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Rules Bulbagarden Forum Rules - *New set valid immediately*

Iteru

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Hi guys,

Please find below a set of revised rules that are valid from the 9th July. We think this set of rules will be a lot easier to memorise and abide by and we hope you'll like them.

Rules

The name of the infraction, point value and time before expiration are listed in parentheses after the infraction name.

0. Cardinal Rules (However many points the normal infraction is worth)
-Don't be a rule-lawyering smart-ass. The mods will enforce the spirit of the rules, not their letter.
-The rules apply to your profile, signature, visitor messages and private messages as well as your posts, unless a rule says otherwise.

1. Don't reply to spambots (Replying to spambot: 1 point, 1 month)
-Don't reply to advertising thread posted by a spambot (or someone acting like one). Report it instead.

2. Don't have a signature outside the allowed limits (Excessive signature, 2 points, 1 month)
-The combined size of all images and text should not exceed 600 pixels wide, 160 tall, and 500 kB. Spoiler tags, scroll bars, etc are not allowed. Check your sig here.

3. Don't advertise other sites outside your signature or blog (Advertising, 3 points, 1 month)
-You can link to other sites if relevant to the thread, but keep links to your own site to a minimum.

4. Don't make pointless posts (Pointless Post, 3 points, 1 month)
-This includes posts like "This is spam", creating a duplicate thread, and posting only to bump a thread.
-This also include posting twice in a row to make minor additions to your first post. Use "edit" instead.
-Finally, this include making a post that has nothing to do with the discussion in the thread it's in.

5. Don't make unreadable posts (Unreadable Post, 3 points, 1 month)
-Post in English (except Japanese news or with a moderator permission), do not use online translation.
-Use reasonable formatting: avoid paragraph-less long texts, all-caps posts, and use reasonable fonts.

6. Don't ask for or provide illegal pokémon content (Copyright Violation, 4 points, 2 months)
-This includes emulators, roms, full episode downloads/streams and similar (short clips are allowed).
-This also include advertising or asking about fan-made games, illegal manga scans, or fansubs.

7. Don't steal other people's fanworks, or their other creations (Plagiarism, 4 points, 2 months)
-If you post something you didn't create, credit the creator. If you don't know who, make sure to say so.

8. Don't flame other users, and don't post flamebait. (Flaming and Baiting, 5 points, 3 months)
-Flaming includes insulting people, gloating at them, or threatening them (including "I'll report you")
-Flamebait includes discriminatory posts and slurs based on things like race, gender, sexual orientation, etc (including "that's gay", and "that's retarded".)
-Flamebait also include discussing controversial issues after moderators ask you not to.

9. Don't post inappropriate content (Inappropriate Content, 5 points, 3 months)
-This include graphic sexual humor, threats and violent fantasies about other people (not posters)
- Also includes using the word "rape" in a demeaning/humiliating/joking way. (Ex: "My pokemon raped this pokemon in battle")

10. Don't abuse or harass your fellow users (Abuse & Harassment, 10 points, 4 months)
-Abuse include violent threats, emotional manipulation and pressure, as well as sexual abuse.
-Harassment include mocking or contacting a user who asked you not to, or continually flaming a user.

11. Don't post porn or similarly shocking content (Graphic imagery, 10 points, 4 months)
-Shocking content include (as well as porn) gore, scat, and shock pictures.

12. Don't bring issues from other sites to Bulbagarden (Intersite Drama, 10 points, 4 months)
-This includes arguing about what users or staff do on other sites, and gloating about your site.

13. Don't create sockpuppets (Sockpuppeting, 10 points, 4 months)
-A sockpuppet is an additional account you create on top of your main one, without staff permission.

There are a few other infractions. Two of them will never be given to a regular user's main account: we use them to ban spambots and the sockpuppets accounts a user might have created. The other is used to ban users who simply cause too much harm to Bulbagarden or its members.

General information

These are the current rules of Bulbagarden, which we expect that you read and adhere to. Not following these rules can lead to warnings and/or infractions. When you build up enough infraction points, you can be banned (i.e., prevented from posting). Here’s the ban structure:


  • 10 active infraction points: 2 days
  • 20 active infraction points: 10 days
  • 30 active infraction points: 1 month
  • 40 active infraction points: 2 months
  • 50 active infraction points: 6 months
  • 1000 active infraction points: Indefinite ban


Before you receive an infraction for an offense worth 4 points or less, you must have received a warning first. Please do note that when a moderator posts in a thread to tell everyone to stop a certain behavior, that the moderator’s post does count as a warning. Moderators withhold the right to replace an infraction with a warning at their discretion.

