Topic: Elliquiy Site Rules and Procedures

[Vekseid]

Elliquiy Site Rules and Procedures

This post, detailing the General Site Rules and the posts below about specific Rules for Images, Avatars and Signatures and the General Policies are the posts that all members must confirm they have read and understood as part of the application process.

The interpretations of the rules are also posted here, so that they are all in one place and to make it easier to find the rule you are looking for.  As these are posts from a range of authors over a substantial period of time, the tone and writing style of the posts here varies.  What does not vary is the fact that the staff are 100% behind the rules and review them often to make sure that they are fit for purpose.  The most important thing to remember is that none of the staff are rules lawyers and that 'the spirit of the rule' is more important than 'the letter of the rule', as befits a site used by adults.

Navigation

Core Rules

General Site Rules          Rules for Images, Avatars and Signatures          General Policies          Roleplaying and Storytelling Rules      Tag-Restricted Board Rules

Interpretations of The Rules

Concerning Possessiveness          The ShoutBox/ApprovedBox          Acting with Respect

Other Useful Information

General Guidance          Contact          Pillory          Disclaimer          Policies

General Site Rules

• Report harassment and otherwise creepy or disturbing behavior to the staff. Member safety is our top priority This includes requests for personally identifying information, soliciting money, goods, or services, without prior staff approval. Please keep in mind that if someone harasses you, they may harass others - we would much rather catch and eject such people quickly.
• Be polite, be civil, be respectful. Just because something is not expressly forbidden, does not mean that we will tolerate it. If you are constantly rude, inconsiderate, or otherwise act like a jerk, we will smack your privileges around until you get the hint and behave. If you cannot behave, you will be directed elsewhere.
• You agree that you are over eighteen years of age. Nationality does not matter, US and state law covers the distribution of pornographic material. If we find out that you are not at least eighteen, your access will be stripped.
• All sexual role playing and sexual storytelling must involve physically and mentally mature characters. They must be sixteen years of age or over, and/or the physical and mental equivalent. All character images must be of a person who is verified over 18 and deemed by staff to appear over 18, regardless of character age. This includes photos, drawings, and CGI images. Banned role playing and story subjects include lolicon, shotacon, or any other form of sexualizing prepubescent minors. Note, whatever the age of the characters, please take account of the rules governing images.
• This server is governed by the laws of the United States. You will not link to or provide warez, illegal pdfs or mp3s, and so on. Threats will be dealt with accordingly.
• One person per account, one account per person. Do not share your account with others, do not try to sign up under multiple accounts. If you share living space with another Elliquiy member, be explicit about this, and be prepared to wait a bit longer. Please note: This does apply to couples. If you are a couple, please have each person apply with their own individual account. If you've had an account here before, but do not remember your username, e-mail, or password, please make this clear in your introduction, and we will resolve the matter appropriately.
• You will not reveal identifiable details about anyone without their express permission that a God, Goddess, Guardian or Genie has seen. No personal or contact information of any sort is allowed in the public area of the site, even if it is yours, without staff permission. Neither is it permissible to pass contact information or make posts for banned, suspended, or restricted members.
• Adult material stays in the private parts of the site. The public areas include the ShoutBox, the non-private areas of the wiki and IRC, and the left column of forums (all forums visible to unapproved members). Linking to adult material is permitted if declared as adult / not safe for work (nsfw). This is somewhat relaxed in the wanted area of the forums.
• Do not deceive. We do not appreciate deceptive tactics for people to pull their hijinks - for attention, relationships, or whatever. We are not talking about most April fool's pranks or telling the creepy guy you live on the wrong side of the planet, but do not perpetuate harmful illusions.
• Elliquiy is not a meat market. While our community may enjoy roleplaying with romantic, sexual or BDSM aspects, elliquiy.com is not a dating or hookup site in any fashion. Elliquiy is not a place to post personal ads, or harass others for real-life meetings.  Similarly, we will not tolerate exhibitions of possessive behavior such as collarings or the flaunting of OOC relationships. People found to be doing this may have their access revoked.
• Elliquiy is not a mental health institution. If your issues are such that you continually disrupt the social fabric of this site, you may also be asked to leave.
• The privileges you are granted here are privileges, treat them accordingly. This includes, but is not limited to, deleting posts, editing posts, private messages, and the shoutbox. Remember that you have agreed to allow us to host the material you post here indefinitely, though we do listen to reasonable deletion requests.
• Other individual parts of the site may have their own rules. Please review and respect them.

