GenCSI--Rules, Guidelines, Useful Information and Links

Discussion in 'General CSI Discussion' started by Faylinn, Mar 9, 2008.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Faylinn

    Faylinn Adam Fangirl Super Moderator

    Joined:
    Nov 30, 2005
    Messages:
    12,247
    Likes Received:
    22
    [​IMG]
    (Our awesome welcome banner was made by AppleJack)​

    I thought we'd have a new Welcome Wagon thread to go along with the new board. I also thought it might be good to keep the rules/guidelines/etc in a separate thread from the Welcome Wagon itself. So here we go: a thread for rules, information and guidelines. Things in this post are updated from the old thread (not to mention that it includes much more information), so make sure you take a glance through it, especially if you aren't familiar with the vBulletin system and/or the changes made since the move. :)

    Please don't be intimidated by this post--I know it's long and contains a lot of information, but you won't have to take a quiz or anything. :lol: It's here for reference more than anything else. :)

    This forum is called General CSI Discussion (GenCSI)--threads in this forum need to relate to at least two of the three CSI shows or the CSI franchise in general. A thread that relates to only one of the shows belongs in the forum for that show, a thread about fan art belongs in the Fan Art forum, etc. Take a look at the full list of forums so that you can be familiar with the different places to post. If a thread is opened in GenCSI and we feel it belongs elsewhere, we'll move it to keep everything together. :)

    My name is Faylinn, and I'm the moderator of this forum. That means I'm in charge of keeping GenCSI in order and taking care of any problems that should arise in here. I'm actually quite nice, so don't hesitate to ask me a question. ;)

    Now, on to rules and such:

    First of all, make sure you take a glance at the FAQ section. It can help you familiarize yourself with the board system and answer some of your more basic questions.

    You should also go through the User CP and take a look around--there are ways to customize the way you view and post on the board. This is also where you add or edit your avatar and banner, which I'll comment on later.

    Don't forget about the Questions, Suggestions and Feedback (QSF) forum. It's always there if you need more help, and it will help you make sense of some of the differences between vBulletin and the old board sistem.

    It is also essential that you read new threads posted in the Announcements forum--I suggest also reading through some of the older threads too. Even though we've moved and some of the announcements are out of date, others are still important information you should read--if you have a question, don't hesitate to ask for clarification. :) (Also, you can use the "Display Options" at the bottom of the forum to view threads that are not shown on the default page.)

    Here are two more important links:

    Information on dual accounts: You may only have one account on TalkCSI. Opening a second account is against the rules.

    Reminder about posting: This is a PG-13 message board, so be careful what you say, and don't let your conversations veer into a direction that is too graphic and/or sexual. Keep an eye on your language and don't spam (making a lot of posts in a short period of time) in the forums--this isn't a chat room, it's a message board. Also, make sure you listen to the moderators. We're here to keep things running smoothly. :)

    Downloading:


    We are only allowed to discuss legal ways of acquiring episodes of the CSI series online. This includes CBS Innertube, iTunes, etc (and legal equivalents for members in other countries--only official methods are allowed). Other methods of downloading the show are illegal and mention of such practices will be edited out of posts. If you repeatedly discuss illegal ways to download shows, you will receive a warning.

    Spoilers:

    If an episode has not aired in the US (and we mean on the west coast, not just the east coast), details are considered spoilers and need to be hidden by spoiler code. For information on how to include the spoiler code in your posts, please see this thread.

    Please don't name spoiler sources (exceptions include the TV Guide, Ask Ausiello and similar publications and online blogs).

    Linking to a site that posts copyrighted material is not allowed. That's illegal, and we will edit posts that contain links to such sites.

    If you're making a thread with spoilery content, please make a note of that in the thread title so that you don't accidentally ruin upcoming episodes for anybody.

    Also, spoilers include pictures. Promotional pictures from upcoming episodes should be linked, and make sure anybody who clicks the link knows that's what they're going to see. As with text spoilers, images of anything that has not aired in the US is considered a spoiler.

    If there is a thread that is specifically for an area outside of the US, spoilers need to be handled differently--If a thread is for fans from Asia, for example, spoiler code should be used to hide information about episodes that have not yet aired in that area, regardless of how long ago they may have aired in the US.

    Please note that each of the show forums has a thread for spoilers from that particular show, so if you can keep your spoiler discussion to those threads, that would be safest for everybody--and it keeps people (including those outside the US) from having to avoid as many threads if they want to keep from being spoiled. When in doubt, use the spoiler code. :)

    Images:


    Don't hotlink--this steals other sites' bandwidth. Upload pictures to Photobucket (or a similar site) or post a link to the page containing the original image. If you post the image without uploading it first yourself, you're hotlinking. This includes having the image show up in the post as well as clicking a link to show the image--if you're not viewing the host page, just the image, you're hotlinking. When it doubt, upload the photo to an image-hosting site like Photobucket or ask if what you're doing is wrong. Hotlinking can be slightly confusing (I know, I'm confusing myself right now--sorry! :lol:), so there's nothing wrong with asking about it.

