Furtopia Forums Rules Update Thread Log

[Kobuk]

This thread will be a log to keep members up to date on any rules additions, deletions, amendments, etc. as they pertain to the main Furtopian rules located here:
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php/topic,20851.0.html
........and/or in any of the pinned threads in any of the various forums on Furtopia.

Members who wish clarification on any rules are to PM a Mod or Admin and we will help to answer any questions you have. Thank You.

Added on 8/8/2010 -

 9 c. - Use of Furtopian logos, name, etc.   Individuals who wish to use either in part, or in whole, the Furtopian name, logo, or any other OFFICIAL Furtopian artwork/images located on the Furtopia.org website/forums for items including, but not limited to the following: convention badges, signs, banners, tshirts, etc., must contact a Moderator or Admin and get permission first. You must state what graphics you wish to use, How they will be used, and where they are going to be used. The staff will then review an individual's request and will contact that individual in a timely manner with a response. Any unauthorised use of the Furtopia name, logo, etc. may result in disciplinary measures as determined by staff.

Added on 8/9/2010

16. Banned Subjects - It's very rare that a subject will need to be banned on the forums. However, the following items are currently banned.
a) The subject of hypnosis is banned on Furtopia. Anyone who wishes for further clarification regarding this ban is welcome to PM a mod or admin for details.
b) No posting in black colored text on the forums. Please use the spoiler tag instead which is described here: http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php/topic,39242.0.html

Items that are not necessarily banned, but are highly moderated are: Leet Speak, and Posting in foreign languages. If a member posts in leet speak or a foreign language, they MUST provide a translation.

[Kobuk]

2/4/2011 - Rule # 6 in the main Furtopian rules changed from:

6. No role-playing. It is permissible to do 'posing' and such in a post if it's helpful to the content of the post, however extended role-play sessions are not permitted except in the gaming forums.

New version:

6. Minor Role-playing is permitted provided it does not disrupt or distract from the original topic.  Large RPs may be moved to a more suitable area if needed at the Staff's discretion.

[Kobuk]

2/6/2011 - Rule 9 a. in the main Furtopian rules has been changed.

Old version:

9. a. Images in posts can be no wider than 700 pixels. This is usually enough to show all detail, without forcing people to scroll or download huge files. If possible, consider making them even smaller (400 to 500 pixels). If you really need to show a larger image, or if you need to show more than five, post them as links instead.

New version:

9. a. While there is generally no rule to how large pictures can be in a post, Very large pictures are automatically scaled down to 700 x 700 pixels by the forum's settings.
Out of common courtesy, please consider making them even smaller (400 to 600 pixels and/or 500 kb file size or less) to help speed up downloads for those members who have slower connections. If you have more than five images to show at once, please post them as links instead.

[Kobuk]

10/21/2011 - As mentioned here:
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42422.0
.......the new Furtopia main rules have been revised and posted. They can be found here:
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42607.0
.
The old 2006 rules have been unpinned and are now located here:
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=20851.0

[Kobuk]

More new rules and guideline revisions have been made to the following forums:

Added on 11/06/2011

Polling Forum Guidelines
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42684.0

Photography/Video Guidelines
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42685.0

Test Lab Forum Guidelines
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42686.0

[Kobuk]

New rules revisions and additions have been implemented in the following forums.

Added on 11/13/2011

Convention Forum Guidelines
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42729.0

Furry Connections Forum Guidelines
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42732.0

Gaming Discussion Forum Guidelines
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42731.0

Word Games Forum Guidelines
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42730.0

[Kobuk]

Added on 11/20/2011 - New graphical and literary arts rules have been revised/implemented for the following forums:
* Artwork Announcements
* Sharing & Artistry
* Furry Fiction
* Poetry

All these forums share pretty much the same common rules as described here:
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42767.0

[Kobuk]

Added on 11/22/2011

Added a topic about "critiquing" to the Artwork Techniques forum here:
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42780.0
It is NOT a rule thread, but merely a topic on how to give good feedback to artists on their works.

