Halopedia:Chat policy

This page is an official Halopedia policy Please read through the policy below to familiarize yourself with our common practices and rules. If you have any questions, suggestions, or complaints, please post them on the talk page.

This is the Halopedia Chat policy. These have been adapted for use on the Forums and Discord server.

Rules

Authoritative rulings

1. Extenuating circumstances - Should a situation arise that is not covered by the Halopedia chat policy the Moderation Staff holds the right to take action against any individual whom they feel is causing trouble or causing a potential threat on the chat. The word of the Staff takes precedence over the chat policy, so long as the action is justifiable to other members of staff.

Harassment

Harassment is commonly understood as behaviour intended to disturb or upset, and it is characteristically repetitive. It is also intentional behavior which is found threatening or disturbing.

Should an individual want the behavior to stop, they may request a Moderator to act. Specific examples is such personal attacks include but are not limited to:

2. Racial harassment - the targeting of an individual because of their race, nationality, or ethnicity.

3. Religious harassment - the targeting of an individual because of their personal beliefs/religion.

4. Sexual harassment - unwanted and unwelcome words, deeds, actions, gestures, symbols, or behaviours of a sexual nature that make the target feel uncomfortable. Attacks on gender and sexual orientation also fall into this category.

5. Interest harassment - the targeting of an individual's personal interests. Whilst disagreement on personal preference is accepted, purposefully attacking an individual's interests with the opinion that your preference is better is not acceptable.

6. Sociological harassment - the targeting of an individual because of their upbringing, intelligence, grammar, or their spelling.

7. Mental & physical harassment - the targeting of an individual because of their appearance, health, and mental-state. Some people can not help the way they are, and therefore should not be persecuted for it. Mental-states do not excuse an individual for breaking policy however.

8. Violent harassment - the use of violence to threaten, or intimidate an individual. Use of death, or violent threats are forbidden.

9. Legal harassment - the use of legal action threats to make an individual feel uncomfortable.

10. Vector harassment - the use of vectors to make a user feel uncomfortable. Vectors include images, videos, external links, songs, and ASCII art.

11. Hazing - the use of persecution, and harassment in a deliberate, calculated, and planned manner as part of an induction into a group. While light teasing is a tradition to new arrivals to a group, excessive use can be mentally damaging.

12. Mobbing - the purposeful intent of gaining other individuals to help make another user feel uncomfortable, or intimidated.

Individuals occasionally disagree with another individuals opinions and do not intend to cause offense. In these situations the individual is not considered to be harassing another individual.

Individuals engaging in debate is an essential part of the culture of Halopedia. Assume good faith, be civil and adhere to good wiki etiquette when stating disagreements to avoid personalizing them and try to minimize unnecessarily antagonistic comments. Disagreements with other editors can be discussed without resorting to personal attacks. It is important not to personalize comments that are directed at content and actions, but it is equally important not to interpret such comments as personal attacks.

Disagreements about content such as "Your statement about X is wrong" or "Your statement is a point of view, not fact" are not personal attacks.

Civil behavior

Being civil to another individual is a key aspect to our society's infrastructure. It is your responsibility as users to foster and maintain a positive online community on Halopedia. Personal attacks against anyone; regardless of his/her past behavior; are contrary to this spirit.

To help maintain this atmosphere, our chat have a set of expectations required by users:

13. Courtesy - Individuals are expected to maintain a courteous atmosphere in the chat; do not use profanity excessively. If an individual is showing exceptional rudeness, do not retaliate, and notify a Moderator.

14. Respect - Individuals are expected to show respect for Halopedia and its community. Love and tolerate.

Disruption

Disruption is considered to be either a purposeful, or accidental action that will interrupt or impede the progress, functionality, and atmosphere of the chat. It is up to the user to use common sense to judge if their actions are disruptive to the chat. Disruption comes in many forms:

15. Spamming - Spam is considered the posting of unneeded, repetitive, or meaningless links, images, or comments. The excessive use of caps-lock, emoticons, and ACSII art is also considered spam. Spam may take up one or more lines; it is at the discretion of the Moderator or Administrator to deem what is spam.

16. Flooding - Flooding the chat is considered the purposeful intent to leave and enter the chat multiple times with in a short period of time.

17. Trolling - Trolling is considered the purposeful intent to disrupt a chat with inflammatory, extraneous, stupid, or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking readers into a response. What constitutes trolling will be at the discretion of the Moderator or Administrator.

18. Roleplay - While roleplay is acceptable in the chat, if a Moderator or Administrator deems that it has become disruptive, the individuals will have to move the roleplay elsewhere, either to a dead wiki, or to a PM group. Sexual roleplay in the main chat will not be tolerated.

19. Language - Individuals are expected to use English. If foreign languages are to be used, they must be commonly understood and used minimally. Users are also asked to use grammar and punctuation to the best of their abilities.

20. Further disruption - The above are the most common forms of disruption, however not the only forms. Where the rules do not cover a certain action, it is up to the individuals themselves to judge whether their actions might be considered disruptive; it is also at the discretion of the Moderator or Administrator to deem whether an action can be considered disruptive enough to be issued a warning.

Sexual content

It is illegal to show minors content of a sexual nature, we therefore impose a complete ban on pornography, and similar content. If an individual feels the need that the must share such material, then please keep it to PM, and only to those who have given consent.

21. Pornography - Individuals are to never post links, images, or videos that contain pornographic material. Images containing nudity will also violate this rule.

Beyond the chat

22. Chat ≠ Wiki - The chat does not equal the wiki, therefore an individuals actions on the wiki do not affect the individuals rights/status in the chat, and vice versa.

23. Other wikis - Issues from other wikis should not be brought into the Halopedia chat. If you have an issue with a Halopedia user, please use the wiki specific talk/message pages, not our chat. If you are a Halopedia user and have a foreign wiki issue you wish to discuss with another user, please use the Private Messaging system.

24. Private Messaging - With private messaging and private chats, we instill a "your own business" policy. Users are free to share images and websites within the confines of the users perception of acceptability. However, harassment and spamming of an individual is unacceptable, and is subject to punishment by a Moderator with the correct evidence.

25. Sockpuppets - Sockpuppets are considered new accounts made with the purpose of circumventing a chat ban on a previous account. Sockpuppets will be banned from the chat indefinitely.

26. Bot Accounts - Only administrator bots that have received the bot flag are permitted to be used on the chat. Bot accounts without a bot flag will be banned from the chat.

27. Links - Do not post links to other chats in the main FLEETCOM. If it is a personal issue such as inviting someone else to the chat then send the link using Private Message.

28. Recruitment - Halopedia is not a recruitment site. Do not post links or other advertisements to recruit users to a clan, group, or website.