Read the BSN forum Rules

BSN Rules

This is a ProBoards forum operating under their Terms of Service. We will comply with those terms because if we breach them our forum may be closed outside of our control. You can read the ProBoards ToS here: www.proboards.com/tos

This is intended to be a friendly but relaxed forum where we can discuss BioWare and other games without provoking or insulting each other.

We are neither a highly restricted corporate forum where everything remotely offensive or controversial would be censored; nor are we a forum without rules where almost anything goes. We won’t censor on a dime, but neither will we become 4chan.

The rules specific to this forum are:

Respect and bad faith

• Our forum is for reasonable, rational people to discuss BioWare and other games and some general lobby topics.
  
• The Internet is composed of people whose opinions may conflict with yours. We expect you to maintain respect for other opinions (not otherwise restricted under ProBoards rules).
  
• Posts that exist only to harm the forum, to incite negative reactions, or to disrupt threads may be dealt with by moderators even if they don’t technically break specific rules. 
  
• Such ‘bad faith’ actions may also include attempts to evade the rules or to evade moderation penalties (such as creating ‘alt’ accounts).
  

Insults / Provocation and Harassment

• Don't insult, provoke or harass other posters. 
  
• Tempers can fray from time to time, so moderators will take perceived intent and the level of aggression into account when moderating.
  
• Insulting others and being aggressive or threatening towards others is not acceptable and will be dealt with. We can't have users attacking each other. Pointing out the flaws of a point or argument is normally permissible so long as it is not done in such an aggressive way as to become an attack in any case. An insult: "You are [e.g. dumb]." Not an insult: "Your point is [e.g. dumb]."
  
• Criticizing a non-personal entity (like a corporation) is OK within reason, as is criticizing a public figure such as a celebrity or politician.
  
• Criticizing BioWare, EA, or other game company is allowed unless you rant excessively, in which case we will ask you to give it a rest.
  
• Occasionally, anger about game characters gets so heated that we’ll step in to deal with that, too. It’s rare, but it happens.
  

Slurs and attacks/hatred to groups

• ProBoards rules are simple: don’t use intolerant or hateful terms, or be hateful towards any person or group of people.
  
• We won’t accept intolerant language or slurs targeted at any race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The same applies to mental illness, mental conditions, or disability.
  
• Context is important. If a slur is a quote of another work that's relevant to the discussion, this may be allowed. On the other hand, if the slur is intended to incite a reaction or hurt, even if purported to be a joke, then action will be taken.
  
• Sensitive lobby topics about specific groups of people (e.g. a thread about racism) will not be allowed.
  

Violence

• Inciting, encouraging, or threatening physical harm against any another person or group is prohibited.
  
• Posting images, videos, or linking to content showing people being physically harmed is also prohibited.
  
• This is a games forum so fictional in-game violence may be shown or discussed (obviously).
  
  

Game Developers

• We give special protection from harassment to game developers.
  
• Many developers lurk on our forums, some visible, others invisible. Without their work, we have no forum. 
  
• A developer who comments or shares information may be engaged in conversation.
  
• A member may even disagree with them, if that is done civilly.
  
• We won't stand for posters haranguing a developer, demanding answers, spamming their inbox, insults, or rudeness. They are not a public punching bag nor do they have to meet 'higher standards' than any other forum member.
  
• If you see anyone beating up a developer, please report it straight away. 
  
• Breaking the rules with a developer as the target will lead to a more immediate and firmer response than our standard rules, so don’t do it.
  

Spam

• We will remove spam for commercial sites, drugs, or other spam content and permaban the perpetrator. 

Spoilers / Piracy / Pointless Crap / Lame threads

• We expect posters to ‘play nice’ so don’t post spoilers in thread titles, and spoiler tag spoilers in discussions not marked specifically for spoiler content.
  
• Spoilers apply for 1 year after a game launch and 6 months for anything else (TV show, movie, etc.).
  
• You may have your own opinion on piracy, but we don’t permit linking to pirated content or game breaking cheats.
  
• Leaked content may be shared if spoiler tagged and supervised by moderators. If we are asked to remove it by the copyright owners or see that other sites are doing so, we will likely follow suit.
  
• We can all enjoy a joke, but lame or low effort pointless crap can quickly become irritating. Don’t inflict upon the forum things such as clickbait, misleading titles, threads with no point other than to provoke, or other lame off-topic content.
  

Swearing

• You may swear on BSN within reason (excluding slurs). We aren’t your momma. 

Nudity / Porn / Not Safe For Work (NSFW) content

• Don’t post or link to such images or content. Genitals or female nipples will typically breach the rules in photo or cartoon form.
  
• Erotic fiction, kink discussions, and generally being creepy is also prohibited.

Privacy / doxing / illegal content

• Don't post other people's personal information without their permission (doxing).
  
• Obviously, don't post any illegal material.
  

---------- NEW AS OF DEC. 19, 2018 ----------

Real World Controversy Rule

• This forum's primary focus is on gaming. There will be no dedicated discussions to general real world politics, religion, race or gender politics, or political / religious figures. Such threads will be locked and / or removed, such posts will be removed, and repeat offenders will be subject to our moderation rules as outlined below.
  
• There are plenty of other forums, outlets, and options for such discussions elsewhere on the Internet. Our forum will no longer be one of those options.
  
• Video game political issues, as related to and pertaining to their fictional worlds, are permitted (i.e. discussions of politics or religion in the Dragon Age setting is entirely permissible as long as it otherwise follows forum rules).
• Political discussions relating to EA/BioWare or other games companies may be permitted so far as they are topical matters being discussed in the mainstream gaming press (as long as such discussions do not devolve into a general political discussion and otherwise follows forum rules).

Be excellent to each other and enjoy our forum.