If you are unhappy with a warning or infraction that you have received, discuss it with the moderator that gave you the warning. If you still believe that the moderator was unfair or biased against you after your discussion, please use this form to register your complaint.

Do note that several forums have specific rules themselves, and make sure to abide by these rules as well.

If anyone has any questions about the rules please feel free to ask in this thread.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
-Shocking content include (as well as porn) gore, scat, and shock pictures.

Can we post bloody pictures, or is that considered gore?

It would depend on the image but mostly yes it would be considered gore.

A picture of someone with bleeding from a small cut would be fine but images of people bleeding heavily, drenched in blood, etc would violate that rule. Those sort of images tend to fall into shock images and if the image would shock and/or upset people to see, than best not to post it.
 
I personally don't see the problem, unless guts are spilling or something, but it's best not to argue.

What's wrong with posting in other languages?
 
What's wrong with posting in other languages?

It's too difficult to moderate posts in other languages as while we do have staff whose first language is not English, we are no where near to covering a good range of languages. An argument could be made that we could google translate posts in other languages but due to their unreliability its just not a feasible option.
 
What if the post had a translation included?
And if we have members who do not understand English?
 
-Shocking content include (as well as porn) gore, scat, and shock pictures.

Can we post bloody pictures, or is that considered gore?

It would depend on the image but mostly yes it would be considered gore.

A picture of someone with bleeding from a small cut would be fine but images of people bleeding heavily, drenched in blood, etc would violate that rule. Those sort of images tend to fall into shock images and if the image would shock and/or upset people to see, than best not to post it.

Are spoilered posts with a warning that the content has some blood acceptable?
 
Why do people even want to post images of gore? D:
 
I've been meaning to ask a question on what defines porn pics. Is nudity also part of porn as well? Because there are a lot of famous paintings and sculptures out there that shows full naked people - stuff that we see in art galleries and art textbooks. For example, if someone posted/linked a full picture of the David Statue by Michelangelo, will that be considered porn?
 
Why do people even want to post images of gore? D:

Hmm, depends on what the thread is about. For instance the mafia game I hosted with a mod recently contained gory images because the theme was the Walking Dead so it went with the territory. If you are wondering if you could get in trouble for posting, it's easy enough to run it by a staff member first. Me and Claire spoilered all the graphic imagery for anyone who was uncomforable with blood xD

Is nudity also part of porn as well? Because there are a lot of famous paintings and sculptures out there that shows full naked people - stuff that we see in art galleries and art textbooks. For example, if someone posted/linked a full picture of the David Statue by Michelangelo, will that be considered porn?

I would not expect to get in trouble for posting pics of historical, tasteful, works of art. Use common sense and you'll be fine. I often think that all those avatars of anime characters showing off ridiculously huge breasts is bordeline pornographic so the rules are a bit hazy for me. I don't intend on ever posting anything vaguely pornographic so it's never been something I have inquired about :I
 
6. Don't ask for or provide illegal pokémon content (Copyright Violation, 4 points, 2 months)
-This includes emulators, roms, full episode downloads/streams and similar (short clips are allowed).
-This also include advertising or asking about fan-made games, illegal manga scans, or fansubs.

Just as an FYI, emulators are perfectly legal, and so are ROMs if you own the original cartridge/disc.
 
"Don't advertise other sites outside your signature or blog". So is advertising in the blogs new? Because I've been needing to recruit SOVA staff lately, and I need to know if that's allowed via my blog.
 
Sexual images: Depending of the origin of the anine and what is seen.
Posting the image of Hikari in bikini from BW087 or the bikinis of Haruka in early AG is fine.
Posting fan image whete wr could see her boobs visible is porn snd is not alloed even in the Shipping section.

Posting the blood that Nozomi have in DP041 is fine. Is aldo finr posting the blood of thevaRuolu-Ranger episodes. But not scenes full of blood unless is a side forum where is about a series with blood in it and it's age restricted to the people that can see this.
 
Sexual images: Depending of the origin of the anine and what is seen.

So, origin of the anime. Let's say there's this really perverted anime. It's like, so close to being a hentai it's not even funny. However, they never truly show anything that can be called pornographic. It may or may not be rare to find a nude person in the anime, but the controversial parts of said person's body are always covered by something, be it steam, arms, a blanket, anything. So no porn, but very pervy. Are you saying that posting a picture from said anime would be disallowed, just for the origin of the picture?
 