[Vekseid]

Rules for Images, Avatars, and Signatures

• No embedding images or videos of anyone under eighteen, period. The medium and context are irrelevant, though you may link to such material so long as it is non-sexual. This includes images of underage characters in the Non-Adult Roleplaying section. If you see such an image, please click on the "Report to moderator" link to alert staff to the issue. Photos, videos, and other evidence of exploitation of minors will be reported to the authorities.
• All face claims representing characters between 16 and 18 years of age must be fully clothed. They must also be of models that are 18 years or older. Staff may ask for proof of age to be included if this is not immediately apparent.
• With regards to chibis:  Typically these characters are small and chubby, with stubby limbs and oversized heads to make them resemble children.  It doesn't matter if it's Stewie Griffin or Roy Mustang - they are not permitted and will be removed by Staff. 
• Images that are illegal in certain states and countries, such as photographs of bestiality, are also prohibited. This falls under 'evidence of animal abuse'. Even viewing such pictures is illegal in some countries. Thus drawings, renders, etc. are fine, but linked or embedded images are not.
• No images of non-members. This does not include public-figures and semi-public figures, but rather refers to your friends and family who have not also signed up and joined the site themselves.
• Public images must not show genitals or sexual acts. The entire left-hand column of Elliquiy is visible to the public, and this includes avatars and signatures as well. You may only link to such images in roleplay request threads, for example, if you tag them appropriately (nsfw, etc). Nsfw images hidden behind spoilers must be linked as well.
• Specifically Regarding Avatars and Signatures
  • Avatars can be up to 150 pixels wide and 200 pixels tall and, if a photograph of yourself, should not be nude. Signature images can be 500 pixels wide and 100 pixels tall, and the overall size of the signature box is limited to 120 pixels tall. Signature images must be uploaded to the wiki in order to be displayed.
  • You may link to your site in your signature as long as: 1) The site links back to us; 2) It is not a pay site; and 3) It is not a referral or affiliate link.
  • Please keep possessive notices, such as master and slave notices, out of your signature and other portions of your profile.
  • No more than one animated image in your signature or avatar at a time, please, and please keep it sparing. We may remove disruptive animated images in avatars and signatures on a case-by-case basis, or ban them entirely in the future.

N.B. The rules for Elliquiy members' real life pictures are a little stricter and may be found here.

Further clarification on images and ages can be found here

[Neroon]

General Policies

Elliquiy is a literary site.

This is an English community. That means you are expected to spell out your words, strive for correct punctuation and capitalization, and avoid chatspeak ('you', 'are', 'two, too and to', and so on). If someone asks you to translate or explain an acronym, please do so.

We are not grammar Nazis, and some lapses are understandable. However, we do ask that you make an effort to write properly.


Dealing with Problems

Try to work things out. If your issue is with another member, and it does not involve creepy or otherwise disturbing behavior as outlined in the first rule, try to hash out your problem with them, first. Usually, all it takes is being direct and, sometimes, blunt. If that does not or can not work, then you may take it to staff. Harassment and such should always be reported to staff, as noted in the first rule.

Avoid airing grievances in public.  If you are complaining about an RP partner or an interpersonal issue with another member in an open post, there is a chance that they or someone that knows them may see the post.  With sufficient detail, it may even be possible for a relative stranger to identify them by looking at your post history.  If people can tell who you're talking about, it's pretty much public humiliation of the other person at that point, which is a big 'no.'

Report issues to staff when necessary. If you see an issue, report it. Staff are not omniscient and there can be a serious 'bystander effect' when problems come up. People who report issues are greatly appreciated.

