Community Code of Conduct and Terms of Use

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GameSquad

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User Agreement and Terms of Service

By registering for the GameSquad forums you agree to be bound by this User Agreement. The following forum rules are part of the Terms of Service and you agree to follow these rules at all times on the forums.

The GameSquad forums are a moderated forum. However, GameSquad reserves the right to moderate (or not moderate) at our sole and unfettered discretion. GameSquad reserves the right to discontinue or alter services at any time. In addition GameSquad may delete user-posted content, or ban user accounts for violations of the Terms of Service or Forum Rules as the moderators see fit. Individual members may only have one Gamesquad account.

Mission Statement
This site is run with a "common sense" approach, and it is our intention to be fair and consistent as much as possible. This is a discussion forum made up of a community of gamers, so it will only be as good as you help to make it. Treat your fellow members with respect and post interesting, helpful topics, and you will likely find your interactions here to be positive and productive.

Community Code of Conduct

Signatures

Regular members can have two inactive, unlinked URLs in their signature space. You can list a tournament as one of your two permitted unlinked URLs in your signature, not both. Game tournaments and small conventions (not GenCon, etc.) unlinked URLs are acceptable in signatures. Only Gold members can have active URLs in their signatures. No advertisements in signatures, e.g. "Visit www.brokenground(dot)com for new ASL counters." or "www.pedalpushers(dot)com for all your bicycle needs." and similar. Personal recommendations should be like, "Gamer's Armory has many games in stock with quick service." i.e. no URL listed.

Flame Wars and Trolling
For better or worse, flame wars and trolling are part of Internet culture. They always have been and probably always will be. Members are going to argue over various subjects, and sometimes these discussions are going to get heated. Even if one of these topics gets very heated, the mods will generally allow the discussion to continue. After all, the forums are a place for gamers to discuss topics of interest openly and honestly, and we try to stay out of the way in order to give members as much freedom as possible. Generally, we don't want to be in the business of censoring discussions or attempting to limit what members can talk about. However, we do want members to concentrate their activity on game related material, the primary reason for joining Gamesquad. That means you may encounter other members who say outrageous stuff and generally piss you off. It happens. If you can't stand a particular member, use the forum tools available to you to add them to your ignore list. Contact the mods if you need help, but be advised it is our policy to intervene as little as possible.

All that said, there is a limit to what the mods are willing to put up with. A good rule of thumb is not to say things online that you wouldn't say to someone's face. If the mods feel you're being intentionally disruptive and disrespectful just to be mean to other members, you may feel the boot. Don't be a jerk.

Profanity
Excessively profane language is unacceptable on the forums. What constitutes excessively profane language and who gets to make the final judgment call? We do. We will generally let you get away with the kind of harsh language you might hear on network television or radio. This means there will be some cursing and profanity permitted on the forums, but don't go overboard. The mods will be the ones who have the final say.

Slander and Libel
You agree that you will not defame, abuse, threaten, stalk, or otherwise post untrue or libelous statements about any individual, entity, or company using GameSquad resources. GameSquad and its affiliates specifically disclaim any liability with regard to content posted by any user and any actions resulting from your participation or the participation of others on this site. GameSquad does not endorse or control the content posted by members on this site, nor does GameSquad make any claim of truthfulness or accuracy of any message or information contained within. You agree to protect and fully compensate GameSquad from any and all third-party claims, liability, damages, expenses and costs (including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from your use of GameSquad resources, or violation of the Terms of Use by you or any other user of your account (authorized or not).

Remember, you and you alone are responsible for anything you post. Consider yourself duly warned.

Spam & Porn
Purposely spamming a forum with empty messages intended to boost your post count is frowned upon. Posting chain letters, "Get Rich" schemes, or just posting the same message across multiple forums is a surefire way to get banned. Content that in any way depicts or implies sexually explicit/suggestive/provocative/nude imagery of seemingly underage persons (under 18 years of age) is not allowed on the forums for any reason. Explicit discussions of sexual acts are frowned upon, though discussions which contain references to sex are generally okay as long as common sense is applied. Be mindful that some members are younger, so think before you post.

Copyrighted Material
Forum users agree not to post any material that is protected by copyright, trademark or other proprietary right without the express permission of the owner(s) of said copyright, trademark or other proprietary right. When quoting a portion of an online article or magazine, please include appropriate links and credits when doing so. GameSquad has a strict policy against piracy, warez and any other type of illegal use of copyrighted material. Do not use our resources to link or give out information about illegal software, ROMs, or bootleg media, and do not post links to sites that contain such illegal information.. Do not engage in "how to" discussions seeking help to circumvent copy protection safeguards, break copyright laws, or encourage distribution of illegal material.

Accessing Another Member's Account / Impersonating Other Users
Accessing or using someone else's account, attempting to access another member's account or impersonating another member is strictly prohibited and will result in an immediate ban. Multiple Gamesquad accounts by an individual are not permitted.

Posting "Real Life" Information
Posting any real life information about another user/person is strictly prohibited. This includes such things as full names, addresses, phone numbers, etc. Purposely posting links to users social networking pages, websites, school, etc. for the sole purpose of harassment will be severely dealt with and can result in a permanent ban.

Criminal Activity
No discussions of illegal activity will be tolerated on the GameSquad forums. Any instruction on how to carry out illegal activity or admission of illegal activity will be dealt with harshly. This includes but is not limited to discussions about how to obtain drugs illegally, how to steal, fraud, how to kill someone, rape (including statutory rape), abuse of humans or animals, and auto theft. To sum up, if it's against the law, don't post it.