    Don't include enormous images directly in your posts. We won't have a set rule unless we need to put one in place, but use good judgment. Don't post images that stretch the page, and if you're asked to resize images, please do so. :)

    Editing Posts:

    You may edit your post for up to 24 hours after you first make it--please edit the post rather than double posting.

    Other Notes About Posting:

    ~ Please make sure there isn't already a thread for the topic you wish to discuss before opening a thread yourself--duplicate threads will be closed to keep everything more orderly.

    ~ No solicitation.

    ~ Please don't post information that invades the actors' privacy--their personal lives are personal, and unless you're talking about an interview, etc, we need to respect that their private lives are not our business.

    ~ Don't make a post that consists of only one or two words or emoticons--every once in a while won't be an issue, but if you do it continuously, it's considered spamming.

    ~ Watch your language. Remember: PG-13

    ~ I'm going to ask that you try to limit the chat/text speak in your posts as a courtesy to other users. "You" is not that much harder to type than "u", and I know I for one will appreciate if you take the extra time to ensure that your posts are easy to read. :)

    ~ Remember that some of our members don't speak English as their first language and be understanding if they have difficulties. We don't expect perfection. :) However, since this message board is 'English speaking', please limit the amount of writing in other languages. Private messages are a better place for that.

    ~ There is a forum just for shipping: Shipper Central. Most of your ship-related discussion belongs in there.

    ~ If a post breaks the rules, you can use the "Notify Moderator" button at the bottom left side of the post--it looks like this: [​IMG]. This feature can be used if you feel that someone is spamming, soliciting, arguing, etc. However, please don't abuse the "Notify Moderator" button--if you use it too much, you could receive a warning.

    Warnings:

    If you break the rules, I might choose to give you a friendly reminder--this is informal, and it's our way of politely asking you to remember the rules and obey them.

    If a friendly reminder doesn't work, I could issue an unofficial warning--this is our way of letting you know that you're still on the wrong track and need to correct the behavior unless you want an official warning.

    Official warnings are a big deal--you will be reported to an administrator and they will choose how to deal with the situation from there.

    Severe problems or repeated warnings could result in you being banned from the board. Bannings are not done lightly and are reserved for serious issues--making a little mistake won't get you banned, so don't worry. :)

    Avatars:

    The picture located below my username is called an avatar. Once you have been a member of the board for two weeks and have made at least 50 posts, you will be able to have an avatar of your own. In order to add or edit your avatar, visit this section of the User CP. Please note that the maximum size of an avatar is 140 x 140 pixels or 70.0 KB. You must upload your avatar to the board by clicking the button next to "Use Custom Avatar" and then "Browsing" to select the file from your computer. Your avatar needs to be in good taste, and remember that this is a PG-13 board. Don't use avatars with adult content, swearing, etc, and don't offend or insult other members of the board. Please use good judgment when choosing an avatar, and if you're asked to remove your avatar, please understand that we're trying to keep the board pleasant for everyone. :)

    Signatures/Banners:

    All members can have a signature that shows up at the bottom of each post. To edit your signature, visit this section of the User CP. If you use a text signature, remember the rules--this is a PG-13 board, and we don't want offensive or inappropriate content.

    You may either have text or a banner in your signature, but not both. If you choose to have a banner (image), the same rules apply regarding content--nothing offensive or inappropriate. You may remote link to your banner from a site like Photobucket, or you may upload your banner to the site itself--please notice that the maximum size the board will let you upload is larger than the maximum size we want on TalkCSI. The largest your banner may be is 220 pixels wide and 75 pixels tall. The following banner is an example of the maximum size:

    [​IMG]

    ;)

    ********************

    That should be the basic information you need to get started on the board. Please note that different forums may have slightly different rules. Please be aware of these threads and obey the rules in each forum.

    I know this can all be a bit overwhelming at first, but don't worry--we were all new once, and you'll get the hang of things quickly. :)

    Questions are welcome and encouraged. You can ask in the QSF forum if you have a question about the board itself. If your question relates specifically to GenCSI, you can direct it to me in the Welcome Wagon thread or via Private Message (PM) (you can send private messages once you have been here for two weeks and made at least 50 posts).

    If you think of anything that should be added to this thread, or if anything needs to be edited, let us know. :) If we add/change anything in here, we'll make sure to leave a note so everybody can check it out.
     
    Last edited: Aug 24, 2009
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page