Innocent until proven guilty. We will not be incited into a witch hunt. If you are consistently vague and accusatory you may be the one banned. Be specific and direct when reporting problems or rule violations.


Policy and Legal

• Vekseid, the owner and administrator of this site, takes no responsibility for any posts not his own. Likewise, the staff are responsible only for the posts that they themselves make. See the disclaimer for details. By browsing this site you agree that the poster is the only person responsible for the content that they post, and to be responsible for your own posts and works. All postings and messages here are fully logged, with IP addresses, and you understand that authorities may be contacted if the situation warrants it.

See the policy for our privacy and other codified policies. Violation policy is covered there, but to summarize:

• Gross rule violations may net an immediate ban. Some things just are not done.
• If rule violations are repeated, or if the violation is severe, a staff member may issue a warning. If the user has already been warned, or if the staff believes the violation warrants it, the user will be 'castrated' instead, meaning that they now have reduced eunuch access. This setting provides reduced or restricted access to Elliquiy's forums as many features are disabled.  The user will still be able to participate in their games.
• Other than the Pillory or occasional exceptional announcements, staff do not disclose the disciplinary status of individual members with other members.
• Staff treat each situation on its own merits and as such we strive to be fair.  To treat matters fairly, differences in circumstances necessitate variations in staff responses.  In other words, fair does not mean equal.
• Disrespecting the staff's time by arguing with or attacking staff for enforcing the rules will merit further punishment.

Originally posted by Vekseid

[Neroon]

Possessiveness is NOT civility: It breaks a fundamental rule here.

2. Be polite, be civil, be respectful. Just because something is not expressly forbidden, does not mean that we will tolerate it. If you are constantly rude, inconsiderate, or otherwise act like a jerk, we will smack your privileges around until you get the hint and behave. If you cannot behave, you will be directed elsewhere. The guidelines cover a number of the behaviors that we have wised to over the past few years.

Do not give people the impression that one person can determine what two other people may consensually do here.

No, not even if they are your significant other. Especially not then. There was another, similar blowup a couple of years ago, where a girl who would play with any number of guys exploded when 'her' guy played with another girl.

We do not want to see these drama-fests. This kind of possessiveness is not civility, and has no place in Elliquiy.

This is not a couple's corner. This is not a place for you to gather a private harem. This is a place where you can meet a lot of really cool people, and enjoy a good story with some of them and good socializing with the rest.

Punishment here can take a number of forms, including but not limited to restrictions of certain privileges on the forums.

Seriously, cut it out. We are tired of hearing about it, and most of the rest of Elliquiy is tired of seeing it.


While there is nothing wrong with role-playing with collars as someone's dominant or submissive or indulging in light D/s play in the Red Light Light District threads, such play is inappropriate in the strongly OOC areas of Elliquiy, such as the introduction board, the ShoutBox, IRC etc.  The intention here is to keep OOC possessiveness away from Elliquiy and this post should not be interpreted as a ban on themes of possessiveness in RP.

Where the line gets crossed: when person A tells person B that they cannot play with person C, or otherwise gives such an impression. At that point, you are crossing the line from enjoying yourselves to impinging on others' enjoyment. That's not cool. Even if person A, B, and C are all in on it, it may give some people the impression that that sort of thing is acceptable here, and that's not what we want.

Originally posted by Caeli

[Neroon]

Roleplay and Storytelling Rules

Roleplays and storytelling on our site follows three rules:

1) All sexual role playing and sexual storytelling must involve physically and mentally mature characters. They must be sixteen years of age or over, and/or the physical and mental equivalent. Banned role playing and story subjects include lolicon, shotacon, or any other form of sexualizing prepubescent minors.

2) All copyright is assigned to the authors of a story. You must receive permission from all of them before sharing it elsewhere.

3) Place your roleplay, or tag your story, according to the guidelines below.


The Categories and their Meaning

Non-Adult Sandbox - As the term implies, this section is for roleplays and stories that do not have any sort of adult content.

Light - This is for sexual roleplays and stories that do not involve any sort of bondage, non-consensual sex, or otherwise graphic scenes.

Bondage - This is for sexual roleplays and stories that involve consensual bondage.