[Kobuk]

Added on 11/28/2011

The rules and guidelines for the Furry Role Playing Games forum have been revised and updated here: http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42811.0

[Kobuk]

8/27/2012

After staff discussion and voting, Rule # 7d in the main Furtopian rules has been changed.

Old rule:

Copyrighted art/material must not be posted on Furtopia without consent or public release of the copyright owner and/or permission from Furtopian staff. Also, Please be kind and give credit where credit is due if someone draws an avatar, signature pic, etc. for you to use on the forums.

New version:

The use of copyrighted materials (Art, Stories, etc.) made by someone other than yourself, without getting written permission from or giving credit to the original owner/creator, is discouraged. Such material will be removed if requested by the original owner. Intentionally "stealing" and using a copyrighted work, either in whole or in part, and claiming it as your own will result in removal of the item by staff.
If you see any copyrighted works (Art, Stories, etc.) that you own and that have been used/stolen without permission or credit, you are encouraged to contact an Administrator here:
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=31338.0
All inquiries will be reviewed by Staff and appropriate measures will be taken to correct the offense.

[Kobuk]

Rule #6 in the main Furtopian rules has been changed.

Old version:

6. No blind personal rants or pointless angst. Please keep angry tirades about your personal life problems where they belong: a Livejournal or Myspace account, or other personal blog/website. If you have a genuine problem that you'd like input on, please phrase it in terms of a question that invites the intelligent participation of others on the board, and post it in the Life Problems & Help Forum.

New version:

6.  The Life Problems and Help forum is intended to be a place where real life problems can be discussed and resolved through the intelligent participation of the forum's member base.  The Staff ask that threads created in this section be phrased as requests for suggestions, advice, guidance, or emotional support so such conversation can be facilitated.
Please do not post rants (Angry shouts/tirades) that do not invite intelligent participation in the Life Problems and Help section or anywhere else on the Furtopia forums; instead, either phrase your problem as described above or use another resource such as a Livejournal, Myspace, or personal blog for this content.
For a more detailed description of what is and is not appropriate for the Life Problems and Help section, see this thread: http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=44695.0

[Kobuk]

9/30/2012 - After staff discussion and voting, Rule # 7c in the main Furtopian rules has been changed.


Old version:

c) Images in posts. While there is generally no rule to how large pictures can be in a post, Very large pictures are automatically scaled down to 700 x 700 pixels by the forum's settings.
Out of common courtesy, please consider making them even smaller (400 to 600 pixels and/or 500 kb file size or less) to help speed up downloads for those members who have slower connections. If you have more than five images to show at once, please post them as links instead.

New version:

c) Embedding images in posts. There is no set rule to how large pictures can be in a given post, though very large pictures are automatically scaled down to 700 x 700 pixels by the forum's settings.
Out of common courtesy, please consider editing your images to an even smaller size, such as 400 to 600 pixels and/or 500 KB in file size or less, as this will be helpful to our members who have slower connections or bandwidth limits. If you have any large high resolution images to show, or if you have an excessive number of images, such as more than 8 to show at one time in a single post, we ask that you please post them as links instead. If more images are needed for a specific thread (Artwork, Conventions, Tutorials, Vacations, etc.), then please PM a mod/admin with a request to post more images..

A few clarifying points:

Very little of Rule # 7c has changed. The biggest change is that the staff are allowing more freedom for members to post a few more images: From 5 to 8.
However.........Out of common courtesy, the staff will still have to ask that members post links instead for further pics if you go beyond 8. Again, this is simply to make it easier for persons who have slower connections or bandwidth limits as not all ISP services or electronic gizmos "are created equal" so to speak.
If you feel that you need to post more than 8 images in a single post, then contact a Mod or Admin and we'll be glad to review your request and help you out.

