RULES AND REGULATIONS

he community rules are designed to ensure that community members respect the values of other members, and aim to protect members and staff around the community to ensure that it is an enjoyable, safe experience for all its members. These rules are set in conjunction with our terms of service. You may be punished for breaking these rules - please review the “Infractions and bans” section below. The text to the right of each rule indicates the infractions that may be awarded for breaking the rules. While the following rules apply to the community as a whole, some forums within the community may impose extra rules, so please check for rules in such forums before you post. If you have any questions about the following rules, please don't hesitate to contact a higher staff member (that is, a Super Moderator, or any Administrator).

SPAM is not allowed. (3 pts / 3 mths)
Don’t post Stupid Pointless Annoying Messages - this includes meaningless posts, or posts with no relevance to the thread. Such posts often do not add anything to a thread and hence may be removed.

Everybody is to respect other people on the board. (3 pts / 4 mths)
The PokéCommunity is open to anyone. Do not threaten, harass or insult your fellow members, or launch personal attacks against any of them. Please respect the beliefs of other members. If someone acts uncivil, or harasses/intimidates you, you are not given the excuse to act the same in retaliation. If you disagree with the conduct of other members, please contact a staff member.

No "trolling". (3 pts / 4 mths)
Inflammatory or irrelevant messages with the sole intent of provoking other users or inciting controversy is considered "trolling". We consider trolling to be unacceptable as it undermines the friendly environment that we aim for. At the discretion of the staff, any posts we believe are attempts of trolling will be removed, and continued offenses will result in any involved members being infracted.

Foul language is unacceptable. (3 pts / 4 mths)
As the PokéCommunity is a place for people of all ages, please do not use words that may be considered offensive. Many swear words are automatically filtered, so intentionally bypassing the filter may result in an infraction. Do not use certain words in ways that may offend people. As an example, using words such as "gay" in a derogatory manner can result in an infraction. You may also be infracted if you use a censored term (which will be replaced with asterisks) to provoke or attack someone.

Pornographic images must not be submitted anywhere on the community. (Ban - Permanent)
In no section of the community can an image or link to a pornography site be submitted. Deliberately posting inappropriate content will lead to an immediate, permanent ban, regardless of a member's status or position.

Posts must have at least 25 characters and 4 words. (2 pts / 2 wks)
All posts are required to have 4 words or more. The community has a physical 25-character limit to each post. Please do not attempt to override this limit unless the forum you’re posting in expressly waives these limits.

Avoid double posting or consecutive posts. (3 pts / 2 mths)
Please try to avoid making more than one post in a row. Edit posts if you need to add more content to them. Exceptions apply, but only in forums that specifically allow it under their rules.

Do not post in threads that have not been posted in for more than a month. (2 pts / 2 wks)
A thread that has not been posted in for more than a month (generally around 30 days) is considered “old”. Please do not revive old threads. For restarting topics, create a new thread. Exceptions do apply in certain forums.

No unsolicited advertising. (Existing members: 2 pts / 1 mth, Joining to advertise: Ban - Permanent)
Advertising web sites or forums is not permitted. If you’d like to link to a website, then it must be relevant to the discussion. The only acceptable advertising may be done in your signature. Members found to be joining for the purpose of advertising may be irrevocably banned. It is left to the discretion of the staff to decide whether a link to a website or forum may be considered advertising. Unacceptable forms of linking may be edited without question.

Illegal content may not be posted. (4 pts / 4 mths)
The community does not allow discussion of illegal materials - this includes the illegal distribution of TV shows, video games (including ROMs), music, or software. You may not discuss how to obtain these materials or link to sites with these materials.

Do not ask about a member's ban.
The details of a ban are kept between the banned member and the staff team. The staff have no obligation to answer questions to a third party. Requests for such information will not be answered.

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Infractions and bans

The PokéCommunity has an Infractions system for dealing with members who constantly break rules. The infractions system runs on a system of points, so if you break a rule, you will be given infraction points as a result. The points you may receive will vary depending on the severity of the offense. If you accumulate enough infraction points, your account will be suspended and you will be unable to access the forums. Listed to the right of each rule above are possible infraction points for breaking that particular rule. Some forums may also impose additional infractions, so please read the rules for those forums for any infractions that may apply.

Generally when you break a rule for the first time, you may be warned, indicated by a Yellow Card or "Warning".
This is more of a cautionary message and does not award you any infraction points. It is usually given before a Red Card.

For more severe offenses, or for if you continue to break rules, you will be awarded a Red Card or "Infraction".
Each red card has infraction points associated with them. Most red cards will expire after a given amount of time and will have no value. Red cards can also "stack" - if you continue to break a specific rule, the time for a related infraction to that rule may increase as a result.

Whenever you've received an infraction, you'll receive a private message listing the infraction, the reason you were infracted, and the offending post (if applicable). You can check your infractions or warnings under the Infractions tab in your profile.

Infraction points do have bearing, as they lead to bans. When you hit a specific point level or have received a certain amount of infractions, you will be banned for the times listed below:

* If you earn up to or have exceeded 9 infraction points, your account will be suspended for two weeks.
* Earning 15 points or more will result in your account being suspended for one month.
* Earning 18 points or more or at least 10 infractions, whether expired or not will result in a three month suspension.
* You will be banned permanently if you accumulate 20 points or more.
* In addition, receiving 15 cards or more, whether expired or not, will also result in your account being banned permanently.


If you disagree with an infraction or ban you've received, you must bring it up with either the moderator that awarded the infraction, or a higher staff member.

If you would like to read more about the Infractions System or have any questions, please see the Infraction system information and questions thread.