The Lounge "Laws" as told by Master Xeno

TL;DR, being silly and slapstick is OK. Being a jerk is not OK. Being a jerk about being silly and slapstick is also not OK. Just have fun and be polite and you won't have to worry about getting banned.

IF YOU POST SOMETHING THAT WOULD MAKE YOUR MOM DO THIS
http://i.imgur.com/h5Sce.gif
THEN DON'T POST IT

Also, be careful about triggers. Most people with violence triggers won't be browsing a website like Onrpg dedicated to largely violent games. However, things that could be **** triggers, hate crime triggers, etc, are not allowed, ever. So don't use offensive language like the N-word, or the F-word (no, not the word that starts with F and ends with UCK, but the one that means bundle of sticks) ever.

Here's why:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trauma_trigger

LONGER WRITE-UP FOR COOL PEOPLE

The spam rule only sort of applies in General now.

Spamming, as defined as posting innocuous, non-sensical posts (like discussing how wombats are the best cheesemakers in a thread about cheese) is OK. Spamming wherein a bunch of bots are spamming links to get a free iPad (the only free thing you get is a VIRUS!) is still not considered OK, so please continue to report report that.

HOWEVER when people are trying to have a SERIOUS discussion, like about racist culture, the decaying moral influence that religion has upon the military-industrial complex, or why the PS3 has no games, you CAN and WILL get warned/infracted for disrupting that conversation, whether it's through SPAMMING or flaming.

How can you tell when people are having a serious discussion? Because you should be a mature person capable of making that distinction without me telling you. If you're unsure, then just don't post, or make a new thread dedicated to your wombat misadventures.

And yes! The flaming rule still applies!

Telling people to "**** off," "you're an idiot for thinking this," using racial slurs, making sexist remarks, etc, etc, constitute flaming. "It was just a joke," does not constitute a valid defense. No one cares if you were just joking when you're pissing other people off and disrupting conversations.

Flamebaiting, as in posting little snidy/snarky remarks for the purpose of inciting an angry response from someone, is still not allowed. And this is still not allowed if it's in the form of annoying little "spam" comments meant to get under a user's skin. If we suspect you're just trying to upset someone, we can and will warn or infract you.

The Mod team has noted that 90% of the time we warn/infract someone for making a flamebaiting comment they go, "Well why didn't you warn the other person?" or "I didn't know s/he would react like that!" Those are not valid excuses. 1. you can't see other warnings/infractions people have received, and 2. ignorance is not an excuse.

FAQS:

Q. So I can post whatever I want in General now?
A. http://i.imgur.com/1Hheq.gif

Q. Hey, I got an infraction or warning for just making a joke! What gives?
A. "It's just a joke" is NEVER a valid excuse for breaking the rules. Usage of racial slurs, even if it's "just a joke" and/or are a member of the race that the slur would normally be derogatory toward, is still not allowed. This extends to all things that could be triggering. E.g. **** jokes, pedo jokes, abuse jokes, and so forth.

Q. But why isn't it a valid excuse?
A. Because of science.

http://i.imgur.com/yrgvn.gif

Q. But don't I have free speech?

A. http://i.imgur.com/p2oMR65.gif

Q. Are wombats cute?

A. Yes!

http://i.imgur.com/TzQH7.gif

Q. If I get banned, what's to prevent me from just changing my IP and making a new account and no one will know the difference?

A. Because we will hunt you down and throw sand into your face.

http://i.imgur.com/rZzJv.gif

Q. What happens to those spam posts that I see for a few seconds and then disappear?

A. We assassinate them.

http://i.minus.com/ikl6uYwF8GBE8.gif

Q. Waaah I got an infraction!

A. If you think it was unjust or a mistake, please contact one of our site's admins. Infractions have been revoked in the past when we found out it was a mistake or a Moderator abusing their power. If it turns out it's not the case, then:
http://i.imgur.com/U0e1o.jpg

Deal with it

Furthermore, Onrpg makes its money from advertising. Sexist joking alienates a large potential userbase. So don't do it.

I really don't care if you think a sexist joke is just a joke or that I should lighten up. We lose money because you think you have freedom of speech on the site we run. We lose money because you feel entitled to post whatever joke you want. Not to mention, sexist jokes are actually sexist. (The "sexist" part gives it away.)

Therefore, we can and will ban you for posting sexist jokes. It is clearly against the rules. Did I mentioned we lose $$$ because of it? I will infract you every time, all the time for it (after your first warning, of course); other mods may be more lenient.

Let me answer your questions:

No, you do not have freedom of speech on Onrpg. :)

No, you aren't entitled to your opinion. ;)

No, a sense of humor is not sacred. :p

No, I and others don't need to lighten up; but you probably shouldn't feel entitled to post offensive jokes because it might get you banned. :rofl:

Keeping an offensive joke to yourself is actually not that hard nor a big deal. :hmm:

I am perfectly fine and unperturbed with being called a white knight. :3

I am perfectly fine and unperturbed with you leaving the site in a huff of indignity over this. You really don't have to announce your departure; I'll just delete the thread. I say this because, if you leave over a rule like this, nothing of value was lost. :(

Yes, the same rule clarification extends to racist jokes and jokes made at the expense of GSM people. B)

Thanks!

P.S. if this post makes you feel uncomfortable or challenged, it might be a good idea to examine why a website taking a tough stance on attitudes and material that alienate a significant portion of its userbase would make you feel that way. Try thinking of it this way: in order for our site to be a safe place for a diverse group of people, it means boundaries must be respected and not all groups can do whatever they want. My strong recommendation is to deal with it, because it's not that hard, and we're not giving you a choice, anyway.

BONUS IMAGE FOR THOSE WHO DON'T LIKE BEING TOLD WHAT TO DO
http://www.asofterworld.com/clean/judgment.jpg