6. Don't ask for or provide illegal pokémon content (Copyright Violation, 4 points, 2 months)
-This includes emulators, roms, full episode downloads/streams and similar (short clips are allowed).
-This also include advertising or asking about fan-made games, illegal manga scans, or fansubs.

Is this only valid for fan-made Pokémon games or any fan-made games? I am curious because there is a certain fan made game I would like to talk about in a blog.
 
Thank you....much more easier-to-understand rules...now I understand...
P.s.Can anybody see what your infractions are on your profile?(Besides Mods and Admins.)
 
6. Don't ask for or provide illegal pokémon content (Copyright Violation, 4 points, 2 months)
-This includes emulators, roms, full episode downloads/streams and similar (short clips are allowed).
-This also include advertising or asking about fan-made games, illegal manga scans, or fansubs.

Just as an FYI, emulators are perfectly legal, and so are ROMs if you own the original cartridge/disc.
Emulators are legal in general (and I think this is just titled "illegal pokémon content" for convenience), but you're not quite correct in terms of ROMs. You can legally make your own personal copies (usually), but you can't provide ROMs or download ROMs from unauthorized services even if you own the original cartridge/disc.

Having said that about emulators, there is often "no reverse engineering" clauses that the creation of emulators may violate, so even if downloading or sharing one wouldn't necessarily be illegal, making one may be.

Still, they're all against the rules here, so it doesn't really matter.
 
What if the post had a translation included?
And if we have members who do not understand English?

It comes down again to not having someone who can check if the translation is reliable so that's not a feasible solution either.

For members who do not understand English, there are other fansites out there for Pokémon fans around the world. filb for example is an example of a German Pokémon fansite.

Are spoilered posts with a warning that the content has some blood acceptable?

Would depend on the level. Best thing to do in this case is ask a moderator of the section that you wish to post in to check the image first.

I've been meaning to ask a question on what defines porn pics. Is nudity also part of porn as well? Because there are a lot of famous paintings and sculptures out there that shows full naked people - stuff that we see in art galleries and art textbooks. For example, if someone posted/linked a full picture of the David Statue by Michelangelo, will that be considered porn?

Famous artworks, such as the Statue of David, will not be seen as rulebreaking.

2. Don't have a signature outside the allowed limits (Excessive signature, 2 points, 1 month)
-The limits are 600 pixel wide, 160 tall, and 500 kB. Spoiler tags are not allowed. Check your sig here.

Um, the link doesn't work. Probably it's a problem with my connection, but I want to be sure.

Not your connection but an error on my end. Should be fixed now.

6. Don't ask for or provide illegal pokémon content (Copyright Violation, 4 points, 2 months)
-This includes emulators, roms, full episode downloads/streams and similar (short clips are allowed).
-This also include advertising or asking about fan-made games, illegal manga scans, or fansubs.

Just as an FYI, emulators are perfectly legal, and so are ROMs if you own the original cartridge/disc.

While SnorlaxMonster covered the majority of this for me, I will say this: Just because something may be legal, it doesn't mean we have to allow it on our site.

"Don't advertise other sites outside your signature or blog". So is advertising in the blogs new? Because I've been needing to recruit SOVA staff lately, and I need to know if that's allowed via my blog.

Advertising has always been allowed in blogs, however due to the history of what you want to advertise for, we ask that you don't advertise it here.

6. Don't ask for or provide illegal pokémon content (Copyright Violation, 4 points, 2 months)
-This includes emulators, roms, full episode downloads/streams and similar (short clips are allowed).
-This also include advertising or asking about fan-made games, illegal manga scans, or fansubs.

Is this only valid for fan-made Pokémon games or any fan-made games? I am curious because there is a certain fan made game I would like to talk about in a blog.

This applies to Pokemon only.
 
6. Don't ask for or provide illegal pokémon content (Copyright Violation, 4 points, 2 months)
-This includes emulators, roms, full episode downloads/streams and similar (short clips are allowed).
-This also include advertising or asking about fan-made games, illegal manga scans, or fansubs.

Is the discussion of them allowed, though?
I seem to remember there being a no-discussion rule on this.
 
Please note: The thread is from 7 years ago.
Please take the age of this thread into consideration in writing your reply. Depending on what exactly you wanted to say, you may want to consider if it would be better to post a new thread instead.
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