Non-Con(sensual) - This is for roleplays and stories where one party does not give their explicit consent. This can be from quasi-consensual (where no really does mean yes) to outright rape.

Extreme - A category for gore, guro, vore, bestiality, and other elements that might gross out even those who enjoy bondage and/or non-con.

Human - The sexual participants in these stories and roleplays are either human, or close enough to it that there is little physical distinction - elves, nymphs, etc.

Exotic - Furries, tentacles, monsters, and so on.

When choosing a category or tag for your roleplay or story, choose the one that applies to your most graphic scene. If it will involve non-humans in sex, it goes in Exotic. If it will involve gore, it goes in extreme. If it will involve rape, it goes in non-con.


Small and Big Group Games

Small Group Games are group roleplays that do not yet have their own forum.

Big Group Games are group roleplays that have qualified for their own forum because they have acquired enough posts, per the guidelines below.

Small Group Games

• You may have a number of threads equal to twice the number of participants (players and gms).
• Use the same tag to start each thread title, for example [Home of the Horny Housemaids] for your game.

Big Group Games

• If your game has over 1000 in-character (IC) posts, please contact a staff member to request a subforum for your game.
  
  • OOC posts do not count toward this 1000 post requirement. This includes character sheets, recruitment threads, OOC threads, etc.
• Only one forum will be permitted per game; no subforums of your game forum are allowed.

Originally posted by Vekseid

[Neroon]

Acting with Respect

The Pleasures of a Harem or How to Avoid Despair

The word 'harem' conjures images of dusky skinned maidens, all exotic, beautiful, and all clad in nearly nothing, yet throughout history especially in the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul, the sultanate women of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries held political power and royal prerogatives.

Unfortunately, this does not center on that history, but concentrates on a rising concern that has been noticed by the staff on this site, and has negatively impacted several members of both genders. The problem is lack of respect that members have for one another on this site.

Elliquiy, first and foremost, is a community. It is a “We”, a “Gathering” where one can be with “Friends” and “Enjoy” life, gaming, writing, and “Sharing” with others. In the spirit of a community, recognition of fellow members are important. Please be courteous of others, be polite and civil, be helpful and welcoming of one another including new members. Realize that people are social creatures, that friends are needed amongst us, and that it can be unpleasant at times when one feels neglected or ignored or alone. Be supportive and reach out to one another as a friend, and as a community. It can make a difference.

It is distressing then that others both suffer and demonstrate lack of respect. The major problematic areas are the Introduction Threads, Private Messages and The Shout Box.

One must recall that there is a person behind the avatar, not a character, who feels emotion. They can get emotionally hurt from words. They can become intimidated, feel unwanted, unwelcome, and general unpleasantness occurs from that point. Please remember what Mum and Da or the Governess said in your childhood: “Play nice in the park with others” and if one desires something more biblical and stern: “do unto others as you wish them to do unto you.” Elliquiy is an adult play yard so those words still remain true. Some members forget this as well as courtesy. Although courtesy should be “common”, it is a sibling to “common sense”, and it does not bless everybody. With that in mind, it is apparent that members need help in this field, and the following guide may be of use.

The Skinny of It:

The “Guide” concentrates on the following issues:
1. Reminders to post in a game: the reasons for it, the appreciation or annoyance of it, and meeting a middle ground regarding it.

2. Personal space:  boundaries with flirtation,  guarding your reputation, and possessive behaviour: awareness of it and preventive measures.

The Poking! Just Stop The Poking!

There it is! That little message from your writing partner wanting you to post in the game you have with him or her. What is that about?

On other gaming sites, it is acceptable and part of gamer etiquette to message your writing partner, to 'tag them' with a reminder. On Elliquiy, this can be useful since the Notification function does not always work, and too, many members can become forgetful when they have multiple games, lead busy lives, and forgetfulness naturally happens. Unfortunately, not every member appreciates or wants that reminder. You may be asking: “Why not? It seems logical and friendly.” It may, but on flipping the view, here are some reasons Not to send that message:

Many find it annoying. Sometimes, a person is not in the mood to make a reply in a particular story, but may post elsewhere. They are not ignoring that one story, but are waiting for that 'mood' to pass. Sometimes real life issues occur, and one cannot post. Those issues should take priority over online life.  Too, a person occasionally feels like being chatty, talkative, and not in the mood for any gaming. Whatever the reason is, many members do not like receiving that notice, be it in a private message or in the Shout Box. 

