Terms of Use

MatrixFans.net Forum Terms of Use and Notices
RULES and POLICIES

There is a subtle difference between a Rule and a Policy. When something is a Rule, harsh penalties will be brought for breaking them, and they cannot be bent. Policies, on the other hand, are simply general rules of thumb; things the Mods and Admins would like to see, but not things that we will usually get too upset about. Rules make the forum tolerable and orderly; policies simply make it a nice place to be.

This is not to say that Policies should be disregarded. They will simply not be as stringent as the Rules. Be sure to familiarize yourself with both. Indication that you have not fully read and familiarized with the Rules and Policies of the forum will usually result in a warning or a ban.

PUNISHMENT

Breaking of the Rules or Policies can result in several different punishments. Below are listings for the different varieties.

Warning – Usually reserved for a minor offense or a user who simply was not aware of the Rules and Policies. Either in a problematic post or by the messenger, a user will be alerted to their behavior. Users are expected to take such a Warning very seriously. It means behavior like that is unacceptable and future behavior will lead to a higher penalty.

Ban – The second-most serious punishment that can be dealt out, a ban means that you are never wanted back. This is achieved from initial misbehavior, an obvious callousness for the Rules of the forum, or disregard for repeated Warnings. This is reserved for serious offenses, but we are not afraid to use it if the situation calls for it.

ISP Alert – Repeated serious offenses such as ban evading will result in an ISP Alert. Using the records of the forums and the IP number of the offender, a specific user can be identified as a problem to an ISP. We will not hesitate to alert an ISP if users are large problems, and it could very well result in an raise in the expense of Internet Service or sometimes simply pulling the user’s Internet Service completely.

RULES

No Spam – Spam is defined as blatant self-promotion, or sometimes simply mindless posting. It is best phrased as “Stupid Pointless Annoying Messages.” It can also be seen as advertising for a major website in order to get profits from said website. Multiple posts of the same subject to clutter the forum, posts with no relevance to any subjects dealt with on the forum, or posts devoted purely to promoting one’s own work will be deleted, and the user will be given a Warning or a Ban, depending on the severity of the offense.

No Unfit Material for Minors – As this is primarily a Matrix forum, many of our viewers are under 18 years of age, the legal adult age classification in America. We adhere to the laws of the country and strictly forbid any material such as pornography and erotic writing. Any user posting such things will be Banned.

No Flaming – Flaming is defined as personal attacks or insults on another person. Though we encourage healthy discussion and debate, a certain point comes in which an insult turns personal, and this is strongly discouraged via both public forums and the messenger. Reports of such abuse will usually result in a warning; multiple abuses will result in a Ban.

No Trolling – The inverse side of Flaming, Trolling is defined by trying to make others insult you. Posts such as “Matrix sux” would be considered trolling, as it is a purposeful act meant to result in arguement. Users in violation of this will be Banned.

No Warez – Posting up and asking for illegal warez is strictly prohibited. This includes but is not limited to: roms, isos, and game cracks. Violation of this Rule will usually result anywhere from a Warning to a Ban, depending on the offense.

No Spoilers – Spoilers are bits of story information that a user will not know. After a time, Spoilers become known as “common knowledge,” and it is therefore alright to post about them. But near and immediately after the release of a game, a spoiler must always be marked with a spoiler tag clearly. It is generally accepted policy to wait about 2 months after the release of the game before one posts spoilers without a spoiler warning. Violation of this Rule will generally be met with a Warning. Spoilers are permitted only in specially marked forums.

No “Gurus” – There are to be no posts telling people to “ask [a user] anything.” These clutter the forum and are unnecessary. If a user would like to become well known as intelligent in the community he or she can let it be known by replying to pertinent topics. Violation will result in a Warning.

sig pic limit – Signature pictures are linked to in the bottom signature portion of one’s profile. They are against the rules if they are larger than 468×60 pixels, as moderating size is too large a job for us and they can easily get out of hand. Violation will usually result in a Warning.

No Censor Avoiding – Censors are in place to keep certain words from being uttered on the forum and being seen by young children that may be frequenting it. Because of this, there is to be no avoiding of the censors by using alternate figures to accomplish the same task. Users are expected to use euphimisms. Violation of this will result in a Warning.

No “1337-speak” – “1337-speak” (leet) is incomprehensible gibberish and is not welcome on this forum. Violation of this will result in a Warning,b ut repeated offenses could result in a Ban.

No Insubordinance – Insubordinance is simply not listening to the ruling of a Mod or Admin. Disregarded what we tell you to do is against the rules and will usually result in a Ban.

No Mod/Admin Begging – Mods and Admins are happy to promote fit users to a position of authority if they display the proper attitude, responsibility, discipline, and maturity. One way to show the exact opposite of all of these qualities is to ask for a position of authority. If you’re fit for the position, we will find you, not vice-versa. Violation of this will result in a Warning, repeated offenses may result in a Ban.

No Ban Contesting – Though we like to have an open dialogue with our users, a ban will stay a ban. Please do not log on under a different account or send an e-mail to ask why you have been banned. If you are unable to realize why you were banned, your lack of understanding of the Rules is probably the reason itself. If you logon under a different account somehow after a banning, you will once again be Banned.

No E-Mail Abuse – It is unacceptable to use the e-mail of users found here on the forum to sign them up for junk e-mail, send them threats, etc. If you do this, you will be Banned and you will probably have your ISP Contacted.

POLICIES

Language – As a Community based around a website that deals heavily with intelligent and thoughtful summation of the Matrix trilogy, we would appreciate the same thoughtfulness from our users. Please use complete and grammatically correct sentences, and refrain from using internet abbreviations as much as possible. This is beneficial not only to have a healthy and intelligent forum community, but also to develop one’s writing comprehension skills, a tool useful for later in life that is best when practiced to the point of natural ability.

Respect Your Elders – Though they’re often looked at with contempt due to their authority, Mods and Admins are here to help you, and they work very hard for the benefit of the users. Though free thinking is encouraged on the forum, do try to understand the decisions of Mods and Admins as their view of the best way to benefit everyone in the Community. Show respect and appreciation for them; they deserve it.

Policies for the Fanart and Writing – Though spelled out in more completeness in the Fanart/Writing forums, it is important to remember that these are for intelligent and thoughtful critique of both, and users are expected to act accordingly. The general rule of thumb for not posting unfinished works is whether or not the length warrents its own post. Moderators and Admins will determine whether or not posted Chapters adhere to this policy.

USER AGREEMENT

By signing up at this forum, you agree to abide by the above Rules and Policies, and fully understand the consequences for disobeying them. Signing up for this forum signs you into a binding legal document in which you agree to abide by these Rules and Policies for the good of the community as a whole. You also acknowledge that Rules and Policies can and frequently will be changed or added to fit the changing times, and you are expected to abide by those as well. You understand that a message board is not a democracy, as the majority does not determine the correct course of action. If all of this is correct and you have read the Rules and Policies above, welcome to the community. Have fun on the forums, but do it responsibly. Everyone will be safer and happier. Thank you.

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MatrixFans.net Website Terms of Use and Notices
(From this point forth all the MFN staff, moderators, super administrators and MFN as a whole will be known as “MFN”)

Last Updated: February 2003

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