[Kobuk]

1/7/2013 - After staff discussion and voting, the following has been added to Item # 12 in the main Furtopian rules concerning gravedigging.

d) Personal art threads (Artwork, Literature, Poetry, etc.) are exempted from the grave-digging rule, although such threads may still be locked if members other than the original poster makes posts beyond the 6 month grave-digging limit.
Here are a couple examples of exempted personal art threads:
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=34016.0
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=43966.0
If you started a personal art thread that has been locked due to grave-digging and you would like to continue using it, then please contact a member of the staff to have it reopened.

[Kobuk]

2/28/2013 -

Rule # 6 in the main Furtopian rules has been changed.

Old Version:

6. The Life Problems and Help forum is intended to be a place where real life problems can be discussed and resolved through the intelligent participation of the forum's member base. The Staff ask that threads created in this section be phrased as requests for suggestions, advice, guidance, or emotional support so such conversation can be facilitated.
Please do not post rants (Angry shouts/tirades) that do not invite intelligent participation in the Life Problems and Help section or anywhere else on the Furtopia forums; instead, either phrase your problem as described above or use another resource such as a Livejournal, Myspace, or other personal blog for this content.
For a more detailed description of what is and is not appropriate for the Life Problems and Help section, see this thread: http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=44695.0

New version:

6. No ranting type topics. The Furtopia forums are intended to be a place where various topics can be discussed and resolved through the intelligent participation of the forum's member base.  The Staff ask that threads created in the Furtopia forums be phrased as, but not limited to: Requests for suggestions, debates, advice, guidance, or emotional support, etc. so such conversation can be facilitated. Please do not post rants (i.e. - Angry shouts/tirades) or other similar topics that do not invite intelligent participation/discussion on the Furtopia forums, especially in the Life Problems forum. Instead, either phrase your topic as described above or use another resource such as a Livejournal or other personal blog/website. Ranting type topics will be removed at Staff discretion and treated as spam content. For a more detailed description of what is and is not considered a rant, please see this example thread: http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=44695.0

After Staff discussion, the old version was changed because it focused too much on the Life Problems forum and did not take into effect the other various Furtopian forums. The new version is designed to be a "general purpose" rule that now covers ALL forums.

[Kobuk]

2/28/2013 -

After staff discussion, Rule # 9 in the main Furtopian rules has been changed.

Old version:

9. Individuals are not allowed to explicitly advertise or recruit on Furtopia forums and live chat (Furtopia IRC) for other forums, communities, or projects. This rule is to prevent members from using Furtopia as a “billboard” so to speak to advertise/spam items of “questionable, unknown, or suspicious” content, and/or pulling people away ( “user mining” ) to join another site. If a member wishes to advertise something, then please discuss it with the staff first. (EXCEPTION: Members are allowed to post a link to their FurAffinity, DeviantArt, Livejournal, Other blog, or other personal furry art website in their signature.)

New version:

9. Individuals are not allowed to explicitly advertise or recruit on Furtopia forums and live chat (Furtopia IRC) for other forums, communities, or projects. This rule is to prevent members from using Furtopia as a “billboard” so to speak to advertise/spam items of “questionable, unknown, or suspicious” content, and/or pulling people away ( “user mining” ) to join another site. For further information about advertising, please see this thread here: http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=44795.0
EXCEPTIONS:
* Members are allowed to post a link to their FurAffinity, DeviantArt, Livejournal, Other blog, or other personal furry website in their signature and/or profile.
* Members, after first having a minimum of 25 posts and an introduction thread in the Greetings Forum, are allowed to make threads for their own furry businesses which offer furry arts and crafts for sale or commission on the Furtopia forums.
* Members can seek Staff permission to post advertising not otherwise exempted from this rule which can include, but is not limited to: Surveys, Questionaires, Sociological projects relating to furry fandom, Interviews, etc.
* When members do advertise anything, please post as much information as to Who, What, Where, When, Why, and/or How something is being advertised. The more information you provide, then the less your post/thread will look "questionable, unknown, or suspicious".