Be respectful of your writing partner. Allow them time to make a reply otherwise that simple reminder may make you wait longer having the opposite effect. If you are waiting for days, and there is no reply in game from them, no contact, try a different approach. “I haven't heard from you in awhile, and I'm wondering if all is well with you?” Being concerned about your partner is better than being concerned about your game. Too, if you're having difficulty in making a reply, and days pass, please be courteous and inform your writing partner that the thread has not been neglected. People don't 'poke' because they necessarily want a post immediately, but if someone doesn't post in a thread for a week when they make dozens of posts per day, their partner has a right to be curious if their post got missed.

Try to create a middle ground. There is always the option that on starting a game you and your partner(s) decide on an acceptable reply time, a set schedule, and if the schedule is not made then a PM from the partner is sent, and is allowed.

If  'poking' occurs frequently, and it is unwanted, mention it to your writing partner. Simply, and politely, ask them to stop.

Furthermore, if you have a thread in the Ladies, Lieges or Lords Ons/Offs, feel free to list it, or make a note in your profile.

The Gimme Gotta Have Gropes

Everybody gets snugly at some point in time. It happens. It is natural. Virtual hugs, kisses, gropes, and tickles, ...it happens and does so for many reasons. One should be free to express their affection for a friend, a person that one knows relatively well, or welcome a new member into the community of E with a virtual hug or kiss. Those virtual flirtations are normally welcomed, however, not all flirtations are wanted, and personal boundaries must be respected.

There is a simple rule here. If you do not know the person well, if there is a doubt in your mind about a virtual flirtation, do not impose yourself upon that person.  Furthermore, many members are in stable real life relationships, and do not want virtual flirts, or to 'meet up' with another member, and that there is a difference between real life and online playfulness. Do not cross boundaries, and do not give out personal information about yourself or others.

For those that virtual flirt, remember that it will co-exist with your reputation and personality. It is no different from real life. It is wise to use measures of caution.

If in the circumstance where member(s) are virtually molesting you, that it is unwanted, that they are being disrespectful, contact those involved and tell them to stop. If you do, and it continues, contact an Oracle and explain the situation.

If you are being flirtatious in the Shout Box, remember that the public can view it. It is a glimpse into our community. If one begins cybering in the Shout Box, the world can see it. It is their first impression about Elliquiy. Some may want to join the community for that purpose, but Elliquiy is not about cybering.


Got Static Cling? Use Fabric Softener.

In the real world, cliques happen in communities. There are church groups, sports groups, book clubs, gaming clubs, etc. Not only that, but there are subgroups to the cliques. It happens in the work force, school, and it does not differ from online communities such as Elliquiy. Cliques form naturally.

Then it happens. Cling! One member develops a great fondness for another, and has difficulty separating themselves from that person. This problem is not gender specific affecting Lords, Ladies and Lieges.

Something else happens. The clinging person talks about (or to) the other member as a “My”, “We” or “Our” or “Your”.  The clinging person has just degraded the other into a possession or object. They forget that there is a person behind the avatar, and they forget that the person should be granted space, be allowed to converse and game with others, and be granted respect. There is no reason for one person to cling to another, to be possessive. Be aware of your treatment of others.

It all comes down to one basic thing: Respect. Respect for yourself and for others. Please demonstrate it.

Originally posted by Airindel

[Neroon]

ShoutBox/ApprovedBox Rules

Hi Elliquiy! -waves-

We, Elliquiy's staff, would like to bring something to your attention. The Shoutbox (otherwise known as the SB, the chat thingy at the top of the page) is a privilege - privilege being the key word.

