities, real life friends, the President of the United States, or anything else that's got your shorts in a kink. There are several rant comms out there; you can search for them, even. Please, take OOC rants elsewhere. IC rants are, of course, just fine.
8) THE VIOLENCE RULE.
The general rule regarding violence is this: Keep it to glaring, ego-puffing, and other harmless acts, unless the question calls for some sort of violence. One of the occasional IC ways to get around a fight is what's known as the Anti-Violence Field. However, this field is spotty at best and non-existent at worst. If it has to be escalated, please move it to a character's journal. Any instances of auto-success, auto-dodge or godmoding will not be tolerated, and will result in a warning. Remember, the only character you have ultimate control over is your own. And even Superman takes his licks every so often.
9) THE 'WHERE'S THE QUESTION?' RULE.
We welcome any question, any character (with one exception listed below), and any player, here at Dear Multiverse. You can ask questions as yourself, or as any number of characters. Non-questions are permitted, as long as they're infrequent. We have no application process, and there is no upper limit to how many characters you can play. It is, however, considered bad form to 'talk to yourself' with two puppets, as it is to 'goon rush' a question with multiple pups with different answers. A good rule of thumb here is: If you're commenting way more than the original poster of the question? Yeah, too much.
10) THE NSFW RULE.
All pictures not safe for public viewing (or work for typists/muns) should be behind a lj-cut with a "NSFW" label and a "safe" description. If they are not labeled and/or cut, they are subject to being edited or, if warranted, deleted by the moderators. Other pictures, try to keep them small. We know that some communicate by pictures and this is fine.
11) THE SPOILERS RULE.
The rule for spoilers for movies and books is 60 days (two calendar months) from the initial release date. The rule for comic books is 30 days (one month) from the release date. The rule for TV is one week from the original air date. (The reason for this is TV has repeat showings. Also people can and do have access to VCRs, TiVos, or other methods of getting the shows in question.) The rule for video games is 60 days from the American release. Those outside the borders can ask for a lj-cut.
This means any post you make with a character whose question or situation reveals information that can be considred a spoiler must be LJ-CUT. In the event of a spoiler being non-LJ cut, the player will be asked to cut without a warning being issued. If the post remains 'uncut', then the moderators reserve the right to edit and/or delete the post, and issue a warning.
Recently, the media has been known to leak spoilers all over. (The recent kerfuffle with Spider-Man revealing his secret identity in the comics comes to mind.) In cases like this, we request that you stick to our already established guidelines, as not everybody watches the news or listens to Howard Stern.
12) THE 'WHO ARE YOU AGAIN?' RULE.
Dear Multiverse's policy on "Who is the mun/player/typist behind the character/puppet?" is that this is a game. If we were all sitting around a table, we would all know who played whom. As such, Dear Multiverse will not entertain concerns or complaints of anyone "outing" someone else's character against their will. If you don't wish other people to know which characters you type, we strongly suggest you exercise discretion with whom you choose to share that information -- and make certain you are logged into the correct account before you post. If you mistakenly comment with the wrong account, you are responsible for deleting said comment. The mods cannot do so.
13) THE 'YES WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS ICA=ICC STUFF' RULE.
As stated above, only you have final say as to what happens to your character. Be aware, however, that other players may play in such a way as to disagree with your assumptions or expectations. If you and the other players involved cannot find a compromise to your related plot-points, we ask that you minimize all OOC conflict, up to and including ignoring each other, both ICly and OOCly. Dear Multiverse is flexible, time and space have no meaning, your character does not have to even notice anything you don't choose to let them see. If you feel a conversation or interaction is altering your character beyond salvage, you do have the right to what's known as a retcon. Make sure you clear it OOCly with the other players involved first, please. However. If it comes to the point where you're deleting threads and/or posts to avoid IC consequences, that's unacceptable. The moderators have the right to step in to solve this sort of conflict without the approval of the players involved, and they also reserve the right to warn and/or ban those same players if it's warranted.
14) THE BACKSEAT MODERATING RULE.
We request that all members of the community do not play moderator. What this means is as follows: If you spot a fellow player breaking a rule or committing a faux pas through ignorance, do not take it upon yourself to correct them or warn them OOCly. Please, alert a mod in the event of a serious infraction of the rules, and in the case of faux pas, let them slide. A few good examples of this are somebody posting without a question, posting a long question or image without an LJ Cut, posting an OOC issue to the wrong community, or posting the infamous 'where am I?' question. In other words, the mods, while under the radar for the most part, are paying attention, and will let the players involved know about the rules and/or manners required.
15) THE CHARACTER FAIR USE DISCLAIMER.
We request that you put basic character information in your character's profile page, at the very least stating what fandom they're from, if they're an OC from an established universe, or if they're an OC from an original universe. Dear Multiverse, its players and its moderators make no money off the use of these characters, nor do we encourage copyright infringement. We also do not allow 'real' people that are currently living to be portrayed here on Dear Multiverse. (For example, you cannot RP Oprah Winfrey as she is today. If you want to RP Oprah Winfrey's head in a jar from Futurama, however, you can do so.)
Gag characters created solely to mock or troll another player/character will not be tolerated, and will result in a warning.
16) THE MOD LIMITATIONS.
Okay, this isn't a rule, but a notification. We mods here at Dear Multiverse believe that our mod hats get hung up the second our browsers leave the actual community. In other words, if there is an OOC conflict on individual journals, another community, or over instant messages, we will not and cannot step in to stop it unless specifically asked to do so. We play the game as well, and we have our own plots going. Which, as you know, take up time and require love and attention. We're not here to moderate every possible journal, interaction or discussion. Remember, we're only human, we require sleep and food and sometimes pixi stix mixed into our Red Bulls to get through the day.
17) THE END.
Rules will periodically be reviewed and updated. We will make announcements regarding any changes to the communities, both dear_multiverse and dmooc.
Thanks guys! Any and all comments or questions regarding these new rules, put 'em here for me. :D