Please see the link in the new version for further information.

[Kobuk]

3/10/2013

Just a small note to let members know that the staff added a "Table of Contents" to the main rules page here: http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42607.0
By clicking on the various numbered linked words, you will be taken to that rule/section much faster when finding a rule. If anybody has any questions on this, then please PM a Mod or Admin and we'll help you out.

[Kobuk]

In the main Furtopian rules located here:
http://forums.furtopia.org/administerial-roars-and-woofs/furtopia-forums-main-rules-guidelines-version-3-0/
........there was a simple Staff Roster list at the very bottom below the Member Rights section. That list has been removed. Please use the link instead which will take you to the staff contact page.

[Kobuk]

Item # 7e in the main Furtopian rules which was originally the following:

e) Artistic Forums.  Furtopia has multiple artistic forums (Art, Literature, Poetry, Fursuiting, etc.) where members can post, share, and discuss various furry arts. Additional rules and guidelines related to graphical & literary arts can be found in the pinned threads in these artistic forums.
* Artwork Announcements: http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?board=8.0
* Sharing & Artistry: http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?board=19.0
* Poetry: http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?board=14.0
* Furry Fiction (Literature): http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?board=16.0
* Fursuiting: http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?board=11.0
* Photography/Video: http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?board=68.0
* Artwork Techniques: http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?board=9.0
* Singing & Music: http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?board=15.0

........has been completely removed as it is already covered by the following (Bolded white part) :

Staff Note:  For an up to date listing of amendments, additions, deletions, etc. in future days/weeks/months, then please also review this thread here: http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php/topic,39275.0.html  
Also, some forums may have slightly different rules and exceptions from those listed in the main rules below. Please be sure to read any pinned threads in various forums for revisions/amendments. If members have any questions/problems about a rule, then please PM a Mod or Admin and we will answer any questions you have.

[Kobuk]

10/27/2013

The following two items:

* Discontinuation of Artist Sub-Forums: http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42277.0
* Community Groups Sub-Forum Guidelines: http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=42278.0

........have been removed from Item # 15 in the main Furtopian rules located here:
http://forums.furtopia.org/administerial-roars-and-woofs/furtopia-forums-main-rules-guidelines-version-3-0/
.
Suggestions for new forums/groups or other improvements to Furtopia can be found here:
http://forums.furtopia.org/suggestion-box/offering-suggestions-at-furtopia/

[Alsek]

1/11/2014


The following rule has been added to the roleplay forum rules:

7.  The grave-digging rule in the Role-Play Forum is shortened to 1 month for everyone apart from the game master in order to avoid older threads from being revived while the GM is no-longer present to be responsible for them.  If a role-play has been dormant for an entire month,  only the GM may re-start it.

http://forums.furtopia.org/furry-role-playing/furtopia-role-playing-forum-rules-please-read-first!/



The Following thread has been added to the role-play forum:
Game Master Status  (Please Read!  Required to start new games!)

[Storm Fox]

The following rules/guidelines have been removed from the polling booth forum.

Polling Forum Rules & Guidelines:

a) Polls should pertain to furs, furriness, and/or information gathering of a non-personal, non-competitive nature.
b) Polls of a “Whose more ____ than that person” or “Who would win…” polls will be considered spam and removed at staff discretion depending on subject matter.
c) Polls pertaining to an adult subject must go in the adult area which is described here:
http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php?topic=35800.0
d) Not all polls will go in the Polling Forum. Certain polls may remain in their respective areas: Photography, Art, Fursuiting, etc. If a member is unsure where a Poll should go, them please PM a Mod or Admin and we’ll help you out.  

Modifications of this may be posted later. Thanks and Enjoy.

[Storm Fox]

The furtopia forum main rules page has been fully updated.

Version 3 [found here] has been replaced with version 4 [found here].