Advertisements
Do not post non-game related advertisements for products or services on the GameSquad forums without express permission to do so. Want to advertise your goods or services? Contact us for information on marketing opportunities. If you seek to post a non-game related ad in the forums, send a copy of proposed text to me. Once approved, the advertisement can be posted.

Questionable Behavior
We can't possibly have a rule to cover everything, so this is the rule to, well, cover everything. There are a large quantity of posts each day on the forums, so we can't always promise you'll receive a warning every time action has to be taken. By registering at the GameSquad forums, users agree that any post deemed inappropriate may be removed at the sole discretion of GameSquad. GameSquad also has the right, at its sole discretion, to revoke forum privileges at any time without notice or reason.

Emporium Terms of Use
Please note that GameSquad, to include its staff and volunteer moderators, are IN NO WAY INVOLVED IN ANY TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN BUYERS AND SELLERS ON THE EMPORIUM AREAS. GAMESQUAD ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE LEGALITY, SAFETY, ACCURACY, OR LEGITIMACY OF THE ITEMS LISTED BY MEMBERS. GAMESQUAD DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT BUYERS OR SELLERS WILL COMPLETE A TRANSACTION OR HONER THE TERMS OF ANY AGREEMENT BETWEEN MEMBERS, AND BOTH PARTIES ACCEPT FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY TRANSACTIONS TRANSPIRING THROUGH THE GAMESQUAD CLASSIFIED FORUMS. GameSquad reserves the right to remove any ads or posts from the classifieds section at any time at our sole and unfettered discretion. Your participation in the GameSquad Emporium is proof that you have read and agree to these terms. All transactions are between you and the seller. Moderators and staff can not get involved in your transactions. If you do not agree, do not use the Emporium areas.

Emporium rules:

  1. ONLY SUBSCRIBING MEMBERS CAN POST CLASSIFIED ADS IN THE EMPORIUM AREAS. Transactions are at your own risk. Ask for photos and additional information if necessary. If something doesn't feel right, don't do the deal.
  2. Prefixes - Please use the various prefixes available. If an item is for sale, use the "For Sale" prefix.
  3. Bumping - Only one bump per day. Do not continually post replies to your own thread in order to "bump" it higher on the list and draw attention to it.
  4. Price - You must post a price with your ad if it is a sale item. Be clear and specific.
  5. Only one ad per item being sold.
  6. No negative comments about someone's ad or pricing. Be polite.
  7. Members are limited to no more than 10 active ads at a time. If your item has been sold, please edit the listed with the "Sold" prefix.
 
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GameSquad

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FAQ

What are bans?

Members who violate the forum rules risk having their posting privileges suspended. We don't want to see anyone get banned, but we will do it for serious violations of the forum rules. We reserve the right to modify, delete, or suspend your account at our sole and unfettered discretion. If you log onto the GameSquad forums and receive a message stating that you have been banned, please feel free to contact a Moderator and discuss the matter in private.

What do moderators do?
Mods enforce the forum rules, can edit or delete posts, lock disruptive threads, and respond to complaints from members in order to ensure the forums remain friendly and productive. Be advised that mods are community volunteers and have taken on a tough responsibility, so help them out by being polite and not making demands.

What if I disagree with a moderator?
Disagreements occasionally occur with moderators and/or their decisions. In the vast majority of cases, if you try contacting them and communicating on a respectful level you will be able to quickly settle your disagreement. Note, mods and staff are not targets for your obscenities, flames or general insults. If you disagree with a particular decision, you are not entitled to start a new thread arguing about the verdict or attacking any of the moderators. Any such messages may be locked or moved at the discretion of the mods.

Moderators or staff deleted my thread. Can I have it reinstated?
See above.

Why aren't the moderators more active in reining-in discussions and/or banning people?
This is a discussion forum. Our policy is to allow members as much leeway as possible to discuss issues as they see fit. Of course that means you will have to put up with the occasional insult or post which may upset you. Such is the cost of open and honest debate. Having said that, the mods still have the final say on what is and isn't permissible, so don't go out of your way to be a nuisance or sooner or later it will catch up with you.

Can I talk about politics or religion?
No.

Are moderators official spokespeople for GameSquad?
No, they are volunteers from the community. However, they are valued members of a team and their contributions are essential to the smooth operation of the site, so extend them every courtesy.

Can I talk about sex?
No.

Can I bring a necro thread back from the dead?
Yes, if you must. But it might be helpful to warn other members so that people don't get confused.

Will I get a warning before a ban?
Usually, yes. Unless your conduct is so outrageously inappropriate that the mods feel an immediate ban is the only way to deal with it.

Can I post spoilers?
Yes, but never in a thread title. And your thread should contain a prominent 'SPOILERS!' alert to notify other members. Tread with caution here.

Can I use a political avatar?
Political avatars are not permitted, because first and foremost this is a game forum.

Can I use a pic of myself or a family member as an avatar?
That can be a bad idea for a number of reasons, and members are strongly encouraged to use game-related avatars instead of a personal image.

I'm a GameSquad subscriber, so that means the forum rules don't apply to me, right?
Wrong.

Is there a formal list of prohibited words I can't use?
Yes, but it's too short to post here.

How can I tell if what I'm about to post will be deemed offensive?
If you have to ask, that's probably a good indication it's close to the line. In general, be considerate of other members and think before you act. If you need help, contact the moderators.
 
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