The Shoutbox is there for questions from newbies, light socializing, and general mundane chatter. The SB is probably the most visible element of Elliquiy's culture, because it is the first thing people see when they register. It moves, so it attracts the eye naturally. Because of this, Elliquiy's staff keeps a close eye on what is in the Shoutbox, and we expect the people in it to act like adults who are in a public area. That is essentially what you are: adults in the public area of Elliquiy.

Now that you know what the Shoutbox is for, we would like to remind people unequivocally of what will not be tolerated in the SB, and what kind of behavior we expect from you:

• Please be respectful of other SB users' personal space.  If you don't know them, you might want to find out if they are open to virtual physical contact before pouncing on them. Additionally, be aware that if someone is snuggling, hugging, or flirting with another person in the SB, that does not mean that they will snuggle, hug, or flirt with everybody.
• Poking for PMs, IMs or Posts in the SB. This includes veiled references to such.
• Roleplaying in the SB.  Greetings like: /me hugs/cuddles so and so....is fine.  It's when it crosses the line to actual role playing that it needs to be taken to PM or one of the Adult Socializing threads. This includes pretending to be a dog, a cat, or any other non-human entity in the SB.
• Soliciting for roleplays. There is a reason we have several forums dedicated to finding roleplays with other members.  Please use them.  The Shoutbox is not the place to advertise for roleplays.
• Whining about approval.  Asking about approval. Telling people to post in your approval thread. Generally pestering about approval. We know you're there. Trust us, you've not been forgotten.
• Hall Monitoring.  This is not elementary school. While we appreciate gentle nudges when you see another member breaking the rules/guidelines, being pushy about it is uncalled for. Copy the issue, and PM a staff member. We're always a PM away, and we love reports!
• Interrupting the conversation with something totally irrelevant, and continuing to do so without joining the conversation.  An example of this would be posting frequently about the television show/movie/game you are playing/watching without any respect to the other people conversing.
• Bringing up hot topics such as Politics or Religion.  If you feel the need for this type of discussion, open a thread in the PROC forum.
• "Going behind the curtain."  We know what this means. If you want to do that, take it to a game thread or to Adult Socializing.
• Frequent swearing.  The occasional swear word sprinkled here and there is okay. Sentences that would look like @#$%^&@#$%^& on a word-filtered site are not okay.
• Spamming.  This includes multiple links one after another, writing one-word/letter lines frequently one after another, soliciting for someone to check out your introduction/game/request thread, soliciting for roleplays directly in the Shoutbox ("Hey, does anyone want to RP?") or constantly posting smileys for lines upon end.
• Do not monopolize the SB.  If you look up and see 10 lines of nothing but your name, it's probably time to take a step back and let someone else get a word in.
• Abusing the die roller. One roll, cool. Twenty rolls one after the other or rolling 100 100-sided die? Not cool.

Our goal is for Elliquiy to be a fun and safe environment for all who join. We would really rather not see the SB taken away entirely as was done once before, so with your cooperation it can continue to be a fun and friendly environment for everyone to enjoy.

Consider this your warning. These behaviors will get you auto-kicked from the SB without warning or apology, at staff discretion.

Thanks!

Originally posted by Ket

[Oreo]

Tag-Restricted Board Rules

Ladies Only, Legates Only, Lieges Only, and Lords Only, as their names imply, are accessible only to the group they derive their titles from. These are safe spaces for the discussing of sensitive issues and the seeking of support from those who might best understand your point of view. As such, these boards do come with an additional set of rules to help ensure these private boards remain a safe place for all those who need it.

Below are the basic rules of the tag-restricted boards; within each of the boards there is a further explanation of the rules, how they apply, and in what circumstances they might come up.

   • What happens in these boards must stay within these boards.

   • All of Elliquiy’s civility rules still apply.

   • There is absolutely no valid excuse or explanation that makes violating the confidentiality of these boards acceptable.

   • If anyone asks you to share information from these boards with them, report them immediately.

   • Should someone offer you information from one of these boards, shutting the sharing of that information down and reporting the person sharing it is the best course of action.

   • If now or in the future you feel that you or someone you know has shared information or has been manipulated into sharing information please come to staff.