Post rules--Read!

The big list of rules

Hinaoki eventually decided that it’d be a good idea to put up some easy-to-follow rules so we can avoid any misunderstandings and make moderation easier for everyone. Below are the do’s and don’ts of forum-going, the specific rules, and our punishments for them. Just to put this out there, I don’t expect them to be enforced with an iron fist and I don’t want anyone to try and bypass them.

1. Moderators and Administrators have the last word.
I’m saying that no matter what the issue is, the rules are open to interpretation and it all depends on who the moderator is. In cases of dilemma, the moderator has the right to determine whether a case of douchebaggery consists of an infringement or not.

2. Don’t piss off the mods
Seriously. Don’t. Even more seriously, don’t piss off the admins. They’ve got a banhammer.

3. Don’t piss off the members.
You won’t like it if they all gang up to get after you. It’s likely Hinaoki will ban a stupid asshole given he’s stupid enough and there’s enough people nagging her. In the case where the moderator's judgment is questionable, other moderators have the right to repeal a punishment or modify it. Members have the right to protest against a certain decision. But since it is a democratic vote in the long run, it's best to stay on good grounds with your peers.

4. Don't say you're trolling when you're not.
Communicating poorly and then acting smug when people misunderstand you is not cleverness. Don’t even pretend you’re “trolling” when you say something stupid in serious discussions, because that'd make you a "wannabe troll", therefore proving your stupidity. Wannabe trolls are not real trolls. (thanks, xkcd)

5. Don't try to troll, and don't be a stupid troll.
In general, refrain from trying to troll because we kinda don’t like that. I take it “stupid” is universally defined. Nobody likes the douchebags and nobody likes smug assholes unless they’ve got enough class, and class is something that other people decide you have, not yourself. In that case, Sir Lord Tarsonis’s trolling is a-ok because it’s cool. Nikku trying to troll is not.

6. Try to be tasteful.
Being offensive is alright as long as it’s not stupid. If it’s not funny, you’re doing it wrong and essentially being a douchebag. There are certain standards and rules that apply to both the real world and the forum, but in general don't be too graphic, don't talk explicitly about sex and don't step on people's toes. We’re not here to step over your first amendment rights, but we’re not going to pretend we’re too big on the whole ‘liberty’ thing.

7. No is no.
Of course. Asking for a name change, getting refused and asking again is essentially pointless as all you’re likely to get is a long rant as to why Hinaoki thinks you’re stupid. Same goes for everything else given it’s stupid enough.

8. Don't spam, don't flood, don't page-stretch.
Spamming sucks balls. Don’t do it. At Realphobia, we define spamming as "irrelevant actions, posted en-masse, that immediately qualify you as a douchebag". Flooding is essentially spam. A page must not be stretched beyond reasonable bounds. Resize your images to save bandwidth, and if they still stretch the page, put them between spoiler brackets.

9. Only double, triple, quadruple (etc.) post if it's necessary.
You should edit your post if you don’t think many people have read it or if it’s a reasonable thing to do. Double posting for arrangement reasons and for bumping your own thread (as in, for an update) is ok. Triple posting is passable. Quadruple may be frowned upon. Don’t make topics made entirely out of your own posts unless they are interesting or contain actual content; doing so makes you stupid.

10. Don't resurrect dead threads.
Thread necromancy is annoying. Most likely your post will be deleted. We define a ‘dead thread’ as a thread in which nobody has posted for over a month and that the discussion that took place in is no longer of interest. Let dead threads die, and if you really want to resurrect an old debate or topic just flat-out make another topic.

11. These rules apply at 75% in the Junk Yard.
You can still get banned for being a douchebag in the Junk Yard, but these rules are pretty much irrelevant in there. Flooding a topic and page-stretching is still not ok.

Definitions

With the wonderful help of Urban Dictionary, here is what exactly we are talking about:

Stupid (circa June 2009, ston3ysu):
1. lacking ordinary quickness and keenness of mind; dull.
2. characterized by or proceeding from mental dullness; foolish; senseless: a stupid question.
3. tediously dull, esp. due to lack of meaning or sense; inane; pointless: a stupid party.
4. annoying or irritating; troublesome: Turn off that stupid radio.

Douchebag (circa June 2006, Burrito Brad): An individual who has an over-inflated sense of self worth, compounded by a low level of intellegence [sic], behaving ridiculously in front of colleagues with no sense of how moronic he appears.

Necromancer (circa March 2006, Zen Master V): An Internet forum user who enjoys reviving old, dead threads, just to be an ass. Is eventually banned from forums after causing numerous threads to be closed or deleted. Closely related to n00b and lamer.

Troll (circa July 2005, Jesus Hitler): One of many unsung internet heroes who are almost entirely misunderstood. Contrary to popular belief, many trolls are actually quite intelligent. Their habitual attacks on forums is [sic] usually a result of their awareness of the pretentiousness and excessive self-importance of many forum enthusiasts. As much as people may hate trolls, they are highly effective - their actions bring much of the stupidity of other forum users out into the great wide open.

Asshole (circa April 2004, Unrepentantfenianbastard): Anyone who doesn't do exactly what you think they ought to do, exactly when you think they ought to do it.

Forum douchebags

There are certain things you should do when you spot a douchebag. Unless you really can’t live without their intervention, there is no need to tell the mods about it. We know. Oh, we know…

What you shouldn’t do is confront them about their douchebaggery and how much they’re getting on your nerves through a forum post or in the forum chatbox. That is sorta stupid, counterproductive, and bound to get you labeled as a douchebag yourself.
Do not complain about them.

Do prove your dominance and actual self-worth by mustering enough willpower to ignore them and shoot down their attempts at trying to piss you off. Do take opportunities to show them you’re the alpha by winning arguments. Do not show trolls you are the alpha. That only shows you are a douchebag.

Punishments

Of course, all these rules and advice do nothing if there’s nothing to directly stop the infringements. As such, the crew (Hinaoki) has worked up a nifty little chart for determining the severity of an action.

Instead of using the normal “two strikes, you’re out” procedure, people are expected to use their judgment alongside the normal warnings.

Spoiler:

In the long run, though, the admin has the last word. Don’t be annoying, don’t fuck up, and you’ll be fine.

This topic has been updated.

TL;RD on the whole thing: Don't be a douchebag.

Spoiler: